Lasiocampidae family. There are about 2000 species found worldwide except in New Zealand. The adults are medium to large sized, brown and fat. All the larvae are hairy. On the left is Gastropacha quercifolia, the lappet moth
The eggs are white with grey spots and laid in bands, pairs or small batches on twigs or leaves of the foodplant in July or August and hatch in about 2 weeks.
The caterpillar feeds on whitethorn, blackthorn, hawthorn, sallow, apples and other fruit trees after hatching. Then it hibernates on stems near the base of the foodplant. In May it starts to feed again, and when fully grown it can be as long as 80 mm. It has hairs which can cause irritation. It is widespread in Europe. The name comes from fleshy "lappets" that hang down around the prolegs.
Pupation is in June, in a cocoon of brown/grey silk and hairs spun low on the food plant.

Family Sesiidae. All in this family have transparent or partly transparent wings and resemble wasps, hornets and other Hymenoptera, also the forewings are vary narrow. The larvae tend to feed in tree-trunks, stems and roots; so are rarely seen. Wingspan ranges from 30 - 60

On the left is a preserved specimen of Sesia apiformis, the hornet clearwing moth. As the common name suggests, this moth mimics the hornet. The hornet clearwing larva feeds in poplar and aspen roots and trunks for around 3 years. The cocoon is made of gnawed wood and silk, and adults emerge in June and July. The adult female tends to be fatter in the body than the male. The adult wingspan is 33 - 48 mm. It is found in Europe and eastern US, but in the UK its range does not spread as far north as Scotland.

Oecophoridae family.

On the right is the life stages of the Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella. It is common, and the adult has a wingspan of 15 - 26 mm, and at rest males are 8 mm long and the females 12 mm long. The colour can vary from a dark olive brown to buff, but the thorax and front wings always have dark flecks or spots.

Adult behaviour. When disturbed it will often run into a dark crevice rather then fly.

The larva eats wool, feathers, grains, seeds, dried fruit, wine bottle corks, carpets, upholstery and leather. A fully grown larva can be 20 mm long with a shiny white body and a brown head. It pupates in a tough torpedo-shaped cocoon in the material it has been eating.

Eggs are laid in dust and debris.

Lycaenidae family. These are commonly known as the Hairstreaks, Coppers and Blues. The beautiful colours of the adults are due to the microscopic structures on the scales.

On the left is an adult male Lysandra coridon, chalkhill blue. The female has brown wings with sometimes a trace of blue on the forewings, and is slightly larger. This butterfly is fairly common all over central and southern Europe. In the UK it is found only in south-east England. As its common name suggests it is found on chalk and limestone hills. The adult wingspan is 30 - 36 mm. Adults fly in July and August. In the UK there is one generation a year. The green eggs are laid in August on Horse-shoe vetch, but do not hatch until the following spring. The caterpillar feeds on vetches and trefoils, and is carried by ants to a suitable foodplant near the ant's nest. The ants "milk" a gland on the back of the caterpillar which exudes drops of a sweet liquid. A fully grown caterpillar can be up to 16 mm long, is quite fat, but very tapered at both ends. The body is green with yellow stripes. In the UK the caterpillars feed on horseshoe vetch for about 10 weeks, then pupate on the ground in a greenish-brown cocoon at the base of the foodplant.