2 new, 10-06

......................otherwise a fairly forgettable cold, wet night.

Dark Arches

 Rustic?

I have never quite got to grips with these. Sometimes if I didn't know better Vine's, Uncertain and Rustic are all just same species of moth which someone (probably a birder) has split just to get two extra ticks. On balance I think the above is actually a Rustic...............if so, I've now got all three and will not have to bother any more for another year.

Home & Away 17/11

Despite the threat of a possible cold snap, the mild nights persist. This was certainly the case last night, though possibly hampered by a heavy dew.

The Garden trap claimed another NFY, as a December Moth obliged. In fact just two moths were caught, the other, an unusually late Dark Arches. Incredibly, two other VC30 moth-ers also caught one on the same night. Could this be a coincidence, or a possible foreign influx?.......

December Moth

 Dark Arches

I also persuaded Trent to go on another foray into Home Wood. This time we tried the 80w MV with sheet again, as not to many people bother at this time of year. We used this for about 1 1/2 hours, but left the battery trap over night. Trent collected it in the morning, there is a combined list at the bottom of the post.

 Winter Moth

461 Ypsolopha ustella

It was good to get another three new species for the survey. I will probably try one more time this year, possibly in mid December in the hopes of finding Northern Winter Moth.

The result- combined from location#1 & 4-

• 0461 Ypsolopha ustella 1 NFS 
• 1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 6 NFS 
• 1799 Operophtera brumata Winter Moth 6 NFS 
• 1923 Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn 4 
• 1933 Agriopis aurantiaria Scarce Umber 2 
• 1935 Erannis defoliaria Mottled Umber 2 
• 2227 Asteroscopus sphinx Sprawler 16 
• 2258 Conistra vaccinii Chestnut 2

............06/06

Another lot of NFY species in a surprisingly good night. Though the odd patrol of the 2 traps certainly helped as 5 out of 6 debutant's were micros. I often miss these as they are usually long gone by morning.

Dark Arches ab.

 

A bit strange this, and it certainly fooled me into thinking I had a new species.

450 Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella

983 Choristoneura hebenstreitella

 1032 Aleimma loeflingiana

The results- 119 of 39 species-

• 1428 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 2 
• 1707 Idaea seriata Small Dusty Wave 2 
• 2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 30 
• 2321 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 6 
• 2337x Oligia strigilis agg. Marbled Minor agg. 2 
• 1817 Eupithecia pulchellata Foxglove Pug 1 
• 1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 4 
• 1837 Eupithecia subfuscata Grey Pug 2 
• 1713 Idaea aversata Riband Wave 3 
• 1991 Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawk-moth 3 NFY 
• 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 2 
• 1175 Epiblema uddmanniana Bramble-shoot Moth 1 NFY 
• 1032 Aleimma loeflingiana 1 NFY 
• 0450 Scythropia crataegella Hawthorn Moth 1 NFY 
• 0994 Clepsis consimilana 1 
• 2098 Axylia putris Flame 4 
• 1941 Alcis repandata Mottled Beauty 1 
• 1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 3 
• 2381x Hoplodrina alsines/blanda Uncertain/Rustic 4 
• 2087 Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 2 
• 2333 Apamea anceps Large Nutmeg 17 
• 1334 Scoparia ambigualis 1 
• 2011 Pterostoma palpina Pale Prominent 1 
• 1827 Eupithecia intricata Freyer's Pug 1 
• 2389 Paradrina clavipalpis Pale Mottled Willow 1 
• 2387 Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic 3 
• 2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 3 
• 1301 Crambus lathoniellus 1 
• 0983 Choristoneura hebenstreitella 1 NFY 
• 2302 Rusina ferruginea Brown Rustic 2 
• 2069 Tyria jacobaeae Cinnabar 3 
• 2088 Agrotis clavis Heart and Club 3 
• 2380 Charanyca trigrammica Treble Lines 1 
• 2003 Notodonta ziczac Pebble Prominent 1 
• 2147 Hada plebeja Shears 1 
• 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella 1 
• 2000 Notodonta dromedarius Iron Prominent 1 
• 1958 Lomographa temerata Clouded Silver 1 
• 1344 Eudonia mercurella 1 NFY

The Autumn Almanac........27/09

Yes, yes, yes It's my Autumn Almanac! A great night and a sign that the season has well and truly started. Temperatures stayed no lower than 13°C and there was heavy cloud cover and the lightest of breezes. I've taken a few snaps but missed out on a pristine Red-green Carpet, only the 2nd record for the garden. There is a full count at the bottom of this post.

Barred Sallow

Very fresh, 1st of the year.

Frosted Orange

2nd for the year.

Red Underwing

2nd record this year.

Common Marbled Carpet

2 trapped on the night.

Grey Pine Carpet

1st for some time.

Dark Arches

The 2nd gens. are now in flight.

The full count-

1. Lunar Underwing- 14
2. Willow Beauty- 10
3. Large Yellow Underwing- 6
4. Pale Mottled Willow- 5
5. Black Rustic- 4
6. Light Brown Apple Moth- 4
7. Mallow- 3
8. Turnip Moth- 3
9. Setaceous Hebrew Character- 3
10. Light Emerald- 2
11. Vine's Rustic- 2
12. Garden Carpet- 2
13. Common Marbled Carpet- 2
14. Lesser Yellow Underwing- 2
15. Blair's Shoulder-knot- 2
16. Common Wainscot- 2
17. Red Underwing
18. Red-green Carpet
19. Large Ranunculus
20. Garden Rose Tortrix
21. Frosted Orange
22. Brimstone Moth
23. Grey Pine Carpet
24. Shuttle-shaped Dart
25. Dark Arches
26. Gold Triangle
27. Beaded Chestnut
28. White-shouldered House Moth
29. Rush Veneer
30. Barred Sallow- Year Tick

Vestal and friends....17/07

Another 2 new macros for the year, even though temperatures got below 10°C. The prize surely goes to a garden 1st Vestal, which according to VC30 records hasn't been seen in the county since 2006......

Vestal

Dark Arches (dark form)

Dun-bar

This is the 1st this year- albeit a battered specimen!

Spectacle

"...........But I can see you, your brown skin shinin' in the sun.You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby......" Don Henley- Boys of Summer (1984)

1. Chrysoteuchia culmella- 9
2. Dark Arches- 8
3. Buff Ermine- 7
4. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 3
5. Uncertain- 3
6. Crambus pascuella- 2
7. Heart & Dart- 2
8. Swallow Prominent
9. Light Arches
10. Scarce Footman
11. Light Arches
12. Smoky Wainscot
13. Common Footman
14. Scalloped Oak
15. Dun-bar- Year Tick
16. Vestal- Garden 1st
17. Pyrausta aurata
18. Riband Wave
19. Brown House-moth
20. Common Rustic agg.
21. Double Square-spot
22. Common Wainscot
23. Bright-line Brown-eye
24. Ruby Tiger
25. Nutmeg
26. Spectacle
27. Emmelina monodactyla
28. Dot Moth

Little Brown Jobs

Left: Dark Arches- This was photographed uder the porch.

Right: Heart & Dart- Another one for the trap and the only record so far.