Yellow-Barred Fairy Longhorn Moth

Like many of the day-flying longhorn moths, this one has a metallic, burnished sheen. Yellow-barred is not a good description in my view. We found this one in the hedge by the lake, just the sort of watery habitat that they favour. This male was on its own but the males sometimes congregate and dance up and down in the sunshine like mayflies in a sort of lek to attract the females. Maybe their fluttering dance is the reason they got the name fairy longhorns?

The females have fairly long antennae but those of the males are three and a half to four times the length of their forewings, the longest in the British Lepidoptera.

Ollie and I have just had our evening walk. The tawny owl is hooting, as it has been this afternoon, wish I could pinpoint it.