The Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis) is a moth of the family Drepanidae. It is found throughout Europe and is a fairly common species in the British Isles.
It is a striking species with brown forewings marked with five pink and white blotches which do rather resemble the petals of peach blossom. The hindwings are buff and grey. The wingspan is 40-45 mm. The species flies at night in June and July and sometimes a partial second brood emerges in late August and September . The species is attracted to light and sugar.
The larva is brown with white markings and several humps along its back. At rest it raises both ends as with many drepanids. It feeds on various Rubus species. The species overwinters as a pupa.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
Famous quotes containing the words peach and/or blossom:
“I askèd a thief to steal me a peach
He turned up his eyes
I ask’d a lithe lady to lie her down
Holy & meek she cries—
As soon as I went
An angel came.
He wink’d at the thief
And smild at the dame—
And without one word said
Had a peach from the tree
And still as a maid
Enjoy’d the lady.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences and a flourishing culture in our land.”
—Mao Zedong (1893–1976)