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in the long grass and herbage (away from flowers) for moth caterpillars in which to lay its eggs. This is the first time I've seen it in the garden. It sunned itself for a few seconds, then it was off.

to Desperate Dan.At this time of year all is perfect with tightly furled funnels of foliage poking their heads through the ground. The problem begins when the leaves unravel to reveal, not flawless quilted duvets of perfection, but something moth eaten

, for kidney problems, blood pressure and in Chinese medicine it is a digestive aid. It also provides food for many moths including the Mottled Pug, Scalloped Hazel and Brimstone.Most of us see them woven through field hedges all over the countryside in late

of the most exotic houseplants, like calla lilies and moth orchids, have actually becomes some of the cheapest to buy in supermarkets. You'll probably find pots in supermarkets now, boasting their stunning spathes.Zantedeschia albomaculata varieties have

are the larvae of a micro-moth, probably one of the many Coleophora species. Only about 5mm long, they're hidden in a sock-like bag of silk covered in bits of debris and lichen, which camouflage the creatures against the bark.A white aphid proves to be a dead

is widespread across southern and central England, usually in oak woods, but is scarce or at least seldom seen, probably because it is a well-camouflaged tree-dweller. Apparently it flies at night and sometimes appears in lights used for moth

to feed on Fallopia. The hope is that it will have the same effect here, controlling Fallopia, as the Mexican moth Cactoblastis had when it was deliberately introduced to Australia to combat the insidious weed spread of prickly pear cactus, originally from

going a step too far.Blackthorn is a bit more straightforward and a bit short on folklore. It is, however, really important as it provides food for a lot of moths including the delightfully named mottled pug and lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing

tiny) garden.The garden isn't perfect and I've a long way to go, but I've documented my success by the variety of garden visitors I've gained since the transformation: blue tits and great tits, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, slugs, snails and leaf

. Like long-tailed tits, goldcrests eat insects and spiders, but specialise in tiny morsels such as moth eggs. Their beaks are designed to pick out insects from between pine needles. In really cold winters they will occasionally come to garden feeders, so keep