WE ARE THE CAMPIONS

14th Feb 2012... A Moth !

2012-02-15T10:32:00.000Z

Min overnight temp ... 5.1 deg, NW wind 20mph gusts, light showers.
It's been 19 days since the last moth sighting in the garden due to the icy conditions so it was nice to put the traps on and add another species to the year list...... Satellite, plus another entry for my growing list of unidentified larvae.

The Satellite

Unidentified larva ( 22 mm )

WINE BET UPDATE
Trent V Captain Trappings ( Matt ) .. Winner: 1 bottle of quality red
The garden macro species race, will now resume, but on a more level playing field.
I was expecting a slight advantage with the Captain & crew going away for 3 weeks to the Cayman Islands but the trip had to be cancelled last week.
Disappointment in large doses for the wife and kids but more so for daughter (grand-daughter) Keely who was on the rough end of a dose of chicken pox and is still covered in spots.
Her brother Louie is on "spot watch" as his turn is probably due around now.
A re-arranged trip may have to be next year, but hopefully it will be May or June to give me an even better advantage !
I do enjoy a nice glass of red...even more so when I haven't paid for it, so having lost the bet for the two years of its existence, I need an edge.
Latest odds..... Captain T ........ 1/2
Trent.............. evens

24th Jan 2011...Garden Traps

2012-01-25T11:34:00.000Z

Temperatures were at 8+ deg and little or no wind.
It could have been a perfect Jan evening but for the persistent fine drizzle that fell until late evening.
On the 22nd Jan, I caught two more Dark Chestnuts, bringing the total to 9, so it was a nice change to find my second macro species of 2012.....Pale Brindled Beauty.
A Light Brown Apple Moth made up the total catch.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Epiphyas postvittana... B.F. 998

Two unidentified caterpillars grazing on moss or lichen on the brick wall:-

Garden Total.....5 species..........3 x micro...2 x macro

21st Jan 2012...Wine bet

2012-01-22T11:56:00.000Z

The 2012 wine bet ( macro moths only ) took an early knock as Captain Trappings notched a superb Spring Usher on the 18th.
This would be a very welcome rarity in my urban garden.
Last night saw my 7th Dark Chestnut for january and is my sole macro to date.
Back to the wine bet.....
I have lost this bet for the past two years since its inception in 2010 but last year was very close (macro total) and in 2010 I missed out on late March and most of April due to holidays, which included an unplanned extra week due to Icelandic volcanic ash.

Dark Chestnut

Wine bet......
trappingsofsuccess...3
wearethecampions....1

Regular updates to follow.

10th Jan 2012

2012-01-11T15:38:00.000Z

Garden traps :-
1 x Agonopterix heracliana FFY

Agonopterix heracliana

2 x Epiphyas postvittana

Epiphyas postvittana

2 x Dark Chestnut

Dark Chestnut

Well 3 actually, the third is the one from the previous evening not yet released.
(Are you paying attention Stewart ?) (:0))
Garden traps...
4 species.....3 micro, 1 macro

9th Jan 2012....Garden Traps

2012-01-11T00:13:00.001Z

The mild January continues.......for now !

1 x Dark Chestnut
1 x Epiphyas Postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth)

Dark Chestnut

An early Hoverfly

The mild weather has woken up all sorts of creatures in the garden.
A hoverfly, green lacewing, many spiders, earwigs, a bluebottle fly, ladybirds were all about last night amongst others.
They will be in for a reality check in the next few days looking at the forecast.

Spider sp

8th Jan 2012...Garden traps, off the mark

2012-01-09T18:55:00.003Z

Here we go again...
I've had the traps on from Jan 5th for zero results up until last night.
SO, the year starts with 2 micros and a macro.....
1 x Epiphyas postvittana...Light Brown Apple Moth...FFY
1 x Emmelina monodactyla...Common Plume...FFY
1 x Dark Chestnut...FFY

This years wine race between myself and Matt "Captain Trappings" for the most species caught in our respective gardens will be for the macro species only.
Total.....3
Macro...1
Micro....2

1st Jan 2012...Happy and healthy new year to all

2012-01-02T21:11:00.002Z

2011 ended with the last moth (macro) on 27th Dec ( Dark Chestnut ) before heading up to Teeside with wife and friends to visit the Outlaws for the New Year celebrations.
Had far too much to eat and drink on the 29th but managed to get up early on the morning of New Years Eve and visit Greatham Creek at low tide and enjoyed the sight of 40 + Grey Seals that had hauled themselves up the muddy banks.
This area of the North-East is excellent for birding too.
Red and Black Throated Divers were present around the bay at Hartlepool along with a Slav Grebe, Med Gull, Glaucous Gull and a Black Redstart near Seaton Carew.
All the above were courtesy of a local birders' digiscoped playbacks as I didn't take my bins.
I dipped out on my target bird, Purple Sandpiper, as per usual they were present around The Heugh the day before...typical, and the weather was so bad that I didn't bother to go to Commondale on the North Yorks Moors to bag the ever-present Red Grouse, so famously, I bought a bottle of the stuff at the local offie.
Back to the moths.......
I waved the white flag on the species race with Matt and coughed up some quality red for the 2010 and the 2011 season bet for the most species caught in our respective gardens....Gutted !
I was caned on the micros but came a respectable second on the macros.
This year we will resume hostilities but the race will be for Macro species only. Game on !
I am praying for some mild weather during February as Captain Trappings, wife Karen and his two sharp-eyed rugrats, Keely and Louie will be away in the Cayman Islands for 3 weeks....I would have preferred their trip to be in May/June/July ! I need an edge.
2011 summary.....
Traps were set on 320 nights
Total species for year...434
macros...249
micros...186
Garden Total......................492
macros from July 2009 onwards.....286
micros from 2010 onwards..............205
Thanks to our County Recorders Andy and Melissa Banthorpe (macros) and David Manning (micros) for their invaluable help/advice, and thanks to fellow bloggers who have chipped in with all sorts of tips, help and advice..your comments have been very much appreciated and I hope that 2012 will be a good year for you all.

