Dotted Border

Male Dotted Border at Langbank, Renfrewshire

There aren't many moths about yet and my finds so far have been predictable ones. These male Dotted Border moths always turn up around my birthday in mid February – and my first of 2013 was found on Feb 16 on a hawthorn hedgerow near my home in Langbank where I find them every year. A common but variable species, they are not the most showy of moths but can be told from the similar Mottled Umber by the row of tiny black dots on the hind margins of both sets of wings.

It's interesting that these use a similar hawthorn hedge habitat as Early Moth, which I encountered last month. I've counted more than a hundred male DBs along the 600m stretch of hedge along the Station Road lane – but never seen a female which, like Early Moth, are wingless, small and inconspicuous. My best hope would be to find a mating pair – so eyes peeled. Mind you, a big area of high pressure is over us just now and night temperatures are due to drop. Might be too cold for moths (and moth hunters!)