[Siren wailing]... Big pink hawkmoth season is upon us. I repeat, big pink hawkmoth season. This is not a drill.

This is an elephant hawkmoth, warming up its wings & taking off. It's caterpillars are also magnificent chonks, and they eat rosebay willow herb (AKA fireweed in the US I think?) This is a perfect reason to do less weeding. Keep some weeds, get big pink hawkmoths like this one.

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨🦋🐾🛹✨

Buff tip moth. Another species from yesterday's trap. It's the best broken twig mimic, A+ camo, also has adorably flat fluffy face. Perfect moth pal, no notes.

Good morning friends - lime hawkmoth, this is not a drill, I repeat, lime hawkmoth!

It's InverteFest week and look at this chonky jet-plane-looking pal that dropped by the moth trap! Here it is in the classic tail-up "you woke me TF up when??" pose. Sorry little buddy. Wouldn't fly off, so we coaxed it on to a tree & I'm hanging around so that it doesn't get picked off by a bird (although it's reasonably well hidden, but I worry... I have coffee and mini-eggs though, so it's all good.)

Moth trapping is a way to record and release local insects, no moths are hurt and they all get released afterwards (I try to put them somewhere well hidden though because of hungry birbs.)

The Herald is an unmistakable and friggin delightful moth.

They putter about early in the year, but not many stop by the light. Happy to see this little buddy drop in! Here's some sketches I made of this species.

Caterpillars of this mothy pal eat willows & poplars. The web of connections between trees, moths that eat the leaves, birds that eat moth larvae and live in trees, and all the other interconnected wildlife... It's so vast. If you enjoy seeing moths like this, take care of trees as much as you're able.

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨🦋🐾🛹✨

Please enjoy this emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) and please take care of yourselves and each other as much as you're able to this weekend 🦋

This is a colour pencil drawing I under-painted in homemade shale and chalk watercolour paint I think. I'm writing about how to make shale pigment from rocks and mud right now 🪨🖌️

Rosy footman moth. A+ moth friend, would definitely recommend.

This woodland moth has caterpillars that feed on lichens. To help delightful moths like this one, take care of trees that lichens grow on. Support your local wildlife & woodland trusts (or similar groups near you that look after nature reserves where moths can find food.)

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨🦋✨

Behold the majestic floof of this canary-shouldered thorn moth and let your Monday be that little bit more bearable.

The food plants of this ridiculously fluffy species are birches, goat willow, and alders; to help look after it please look after local trees. If you're in the UK like me, please report any damage to urban trees your council.

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨🦋✨

It's been a batshit weekend doing all the scampering around and working on many things and I am absolutely friggin cream-crackered. But OMFGs I saw unexpected burnett moths yesterday, and they were shiny and perfect 😍

To improve your day, please look at this beautiful small elephant hawkmoth, sitting in a sunbeam/just hanging out on a moth trap tray 🦋💖

Next time someone tells you moths are dull, show them this flying kitten in particular.

This moth eats bedstraw plants, willowherbs, and purple loosestrife. To help fluffy flying friends like this one, leave some weedy/unmown areas in your garden if you have one. Do less weeding. You don't need to mow everywhere. Have a rest instead, maybe a coffee or two. If anyone asks, tell them you're looking after your local pollinators/flying kittens.

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨🦋✨

A warm and fuzzy heart & dart moth sending you hi fives for getting through the day 👋💖🦋

This moth eats 'weeds' like ribwort plantain. To help warm, fluffy, pollinating flying kittens like this one, please do less weeding. You don't need to pull those herbaceous friends out of your lawn, have a cup of tea and a sit down instead. Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨ 🦋 ✨

Please enjoy this magical small emerald moth friend who visited me last year. I'm looking forward to mothing season starting again soon! 🦋💚

May your year be filled with all the soft beautiful moths you need to get through it, including this one.

Good morning live from the moth trap, where I'm *trying* to release the moths but uhhh... Apparently some of them want their weekend lie-in 🤷 Most relatable moth ever! Just nopes and climbs right back to bed 😂

This one is a dusky thorn, holding its wings in that characteristic thorn moth way.

May we all get the rest we need this weekend.

More moth-trap visitors from the past couple of weeks, being recorded & released. May we all find soft and comforting bugs when we need them

1. A delightful pile of moths - chonky secret mustard (large yellow underwing 💛🪽), shuttle-shaped dart 🏸🎯, and Vine's rustic 🍇🧑‍🌾

2 & 3. One of my favourite micromoths, the maple button 🍁🔘 with its beautiful net-patterned wings

4. More chonks 💛🪽

5. Brimstone 🪨💛, what a ray of sunshine it is

6. Straw underwing 🌾🪽 such great carpet-like patterns, brown moths are underrated I tell you

7. Yellow shell 💛🐚 so many squiggles on those lovely wings

8. Cappuccino moth ☕🦋 AKA riband wave 🎀🌊

9. A peachy clay triple lines 〰️3️⃣ a new species for my garden!

10. Green lacewing 💚🪽... Sir, this is a moth-trap

If you enjoy bugs like these, make some space for them if you have a garden - leave some weeds & long grasses for them to eat, and some dead leaves for them to hide/overwinter in. If you don't have a garden, you can help by, taking care of public wild spaces, reporting damage to urban trees, or asking your local council to consider mowing verges after wildflowers have gone to seed for example.

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board 🦋✨

Chonky secret mustard AKA large yellow underwing 💛🪽... & a chonky not-so-secret mustard 😬

This species is an important pollinator of wildflowers, and it's larvae eat a whole range of herbaceous plants including dandelion, hawkweeds, and plantain.

To feed this chonk/give it something to eat other than your tomato plants, let a little of your garden grow wild.

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board ✨🦋✨

Good morning 🦋

I got up at 6am to do the moth trap and have all my flappy friends released and safely hidden under leaves or logs when the rain arrived.

& Friends, it was worth it. Behold the antennas on this male spongey moth. BEHOLD THEM!!

May your weekend be as fantastic as this moth's antennas.

This moth is considered a pest reportable to forestry services in some countries/regions. Luckily it's not a problem in my area, and this majestic floof flew on about its day.

Moth sketchbook page. Just because it feels like it's been a long week already and I'm throwing moths at things 🦋💖 (it's an eyed hawkmoth btw)

A beautiful blood-vein moth visited me this morning 😍 May your weekend be blessed with soft fluffy moths 🦋

~

This moth's caterpillar feeds on knot-grass, sorrel, dock, & orache plants. Many ppl view those as weeds, but they're vital to lots of different insects - including this moth friend.

Love speckled pink moths? Leave some weedy patches if you have a garden. If not, you can still help! Contact your local councillors/reps about creating and protecting wild areas in your community, including when they get mowed/tidied to allow plants to go to seed. 🌿🐛🦋💚

Thank you from the Moth Promotional Board 🦋✨