The December Moth was @SpeciesofUK from 18th
November to 8th December, 2013.
The December
moth is a fairly common species of moth found across the UK.[1]
 |
| December Moth [Wikimedia Commons © Walter Schön] |
The
flight time of the December moth, as its name suggests, is late in the year. It
can be found from late October to December.[2]
The December moth is found in a variety of
habitats.
The
December moth has successfully made itself a home across Europe, northern Asia,
and even into Japan.[3]
 |
| December Moth [Wikimedia Commons © Walter Schön] |
It is
found in a variety of habitats, such as woodland margins, clearings, bogs, and
occasionally gardens.[4]
It is a member of the Lasiocampidae family.[5]
Lasiocampidae moths are sometimes known as 'snout moths,' so
called for the protruding mouth parts of many species.[6]
 |
| The Drinker Moth, another Lasiocampidae [Wikimedia Commons © Hectonichus] |
Lasiocampidae
are also sometimes called 'lappet moths' due to the decorative skin flaps found
on the caterpillar's prolegs.[7]
The December moth is greyish brown.
The
December moth has grey-brown forewings with a pale 'postmedian' line. The
hindwings are a bit paler with a diffused central band.[8]
 |
| December Moth Wings [Flickr Creative Commons © naturalhistoryman] |
They have
a wingspan of 30 to 45mm and the wings have a slightly translucent appearance,
due to their thinly-scaled surface.[9]
Appropriately
enough, they look built for the winter, with a shaggy mane that covers up the
thorax.[10]
 |
| Shaggy Thorax [Flickr Creative Commons © ajmatthehiddenhouse] |
The males
have larger and more feathery antennae than the females, although the female is
bigger overall.[11]
 |
| Male December Moth [Flickr Creative Commons © ajmatthehiddenhouse] |
The December moth starts to fly in October.
The
December moth gets its name from being one of the few insects still flying into
December. However it first appears in late October, or more often from mid-November.[12]
 |
| The December Moth in Winter [Flickr Creative Commons © José Ramón P. V.] |
After
overwintering as eggs, the December moth larvae hatch in the spring.[13]
 |
| December Moth Eggs [Wikimedia Commons © Annelien Bierman-Hams] |
 |
| December Moth Larva [Wikimedia Commons © Hectonichus] |
The
larvae are variable in colour. Some are black with
red spots, others are grey with orange/brown diamonds down the back, and some
are grey all over.[16]
 |
| December Moth Larva [Wikimedia Commons © Ernest van Asseldonk] |
Strange but true…
The
December moth, improbably, is often regarded as a rather beautiful creature. According
to The Guardian’s Country Diary, "the
December moth...seems almost purpose-made to remind us of the aesthetic
possibilities of chitin."[17]
 |
| The Aesthetic Possibilities of Chitin [Flickr Creative Commons © ajmatthehiddenhouse] |
[1] http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1631
[2] http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1631
[3] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilocampa_populi;
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1631
[4] http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5700
[5] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilocampa_populi
[6] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasiocampidae
[8] http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5700
[9] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilocampa_populi;
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1631
[10] http://northdownsandbeyond.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/december-moth.html
[11] http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5700;
http://www.norfolkmoths.co.uk/index.php?bf=16310
[12] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilocampa_populi;
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1631; http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5700
[13] http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5700
[14] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilocampa_populi;
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1631; http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5700
[15] http://www.uksafari.com/december.htm
[16] http://www.uksafari.com/december.htm
[17] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/dec/09/claxton-norfolk-dead-time-winter-insects
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