Many years ago I sold the moth light trap I had as a child, as I gave up all possessions to pursue an itinerary life free from the trappings of a society I wanted no part of. You can read more about this in my book, Coming Home for Good.
Now in my 50s, with my love of nature growing ever deeper and even more integral to the faith I discovered during that time on the road in my youth, it’s been wonderful not only to enjoy having a moth trap again but also to share the anticipation and thrill of opening it up in the morning with my 8-year-old daughter, who seems to be even more excited and fascinated than I am!
This morning, amongst quite a number of moths, we shared the wonder of two black-and-white beauties with rhyming names:
This Leopard moth, with its striking 6-spotted thorax.
And the equally attractive Peppered moth:
One other especially photo-worthy catch (but which unfortunately doesn’t rhyme with the other two) was this Buff Ermine:
One of the great things about the moth trap is discovering all these nocturnal marvels that we would never otherwise realise were all around our urban home.
(All photos taken by me today, but not copyright – i.e. feel free to use them, with my blessing!)
Spirit of Nature 