The Actinic Strikes Back!.....28/04

Micro?- awaiting ID

Muslin Moth Chocolate Tip Mullein Pale Prominent Red Twin-spot Carpet

Twin-spotted Quaker

Brimstone Moth

A monster haul, the best so far for my garden. I put 2 traps out, both twin 15w Actinics. These were placed at either end of the garden and with near perfect conditions, I couldn't lose- 47 Moths of 23 species!

1. Hebrew Character- 9
2. Clouded Drab- 5
3. Common Quaker4
4. Brindled Pug?- 4 I think they all were
5. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 4
6. Double-striped Pug- 2
7. Flame Shoulder- 2
8. Muslin Moth- Garden 1st
9. Twin-spotted Quaker- Garden 1st
10. Chocolate Tip- Garden 1st
11. Red Twin-spot Carpet- Year tick
12. Waved Umber- Garden 1st
13. Powdered Quaker
14. Brimstone Moth- Year tick
15. Mullein- Garden 1st
16. Pale Prominent- Year tick
17. Parsnip Moth
18. Agonopterix heracliana
19. Agonopterix arenella
20. Emmelina Monodactyla- 2
21. White-shouldered House Moth
22. Micro??- awaiting ID
23. Argyrotaenia ljungiana

The Micro??? is a probable dark form Pammene fasciana (1236)

Bathroom Light vs. Actinic Traps....27/04

Yellow-barred Brindle Shuttle-shaped Dart Grey/Dark Dagger Mystery Micro????? White-shouldered House moth

A much warmer night than last and some old friends are back. But the star of the show was the Bathroom light........The window was left open for less than 2 hours and it attracted a Yellow-barred Brindle and a Nut-tree Tussock. I don't know why I bother with all this trap nonsense sometimes. Nothing brand new (apart from the unIDed), but a few for the year list none the less........

1. Hebrew Character- 6
2. Shuttle-shaped Dart
3. Early Grey
4. Garden Carpet- Year tick
5. Yellow-barred Brindle- Year tick
6. White-shouldered House moth
7. Mystery Micro??- 1st Ever
8. Common Quaker
9. Nut-tree Tussock
10. Grey Dagger- Year tick
11. Incurvaria masculla

The mystery micro is Epermenia chaerophyllella (483). Thanks to Dean & David for your ID...........

........26/04

Water Carpet Chinese Character Nut-tree Tussock

Things really starting to hot up now; although numbers are low, variety is starting to pick up. Conditions still aren't perfect with a 'big' moon and a temperature dropping to 3°C. The Water Carpet was a real surprise......

1. Hebrew Character- 3
2. Powdered Quaker
3. Chinese Character- Year tick
4. Water Carpet- 1st Ever
5. Double-striped Pug
6. Brindled Pug
7. Nut-tree Tussock- Year tick
8. Common Quaker
9. Shuttle-shaped Dart- Year tick
10. White-shouldered House Moth- Year tick
11. Esperia sulphurella

Thorn Bird.....25/04

Early Thorn (female) Streamer

Mompha subbistrigella

The count was low but the variety was fair as the temperatures continue to rise. It was nice to see a 1st female Early Thorn, 1 of the 2 caught. The micro was found in the house and is another new 1 for the list. I also put a battery trap out at Broom GP, but only caught 4 moths-

Upper Caldecote

1. Early Thorn- 2
2. Hebrew Character- 2
3. Mompha subbistrigella- 2- 1st
4. Powdered Quaker
5. Chestnut
6. Clouded Drab
7. Streamer- 2nd record
8. Agonopterix arenella- 2nd record

Broom GP

1. Hebrew Character- 2
2. Clouded Drab
3. Powdered Quaker- site 1st

MV NV!........24/04

After hearing about trapping success in Arlesey (not too far away)with MV traps, it was with total disappointment that I opened the trap to reveal the usual suspects. Without Mullien, Muslin Moth, Waved Umber or Chocolate tip, to name a few off the top of my head. The 'Big 3' has become the 'Big 2' with no Clouded Drab for a while......The run down-

1. Hebrew Character- 4
2. Common Quaker- 2
3. Powdered Quaker
4. Early Grey
5. Emmelina monodactyla- 2
6. Incurvaria masculella- caught during the day, Garden 1st

Day Flyer......

Incurvaria masculella

Another day flyer, this is #130 Incurvaria masculella. This 1 is a male and is about 7mm long.

..........23/04

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

As far as numbers go, it's still poor. Though new one's are contantly cropping up. #1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla is a year tick for the garden, having seen many last year.......

