Dull and overcast.
This picture surfaces one of the great conundrums in moth classification. Moths are split into 'Macros' and 'Micros'. Macro moths are generally large and Micro moths are generally small. But the split was initiated almost by accident when a book was brought out in the 1920's. It included larger moths. Later books covered the smaller Micro moths and the larger moths - by default - became Macro moths. The split is a convenience with no real scientific basis. So here we have the Mother of pearl - Pleuroptya ruralis, which is 3 cm wingspan, but is classified as a Micro, although it is larger than many Macro moths. And on July 14th I showed the Straw Dot - Rivula sericealis which is a Macro that is smaller than many micros.
In passing, I'll mention that the Mother of Pearl is one of the most beautiful moths I have seen.
This, however, is a 'proper' micro moth - Agriphila tristella.
