Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma) & Mite

Photographed on the Thursday 23 February 2017.
The Silver Y (Autographa gamma) moth is an immigrant and migrates here each year from North Africa & Southern Europe. It belongs to Class Insecta, Order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Family Noctuidae, Sub-Family Plusiinae and Genus Autographa. It breeds here every summer for as many generations as it can fit in though larvae do not survive our winter. Summer generations will then migrate in autumn back to warmer climes in N Africa S Europe in swarms that can be extensive. They have a wide source of food plants including crops and as such can be labelled as pests. They are a strong flier and are active day and night. Widespread in the UK especially prominent on the south-east coast. These are the moths seen plaguing Christiano Ronaldo in the 2016 Inter-country European Cup. The moth holds its wings back in a tent shape at rest and is identified by the unbroken silver/whitish Y on its wings. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves of their food plant with the emerging caterpillar larvae having 4 instars and form egg to adult moth emergence id about 8 weeks.
More information can be found here:
http://butterfly-conservation.org/51-1522/silver-y.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Y
http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/british-moth-galleries/silver-y-moth-autographa-gamma/
https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/home-garden/gardening/wildlife/moths/the-silver-y-moth

AcariAnimaliaAnimalsArachnidaArachnidsArtArt photographyArthropodArthtorpodaArtistic Macro PhotographyArtistic PhotographyAutographa gammaBritainBritishBritish IslesChelicerataClose UpColour ImageColour PictureColour photographDigital ImageDigital PhotographDigital PhotographyDigital PictureEntomologyEuropeFBYFaunaFine ArtFine Art ImageFine Art Macro PhotographyFine Art Nature ImageFine Art Nature PhotographFine Art Nature PhotographyFine Art Nature PictureFine Art PhotographFine Art PhotographyFine Art PictureFormbyGlossataGreat BritainHexapodHexapodaImageInsectaInsectsInvertebrateLepidopteraLittle CreaturesMSYMacroMacro MothMacro PhotographyMegafaunaMerseysideMesofaunaMites TicksMothsNature PhotographyNoctuidaePhotographPicturePlusiinaeSeftonSilver YSmall WorldU.K.UKUnited KingdomWildlifeWildlife Photographycreaturesmigratory mothphotographyzoology