22nd Dec 2011...Garden update

2011-12-24T20:10:00.000Z

Still warm and a few moths about, too windy later in evening.
4 moths recorded :-
Double-striped Pug
Satellite
Endrosis sarcitrella
Dark Chestnut

No traps set on 23rd....too cold
No traps on 24th...Santas' landing lights switched on in garden !

Merry Christmas all !

21st Dec... Hi-ho Silver

2011-12-22T11:57:00.001Z

Overnight min temp...6.2 deg. overcast, little breeze.
At 8pm the temperature was still above 10 degrees, Ideal conditions. My target was a December Moth and I thought I had come up trumps until I got a little closer to a Silver Y on the wall near the trap, maybe tonight then.
4 species recorded :-
An Emmelina monodactyla completed a record for every month of 2011

Emmelina monodactyla

Agonopterix heracliana was only the second micro recorded in December to date

Agonopterix heracliana

Two macros .... Angle Shades....common in my garden, and one of my favourites. The shape and the pattern of the various shades of brown are amazing, also they are easy to photograph.

Angle Shades

A very late Silver Y

Silver Y

20th Dec 2011

2011-12-21T15:53:00.000Z

The next two nights look promising if the rain holds off.
Minimum temp tonight is forecast to be 8 degrees so I will have the traps on in the hope of getting some of the winter species that I have dipped out on.
Last night I had a couple of traps on the go and caught a single Dark Chestnut.

Dark Chestnut

19th Dec 2011

2011-12-20T22:21:00.000Z

A mini mild spell is upon us...temps rose from 3.8 at 1500 hrs, to 6 throughout the evening.
No last minute additions to the 2011 garden list but it was nice to see another Winter Moth on the wall above the trap....

Winter Moth

11th Dec 2011....a moth !

2011-12-12T11:07:00.000Z

The cold snap put paid to the moth catch, so it's been a good time to send my records to the county recorders.
Only 2 moths recorded since my last posting...
Satellite, 3rd Dec... min temp 4.6 deg
Winter Moth, last night (11th Dec)...min temp 1.2 deg
I intend to leave a trap on during December on the warmer nights, just in case, but the light pollution at present is at maximum with all the christmas lights blazing away.

WINTER MOTH

30th Nov 2011

2011-12-01T08:32:00.001Z

Overnight min temp...8.2 deg
Strong winds with light showers until some time in the wee wee hours.
Nothing to add to the year list, but two macros' were recorded.

Large Nutmeg..."Inhabiting dry pasture and woodland fringes, the adults fly in June and July, and are attracted to light and sugar".....from UK Moths

30th November catch :-
1 x Large Nutmeg !
1 x Silver Y

LARGE NUTMEG

Can anyone name this Catty ?... Found on the shed wall last night, about 35mm long.

25th Nov 2011... Bleary Eyed

2011-11-26T11:56:00.000Z

Min overnight temp...4.9 deg...windy, clear skies.
Last night I was sampling some fine real ales at the Northill & Ickwell annual beer festival, straight from the keg.
9 barrels of ale from places such as the Houston Brewery in Renfrewshire, with their 2011 British Championship bitter "Peter Wells", to St Austell Brewery in Cornwall, where the well known "Tribute" has delighted the tonsils of many an ale shifter.
I checked the traps this morning and recorded a big fat zero, that is until my grandson Louie had a ferret round the garden and found a Grey Shoulder-knot on the air vent in the brick wall above the trap....it's no surprise that I missed it this morning.......................

GREY SHOULDER-KNOT

24th Nov 2011...Yet another Arches

2011-11-25T11:48:00.000Z

Overnight min temp, 8.1 deg. Windy all night with a light rain shower in the early hours.
Looks like we are stuck with this wind for a few days.
Last nights catch included yet another Dark Arches, that's 3 nights on the trot. This one is fresher looking than the previous two.
Two Light Brown Apple Moths and a Winter Moth made up the catch.
All moths were in the traps, nothing was seen on the walls during patrols which bucks the trend of late.

DARK ARCHES

WINTER MOTH

23rd Nov 2011 ...another late Dark Arches

2011-11-24T12:41:00.000Z

overnight min temp... 6.4 deg...breezy, clear
Yet another Dark Arches caught....I was beginning to think that maybe my release point was too close but on inspection, this one is definitely not the moth from last night.
Surely this is the last...it's almost December !

DARK ARCHES

SATELLITE

The previous few Satellites have had orange spots, so it was a nice change to see a white spotted example.

22nd Nov 2011...Dark and Grey

2011-11-23T13:03:00.001Z

Overnight min temp...1 deg
Last night was a mixed bag weather wise...Light rain early evening, then temperatures of +10deg until 8 pm when the sky cleared and temperatures plummetted to ONE degree.
A year first Grey Shoulder-knot was very welcome as I had my last one in 2009. Another very late Dark Arches turned up with a Dark Chestnut.
On the micro front...surprisingly, no Light Brown Apple Moths but a solitary Monopis obviella was found on the shed wall.

DARK ARCHES

GREY SHOULDER-KNOT

DARK CHESTNUT

MONOPIS OBVIELLA

Garden tally to date....436
251 macro, 185 micro

21st Nov 2011....Garden

2011-11-22T15:54:00.000Z

overnight min temp...8.4...Light rain, damp & misty
The catch report doesn't take long at this time of year
2 x Light Brown Apple Moth
1 x Chestnut

20th Nov 2011...Garden

2011-11-21T19:43:00.000Z

Min overnight temp..5.8 deg and calm, misty.

