Moths at work

I left my traps at the site at which I occasionally work over the last couple of nights; one in a small copse surrounded by fields, and the other on a woodland/chalk grassland boundary.
Due to the weather this morning (=wet) quite a few things got away before I could get a decent look or even get a photo. I have recorded at least 116 species, plus a few in pots still to look at; new for my year list were Dingy Footman, Tree Lichen Beauty (below), Ypsolopha scabrella, Dun-bar, Ruby Tiger, Gold Triangle, Buff Footman, Scalloped Oak, Mother of Pearl, Dingy Shell, Dark Spectacle, Batis lunaris, Cloaked Minor, Small Waved Umber, September Thorn, Grass Rivulet, Brown-line Bright-eye, Purple Thorn, Bordered Pug, Ear Moth, Brown Plume, Aethes cnicana and Clouded Brindle.

A new moth for the world...

Found a chrysalis in the garden the other day whilst cutting back some ivy. Today was born a new moth for the world.

She didn't stick around for a full portfolio...

A lot of moths, for a change!

After a week away in Wales (yes, mothing was included) and some very disappointing garden mothing, I left a couple of lights at my occasional place of work last night.

I was inundated with little brown jobs - I have a lot of things in pots now, so hopefully I will be able to add to my list and site records, but that is going to be in the future.

Meanwhile, my second-ever Leopard Moth was the highlight at the actinic light on a chalk meadow, with Scarce and Common Footman and Bird's Wing also new for the year list.

The MV light on a woodland edge added Swallow-tailed Moth, Dingy Footman, Smoky Wainscot, Eucosma cana, Notocelia uddmanniana, Clay and Pretty Chalk Carpet.

Moth Night Event

This morning I helped out in a small way with a Butterfly Conservation / Moth Night event for the public at the local BBOWT reserve, College Lake.


There are one or two micros that are still to be identified, but a good selection of moths, both brown and colourful, were available to interest the visitors.

This years Moth Night "theme" was Hawk Moths, and for once, the catch was well matched, with Privet, Poplar, Lime, Elephant, Small Elephant and Pine all available (the last named flew off before the ensemble could be completed).

New for my year list were Ghost Moth, Swallow Prominent, Broom Moth, Burnished Brass, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Brown Rustic, Marbled Coronet, Dark Arches, Shaded Pug, Puss Moth (a lifer!), Shark (also a lifer!), Lobster Moth, Bordered Pug, Figure of 80, Obscure Wainscot, Grass Rivulet and White Point - plus a bunch of micros...

Shark

This Week's Moths

My weekly 6W trap in the woods caught 25 moths of 13 species. 13 of these moths were Scoparia ambigulis, but the rest included a handful of new-for-year species including Common Swift, Diamond-back Moth (just the one in spite of what I understand is a massive fall over the last couple of nights) and Maiden's Blush.

My 15w garden trap last night did even better with 21 species (although still 25 moths due to just the one Scoparia). New for the year were Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Currant Pug, Heart & Dart, a dark form of Marbled Minor agg.,  Willow Beauty, Epinotia bilulana and Notocelia cynosbatella.

Upside-down Currant Pug on the kitchen window...

Woods and Gardens

Well, one of each really. Even so, worth making a post as I managed to attract a few new for year moths last night, with the 6W woodland trap and 15W garden trap.

The species in question included from the woods Pebble Prominent, Treble Lines (both traps), Tawny-barred Angle, Pale Oak Beauty, Common White Wave, Common Wave, Orange Footman and Brown Silver-line.

The garden added Mottled Pug to the year list. Also the first Yellow-barred Brindle and Flame Carpet for the garden year.

No pics, though, due to "camera issues".

A great night...

Ran a regular 6W heath trap in a local woodland for the garden moth scheme last night. There were 20 moths of 12 species, inlcuding 4 Great Prominents. (Also new for the year list were Scoparia ambigualis and Green Silver-lines).

I also ran my 15W skinner in the garden, and although the haul was only 8 moths of 7 species, one of these was a new for the garden Great Prominent (also nfy was a Light-brown Apple Moth).