Cradle of Filth!...29/03

...........and that's what I was presented with this morning after finding 4 of these foul-smelling Black Carrion Beetles in my trap. There are apparently 20 different species of burying beetles in the U.K. Not all live on carrion, but those that do carry small Gamasid mites around with them. As the beetle feeds on decomposing flesh, the mites prey on fly larvae and worms which inhabit the carcass. They get they're fill before hopping back on the 'bus' as the beetle looks for it's next meal......Nice!

Necroporus humator

Moth wise it was another poor night, though slightly better than last. It's been a while since I had a new species. So maybe Powdered Quaker, Streamer or one of the Pinions will be the next on the year list.

The result 14 of 6 species-

• Common Quaker- 6
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Early Grey- 1
• Hebrew Character- 1
• Double-striped Pug- 1
• Emmelina mondactyla- 1

Bored.........

Well, last night was the pits, with the 'Big 3' still at large though in small numbers.
So for your entertainment, I have laid on a Belgian Ballet Dancer getting the better of a 2 1930's security guards with a wooded standard lamp and some Kung fu- Enjoy!



The result- 10 of 4 species-

• Common Quaker- 4
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Hebrew Character- 1
• Emmelina monodactyla- 1

Transition......27/03

I'm just waiting for something to happen now, I've just about had enough of the 'big 3'.

Early Thorn

Hofmannophila pseudospretella  647

The irrepressible Brown House-moth.

The result- 26 of 10 species-

• Common Quaker- 8
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Hebrew Character- 4
• Small Quaker- 2
• Early Thorn- 2
• Emmelina monodactyla- 2
• Satellite- 1
• Diurnea fagella- 1
• Brown House-moth- 1 Year tick

..........22/03

2 more macros to the good, giving a grand total of 30 species in the garden this year. Again conditions were perfect. The Early Thorn fecked off before it's photo shoot...........but I'm sure I'll get another chance!

Double-striped Pug

A year tick- for some reason, a bit difficult to get in my garden.

The result- 25 0f 9 species-

• Common Quaker- 14
• Clouded Drab- 9
• Hebrew Character- 5
• Small Quaker- 2
• E. monodactyla- 2
• A. heracliana- 2
• Early Grey- 1
• Double-striped Pug- 1 Year Tick
• Early Thorn- 1 Year Tick

Home Wood Catch Report- 21/03/2011

This was the 1st manned trip to the wood and conditions couldn't have been better. A still, overcast night with the temperature hovering around 12°C. In fact when I got home at 10.30pm it was still an extremely mild 10.6°C.

We elected to use a  100w FUL Actinic Skinner in Location #1 and a set up comprising of 2x 80w MV lights and a sheet in Location#2. Location map available- HERE, there is also a Home Wood page on the right under 'Lists & Info'. Please scroll to the bottom of this post for the results-

Red-green Carpet

Only 1 caught using MV.

 Shoulder-stripe / Brindled Pug

The variable Shoulder-stripe was one of the most numerous (top).

 Lead-coloured Drab

Just 1 of this target species, attracted to Actinic light.

 Streamer

4 in total

 Small Brindled Beauty

Numbers lower than last time out- 4 in total

 Acleris cristana 1054

1 of 2 caught by MV light- location #2

 Acleris furrugana/notana 1044/45

1 caught by MV light

 Acleris literana 1061

Undoubtedly the star of the show- caught by MV light- location #2

The traps were on from 7.00pm until 9.40pm , Observers M. Burgess, L. Burgess

The results- 134 of 26 species-   key- 100w FUL Actinic (loc.#1),  2x80w MV & sheet (loc.#2)