WINTER MOTH

Nothing new, just two moths....
1 x Light Brown Apple Moth
1 x Winter Moth

18th/19th Nov 2011...Garden catch

2011-11-20T08:35:00.000Z

18th Nov...Min overnight temp...5.9 deg, Breezy, clear, dewy
19th Nov...Min overnight temp...2.4 deg, calm, foggy
Unsurprisingly, there was very little flying, but I'm still hoping to notch a garden first Mottled Umber, a Sprawler and December Moth to complete a good year.
If the weather doesn't make it impossible, as was the case last year with all the snow, I will leave a trap on throughout November and December.
I am hoping for a December Emmelina monodactyla, which would be a record for every month of the year for this plucky little moth.
18th...
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
19th...
1 x Yellow-line Quaker

YELLOW-LINE QUAKER

17th Nov 2011...Garden

2011-11-18T11:35:00.000Z

overnight min temp..7 deg, clear, slight breeze and heavy dew later.
A poor night for the garden with just one Blastobasis lacticolella.

BLASTOBASIS LACTICOLELLA

Matt and I set up a sheet in Home Wood for a couple of hours and left a battery operated twin actinic/blacklight overnight.
December Moths and Winter moths were recorded on the sheet with Feathered Thorn, Spruce Carpet, plus Ypsolopha ustella.
The trap was checked this morning, absolutely soaked with the heavy dew.
Scarce & Mottled Umber, lots of Sprawler, Feathered Thorn, Winter Moth and Chestnut were noted.

MOTTLED UMBER from Home Wood

YPSOLOPHA USTELLA from Home Wood

16th Nov 2011...Slim pickin's

2011-11-17T21:14:00.000Z

Overnight min temp. 6.1 deg rising to 9 through the night, calm
No sooner did I manage to catch up with Matt (Captain Trappings) with my Feathered Thorn, he raised the bar a little with Mottled Umber and tonight (17th) a December Moth was sitting under his 36 watt Blacklight on his shed wall.
Macro race......Matt. 252 - 250 Trent.
Last night was dead at The Dells with just a Chestnut saving the blank.

CHESTNUT

15th Nov 2011...Feather in my cap

2011-11-16T09:49:00.000Z

Min temp..6.4 deg... slight cool breeze, overcast.
Coldest night for a while, but the waning moon was covered by medium level cloud, so not bad conditions.
Only 4 moths tho, but one of them was a Feathered Thorn, which brings my garden year macro list to 250
Yellow-line Quaker, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Light Brown Apple Moth made up the 4.

FEATHERED THORN

2011 garden species ... 435
250 macro, 185 micro

13/14th Nov 2011...Waiting

2011-11-15T22:21:00.000Z

Still waiting for macro No. 250 for the year...
13th Nov...min temp = 8.9 deg. overcast, light breeze
14th Nov...min temp = 8.4 deg. overcast, calm
13th:-
1 x Brick
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Rusty Dot Pearl, Udea ferrugalis

14th Nov:-
2 x Angle Shades
1 x Dark Arches
1 x Silver Y
3 x Epiphyas postvittana
2 x Rusty Dot Pearl

ANGLE SHADES

RUSTY DOT PEARL, Udea ferrugalis

Unidentified larva, a Carpet type ?

A Red Weevil ?

12th Nov 2011...Another Gem

2011-11-13T20:04:00.001Z

Overnight min temp. 11 deg. calm early evening, overcast, gusty winds for a while, then calm.
Another good haul given the time of year, the highlight being my 2nd GEM and a garden first 254 Leucoptera laburnella (Laburnum Leaf Miner).... confirmed.

THE GEM

254 Leucoptera laburnella

1 x Udea ferrugalis...Rusty Dot Pearl
1 x Monopis obviella
1 x Plutella xylostella...Diamond-back Moth
1 x Blastobasis lacticolella
1 x Leucoptera laburnella...Laburnum Leaf Miner... ID. DVM
2 x Epiphyas postvittana...Light Brown Apple Moth
3 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Dark Arches
1 x Large Wainscot
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Gem
2 x Turnip Moth
Captain Trappings dumped a twin 15watt Actinic/Blacklight Skinner in Home Wood last night and I collected it this morning.
Full report will appear on Matts blog. http://trappingsofsuccess.blogspot.com/

11/11/11....Migrants

2011-11-12T15:42:00.000Z

Overnight min temp. 10.1 deg...20mph gusts, drizzle and rain from 11pm until midnightish.
Thursdays very bright full moon resulted in a blank for the traps, but last night was a different story.
No sign of the moon, heavily overcast and apart from an hour of rain it was a good night.
13 moths of 11 species were recorded.
Also another garden first was added to The Dells species list, not from the traps but from a phone call.
I sent an unidentified moth to the recorders that had been refridgerated since 15th september.
After a gen det it turned out to be a male Garden Dart which brings the 2011 macro total to a tantalising 249 species. Thanks to Andy and Melissa Banthorpe, whose help over the last 3 years has been invaluable.
Last nights haul :-

BRICK

SATELLITE

DARK SWORD-GRASS

SILVER Y

RUSTY DOT PEARL

RED-LINE QUAKER

BLAIR'S SHOULDER-KNOT

NOVEMBER MOTH agg.

plus
Turnip Moth
Blastobasis lacticolella
Epiphyas postvittana x 3

9th Nov 2011

2011-11-10T19:35:00.001Z

Overnight min temp. 8.4 deg. Calm, clear, bright moon
Not quite a blank last night.
1 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x November moth agg
Both on the wall near the traps, nothing actually IN the traps.
..........................................
10th Nov.....It is now 19.30 hrs and conditions outside are calm, clear and the moon is so bright it is casting well defined shadows.
Rising from the east with the planet Jupiter for company, they will both arc towards the south together.
If you look at the moon, Jupiter is to the right, it looks like a large bright star.
Nice for astronomers...bad news for moth'ers.

