In late autumn I found a brown caterpillar on my living room floor. Since it was so cold outside, I kept him in a jar and fed him. His preferred food was hazel leaves, but he also ate dandelion leaves.
After a couple of weeks he stopped eating and wrapped himself in a leaf and became a chrysalis.
Last night (Jan 22) he hatched out. I put a saucer of sugared water out for him, but Mambo (cat) chased him down, so it was clear he couldn’t live inside with us.
I put him in the shed on top of Skull Tower (a tower of skulls) and left the shed door ajar so he can come and go as he pleases. It’s still really cold, so this should keep any frost off him. It was raining last night as well, and I didn’t fancy his chances just chucking him into the wet night.
This morning he’d vacated Skull Tower for his own choice of home. I checked he hadn’t got caught up in a web in the shed. I’ll continue to leave the door ajar in case he’s still living in there. And put saucers of sugary water in there, as there’s little nectar around at the moment.
I couldn’t get a photo as it was a full-on panic trying to get him to safety. I’m not sure what sort of moth he is, but his body is really creamy and furry. His wings are quite stubby, with brown, black and cream markings. I think he’s a dusky sallow, or maybe a light feathered rustic.
I’ve long dreamed of filming Hamlet starring insects, and this moth is the exact moth I’ve always seen as Hamlet himself. I couldn’t keep him captive though.
Good luck, Parsifal Moth. Do come back and see me sometime if you’d like to. Prince of Moths.