Moth update for end of August and beginning of September

This is just gonna be a quick round up of new species and highlights since my holiday. It's hanging over me, and I refer you to my previous about not having the time, blah, blah blah!

So 28th August came and went with not too much to shout about, although a Mouse Moth was new for the garden (and has turned up in most traps since). The underwings continue to make up most of the trap, but I have only caught singles of Setaceous Hebrew Character this year, unlike last year when I had double figures on some nights. Other highlights included this Angle Shades (top right) and Agonopterix arenella (right)

 
 The following night gave pretty much the same results, with 53 moths of 18 species. Garden Rose Tortrix started to arrive tonight and surely the last Dark Arches of the year gave a final fling. Sallow was also new for the year and only my second caught. Other goodies were Gothic and Old Lady (now looking a bit battered!)

Last day of the month and conditions were looking good. Temperatures were relatively warm, winds were dropped and it was fairly cloudy. As an extra incentive to my winged friends I got hold of a clip-on bulb holder and a compact fluorescent bulb. Given this idea by Skev it turned out to be a good idea, presumably the extra visible light spectrum introduced by the CFL attracts some extras (can't wait to try this method in the summer!). The results were a fairly impressive 120 moths of 31 species including plenty of micros. 4 of these were new for the garden, Epinotia nisella, Eudonia angustea, Acleris emargana and Zeiraphera isertana. Brilliant! New for the year came in the form of Centre-barred Sallow and other goodies included Flame Carpet, Orchard Ermine, Small Dusty Wave and Acleris forsskaleana.

Into September and the combo trap continued to produce the results, although the great conditions helped a lot! 3rd September results were 154 moths of 35 species. Again micros predominated with new for garden in the form of Bucculatrix ulmella, Ectoedemia louisella and Ancylis badiana. New for the year were Straw Dot and Pyrausta aurata (right). Other highlights included Rosy Rustic, Mouse Moth, Brimstone (!), Meal Moth and Caloptilia syringella.

With temperatures cooling slightly towards the weekend, the trap on the 8th September wasn't quite as spectacular, with 60 moths of 24 species. New for garden was Firethorn Leaf-miner and Lobesia littoralis (right). Highlights included Skin Moth, another Bucculatrix ulmella, Eudonia angustea, Mouse Moth and Silver Y.

The following night 9th September gave slightly better results, partly due to the cloudier conditions I think, with 84 moths of 31 species. Highlights were Spruce Carpet, another Firethorn Leaf Miner, Marbled Beauty (another species that hasn't appeared in as many numbers as last year) and another Silver Y.

Saturday and Sunday night review

A quick catch up from over the weekend. I trapped both nights as I'm off on holiday next week and needed to get my fix of mothing in whilst the weather was promising. I also managed to replace my Actinic tube, so we're back in business! And Saturday proved that Actinic beats BLB hands down with 4 new for the garden and one new for the year.

This smashing Limespeck Pug was on my list since last year when I caught one elsewhere so I'm chuffed that I've got one on the garden list now! It's such a fine looking fellow! This tiny moth is Caloptilia syringella, another new for the garden.

Another new nicro for the garden list. This one is Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix. Right is a moth I saw in Devon last year, by chance a female (like this one) was flapping around the campsite. It's one I never expected to see in the garden, so I'm very pleased with this record!
Finally, this Garden Rose Tortrix was new for the year. Last year I caught nine, so I guess there'll be more of these to come!








Catch report 13th August 2011 - 123 moths of 42 species (20 micros; 22 macros)
Agriphila inquinatella x 5
Agriphila straminella x 14
Agriphila tristella x 12
Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix x 2
Blastobasis adustella
Brimstone
Brown House-Moth x 2
Bryotropha domestica
Caloptilia syringella (New for Garden)
Campion
Carcina quercana
Catoptria falsella
Celypha striana
Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix (New for Garden)
Chrysoteuchia culmella x 2
Clay
Common Carpet
Common Marbled Carpet
Common Rustic agg x 6
Copper Underwing agg. x 2
Dark Arches x 3
Dipleurina lacustrata x 2
Double-striped Pug
Emmelina monodactyla
Eudonia mercurella
Garden Carpet x 3
Garden Rose Tortrix (New for Year)
Large Yellow Underwing x 20
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x 6
Light Brown Apple Moth
Limespeck Pug (New for Garden)
Marbled Beauty x 4
Orange Swift (New for Garden)
Riband Wave
Scoparia ambigualis
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Shuttle-shaped Dart x 2
Spectacle
Square-spot Rustic x 2
Twenty-plumed Moth
Willow Beauty x 11
Yellow Shell

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Sunday was slightly cooler than Saturday with a little more breeze, so when I went out to pot up whatever moths there were I had quite a surprise. As I stood watching I could hear the flapping of something BIG in the hedgerow over the trap. It got louder and then started crashing round the sheds. I shone the torch on it and thought initially it must be some sort of Hawk-moth due to it's size. My heart was in my mouth as it came tantalisingly close to the trap but swung off at the last minute, so I got myself a large pot and chased after it. I lost it in the beans, but then it came round the back of me and round to the light again this time landing in the hedge. I quickly potted it and after a short while it calmed down and I could get a look at it!

A bit battered admittedly - but a brilliant record of Old Lady! Look at the size of it compared to Jordan's hand...

The only other couple of highlights were Lesser Yellow Underwing almost lost in its larger cousins. This Flounced Rustic (right) is only the second garden record so it was a nice sight after going through eggbox after eggbox of Willow Beauties, 19 in total!

Catch report for 14th August 2011 - 72 moths of 25 species (10 micros; 15 macros)

Agriphila inquinatella x 3

Agriphila straminella x 7
Agriphila tristella x 9
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
Blastobasis adustella
Brimstone
Campion
Copper Underwing agg.
Currant Pug x 3
Dipleurina lacustrata
Double-striped Pug
Emmelina monodactyla
Eudonia mercurella
Flounced Rustic (New for Year)
Garden Carpet x 2
Garden Rose Tortrix
Large Yellow Underwing x 5
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x 3
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Marbled Beauty x 3
Old Lady (NEW FOR ME!)
Scoparia ambigualis x 2
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Square-spot Rustic x 2
Willow Beauty x 19