Puss as in pussy cat, not pus as in that 'orrible stuff that oozes out of an abscess...

Towards the back end of last year there was a programme of cutting back the overgrown edges to the rides in our local woods...

A rainy day for the workmen in Comfort's Wood

This left a lot of debris lying around, especially the large stalks of the hedge(?) parsley and just to the left in this picture, I found what I knew was a moth cocoon on the ground. It looked like it might be a Puss Moth but I wasn't sure. Anyhow, I rescued it and nurtured it through the winter until on the 27th of April this year, the adult moth emerged...

Sure enough, it was a Puss Moth and what looked to be a beautiful male judging by the antennae size...

It was such a rare treat to be able to see the abdomen markings which once the wings are fully inflated of course, you can't see, as they are held across the abdomen unless the moth is flying...

I was intrigued to see how the wings gradually inflated over a period of about three hours,from first emergence to ready to fly. These really are beautiful moths and so impressive when in pristine condition like this. 

The yellow tint to the wings disappeared as they inflated further and dried...

There's a head and eyes in there somewhere!

And so that was the emergence of the Puss Moth. I know that I don't usually dedicate a whole update to just one subject, but this was such a fantastic thing to witness and I wanted to share my experience through these photographs.

Until the next time...