Jupiter and 4 moons

Jupiter and its 4 moons can be seen tonight with even a good pair of binoculars. The two moons on each side are the other way around tonight, with the two closest together being on the left hand side (at 20.45 hrs) when I last viewed.

8th Nov 2011...November strata"gem"

2011-11-09T20:15:00.000Z

Overnight min temp: 9.4 deg....overcast, drizzly
Trapping throughout November has paid dividends again.
After finding a Scarce Bordered Straw on the 4th, last night produced a male GEM, which is a newcomer to The Dells garden list....

The GEM

This is macro number 248 for the garden in 2011.
The wine bet with Captain Trappings has been conceded for the most garden species this year so I am now playing for pride.
Matt (Capt. Trappings) has reached his 250 macro tally so I am 2 species behind with approx 7 weeks to go.
Tonight (9th) is still mid, but the sky has now cleared showing a big bright almost full moon. Not good.
It is now 20.15 hours and so far nothing in and around the traps.....could this be the first blank for since last winter ?

5th Nov 2011...The Dells garden

2011-11-06T08:42:00.000Z

Overnight min temp 6.1 deg C...slight breeze, overcast, damp. noisy !
For the first time this year the #2 Skinner near the house drew a blank.
The #1 Skinner attracted just 4 moths of 3 species.
No regular patrols of the traps due to an evenings soiree at the Trappings domicile with friends.
Much ghee based cholesterol was eaten, highly spiced, and red wine was quaffed.
During a ciggy break (Yeah I know !) I checked the Captains traps and alerted him to his 250th macro moth of the year, Dark Sword-grass.
I was tempted to pot it up and hide it but the angel on my right shoulder triumphed over the devil on my left and he is now 3 macros ahead of me for the year !
Tally :-
2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Yellow-line Quaker
1 x Plutella xylostella...Diamond-back Moth
2 x "Space Explorer" rocket sticks

4th Nov 2011...Scarce hat-trick

2011-11-05T17:22:00.001Z

Overnight min temp. 8.8 deg. calm, misty
Very little on the wing last night with the damp misty weather but for the third November running, a Scarce Bordered Straw appeared in the trap.

SCARCE BORDERED STRAW

Garden tally for 2011 :-
247 macro, 184 micro
431 species

3rd Nov 2011...Late Large Nutmeg

2011-11-04T16:57:00.000Z

Not a great deal to get enthused about. A Vine's Rustic caught on the 30th Oct turned out to be the latest one on record for VC30 and a Large Nutmeg last night, 3rd Nov, may also be the latest.
Still no Feathered Thorn !
Oct 31st...11.1 deg min. Windy, overcast
3 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
2 x Angle Shades
Black Rustic
Pale Mottled Willow
Dark Arches
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Large Wainscot
Turnip Moth
Silver Y
3 x Monopis obviella
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Blastobasis lacticolella

1st Nov..6.8deg min. calm, cooler
Blair's Shoulder-knot
Yellow-line Quaker
Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Large Wainscot
Shuttle-shaped Dart
3 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Eudonia angustea

2nd Nov...12.2 deg min. Windy
2 x Large Wainscot
1 x Silver Y
1 x S.S.Dart
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Epiphyas postvittana

3rd Nov...min 11 deg calm with late heavy rain
2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
3 x Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth...Epiphyas postvittana

1 x Angle Shades
1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot...very worn, barely recognisable
1 x Turnip Moth
1 x Large Nutmeg

Large Nutmeg

30th Oct 2011

2011-10-31T18:39:00.000Z

Overnight min temp. 13.1 deg...overcast...breezy
No sign of my next target....Feathered Thorn, unless my cat has beaten me to it on her many vigils near the snack trap !
Despite the cat, I managed to record 24 moths of 13 species:-
4 x Epiphyas postvittana
4 x Monopis obviella
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2 x Angle Shades
2 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
2 x Large Wainscot
1 x Silver Y
1 x Turnip Moth
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Dark Chestnut
1 x Sallow....very worn
1 x Vine's Rustic

VINE'S RUSTIC

Four more macro moths needed for 250 in 2011

29th Oct 2011...Warm & windy

2011-10-30T08:23:00.000Z

Overnight min temp 12 deg
Warm, windy
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Turnip Moth
1 x Dark Arches

DARK ARCHES

1 x Silver Y
1 x Large Wainscot
2 x Yellow-line Quaker
2 x Green-brindled Crescent

1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Monopis obviella
2 x Epiphyas postvittana

LEAF DWELLER
Any ideas ??
Our micro recorder thinks maybe a tortrix, Clepsis consimilana, but is not happy with the abdomen colour of the larva.
It does not mine, but grazes between two leaves
PIC 1...shows two honeysuckle leaves stuck together with silk

Honeysuckle leaves

PIC 2.... shows the upper side of the smaller leaf after separation.
The larva (around 9mm in length) silk and frass is visible.

Larva, approx 9mm long

I have put it in a pot with some fresh leaves so maybe next spring the finished article will hopefully make an appearance.
I have never tried to rear larvae before...any tips ?

28th Oct 2011...Garden traps

2011-10-29T11:46:00.001+01:00

Overnight min. temp. 8.7 deg. calm, overcast

LARGE WAINSCOT

BLAIR'S SHOULDER-KNOT

COMMON MARBLED CARPET

RED-GREEN CARPET

NOVEMBER MOTH agg.

