The Silver Y moth is named for the bright, silvery ‘y‘ shapes on its wings. Can you see them in the picture?
In the gardens of Charlton House the Silver Y caterpillars like to eat plants like nettles and clover, and the moths enjoy nectar-rich plants like the lavender in the Old Pond Garden. This one was spotted resting in the ivy which grows up the walls.
They also seem to like football 😉, as they famously stopped off in Paris to watch the Euro 2016 final…
Like most butterflies and moths, the Silver Y moth feeds on nectar with a long feeding tube called a proboscis. You can see it in this slow-motion video:
Find all the Bugs in the Old Pond Garden (there are ten altogether), put the letters together and find the final Bug!
If you spot any real live bugs / creatures / insects in the Old Pond Garden today, try to take a photograph and find out what it is. We’d love to see it, so if you post on Instagram you can tag us: @cabahs_hortisoc and use the hashtag #BugsInTheBeds
This page is part of the ‘Bugs in the Beds’ trail running on the Old Pond Garden, Charlton House, on 21st May 2023.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 