We watched a male Oak Eggar flying frantically around the garden yesterday following the pheromone scent trail given off by a female hidden away in an ivy-clad shrub.
As with other male Oak Eggars we’ve seen in the past this one also appeared during warm mid afternoon sunshine.
It never ceases to amaze how some female species of moth can so quickly attract a mate to a garden where, maybe, the species had never before been recorded.
The oak Eggar is widespread throughout much of the UK but despite its name it isn’t associated with Oaks.
The larvae can often be encountered on a variety of plants and on the coast are particularly associated with heathers.
The smaller day-flying males have pectinate (comb-like) antennae which they use to detect the pheromones given off by the nocturnal females.
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