MERVEILLE DU JOUR

3 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
3 x Silver Y
2 x November Moth agg
1 x Common Marbled Carpet
1 x Red-green Carpet
1 x Merveille du Jour, (year first)

2 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Acleris sparsana

Garden Tally for 2011......
430 species.....246 macro, 184 micro

27th Oct 2011...Not so sparse

2011-10-28T10:28:00.002+01:00

overnight min. 6.5 deg....calm, wam until early hours.
1 x November Moth agg.
1 x Silver Y
1 x Brick (That should read CHESTNUT )
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
3 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Acleris sparsana, ( garden first )

CHESTNUT

1041 ACLERIS SPARSANA

2011 Garden totals :-
245 macro, 184 micro

26th Oct 2011...More October "Novembers"

2011-10-27T18:36:00.000+01:00

Overnight min. temp. 8.9 deg. Prolonged light rain, Light breeze
1 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Silver Y
2 x November Moth agg.

One of two NOVEMBER MOTH agg

Just 6 individuals of 4 species.

25th Oct 2011....Garden update

2011-10-26T12:14:00.001+01:00

Mon 17th...6.9 deg min. strong wind, rain.
1 x Willow Beauty
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Beaded Chestnut
1 x Dark Sword-grass (2nd for year)

Tues 18th...4.2 deg min. Light breeze, cooler
2 x Large Wainscot
1 x Yellow-line Quaker
3 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Blairs Shoulder-knot
1 x Red-line Quaker
2 x Black Rustic
1 x Turnip Moth
1 x Emmelina monodactyla

Wed 19th...2.3 deg min. Calm, cold
2 x Black Rustic
1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

Thurs 20th...3.5 deg min. calm.
Large Wainscot
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Black Rustic
Blair's Shoulder-knot
Silver Y
Yellow-line Quaker
Angle Shades
Emmelina monodactyla

Fri 21st...5.7 deg min. Breezy
2 x Large Wainscot
1 x Barred Sallow
2 x Silver Y
1 x Unidentified... gen det result imminent. Wingspan 36mm approx.

1 x Willow Beauty
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Angle Shades
1 x Green-brindled Crescent
2 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Mallow

MALLOW

2 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x E. monodactyla
2 x Blastobasis lacticolella
1 x Eudonia angustea
1 x Endrosis sarcitrella

Sat 22nd...8.8 deg min. Breezy
3 x Red-line Quaker
1 x Large Wainscot
1 x S.S.Dart
1 x Yellow-line Quaker
1 x Emmelina monodactyla

Sun 23rd...
2 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Willow Beauty
1 x SS Dart
1 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x E. monodactyla
1 x Monopis obviella
1 x Epiphyas postvittana

Mon 24th...8.5 deg min. Gusty southerly wind
1 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Willow Beauty
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Alucita hexadactyla
1 x Bedellia somnulendella... garden first

0264 Bedellia somnulendella

Tues 25th...6.2 deg min. light breeze, occasional light rain
1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Dark Chestnut

DARK CHESTNUT

1 x Yellow-line Quaker
1 x Brick
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Blastobasis lacticolella

428 garden species for 2011
245 macro, 183 micro

16th Oct 2011

2011-10-17T15:33:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp...6.4 deg, calm
Not a great deal to record as temperatures remind us that winter really is approaching.

Two November Moth aggs will probably undergo gen det.
Last nights haul:-
3 x Willow Beauty
1 x Beaded Chestnut
2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x November Moth agg
1 x Large Wainscot
1 x Alucita hexadactyla, Twenty Plume Moth
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Endrosis sarcitrella, White-shouldered House Moth
The November aggs will add at least one more species to the 2011 garden list, so my macro count this year is now 245.
I think I will struggle to hit the 250 mark, December Moth is a rare sight in my garden, but without it 5 more species is a very tough call and time is running out.

12th Oct 2011,

2011-10-13T17:26:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp..13.1 deg, calm. overcast
A year first Green-brindled Crescent was expected.
Still no Merveille du Jour tho.......
4 x Large Yellow Underwing
5 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
3 x Black Rustic
1 x Brindled Green
1 x Green-brindled Crescent. year first

GREEN-BRINDLED CRESCENT

3 x Pale Mottled Willow
5 x Angle Shades
15x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Beaded Chestnut
1 x Common ?? Pug...maybe Double-striped (Cheers Stewart)

COMMON PUG ??

1 x Lunar Underwing
2 x Turnip Moth
1 x Red-line Quaker
1 x Webb's Wainscot
1 x Large Wainscot

LARGE WAINSCOT

1 x Sallow
4 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Agonopterix heracliana
1 x Orthopygia glaucinalis

An unexpected micro at this time of year ORTHOPYGIA GLAUCINALIS

426 species.....244 macro, 182 micro

11th Oct 2011....The Dark side

2011-10-12T12:26:00.001+01:00

Min overnight temp, 13 deg, Breezy, Bright full moon.
The last few days have been too windy, although I have put the traps on.
The theory being that now we have strong westerlies, it may blow some of those immigrants from the west back to the eastern side of the country.
A flimsy theory maybe, but last night I was rewarded with a year first Dark Sword-grass, so who knows ? Maybe a Vestal or Flame Brocade would be nice!

DARK SWORD-GRASS

For the past 3 nights, the low catch has seen mainly, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Pale Mottled Willow, Blair's Shoulder-knot and Black Rustic.
Large and Lesser Yellow Underwings are still around, but gradually getting fewer and Angle Shades have appeared regularly.
Micros are few and far between, Light Brown Apple Moth and Emmelina monodactyla with the occasional Wax Moth and Gold Triangle.
Garden Tally for 2011 :-
425 species...243 macro, 182 micro

8th Oct 2011

2011-10-09T17:08:00.001+01:00

Min overnight temp...11.7de4g, Rain
No traps were set due to constant rain, but an actinic 15watt was switched on to illuminate the shed wall.
Checked the shed at first light and found 5 moths of 5 species.
Also found another mine on the raspberry leaves complete with larva which is the 200th micro recorded in the Dells garden since 2010. Emmetia marginea, BF 0125.
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Black Rustic
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Grey Pine Carpet, unconfirmed
1 x Hypsopygia costalis, Gold Triangle
1 x Emmetia marginea,,, raspberry leaf mine *garden first

Grey Pine Carpet ?

