[Umbrian]

About a week ago, before our temperatures dropped and we were enjoying warm, sunny days, I noticed a lot of moths of the kind in the attached photo mainly on my Lantana plants. They were quite small but stout, especially around the head area. Can anyone tell me what they were?

[MikeHardman]

This is a silver-y moth, Autographa gamma. It is quite common across large parts of Europe (including the UK).
It is one of several species around the same size and stature that have a metallic spangle in the middle of their forewings; some are silver, others golden.
[aside: how come, in the English language, we have the adjective golden for gold-coloured but we don't have a corresponding adjective for silver-coloured? (I'm ignoring auric and argentic)]
It is sometimes seen flying in the daytime; I remember seeing them on Mum & Dad's honeysuckle in the UK in the evening.
BTW, thanks for a good photo - makes identification a lot easier!

[John J]

It may be a bit archaic, Mike, but we do have silvern.

[MikeHardman]

John - silvern - excellent - thanks

[Umbrian]

Thanks Mike, one of the reasons gardening is so fascinating to me is the opportunity to learn about so many other things because hardly a day goes past when I do not notice something unusual when about my "work". Now with the Forum I can share these experiences and get things identified saving much valuable time previously spent poring over books and still not being certain that I had made a correct identification! I also appreciate the more philosophical comments....."silvern"  a wonderful word and hardly used apart from in poetry so thanks to you too John J.  - lovely to be in contact with fellow spirits on a daily basis.

[MikeHardman]

Umbrian// I metaphorically offer up my chalice to yours, with a smile; no need to speak. //Mike