1. Hebrew Character- 2
2. Common Quaker
3. Emmelina monodactyla
4. Amblyptilia acanthadactlyla- Year tick

Pugs & Powder.....22/04

Common Pug Powdered Quaker Hebrew Character Pyrausta aurata

Yet again not a great deal around in cold nightly conditions, even though during the day the weather has been glorious. The minefield that is Pugs has reared it's ugly head above my garden trap, as this 1 was found clinging to the underside of the roof overhang. It has a wingspan of 22mm and is similar in size to the melanic Brindled Pug I trapped last week.....any ideas?

Thanks to Melissa and Ben for your ID- Common Pug it is!*!

1. Hebrew Character- 2
2. Powdered Quaker
3. Esperia sulphurella- Day flying Garden 1st
4. Common Pug- Garden 1st

Today I had my 1st Pyrausta aurata of the year. These turn up in force and love herbs, especially Spearmint and Oregano!

STOP PRESS! I also had a Swift over my house! 22/04 is the earliest record I've ever had!

New Micro.........

Esperia sulphurella

This day flying micro was caught today and is #649 Esperia sulphurella. A tiny moth at only 7mm long and has bright yellow hindwings in flight. Thanks to David for confirmation.

The catch for 21/04 was just 2 Hebrew Character as temperatures dropped to 0°C.

Cold, Cold, Cold....20/04

Powdered Quaker

It felt like a step back towards Winter last night as temperatures reached just 1°C . Believe it or not it 's meant to get even colder in the next couple of days!

Not to be outdone, I put 2 traps out last night. My usual and a trap I have recently built for a friend.......totals for both-(my trap is the 1st amount)

1. Hebrew Character- 5+2= 7
2. Common Quaker- 1+2= 3
3. Powdered Quaker 0+1= 1- 11th record so far.....

A total of just 11 moths of 3 species- the light form Powdered Quaker being the highlight.

19/04................

A poor night for variety with a cold breeze and clear skies-

1. Hebrew Character- 4
2. Common Quaker- 2

Parsnip?.....18/04

Another Brindled Beauty was the highlight in yet another poor catch, even though variety was good. Plunging temperatures yet again have to be to blame. Thanks to Louie for finding this 1 under a step on the patio!

Brindled Beauty

Parsnip Moth

I believe this to be #672 Parsnip Moth or Depressaria heraclei, it seems to be attracted by ordinary fluorescent light rather than the actinic light of the trap. I did find 1 a couple of nights ago but it disappeared before a photo opportunity......I will try to confirm this with Mr. Manning.

The catch-

1. Hebrew Character- 3
2. Clouded Drab- 2
3. Early Grey
4. Early Thorn
5. Emmelina monodactyla
6. Depressaria heraclei- Garden 1st
7. Brindled Beauty- 2nd record

ID confirmed- thanks David....

...........17/04

Not a great deal about on yet another cold clear night-

1. Hebrew Character- 2
2. Common Quaker
3. Emmelina monodactyla
4. Agonopterix herecliana
5. Flame Shoulder- probable found on the fence by Louie

It was a WeBS count day today so by the time I'd finished that, the suspected Flame Shoulder had flown. Still, they'll be loads around later in the year!

Gasp! Another Tawny Pinion.......

Tawny Pinion

After Andy and Melissa of VC30 Moths took away the previous TP specimen for further analysis, I thought that would be the last I saw of this species for a long time. The previous record on 13th April was the 1st Beds record since 2006 and was only the 24th ever found in the county. The full article with dates of records is HERE

So imagine my surprise when after a very cold night with a ground frost, another 1 turned up. It was just sat on the outside of the trap and was very cooperative for it's 'photo shoot'

I have yet again retained the moth, just in case it needs to be examined. But clearly this is a different moth as the other 1 was taken to Lower Stondon, over 5 miles away!

Otherwise, the count was low as you would expect. However, over shadowed by the Pinion was my 1st ever Red Chestnut, a moth I didn't expect to trap!

