Other Macro Moths (Various families)
This is a collection of Macro Moths, not delt with before. Usually this is due to the fact that they belong to smaller families, or to families of which only a few species are regularly seen in gardens. Most of these moths look a lot like Noctuids, such as the Pantheids, Eggars, some Tuft Moths and adult Slug Moths. Most Hawk-moths do look very different, but so far only a few have visited our garden. Of the very big moths in our region, most belong to the Hawk moths, of which some species will reach a wing span of some 140 mm! Among the Hook-tips are some that look like Noctuids, while other are similar to Geometer Worms. Some information about the family characteristics is given in the decription of the first representative of each family below. Just click on More... in the text on the right of the picture.
Tuft Moths (Nolidae)
The Black Arches, including the Least Black Arches, are part of a family of moths called the Tuft Moths. Scientists still disagree about this complicated family. At this moment most think that in our parts this is one family, divided into three uneven subfamilies:
1 the Black Arches (Nolinae), consisting of 5 species in Britain
2 the Nycteolines (Sarrothripinae), only reprented by two species in our parts
3 the Green Peas (Chloephorinae) of which 4 species are to be found in Britain
However the situation is very unclear, for the Black Arches are sometimes considered to be a mere subfamily of the Woolly Bears and the other two groups subfamilies of the Owlet Moths. In Skinner's for instance we do find the Tuft Moths, but they are only consisting of the Black Arches, while the other two subfamilies are dealt with in the section about Noctuids. All Tuft Moths do have one thing in common though: they have small tufts of erected scales on the forewing, hence the common name of the group. Anyway, the exact division of this group remains unclear. In our garden we have discovered two subfamilies to this very moment. We have not seen any of the Nycteolines yet. These are difficult to identify though, for whether you consider them to be Tuft Moths or Owlet Moths they rather look like Tortrixes!
This page has last been modified on Sunday, October 14, 2007.
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