The Cairngorms Up-Close: Gallery
[CAIRNGORMS UP-CLOSE] [DEEPGREEN.EARTH]
Group: COLOURFUL MOTHS
Light emerald (Campaea margaritaria)
Where and when encountered: Rothiemurchus Estate on 23 June 2024
About: Light emerald moths can be found from the far north to the far south of Great Britain. Their larvae feed on various deciduous trees.
Years with at least one adult record: 2024 (1)
Narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris tityus)
Where and when encountered: Rothiemurchus Estate on 19 May 2025
About: The narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth, in Great Britain, is a species principally of the Scottish Highlands. Adults fly in the day and favour flower-rich habitat. Their larvae feed on devil's-bit scabious and field scabious.
Date range for live (non-diapausing) adult records: 13 to 19 May (7 days)
Years with at least one adult record: 2025 (1)
Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Where and when encountered: Grantown-on-Spey on 8 July 2025
About: Hummingbird hawk-moths are an immigrant species, arriving from Southern Europe and North Africa following warm weather with southerly winds. They may reach the far north of Scotland but are more commonly encountered in the south of Great Britain. Larval food-plants include lady's bedstraw and hedge bedstraw.
Years with at least one adult record: 2025 (1)
Yellow-barred gold (Micropterix aureatella)
Where and when encountered: Dulnain Bridge on 17 May 2024
About: Moths of the species Micropterix aureatella feed on pollen as adults. The larvae have not been described in this country, but it is thought that they might feed on blaeberry. The adults are more commonly encountered to the west and north of Great Britain.
Date range for live (non-diapausing) adult records: 17 May to 7 June (22 days)
Years with at least one adult record: 2024, 2025 (2)
Orange-spot piercer (Pammene aurana)
Where and when encountered: Grantown-on-Spey on 25 July 2024
About: Orange-spot piercers can be found from the far north to the far south of Great Britain, although they have a rather patchy distribution. They feed on hogweed.
Date range for live (non-diapausing) adult records: 2 June to 25 July (54 days)
Years with at least one adult record: 2022, 2024, 2025 (3)
Ruby tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)
Where and when encountered: Abernethy Forest on 24 April 2025
About: Ruby tigers are widespread in Great Britain, and their larvae feed on a broad range of plants, including broom, dandelion, docks, heather, plantains, and common ragwort.
Years with at least one adult record: 2025 (1)
Six-spot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae)
Where and when encountered: Grantown-on-Spey on 30 June 2025
About: Six-spot burnets are day-flying moths with a distribution in Great Britain ranging from the far south to the far north, with principal habitats including woodland rides, grasslands, and sand dunes. The larvae feed on bird's-foot trefoil.
Years with at least one adult record: 2025 (1)
Selected galleries
[ALL-TIME HIGHLIGHTS] [ARCTIC ALPINE PLANTS] [BUTTERFLIES] [COLOURFUL MOTHS] [DRAGONFLIES] [FORBS] [GALLS] [GRASSLAND ORCHIDS] [HOVERFLIES] [INSECTS OF EXPOSED RIVER SEDIMENT] [LONGHORN BEETLES] [PINE-ASSOCIATED FUNGI] [PLANT BUGS] [SHIELDBUGS] [UNCOMMON PINEWOOD HERBS] [WOODY PLANTS]