Saturday 24 August 2013

A few new species!

After a pretty quiet month in my garden, I had a catch of 91 moths of 44 species last night in spite of the wet weather! This was my best since the 1st Aug, and that includes 3 nights during the month when I used my MV light - just goes to show that actinic is not always a bad choice! Quite a few of these were new for my all-time garden list as well...

Caloptilia populetorum (NFG)
Apotomis betuletana
Small Waved Umber (NFG)
Wormwood Pug (NFG)
Common Wave
Six-striped Rustic (NFG)
Feathered Gothic (NFG)
Canary-shouldered Thorn (NFG)
Mouse Moth

I also had a trap in my favoured woodland site the night before, and although the trap itself didn't catch anything new (Square-spot Rustic was new for the site, but I've had plenty elsewhere), we did find this female Vapourer with a clutch of eggs:

Vapourer

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Moths for kids!

I was asked to provide some moths and other insects for a summer holiday kids' event at a local outdoor venue this week, so taking the opportunity to trap on a new site, I ran my MV light on Monday night.

I had 184 moths of 34 species, although it was notable that 80 of these were Flame Shoulder. There were very few micros in the trap, and a handful of new species for my year list, namely

Square-spot Rustic
Feathered Gothic

Feathered Gothic


It is fair to say that some kids are more interested than others in moths!

I also ran a trap at my regular woodland site, but the weather was quite poor so nothing new, although there were decent numbers of Maple Prominent and Black Arches.

The garden has been somewhat more productive in terms of new moths, although the numbers are definitely decreasing overall (apart from the various Agriphila species which are appearing in some numbers!)

New for the year have been:

Caloptilia stigmatella
Aethes smeathmanniana
Acleris laterana
Epinotia nisella
Svensson's Copper Underwing
Vine's Rustic

Oh yes, and three of these:



Sunday 11 August 2013

National Moth Night

At least the weather for National Moth Night (or three nights really) this year was a little better (!). During the course of these three nights, I ran or was involved with trapping in my own garden, a local chalk grassland nature reserve, and in a local mixed woodland (where I often trap).

The "theme" of National Moth Night this year was Tiger Moths, although the only "Tiger" species caught was Ruby Tiger - one in the garden, and about 10 at the nature reserve (it was difficult to keep count of everything through the session).

The total from the 3 nights was 422 moths of 126 species, which, compared to July, is well down, but as there were some lifers and new-for-year moths, I'm happy :)

Highlights, i.e. first for the site year list were:

Garden (162 moths 57 species) -

Orange Swift
Rosy Minor

Orange Swift


Woodland (75 moths 35 species) -

White-shouldered House Moth
Blastobasis adustella
Apotomis betuleana
Agriphila straminella
Common Carpet
Wormwood Pug
Pebble Prominent
Six-striped Rustic (NFY)
Copper Underwing (probably Svensson's but not 100%)
Ear Moth agg.

Six-striped Rustic


Chalk Grassland (185 moths 92 species)


Agonopterix arenella (NFY)
Teleiodes vulgella (lifer)
Cochylis dubitana (lifer)
Dark Spinach (NFY)
Small Waved Umber (lifer)
Dark Umber (NFY)
Tree-lichen Beauty (lifer)
Straw Underwing (lifer)
Scarce Silver-lines (lifer)


Thursday 8 August 2013

Nice Lifer!

Although I haven't had many moths in the garden over the last few days, due to the colder nights and the rain, I have had a handful of new species for the year, one in particular being of interest.

As it was something I'd not seen before elsewhere, I posted a photo and got two people giving me an id.

The photo went to the county recorder, who confirmed a Toadflax Brocade, which, he tells me, is only the 7th county record (2 of those were larvae), so although I've heard reports of occasional individuals in the adjoining counties of Herts. & Middx., I felt very honoured to have this species in my garden :)

Here it is:

Toadflax Brocade

Monday 5 August 2013

Out and About...

I always do what I can to help others out with there moth trapping needs, so on Thursday and Friday nights I ran traps in a woodland and a town garden (plus of course my own garden trap).

Thursday night was a couple of traps in a regular woodland setting, with a highest for the site so far count of 165 moths of 63 species. No MV lights were involved, either!

Highlights included:

Catoptria pinella
Large Emerald
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (NFY)
Scallop Shell (NFY)
Dusky Thorn
Pine Hawk-moth
Maple Prominent
Antler Moth (lifer)

Antler Moth


Friday night I ran a trap in a garden in a medieval market town, to hopefully catch something for a public event. Although the count was quite low, I at least had on NFY in the shape of

Orange Swift

The garden trap was quite quiet as well, but a few highlights were

Meal Moth (NFY)
Garden Rose Tortrix
Peach Blossom (NFG)
Small Phoenix (NFG)
Bordered Pug (lifer)
Magpie Moth (NFY)
Campion (lifer)
Marbled Beauty

Bordered Pug

Thursday 1 August 2013

Bumper Crop!

I decided to run my MV light last night, and what a catch I got! There are still 6 micros I can't id, but everything else added up to 280 moths of 98 species.

There were several things I hadn't seen in the garden yet this year, including a few totally new.

Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner (NFY)
Cherry Fruit Moth (Lifer)
Bird-cherry Ermine
Orchard Ermine (NFY)
Ypsolopha scabrella
Diamond-back Moth
Batia unitella
Brown House Moth
Carcena quercana
Pandemis cinnamomeana
Large Fruit-tree Tortrix
Clepsis consimilana
Light Brown Apple Moth
Red-barred Tortrix
Plum Tortrix
Bud Moth
Garden Grass-veneer
Crambus pascuella
Agriphila tristella
Catoptria falsella (NFY)
Scoparia ambigualis
Phlyctaenia coronata
Udea prunalis
Mother of Pearl
Endotricha flammealis
Bee Moth
Scalloped Hook-tip
Oak Hook-tip
Barred Hook-tip
Clay Triple-lines
Small Blood-vein
Least Carpet
Small Fan-footed Wave
Small Dusty Wave
Single-dotted Wave
Riband Wave
Yellow Shell
Freyer's Pug
White-spotted Pug
Tawny-speckled Pug (NFY)
V Pug
Double-striped Pug
Clouded Border (NFG)
Scorched Carpet
Tawny Barred Angle
Brimstone
Dusky Thorn (NFY)
September Thorn (NFY)
Early Thorn
Purple Thorn
Scalloped Oak
Peppered Moth
Willow Beauty
Mottled Beauty
Great Oak Beauty
Common White Wave
Clouded Silver
Light Emerald
Barred Red
Elephant Hawk-moth
Sallow Kitten (NFY)
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Yellow-tail
Black Arches
Dingy Footman
Scarce Footman
Buff Footman
Common Footman
Buff Ermine
Ruby Tiger
Heart & Dart
Shuttle Shaped Dart
Flame
Large Yellow Underwing
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Double Square-spot
Bright-line Brown-eye
Smoky Wainscot
Grey Dagger agg.
Coronet
Dun-bar
Dark Arches
Light Arches
Marbled Minor agg.
Tawny Marbled Minor agg.
Cloaked Minor
Common Rustic
Uncertain
Rustic
Nut-tree Tussock
Silver Y
Spectacle
Beautiful Hook-tip
Waved Black
Snout
Fan-foot
Black Arches