This gallery includes species belonging to the Plusiinae subfamily of the major moth family Noctuidae. These pretty moth species can have metallic patches or conspicuous letter markings on their forewings. My interest in these species is increased by the fact that they are established pollinators of the Greater Butterfly Orchid. These orchids emit scent attractants and their white colour makes them conspicuous in the failing light of dusk. Their long spurs carry nectar on which the moths can feed. Unfortunately for them the orchids exploit this behaviour to achieve pollination by attaching their pollen carrying pollinia to the feeding moths. Because the moths are covered in scales that can be shed the only effective targets for pollinia attachment are the eyes or the proboscis of the moth. In the case of the Greater Butterfly Orchid it is the eyes that are targeted. This gallery includes some images of moths with Greater Butterfly Orchid pollinia attached to their eyes.

I wrote a small article about this for the Norfolk Butterfly Conservation Newsletter and this can be viewed as a pdf: Moth Pollinia.