A personal caller in disguise

I went out of the front door briefly earlier and as I returned, spotted that I had had a caller. He was waiting patiently on the door itself, the colours of his wings blending perfectly with the rather shabby timber of my old front door.

Please click the image to see a larger version.

I wasn't sure how long he would wait around, so just grabbed some photos with my little camera to hand - the moth was positioned against a strut in the door making positioning the camera and the lighting a little tricky, so the photos aren't very good, but I was just amazed at how clever he was to find the door that was timber of just the right shade to co-ordinate with his own colouring.

My reading would suggest that it is an Angle Shades moth - Phlogophora meticulosa - and they are often to be seen in autumn, resting out the day on walls and fences where their scallop edged wings and russet colours blend perfectly with autumn leaves.

I think moths are often treated as the poor relations of butterflies and their habit of flitting against windows and around lights on summer evenings makes people skittish and wary of them. But they're stunningly beautiful and I was delighted to spend a few minutes with my caller today.