Sallow Kitten

We had a very exciting visitor in the back garden this afternoon! My husband spotted what he thought might be a moth on one of the garden seats but did not go too close in case he disturbed it and it flew away before I got there armed with camera. Sure enough it was a beautiful, grey furry moth with black and orange markings. After a quick search I found this information about it and it’s lovely name, given because it resembles a kitten, apparently!

Sallow Kitten (Furcula Furcula)

Wingspan 27-35 mm.

The most widespread and common of the British 'kittens' (Furcula spp.), being distributed throughout in a range of habitats.

In the southern half of its range there are two generations, flying in May and June, then again in August. In the north it is single-brooded, flying in June and July.

The caterpillars, which resemble smaller versions of those of the Puss Moth (Cerura vinula), feed on sallow (Salix), aspen (Populus tremula) and other poplars (Populus spp.).


Off out to another of the Glasgow Jazz Festival concerts tonight, Graham Costello’s Strata at Drygate Brewery.