Religious moth

Small Quaker is one of a group of plain brown moths that fly in late winter and early spring. Commonly caught in moth traps, they can also readily be seen by night, feeding on flowering catkins of willow trees. The name ‘Quaker’ refers to the demure attire typically worn by members of that historically Christian denomination. But, as Peter Marren points out in his book Emperors, Admirals and Chimney Sweepers, it may also pay homage to the religious preference of many prominent entomologists of the 18th and 19th Centuries.