• 2187 Common Quaker- (10 - 8) = 18 Site 1st
• 2188 Clouded Drab- (5 - 0) = 5
• 2182 Small Quaker- (8 - 0) = 8 Site 1st
• 1947 Engrailed- (6 - 5) = 11
• 1930 Oak Beauty- (6 - 4) = 10 Site 1st
• 1925 Small Brindled Beauty- (0 - 4) = 4
• 1747 Streamer- (2 - 2) = 4 Site tick
• 1746 Shoulder-stripe- (10 - 6) = 16 Site 1st
• 1852 Brindled Pug- (1 - 1) = 2 Site 1st
• 2258 Chestnut- (5 - 2) = 7 Site 1st
• 2139 Red Chestnut- (5 - 2) = 7 Site 1st
• 2256 Satellite- (4 - 3) = 7 Site 1st
• 2190 Hebrew Character- (4 - 3) = 7
• 1663 March Moth- (5 - 3) = 8
• 2185 Lead-coloured Drab- (1 - 0) = 1 Site 1st
• 1659 Yellow Horned- (0 - 1) = 1 Site 1st
• 2243 Early Grey- (0 - 2) = 2 Site 1st
• 1760 Red-green Carpet- (0 - 1) = 1 Site 1st
• 2259 Dark Chestnut- (1 - 0) = 1 Site 1st

Micros-

• 663 Diurnea fagella- (2 - 4) = 6 Site 1st
• 1524 Emmelina monodactyla- (1 - 0) = 1 Site 1st
• 1025 Tortricodes alternella- (0 - 1) = 1
• 688 Agonopterix heracliana- (0 - 2) = 2 Site 1st
• 1054 Acleris cristana- (0 - 2) = 2 Site 1st
• 1044/5 Acleris furrugana/notana- (0 - 1) = 1 Site 1st
• 1061 Acleris literana- ( 0 - 1) = 1 Site 1st

Notable absences were Pine Beauty and Twin-spotted Quaker, both of which I thought we'd get.

........21/03

The best night of the year so far as far as numbers are concerned. Perfect conditions all night with a low of a heady 7°C made for an excellent catch.

Red Chestnut

A very well marked specimen- 4th record for 2011.

Results- 45 of 11 species-

• Common Quaker- 24
• Clouded Drab- 5
• Hebrew Character- 4
• Small Quaker- 4
• A. heracliana- 2
• March Moth- 1
• E. monodactyla- 1
• Red Chestnut- 1
• Dark Chestnut- 1
• Early Grey- 1
• Engrailed- 1

The Score......20/03

In contrast to last night, a cracker ensued with another new macro- making it 20 for the year so far. Right on cue and just 2 days before last years 1st record.

Lead-coloured Drab

Luckily this is a very well marked individual. It is a female, as only males have the heavily 'feathered' antennae. This can sometimes make ID a bit tricky and last year I only counted the males so missed at least 1 female type that I recorded as Clouded Drab. Therefore, last year's total was 4 records, no doubt heavily bolstered by the fact there is a Poplar plantation 1 mile to the North of my location.

 Red Chestnut

A slightly daggy individual- but it's good to get a photo.

Results 24 of 9 Species-

• Common Quaker- 7
• Clouded Drab- 6
• Hebrew Character- 3
• Red Chestnut- 2
• A. heracliana- 2
• E. monodactyla- 1
• Early Grey- 1
• Lead-coloured Drab- 1 -Year tick
• March Moth- 1

...........19/03

Not a very good night really. A big bright moon and cold in temperature, but a new micro in the form of this uninspiring specimen.

White-shouldered House-moth 648

Found in the conservatory- Year tick.

The result- 8 of 6 species-

• Emmelina monodactyla- 3
• Clouded Drab- 1
• Early Grey- 1
• Common Quaker- 1
• Hebrew Character- 1
• White-shouldered House-moth- 1- Year tick

March......17/03

March Moth

3rd record of the year.

Result- 27 of 6 species-

• Common Quaker- 12
• Hebrew Character- 7
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Agonopterix heracliana- 2
• Small Quaker- 1
• March Moth- 1

Another Knot.....16/03

Getting colder again and this weekend looks to be heading back to sub-zero conditions. I may put the trap out again tonight, but that could be it for this week at least. I am also planning a Home Wood trip next week too, weather permitting.

Grey Shoulder-knot

2nd for the campaign.

Results- 13 of 4 species-

• Hebrew Character- 5
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Common Quaker- 3
• Grey Shoulder-knot- 1

............15/03

Another productive night, probably slightly spoilt by a heavy mist which descended around 10.30pm. Numbers of Common Quaker could be beginning to tail off slightly (a blessing) and good news in the form of 2 new species for the year.

Shoulder-stripe

This is the 1st time I've seen this anywhere and was a high priority on my garden hit list.

 Clouded Drab

For the 1st time out-performing the Quakers. This is a light form of the species.

