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Least Minor Moth

About

A small sized moth with a wingspan of 15-18mm. Its habitat is rough fields, dales and hillsides.

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The caterpillars hatch in August and can be found until the following May, feeding on the inside of the stems of glaucous sedge and possibly other sedges. They pupate in flimsy cocoons on the ground.

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It is mostly diurnal, flying in sunshine, and is on the wing between June and August, inhabiting limestone areas.

Least Minor Moth.jpg

Conservation status​

Rare. Restricted to suitable habitat in the south of Cumbria, the western edge of north Yorkshire, the coast of Northumberland and County Durham.

Story

Three bands of white across the soft brown of your back – like scars, ready to tell of how hard it is to live these days, these places.

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You are not interested in the dark, have instead a hankering for sunlight on limestone, rough fields and gentle hills.

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You remember the sweetness of glaucous sedge, how it felt to bury your larvae self inside those green-grey stems, fattening yourself over and again, preparing for silk and silence.

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They call you least.

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They call you minor.

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But look how you lift yourself into thin air, look how you fly.
 

Least Minor MothSarah Butler
00:00 / 00:48

Length: 46 seconds
Story: Sarah Butler
Read by: Sarah Butler

Sculpture

ESM01 Least Minor Moth.JPG

'Least Minor Moth'

30x50x5cm
Wood and acrylic/rusty paint

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Made in response to the patterns on the moth’s wing and the text written by Sarah Butler.

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