|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 11:45:07 GMT -8
I must admit to having a special fondness for the Garden Tiger [ Arctia caja ]. As a young boy, staying with my grandparents in urban London, I used to find the females resting after egg-laying in their tiny garden, which was surrounded by bricks and mortar. Much scarcer than formerly in many areas, it is always a delight to find this attractive species resting on herbage during the day. Extreme aberrations of this species are very rarely encountered in the wild and most of the aberrations shown here from the Clive Pratt collection were produced by selective breeding by some of the great lepidoptera breeders. I think you would agree they produced some wonderful and very beautiful forms.  A. caja ab lutescens |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 11:49:33 GMT -8
 A. caja aberrations. The very dark forms are ab fumosa and the specimen at the bottom of third row right with the white forewings and all orange hindwings is the very rare and wonderful ab fantasma |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 11:51:00 GMT -8
 A. caja aberrations |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 11:52:19 GMT -8
 Two very unusual A. caja aberrations |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 11:54:21 GMT -8
Attachment DeletedFor your enjoyment the superb Clive Pratt Arctia caja aberration drawer in full.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 12:05:54 GMT -8
I meant his Arctia caja aberration collection not a complete aberration collection of this species  |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by bugboys3 on Sept 24, 2013 12:10:16 GMT -8
That is a cool drawer of moths!  |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 24, 2013 12:12:04 GMT -8
That is a cool drawer of moths! I am pleased that you like it, it is without doubt a amazing collection of this wonderful species. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 2:01:47 GMT -8
Peter, I have a friend who has an incredible collection of these, I am seeing him a couple of weeks, I will ask him permission to take some pics. I used to see many of these moths in my garden as a boy, alas I have not seen an adult for over 20 years.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 3:45:44 GMT -8
I agree......that is a superb drawer of specimens  |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Sept 25, 2013 9:02:36 GMT -8
Hi dunc, that would be great, I am sure many of us here would enjoy seeing more aberrations of this very striking Tiger Moth. Perhaps your friend has ab obscura, Clive might even have this in another cabinet drawer. I very much enjoyed the A. caja abs, glad that you did too Bill. |
|
|
|
Post by rumina on Oct 11, 2013 8:23:37 GMT -8
wonderful series. this is my favorite european moth with Pericallia matronula and Arctia Flavia. this moth is common in Italy but is very difficult to find in quantity. in my life only one time i'd found 10 exemplar in my moth traps.......... a fantastic moment.............
|
|
|
|
Post by simosg on Oct 11, 2013 11:13:00 GMT -8
What kind of trap did you use?
Hannes
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Oct 11, 2013 12:16:20 GMT -8
When I used to run a Mercury Vapour Moth-trap, I used to get caja in the garden of my former home but never in any numbers. Certainly one of my favourite moths. The last time I found this moth was a couple of years ago, when on two different occasions, I found single specimens resting on nettles in a locality on the Wilts Downs.
|
|
