Mottled Umber 24-11

Another one for the year list in the shape of the third garden record of Mottled Umber. Also, three Winter Moths on the lit windows of my workshop were notable. One of my only realistic targets left is Northern Winter Moth, but this  hasn't been seen in the garden for almost two years...........

Mottled Umber

 Winter Moth

3 Amigos!.........

How anything flew last night I will never know! Gusts of up to 40 mph and driving rain; I can only assume that these three were an extremely local hatch. It's the first time I've recorded more than one on a single night. They were all caught under a 15w BLB bulb on the front of my garden shed. 

Tonight I went out and found a single Winter Moth on a lit window.........

December Moths

NFG- Upper Caldcote 13-11-12

Not too much in the way of macro moths at the moment as the Autumn wears on. But the 13th was especially mild and as a consequence, did manage to trap a handful of moths (list at the foot of this post). Pick of the bunch was this Acleris sp. which I have retained. I think it is either ferrugana or notana; either would be new for the garden. Now confirmed as Acleris ferrugana, gen. det. D. Manning VC30 Moths.

1044 Acleris ferrugana

 34 Ectoedemia occultella

NFG- Seems to be a few of these reported this year. One I didn't record last year on the same Birch Tree.

 114/15 Stigmella glutinosae/alnetella
Whoops! This is a diptera (fly) mine. It is made by Agromyza alnivora

Well spotted A. Banthorpe of VC30 Moths.

Gaden list for 13-11-2012- 7 of 7 species-

0229	Monopis obviella		1
1044	Acleris ferrugana	Acleris ferrugana/notana	1	To be confirmed
1760	Chloroclysta siterata	Red-green Carpet	1
1769	Thera britannica	Spruce Carpet	1
2232	Aporophyla nigra	Black Rustic	1
2258	Conistra vaccinii	Chestnut	1
2267	Agrochola lychnidis	Beaded Chestnut	1

Upper Caldecote Garden 7-11

Not a great deal of trapping at the moment, but I've continued to leave a 15w BLB bulb on overnight. I recorded a single Silver Y on 1st, this was after a few blank nights. The 7th proved to be a better night with three species recorded, a Willow Beauty with the photographed species below. Last night looked a decent night so I put out my trap and caught............nothing!

Feathered Thorn

NFY- 7th November

 November Moth agg.

Garden List 24-10

Beaded Chestnut

Top of the shop with 5 caught. A very late Square-spot Rustic was also notable.

Upper Caldecote- Twin 15w Actinic/UV Skinner & 15w BLB Bulb- 24 of 15 species

1048	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix	1
1764	Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	2
2087	Agrotis segetum	Turnip Moth	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	1
2109	Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	1
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	2
2134	Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	1
2232	Aporophyla nigra	Black Rustic	1
2237	Lithophane ornitopus	Grey Shoulder-knot	1
2240	Lithophane leautieri	Blair's Shoulder-knot	1
2245	Allophyes oxyacanthae	Green-brindled Crescent	2
2263	Agrochola lota	Red-line Quaker	2
2267	Agrochola lychnidis	Beaded Chestnut	5
2306	Phlogophora meticulosa	Angle Shades	1
2441	Autographa gamma	Silver Y	1

New for late October

Green-brindled Crescent ab. capucina

 NFY, 20th October

Spruce Carpet

NFY, 21st October

 Red-green Carpet

NFY, 22nd October

Garden List 17-10

Upper Caldecote- Twin 15w Actinic/UV Skinner, 15w BLB Bulb- 18 of 11 species-

1764	Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	1
2109	Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	1
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	4
2240	Lithophane leautieri	Blair's Shoulder-knot	1
2258	Conistra vaccinii	Chestnut	1
2259	Conistra ligula	Dark Chestnut	1
2267	Agrochola lychnidis	Beaded Chestnut	5
2273	Xanthia togata	Pink-barred Sallow	1	NFY
2306	Phlogophora meticulosa	Angle Shades	1
2384	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	1
2441	Autographa gamma	Silver Y	1

Bonus Tick........

............Having looked back through my records, I didn't get this when I usually do in Spring.

Grey Shoulder-knot

NFY, 15th October.

This was caught under a 15w BLB bulb at the bottom of the garden, with just a handful of others. Another Deep-brown Dart along with a Large Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character and Blair's Shoulder-knot.

List for 11-10-12

A couple of year ticks after a short break from trapping.

Upper Caldecote Garden- Twin 15w Actinic/UV Skinner 10 of 8 species-

1048	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix	1
1795x	Epirrita dilutata agg.	November Moth agg.	1	NFY
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	1
2232	Aporophyla nigra	Black Rustic	1
2247	Dichonia aprilina	Merveille du Jour	1	NFY
2267	Agrochola lychnidis	Beaded Chestnut	1
2270	Omphaloscelis lunosa	Lunar Underwing	3
2306	Phlogophora meticulosa	Angle Shades	1

List for 28-09..........

Pretty uninspiring really.


Upper Caldecote Garden- Twin 15w Actinic/UV Skinner- 12 of 8 species-

1048	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix	1
1937	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	2
2109	Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	2
2231	Aporophyla lutulenta	Deep-brown Dart	1
2270	Omphaloscelis lunosa	Lunar Underwing	3
2353	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	1
2381	Hoplodrina alsines	Uncertain	1

Mallow..............................

............one under my outside light when I looked this morning.

Just into Autumn ....... it's already over!.......

...................and very little time for mothing of late as my extension (promised to the Mrs for years!!) is finally under way. So I've been coping with lack of time and even space at times, especially when building materials have encroached onto my prime mothing locations. We do now have power at the bottom of the garden again, so I have been putting the trap on at weekends.

However, I need not worry; for Trent, in the style of Paddy Power has paid out early! Although he flogged his guts out to squeeze every last species out of his small town garden, he has fallen short by a considerable margin. Ironically, if the competition had been 'all in' as last year he would at this stage be 12 species in front- due to his superior micro moth list..................

Anyway, here is a few highlights from the last month- starting with the winnings!

The Wine

..............and for the most species of Macro Moths in 2012 with a total of? Well, I don't know yet. But probably not as good as last year's 253. Already dispatched- very nice indeed and Trent drank half of it anyway!

1332 Scoparia subfusca

 

A garden 1st, 24th August.

 Orange Sallow

First seen since 2009, found in the house- 9th September.

 Frosted Orange

 Large Thorn

A 2nd for the year, caught under a 15w BLB bulb, 16th September.

A 'real' Brown-spot Pinion

Quite rare in my garden- only the 2nd record, unlike Lunar Underwings- eh Trent? 22nd September.

 Deep-brown Dart

1st of the year, 22nd September.

September.............Large!

............................has been pretty boring so far, with limited chances for mothing. That is until this turned up on 4th September. It's another 1st, macro number 309 for the garden list.

Thanks for putting me right Bill, indeed this was a very big Thorn! 

This represents the 63rd VC30 record, not seen since 2009.................................

  

September Thorn

Large Thorn!

Yarrow Pug

Before this year, I am sure I'd never seen Pugs like these before. I have now caught 6 and have posted a couple of examples below. They are large, with a 25mm wingspan and food plant (Hawk's beard) is abundant in the overgrown garden next door, anyone care to comment?

Yarrow Pug

Caught 9th August. Spot on Bill D!

Yarrow Pug?........probably

Caught 24th August.

To add to this, the example from 9th August was dissected by Andy Banthorpe of VC30 Moth Group. It was found to be a male Yarrow Pug, only the 12th confirmed for the vice county. I could be wrong, but the others (another 5) were probably the same species. I will pay more attention if I trap any next year.