Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Gotcha!

After several days of warm southerly winds, it was about time that something other than the more common found its way into my trap. On the 21st an unprecedented four Dark Sword-grass seemed to be a prelude of what was to come. The 22nd was again ridiculously warm, after sunset it was still 16°C! The wind then began to strengthen and just before the first of many short, sharp downpours I found this-

Scarce Bordered Straw
 Macro #345 for the garden and a very smart individual too. Now, dare I hope for a Pearly Underwing as well? The way this year has gone in the garden, you just can't rule it out.

Rather than using two traps, I have opted for the 25w BLB bulb at the other end of the garden to my main twin synergetic skinner trap. Mainly to save a bit of time in the morning.

Upper Caldecote Garden- 1 trap, 1 BLB bulb- 22-10-13- 27 of 17 species-

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1
1745  Mallow (Larentia clavaria)  1
1760  Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)  1
1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  3
2091  Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)  2
2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  1
2109  Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)  1
2126  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  1
2232  Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra)  1
2240  Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri)  5
2247  Merveille du Jour (Dichonia aprilina)  1
2267  Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis)  4
2306  Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)  1
2381  Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)  1
2400  Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera)  1 NFG
2434  Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)  1
2477  Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)  1

2 comments:

  1. Was it a long time coming? How long have you been mothing Matt? I was lucky that I started in 2006 with the great migration we had that year I managed both of the Bordered Straws.....I haven't seen a Bordered Straw since! Although Scarce a few times. Great stuff and good luck on that Pearly Underwing.

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  2. Mothing since 2009- so 4 years to get one. But as you say, difficult in the home counties apart from 2006 when everybody was getting them. I've had 1 Bordered Straw in June 2010- my only record. Not too much left to get now, I think it's about to turn cold again.

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