Common Purple & Gold

A lazy day after church! I’m very happy about the cooler weather, the stifling heatwave we’ve just had was literally making me feel unwell and I found it difficult to sleep too.

I ordered a small personal gift for our Rector Anne-Marie when she leaves us in three weeks’ time. I think it’s really fitting, bearing in mind that she’s off to live and work in Wales. The item has literally got to be made by an artisan in York and then posted to me, so I hope it arrives in time. I won’t say any more for now, but may blip a picture of it if it turns out well.

I had a wander in my jungle - er - garden this afternoon, and spotted a little Pyrausta purpuralis moth, also known as the Common Purple & Gold (for obvious reasons) settled on a bright yellow Pulicaria dysenterica or common fleabane flower. They’re growing wild in my garden, and I actually think they’re quite pretty. The Pyrausta purpuralis is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 edition of ‘Systema Naturae’, and it is found in Europe. The wingspan is about 20 mm, and it flies from May to September. The species is active during the day. The larvae feed on mint, which is interesting because to my knowledge there isn’t any mint in my garden. Perhaps one of the neighbours has a patch growing.