rood weeskind

Yesterday night we put a lamp in the garden. It's a special lamp to 

attract night-moths. 

We identified the Euplagia quadripunctaria, which is quite rare here. 

Further on we saw a Catocala nupta and a Sphingidae. 

Aren't they beautiful? And I especially love their Dutch names: 

Rood Weeskind, Spaanse vlag, Huismoeder, Pijlstaart, Volgeling...
I think its interesting to find out where these names come from.

For instance "Rood Weeskind" (in English "Red orphan") owes 

its name to the fact that the incarnadine and deep black zigzag tracks 

are reminiscent of the clothes of the orphanage children in Amsterdam. 

The children had these colors in their clothes, because these 

colors also occur in the coat of arms of Amsterdam.

(painting by Nicolaas van der Waay)