Home Wood- 25th February 2015

After missing the whole of January, mainly due to the cold and unreasonable weather. It was time to get back into the woods, albeit in the modest form of a single battery powered Actinic/Synergetic Skinner trap. Weather wise, it was probably one of the best nights of the month with temperatures not dipping below 8°C. Not a bad haul, but nothing particularly unexpected. In the garden, it was a bit quieter. However, I did add Common Quaker and March Moth to my list.

Small Brindled Beauty

Early Moth

Engrailed

March Moth

1025 Tortricodes alternella 

Home Wood- 25-02-15 38 of 9 species

1025  Tortricodes alternella  4
1663  March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)  9
1925  Small Brindled Beauty (Apocheima hispidaria)  1
1926  Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)  11
1932  Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia)  1
1934  Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria)  4
1947  Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata)  1
1960  Early Moth (Theria primaria)  1
2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  6

Valentine's Moths

I haven't done a lot of trapping in the past two months, due mainly to the extremely low night time temperatures. Agonopterix heracliana was attracted to a lit window on 9th Feb and then two days later a slight upturn in night time temps tempted me to try the traps, the first time they'd been out for almost two weeks.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Spring Usher

The catch was from two traps at either end of the garden. It was interesting that the Twin 15w Actinic easily out performed the far larger and slightly more powerful Twin 20w Synergetic. Though this could simply be down to location. Tonight, I will be trapping again and have reversed the traps to see if it makes any difference. I have also heard that Synergetic tubes lose some of their potency after around a year's use? It would be hard for me to prove, so having had the current tubes from June 2013- I may invest in new ones for the upcoming months.

Upper Caldecote Garden  14-02-2015-

Twin 20w Synergetic Skinner

1926  Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)  1

Twin 15w Actinic Skinner

1926  Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)  2

1932  Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia)  2 NFY

2259  Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula)  1