Gold Triangle, Hypsopygia costalis

2011 Garden totals:-
242 macro
182 micro

7th Oct 2011...

2011-10-08T15:23:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp...7.6 deg. cold breeze, bright 3/4 waxing moon
A poor catch as everything, including us, adjusts to the sudden temperature change. It's almost like August again !

5 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
3 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
3 x Angle Shades
3 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Lesser Yellow Underwing (No Large !)
1 x Willow Beauty
1 x Black Rustic
1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Acleris variegana, Garden Rose Tortrix

ACLERIS VARIEGANA

6th Oct 2011

2011-10-07T21:16:00.001+01:00

overnight min temp...6.8 deg, strong wind, showers, heavy at times.
Had to cover the traps as the rain was coming in at 45 degrees on the strong wind.
Put them back on at midnight, with clearing skies and temperatures plummeting so the count was well down.
No immigrant moths as yet following the week of warm southerlies.

5 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
4 x Pale Mottled Willow
3 x Blair's Shoulder-knot

BLAIR'S SHOULDER-KNOT

2 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Rosy Rustic

ROSY RUSTIC

1 x Emmelina monodactyla
plus the resident White-shouldered House moths in the shed

I found 3 leaf mines in the garden during the day and two of the three were ID'd

ROSE LEAF (cultivated)

0092 Stigmella anomalella, Rose Leaf Miner

APPLE LEAF (Lord Lambourne)

0310 Callisto denticulella

RASPBERRY LEAF

Unidentified...Possibly a sawfly mine

5th Oct 2011

2011-10-06T19:53:00.000+01:00

overnight min temp...10.1 deg, blowing a gale ! light rain at times.
I put the traps on, not expecting to catch anything with near gale-force gusts and intermittent rain.
It turned out to be a surprisingly good night, 60 moths of 18 species were recorded, among them a Dark Arches 2nd generation.
16 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Willow Beauty
4 x Large Yellow Underwing
9 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
8 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Angle Shades

ANGLE SHADES

2 x Large Ranunculus
4 x Black Rustic
1 x Red-green Carpet
1 x Mallow
2 x Lunar Underwing
1 x Sallow
2 x Dusky-lemon Sallow

SALLOW and 2 x DUSKY-LEMON SALLOW

1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Dark Arches

DARK ARCHES

1 x Eudonia angustea
2 x Emmelina monodactyla.

Our micro recorder sent me the results of a batch for gen det and 6 new garden species were added:-
12th Aug...1281...Dichrorampha simpliciana
13th Aug...0757...Recurvaria nanella
30th Aug...1138...Epinotia nisella
30th Aug...0303...Parornix anglicella
2nd Sep...0789...Bryotropha domestica
23rd Sep...1051...Acleris logiana

2011 Garden Total: 421 species...242 macro, 179 micro.

4th Oct 2011...Garden traps

2011-10-05T08:39:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp..14.4 deg, strong gusting wind.
Nothing new to add to year list, surprise find was Pyralis farinalis (Meal Moth) which is the latest by a mile in the garden...
26 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
20 x Pale Mottled Willow
14 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
10 x Large Yellow Underwing
7 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
5 x Lunar Underwing
4 x Large Ranunculus
3 x Black Rustic
2 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 x Willow Beauty
1 x Brindled Green
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Mallow
1 x Red-green Carpet

BRINDLED GREEN

LARGE RANUNCULUS

MALLOW

3 x Endrosis sarcitrella
2 x Epiphyas postvittana
3 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Monopis obviella
1 x Pyralis farinalis

3rd Oct 2011...Red line, Yellow line

2011-10-04T21:21:00.000+01:00

Minimum overnight temp...12.9 deg, Breezy
A good night for the garden year ticks with 3 additional macros.
18 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
12 x Pale Mottled Willow
8 x Large Yellow Underwing
7 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
5 x Lunar Underwing
2 x Sallow
1 x Brick... year first

THE BRICK

3 x Willow Beauty
2 x Turnip Moth
1 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Black Rustic
2 x Yellow-line Quaker... Year first

YELLOW-LINE QUAKER

1 x Garden Carpet
1 x Mallow
2 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Red-line Quaker... Year first

RED-LINE QUAKER

2 x Angle Shades
1 x Square-spot Rustic
1 x Large Ranunculus
1 x Red-green Carpet

RED-GREEN CARPET

4 x Epiphyas postvittana
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Eudonia angustea
1 x Phyllonorycter leucographella....probably

PHYLLONORYCTER LEUCOGRAPHELLA ?

1 x Endrosis sarcitrella
1 x Cacoecimorpha pronubana
1 x Red-barred Tortrix or similar
3 x Depressaria species... TBC

The Dells garden year total is now 415 with a few pending ID's
242 macro and 173 micro
The wine bet is now a run race with Captain Trappings sitting on an unassailable lead, unless a miracle occurs. Three loaves, 5 fishes and about 30 moths would do !

1st Oct 2011...Unbelievable weather !

2011-10-02T14:07:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp...11.7 deg, calm
I know it can't last but 29/30 degrees in October ! The autumn moths must be a little confused at the mo, as indeed we are.
Last nights trap results were good, until I received a text from Captain Trappings announcing a Merveille du Jour was in his garden...... he has hi-jacked my wish list !

1/10/11
18 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
5 x Willow Beauty
8 x Lunar Underwing
6 x Pale Mottled Willow
6 x Large Yellow Underwing
8 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
3 x Black Rustic
1 x Dusky-lemon Sallow, year first

DUSKY-LEMON SALLOW

2 x Turnip Moth
8 x Beaded Chestnut
2 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Barred Sallow
1 x Brown-spot Pinion, year first

BROWN-SPOT PINION

2 x Clepsis consimilana
2 x Eudonia angustea
2 x Emmelina monodactyla

Garden total for 2011:-
412 species...239 macro, 173 micro

Garden Update

2011-10-01T19:19:00.001+01:00

August in October...can't be bad.
Overnight temps around 12 deg min for the last few nights.
Highlights were... 28th, Buttoned Snout and a garden first Deep-brown Dart.

