Tim Blackburn
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mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn
@mothyblackburn.bsky.social
3.9K followers 560 following 6.7K posts

Professor of Invasion Biology at UCL. Amateur father, birder, moth-er. Mainly post wildlife photos, occasionally science and politics. Author of The Jewel Box, winner of the ZSL Clarivate Award for Communicating Zoology.

Videos
Environmental science 63%
Geography 16%
Posts Replies Media Videos

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 11h
Ooft! Steve's crossed the Tamar?

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 12h
For what it’s worth I had a female today, which I wish I’d photographed now. To my eye yours does tick the longer/smaller boxes relative to mine, which I had down as “likely dilutata”.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 13h
I can see why it's been said that females can't be done on genitalia... is that sclerotised bit "long", are the signa "small"? Could be!

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 13h
Interesting...

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 16h
Good luck! Persistence pays off.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 16h
Last one from the lab today. A right pig's ear of getting the dissected bits under a cover slip, but enough of the spines visible to ID as male Phyllonorycter messaniella. Clearly not quercifoliella as I originally thought, showing the value of gen det. #TeamMoth
Male Phyllonorycter messaniella moth on a dark background The distinctively spiny bits (ringed with red ellipses) of the genitals of the male Phyllonorycter messaniella. Compare with the preparations at https://mothdissection.co.uk/

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 16h
I mainly see this in the Devon garden so trying to collect from other sites where I can. Need a wider range of locations I think...

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 17h
More from the lab. These two are both male November Moth, from Kenfig and Weir Quay, respectively. The search for anything other than dilutata continues... #TeamMoth

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 18h
Another day in the lab. This male Oegoconia from home on 10th October looks good for novimundi I think, which would be my second this year (and the latest listed on the Middx moth site). #TeamMoth

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 20h
They were lucky to have you Danai! Happy to hear you had a good week.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 1d
Run it past the CMR.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 1d
Couldn’t agree more, and that looks like a proper bottle. May your retirement be long and whisky-filled.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 1d
I don't know serratilineella but it does look like that. As usual, will defer to people who actually know!

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
PS Good luck!

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
We packed up around 7.45 as activity seemed to have tailed off quite quickly, most species in early (in fact Plumed was 10th of 13 to arrive).

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
In terms of richness I'm sure there is somewhere, but given that most moths fly in the warmer months that would dominate species numbers I'd have thought.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
There’s a mission for you…

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
At this time of year I could believe it, though the flip side is the lack of extensive habitat here. I don’t have the experience tbh.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
Those plumes 🔥

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
Thanks! One happy moth-er.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
I’ve always been told it’s an early arriver with females coming in later. Last night was consistent with the former at least.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
Mild but not super-warm. Maybe 11/12 degrees?

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn

wjrpb.bsky.social
William Bishop @wjrpb.bsky.social · 2d
Aggregation of Heralds on a concrete roof and a female Plumed Prominent from last night in Suffolk. #TeamMoth.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
Thanks! Hopefully a couple more to squeeze out of 2025 before it ends...

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
🤔

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
Two lifers amongst 45:13 in a maple-packed woodland last night. The target was Plumed Prominent, and by 5.30pm two females had already appeared. An hour later and we were enjoying extravagantly plumed males. A hibernating Agonopterix purpurea was also NFM, with December Moth NFY. #TeamMoth
Male Plumed Prominent moth on a tree trunk Male Plumed Prominent moth antenna, showing how the species got its name Agonopterix purpurea moth on a background of concrete December Moth against a background of autumn leaves.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 3d
12 now, 1 lifer, 1 or 2 more NFY.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 3d
Nope…. Not yet anyway.

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 3d
11 including main target 😎

mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 3d
7 species already 👍