I wasn't expecting to write a post about a moth in mid winter so this was a real treat. This beautiful moth is The Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix). It overwinters as an adult, often roosting communally in caves, barns and outbuildings, as here.
These pairs are close together, presumably by chance rather than for warmth.
This one is tucked up with a peacock butterfly.
Herald moths feed up on ivy flowers and ripe blackberries before hibernating. The caterpillars feed on willow, aspen and poplar leaves in the summer.
The origin of its common name is unclear. Perhaps because it emerges from hibernation at the end of winter to herald the start of spring or, probably more likely, because its wonderful patterns and colours resemble a herald's tabard. This is Thomas Hawley, Clarence King of Arms, in 1556.
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