 Mompha subbistrigella 892

Difficult to get a decent shot at only 6mm long- a year tick.

Results- 22 of 9 species-

• Clouded Drab- 8
• Common Quaker- 7
• Hebrew Character- 1
• Early Grey- 1
• Small Quaker- 1
• Shoulder-stripe- 1 -1st Ever!
• Emmelina monodactyla- 1
• Agonopterix heracliana- 1
• Mompha subbistrigella- 1- Year tick

............14/03

Good temperatures, but an Easterly wind was a bit of a spoiler. The result being no micros and an average count. It was nice to record only the 2nd March Moth and Yellow Horned of the campaign.

Yellow Horned

......This one is brandishing it's 'yellow horns'.

The result-

• Common Quaker- 9
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Hebrew Character- 4
• Early Grey- 2
• March Moth- 1
• Yellow Horned- 1

Micro Time......12/03

Another good night with a decent spread of species, including a couple of new micros. Temperatures yet again fell no lower than 8°C and the promised rain never materialised. Even the wind was kept largely at bay.

Acleris cristana 1054

A superb and variable species and I'm pretty sure that's what it is. The 2 raised scale tufts and falcated ends to the wings seem to be diagnostic. If so quite a rare moth in these parts.

To add to this-

"I have a paper "A Guide to Acleris cristana" which illustrates 119 known forms of the species. I have not seen your form, which is No.107 subapucina.The paper says it is one of the commoner white forms (has been recorded in Huntingdonshire)".

D. Manning, VC30 micro recorder.

Diurnea fagella 663

A year tick for this melanic form. 

The count-  38 of 9 species-

• Common Quaker- 16
• Hebrew Character- 8
• Clouded Drab- 4
• Agonopterix heracliana- 4
• Small Quaker- 2
• Early Grey- 1
• Oak Beauty- 1
• Diurnea fagella- 1 - Year tick
• Acleris cristiana- 1- Garden 1st

10th & 11th

The warm but breezy conditions continue. It was 9°C as night was falling on both nights so the count on a still evening could have been huge. I have decided now to use the 25w BLB bulb along with the skinner every time I trap as I am already 11 species up on this time last year.

Oak Beauty

2nd Record on 10th March for this fantastic moth.



Emmelina monodactyla (1524)

A year tick- 10th March.

Common Quaker

Still top of the shop with another 19 over the 2 days- 65 in total.

Red Chestnut

Annoyingly after a reccy on 11th March, I found a Red Chestnut under the BLB bulb on the shed. I went back to get a pot and it had gone! Here is the only one I have ever caught, 16th April 2010.

10/03-

• Common Quaker- 7
• Oak Beauty- 1
• Hebrew Character- 1
• Emmelina monodactyla- 1- Year Tick

11/03-

• Common Quaker- 12
• Hebrew Character- 5
• Clouded Drab- 2
• Agonopterix heracliana- 4
• Red Chestnut- 1- Year Tick

I have now caught 147 moths of 22 species. (18 macro, 4 micro)

Blow ins.....09/03

As I haven't been trapping recently due to the cold, I decided to half heartedly put out the trap. I also washed the shed wall with the 25w BLB bulb down the bottom of the garden. This time it wasn't the temperature that was the problem as a constant 5-6°C was recorded throughout the night. The trouble was more the gusting wind which was quite clearly blowing across the garden from the west. But surprisingly this didn't put off the moths and there was a fairly decent haul waiting for me in the morning...........

Yellow Horned

I was well pleased to get this in the garden. I have previously only seen them at The Lodge, RSPB.

Early Grey

Like the Yellow Horned, this was also found under the 25w BLB bulb and is the 2nd record of the year.

The Rest!

This is the majority of the haul and it is no surprise that Common Quaker was again the most populous. Also hiding in there is a single Small Quaker and a Clouded Drab (bottom left).

The Count-   key: 30w Skinner / 25w BLB bulb.

• Common Quaker- 7 (6-1) 46 so far this year.
• Clouded Drab- 2 (1-1)
• Small Quaker- 1 (1)
• Early Grey- 1 (1)
• Yellow Horned- 1 (1)- Garden 1st!

At the moment the BLB bulb seems to be a real draw. I wish I had put it on a bit more last year........