A Small Magpie moth

This morning I found this Small Magpie moth clinging to one of our downstairs walls. I 'caught' it in a glass jar and took it outside the back door, and it flew all of six inches to this position on a plant stem. It is less than an inch in diameter.

I nipped inside for my camera and managed to grab a couple of shots before it flew away to better things. I must admit that bending down so low is getting harder for me, and doesn't make it easy to hold the camera still. I'm getting old and decrepit.

It took a while to identify it, though I'm not absolutely certain as its patterns don't exactly match the online pictures. I think it is very pretty.

From 'Butterfly Conservation' online:
One of the most familiar of the Pyralidae moth, the Small Magpie is common, easily disturbed by day and often attracted to light.

The caterpillar feeds from a rolled or spun leaf in August and September before spending the winter in a tough silk cocoon in a hollow stem or under the bark. Without further feeding, pupation occurs in the following May in the same cocoon.

Caterpillars feed on common nettle but woundworts (Stachys spp.), mints (Mentha spp.), horehounds (Marrubium and Ballota), and bindweeds (Convolvulus and Calystegia) are also used.

Habitat – Can be found in a variety of habitats, including gardens, waste ground, and hedgerows.