Barred Tooth-striped Tricopteryx polycommata

April into May.

Open woodland and scrub.

This nationally scarce and local species is associated with wild privet in England, but ash (and possibly honeysuckle) in Scotland. The Great Glen is its headquarters here.

Scottish examples are more strikingly marked than those from further south.

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Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria

April into May.

Woodland, especially birch.

Like various other moths, Brindled Beauty has a disjunct distribution in Britain, being widespread in the Scottish Highlands and southern Britain but absent from southern Scotland and northern England.

Related species in this group have short-winged, flightless females. Here, the female is fully-winged, but never flies.

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Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Two broods: April/May, then July to early September.

Gardens, heather moorland, coast, other open habitats.

This is one of the earliest pugs and may be seen by late March in some years. Its caterpillars feed on the flowers of a range of wild and garden plants including heather and buddleia. The adult varies in the richness of its colouring - here is a particularly bright example.

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Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis

April and May.

Bogs, marshes, carr.

The quakers and drabs are a very successful group of early spring moths. The pupa overwinters with the adult fully formed inside, ready to emerge and lay eggs as soon as the weather is mild enough. Thus their caterpillars can feed on the nutritious spring foliage.

Powdered Quaker prefers damp areas, with sallow, bog-myrtle and meadow-sweet its main larval foodplants, so it is more local and less numerous than some others in the genus.

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Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda

Late March to early May.

Deciduous woodland.

This moth is a recent arrival in our area, having expanded its range northwards in recent years.

Its caterpillars feed on a wide range of deciduous trees, while the adult is often found on sallow catkins after dark.

The black twin-spots, if present, allow easy separation from similar species in the group. Unfortunately there is also a plain form, though this is less frequent.

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