DEEP-BROWN DART

BUTTONED SNOUT

29th, Sallow and Mallow, 30th Angle Shades, Large Ranunculus and Lesser Yellow Underwing feeding on the Ivy flowers, Dark Chestnut, Spruce Carpet and Satellite.

DARK CHESTNUT

SPRUCE CARPET

SATELLITE

Also an interesting micro from last night which I think is Agonopterix nervosa

AGONOPTERIX NERVOSA

Thanks Matt & Ben for backing up the ID.

27th Sept 2011...Prophecy

2011-09-28T08:02:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp...10.9 deg, calm
In yesterdays blog I said that I was struggling with Sallow and Pink-barred Sallow.
This statement turned out to be a prophecy as both species duly obliged last night.
I'm not superstitious, but just in case.....I am struggling with Merveille du Jour and also a large win on the National Lottery and Premium bonds !
Last nights tally :-
12 x Lesser yellow Underwing
12 x Lunar Underwing
9 x Large Yellow Underwing
7 x Black Rustic
6 x Willow Beauty
6 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Sallow....year first

SALLOW

1 x Garden Carpet
7 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Beaded Chestnut
3 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Pink-barred Sallow....year first

PINK-BARRED SALLOW

2 x Copper Underwing . . .both extremely worn
2 x Square-spot Rustic
1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Mallow

MALLOW

2011 garden:-
409 spercies...237 macro, 172 micro

25/26th Sept 2011...garden traps

2011-09-27T09:47:00.001+01:00

Min overnight temp...11 deg, humid, light southerly breeze
The last two nights have produced 3 "new for year moths"...BEADED CHESTNUT, MALLOW and RED-GREEN CARPET. Plenty of Large Ranunculus (4), Black Rustics (4), and Lunar Underwings (9), plus the usual fare, but I'm still struggling with Sallow and Pink-barred Sallow.

RED-GREEN CARPET

407 garden species for 2011
235 macro, 172 micro

24th Sept 2011....At last !

2011-09-25T10:35:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp...10.6 deg, calm
Very few moths in the traps up until midnight, so the majority are flying in the early hours before dawn.
A garden first Frosted Orange was a relief, it seemed that I was the only one who hadn't caught one !

FROSTED ORANGE

6 x Large Yellow Underwing
8 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
8 x Lunar Underwing
8 x Willow Beauty
2 x Black Rustic
5 x Square-spot Rustic
5 x Pale Mottled Willow
5 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Frosted Orange *garden first
1 x Light Emerald
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2 x Eudonia angustea
1 x Acleris variegana
3 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Cacoecimorpha pronubana
1 x Stigmella sp

404 species...232 macro, 172 micro

22nd Sept...Pair of Shades

2011-09-23T13:33:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp...8.1 deg. slight breeze
Nothing new but nice catch.
The pair of shades refers to the two Angle Shades caught last night.
A Rosy Rustic, Large Ranunculus, a rather worn Centre-barred Sallow, Grey Pine Carpet, two Black Rustics, Light Emerald and Orange Swift were the pick of the crop, plus the usual.
A Common Marbled Carpet that was different to the reddish/brown panelled variety that I normally get, had me going for a moment.
A second Rusty Dot Pearl, Udea ferrugalis was recorded.

Common Marbled Carpet

Grey Pine Carpet

19/20th Sept 2011

2011-09-21T12:58:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temps: 19th = 13.6 deg, windy
20th = 12.3 deg, all night rain
Conditions were bad on 19th with gusting winds to 25mph but it was warm and a nice variety appeared although nothing new.
Last night, 20th, it rained all night so no traps were set, just the illuminated shed wall (1 x 15 watt actinic tube plus a 15 watt blacklight tube in the shed window).

19th Sept...Agonopterix alstromeriana

19th Sept....Three Large Ranunculus

19th Sept.....Orange Sallow

19th...two traps :-
12 x Large Y U'wing
18 x Lesser Y U'wing
16 x P.M.Willow
4 x Willow Beauty
3 x Sq-spot Rustic
4 x Vine's Rustic
2 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Brimstone Moth
1 x Silver Y
3 x Set. Heb. Character
6 x Sh-sh Dart
2 x Garden Carpet
1 x Orange Sallow
3 x Large Ranunculus
1 x Black Rustic
2 x Common Wainscot
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Agonopterix alstromeriana
3 x Agriphila geniculea
2 x Eudonia angustea
1 x Carcina quercana
3 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Unidentified Depressaria species

20th Sept...Shed wall lights
Species only, no counts.
Large Yellow Underwing
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Willow Beauty (7 on view at one time)
Vine's Rustic
Pale Mottled Willow
Large Ranunculus
Black Rustic
Lunar Underwing
Turnip Moth
Flounced Rustic
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Acleris variegana

Acleris variegana

Epiphyas postvittana
Agriphila geniculea
Endrosis sarcitrella
Eudonia angustea
Depressaria daucella..To be confirmed

Depressaria daucella ?

