Minucia Lunaris

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Eslablished for a short time in the British Isles between the 1940's and 50's the lunar double stripe minucia lunaris is now only seen as a very rare immigrant.

[nomad]

Pity that Minucia Lunaris did not hang on in there at Ham Street Woods, just a transitory resident, our climate did not  suit it and neither does it suit me, very cold at the moment and lots of bugs of a different kind about. 

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In 8 weeks napi, cardamines and argiolus will be on the wing.

[nomad]

Yes, it will be nice to get about and about among the insects again. Here are two more Minucia Lunaris
from Ham Street Woods near Ashford.  Surprisingly there are few in the museums I visit but I guess in the BMNH there will be at least a drawer full. Walker set these very nicely apart from the antennae.

[nomad]

Interestingly, Minucia Lunaris was established at the same time at Ham Street as the lovely Catocala fraxini, the latter being an infrequent immigrant, though there are yearly occurrences in Dorset and elsewhere.

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I have 4 British fraxini, all mint too but old. Of the 6 specimens of lunaris I have, all from the 1950's not one is alike, a very variable moth, I must get around to taking a picture of them all together.