Category: News & Events

Our moth expert Sam Gray writes: The prominents are largish moths in the family Notodontidae that can commonly be found attracted to light during late spring and throughout the summer. They are thick bodied moths with dense ‘fur’ on the thorax and at the base of the legs. The wings are usually quite long and tapering towards the apex. When the wings are folded, the inner edge of both the wings come together over the moth with tufts of scales forming prominent spikes pointing upwards, hence the common name of the moths. The pattern of the forewings are subtle but really beautiful, with a blend of dark and pale colours creating distinctive patterns that help them to camouflage against tree bark and dead vegetation when at rest during the day. The jagged appearance of the Pale Prominent means that it is perfectly adapted to blend in with a broken piece of wood. The obvious palps at the front of the moth further exaggerate its ‘snapped twig’ appearance. Another example is the Iron Prominent, a dark moth with subtle yellow and red markings; it has clearly evolved to hide away on the ground amongst the leaf litter and soil.