1. Common Quaker- 3
2. Hebrew Character
3. Tawny Pinion- 2nd Record
4. Double-striped Pug
5. Red Chestnut- Garden 1st
   

Red Chestnut

......15/04

Only 7 Moths last night as the NNE wind keeps temperatures down. The highlight was a Garden 1st Brindled Pug of the form ab. hirschkei, which is almost black with very few markings. Trouble is it escaped the trusty Macro camera- so no image this time!-

1. Common Quaker- 2
2. Powdered Quaker
3. Early Grey
4. Early Thorn
5. Clouded Drab
6. Brindled Pug- Garden 1st

Powdered Power......14/04

Powdered Quakers

Powdered Quakers are now out in force and look much fresher than the now fading Common Quakers. Not as much action as last night, but not bad for a cold night-

1. Clouded Drab- 5
2. Powdered Quaker- 4
3. Common Quaker- 3
4. Hebrew Character- 2
5. Early Grey

Tawny, in my opinion....13/04

.........It was Loiue to the rescue, as it was he who found these new garden moths. After I'd already counted everything in the trap and surrounds, Louie managed to find a Tawny Pinion on the shed and another mystery Micro on the fence!

Tawny Pinion

Micro Sp. ???

The Micro in question is only 9mm long and I have no idea what it is at present......But the real news is the Pinion, which I've added to my Pale Pinion record for last year. The rest of the count (19 0f 8)-

1. Powdered Quaker- 4 High Count
2. Hebrew Character- 4
3. Common Quaker- 4
4. Clouded Drab- 3
5. Early Thorn
6. Diurnea fagella
7. Tawny Pinion- Garden 1st
8. Mystery Micro? Garden 1st?

The mystery micro is #947 Argyrotaenia ljungiana, a common Tortricidae- Thanks to Ben Sale for his identification.

Slim Pickings.....

Hebrew Character Clouded Drab

Not a great deal over the past 2 nights as the temperature has dropped down to 3°C at times. This has played havoc with the numbers with only the old favorites accounted for.....

11-04

1. Common Quaker- 5
2. Hebrew Character- 3
3. Small Quaker
4. Satellite
5. Clouded Drab

12-04

1. Hebrew Character- 5
2. Common Quaker
3. Small Quaker

.............10/04

Powdered Quaker Streamer Brindled Pug?

Another pretty decent night for variety although the Streamer and Brindled Beauty are possibly the same ones as last night's. The kids were given the duty of taking the BB 'as far away from the trap as possible' this obviously must have meant a few feet away! The Streamer flew into next door's garden yesterday and has probably returned, at least I got another chance for a picture.

Later this morning (11th) we looked around RSPB The Lodge and found what I think are Brindled Pugs, 3 in total. The Powdered Quaker is another debutant and was found on the shed. The full list, 22 of 9 species is as follows-

1. Common Quaker- 7
2. Clouded Drab- 4
3. Hebrew Character- 3
4. Emmelina monodactyla- 3 High Count
5. Small Quaker
6. Agonopterix heracliana
7. Brindled Beauty
8. Streamer
9. Powdered Quaker- Garden 1st

The Hattrick........09/04

Brindled Beauty Streamer Early Thorn Agonopterix arenella

It's been a little while since something new turned up. So I thought I would have a good chance on such a great evening. The omens were good with barely a breath of wind and nice warm, overcast conditions. The photo of the Streamer is terrible! It is actually in mid flight and flew away before I could get another shot! The catch-

1. Clouded Drab- 9
2. Common Quaker- 4
3. Hebrew Character- 3
4. Early Thorn- 2
5. Brindled Beauty- 1 Garden 1st
6. Streamer- 1 Garden 1st
7. Agonopterix arenella- 1 Garden 1st
8. Agonopterix heracliana- 1
9. Emmelina monodactyla- 1

........08/04

Slowly warming up by day. Still cold by night though with a low of 5°C. Nothing of any real note-

1. Common Quaker- 11
2. Hebrew Character- 6
3. Clouded Drab- 3
4. Small Quaker- 3
5. Emmelina monodactyla
6. Agonopterix heracliana

Another DSP.........07/04

Double-striped Pug

Water Beetle sp.

Not quite as good as last night but ticking over. Most notable was the Water Beetle, quite large at over 20mm long. As yet I don't know which species! The rest of the trappings-

1. Common Quaker- 8
2. Hebrew Character- 4
3. Clouded Drab- 4
4. Early Grey- 2
5. Double-striped Pug

N.B Looks like the Beetle is Colymbetes fuscus, a species of diving beetle without a common name.

To the Manor, Thorn!.....06/04

Early Thorn

The Manor Place trap picks up another debutant in the shape of this Early Thorn. It was all part of a much better night with 30 moths of 8 species trapped.

1. Common Quaker- 16 Highest count
2. Hebrew Character- 5
3. Small Quaker- 3 Highest count
4. Clouded Drab- 2
5. March Moth
6. Early Grey
7. Early Thorn Garden 1st
8. Emmelina monodactyla

The trap was also invaded by another 2 Black Carrion Beetles!