Recent Highlights...........

.....................these are some of last week's riches. This week the weather has turned cold, so the traps will remain off line for a couple of days at least.

1054 Acleris cristana

NFY on 7th April

649 Esperia sulphurella

672 Parsnip Moth Depressaria heraclei

Waved Umber

NFY- 9th April

130 Incurvaria masculella

Chinese Character

 NFY- 10th April

 Red Twin-spot Carpet

 NFY- 12th April

Quick Update......

Not too much time of late, but have been putting up to 3 traps on in my garden mainly to keep up with Trent. Who is once again building up an early lead. My extra efforts have been rewarded so far though..........

Dotted Chestnut

A 2nd record on 22nd April, after making it's debut last year.

Nut-tree Tussock

NFY, 23rd April

Emperor

A real slice of luck; I found this female in my trap on 24th April. After a few photos it was put in the hedge and later that day- three males turned up and mating took place. So hopefully more next year. I still have a female in pupae that looks as if it will hatch in the next few days. I may take it round Trent's if he's lucky..........

The early bird catches the worm.............25th April.

2nd best is nowhere and this male 'went home alone'.

1054 Acleris cristana

A 2nd record for this striking micro, NFY 24th April

 808 Platyedra subcinerea

NFY 24th April for this locally common annual visitor.

Upper Caldecote Garden 24-04-2013- 2x Twin 15w Actinic/UV, 1x Twin 25w FUL Skinners- 54 of 19 species

0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1

0697  Agonopterix arenella  1 NFY

0808  Platyedra subcinerea  1 NFY

1054  Acleris cristana  1 NFY

1288  Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)  1 NFY

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  3

1643  Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)  1 NFY

1747  Streamer (Anticlea derivata)  2 NFY

1760  Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)  1 NFY

1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  6

1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  2

1927  Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria)  1 NFY

2179  Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea)  1 NFY

2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  3

2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  8

2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  7

2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  11

2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

2256  Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)  1

Brindled Beauty

Garden 02/04

A fairly good haul after a two day break. The weather has remained fairly cool so I didn't bother on the 3rd either. Two new ones keeps me ticking over though............

1054 Acleris cristana

Only my second ever record............

Brimstone Moth

Common, but nice to see anyway.........

Upper Caldecote Garden- 02-04-2012- 28 of 12 species-

1054	Acleris cristana		1	NFY
1524	Emmelina monodactyla		5
1862	Gymnoscelis rufifasciata	Double-striped Pug	1
1906	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	1	NFY
1934	Agriopis marginaria	Dotted Border	1
2182	Orthosia cruda	Small Quaker	2
2187	Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	7
2188	Orthosia incerta	Clouded Drab	3
2189	Orthosia munda	Twin-spotted Quaker	2
2190	Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	3
2243	Xylocampa areola	Early Grey	1
2256	Eupsilia transversa	Satellite	1

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.

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

Lodge Micro?.........07/02

This Micro was almost overlooked. In my defence it was only about 10mm long. Having trawled UK Moths, I'm still none the wiser!

Looks likely to be #1053/54 Acleris cristana/hastiana, an extremely variable species of Tortricidae per David Manning.