D. daucella is a garden first if confirmed

18th Sept 2011...Garden traps

2011-09-19T11:28:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp: 9 deg, calm, partly cloudy.
Last nights catch :-
7 x Large Yellow Underwing
4 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
6 x Lunar Underwing
1 x Common Wainscot
3 x Black Rustic
2 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
3 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Brindled Green *year first

BRINDLED GREEN

1 x Orange Swift
1 x Brimstone Moth
1 x Small Dusty Wave
4 x Vine's Rustic
4 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Turnip Moth
6 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Udea ferrugalis *garden first

RUSTY DOT PEARL...Udea ferrugalis

2 x Epiphyas postvittana
3 x Eudonia angustea
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Endrosis sarcitrella
Garden 2011:-
403 species...231 macro, 172 micro

17th Sept 2011....400 mark passed

2011-09-18T11:13:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp:- a chilly 5.8 deg.
Windy with thundery heavy showers early, then easing with clear skies and plummeting temperatures.
I left my traps to the mercy of the elements and headed for Captain Trappings domicile to eat vast amounts of Indian cuisine and to quaff red wine.
The result was soaking wet traps and an I don't care attitude.
Checked the soggy egg boxes this morning and was a little surprised to find my 400th species for the garden, 2011, a Barred Sallow.
An added bonus was a year first Blair's Shoulder-knot.

BARRED SALLOW

BLAIR'S SHOULDER-KNOT

Others include Treble-bar and two Large Ranunculus accompanied by the usual Underwings, SSDarts, S.H. Characters. Square-spot and Vine's Rustics.
Very little on the micro front with just 3 x A. geniculea

TREBLE-BAR

2011 garden tally:-
401 species.....230 macro, 171 micro

16th Sept 2011...399 species and waiting !

2011-09-17T12:50:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp: 11.8, Bright waning moon, windy
A disappointing night, given that it was warm and reasonably calm early evening.
I had high hopes of notching my 400th garden species for the year but I've had to put that on hold.
Just to rub it in, Captain Trappings ticked a Sallow and a Frosted Orange last night to catch up on my macro tally of 228 !
Frosted Orange is a species that has so far eluded capture in my garden but is reasonably common so it's high on my target species list.
Last nights haul:-
12 x Large Yellow Underwing ( 1 Fox Underwing )
8 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2 x Small Dusty Wave
4 x Willow Beauty
14 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Brimstone Moth
1 x Copper Underwing
8 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
6 x Flounced Rustic
2 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Mouse Moth
1 x Black Rustic
1 x Common Wainscot
8 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

A fresh batch of Shuttle-shaped Darts are appearing in the traps

1 x Riband Wave
7 x Lunar Underwing
2 x Square-spot Rustic
3 x Vine's Rustic
2 x Orange Swift
1 x Large Ranunculus
3 x Agriphila geniculea
2 x Eudonia angustea
2 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Cacoecimorpha pronubana
1 x Endrosis sarcitrella

The second Large Ranunculus this year.

Garden species 2011
399 sp...... 229 macro, 171 micro

2 x autumn Target Moths....Frosted Orange, not yet recorded at The Dells,
Merveille du Jour, I had 2 in 2009 but none in 2010...stunner !

15th Sept 2011...What makes a moth a RARE moth ?

2011-09-16T14:18:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp: 10.4 deg, calm, bright waning moon.
On the 3rd August this year, I caught a small non-descript micro, a little brown job, which I identified as 1397a Diplopseustis perieresalis.
This particular species was a national rarity and according to UK Moths, only two had been recorded previously.
Self doubt crept in, so I sent pics to our micro recorder and some of you bloggers out there for confirmation.
To a man you all agreed and the moth was submitted by our county micro recorder, David Manning, to the foremost authority, John Langmaid who duly confirmed it to be the 4th British record.
Given that this little fella is so rare, it would seem a long shot to record it again in my small patch of England that is attached to my house, but last night along came another.
Easterly winds had been blowing during the day which may be the reason it turned up but the fact remains it is here in numbers much higher than its status suggests.
It just goes to show how underwatched our micro moths are compared to the macros and I wonder how many of these have been ignored or overlooked.
So unless any more of this species has been recorded since August 3rd, here is Britains 5th DIPLOPSEUSTIS PERIERESALIS 1397a

Also rans:-
A garden year first Latticed Heath

Others:-
10 x Flounced Rustic
8 x Large Yellow Underwing
6 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Garden Carpet
5 x Willow Beauty
6 x Square-spot Rustic
1 x Light Emerald
4 x Lunar Underwing
7 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Latticed Heath
2 x Silver Y
5 x Vine's Rustic
2 x Turnip Moth

1 x Epiphyas postvittana
3 x Emmelina monodactyla
3 x Eudonia angustea
1 x Diplopseustis perieresalis
4 x Agriphila geniculea
1 x Depressaria type, to be ID'd

15th Sept 2011... Brrrrr !

2011-09-15T16:53:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp 6.6 deg, calm, clear, bright moon.
A bit on the nippy side last night and low counts for traps.
Plenty of Flounced Rustics around but Large Yellow Underwings are on the decline now.
A year first Lunar Underwing added one more to the year list.

LUNAR UNDERWING

Almost there, just two to go for the 400 target with plenty of autumn species to come .
2011 garden tally:-
398 species....227 macro, 171 micro
I am thinking of waving the white flag on the wine bet as I am about 25 species behind Capt. Trappings and struggling to keep up let alone make any ground.
Maybe some intense leaf mining might help a little but I don't have the range of indiginous trees & shrubs as C.T. who wisely planted a 30mt native hedgerow a few years back and has accrued a big tally of micro moths this year.
(But not yet (:0))

11th Sept 2011...Blowwy

2011-09-12T16:42:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp: 14.3 deg, breezy, then strong winds with showers.
Bright moon during clear spells.
Best of the mediocre catch was a year first Large Ranunculus.
Two Angle Shades and the usual brown moths

LARGE RANUNCULUS

ANGLE SHADES

397 species for the garden this year....226 macro, 171 micro

10th Sept 2011... Garden Traps

2011-09-11T13:16:00.001+01:00

Min overnight temp : 12.3 deg, windy, rain
Switched off the traps early and threw over the tarps but not before another year first was added.
OAK HOOK-TIP

That's 396 species so far for 2011 after almost nightly intense trapping.
Had the same effort gone into it last year, when conditions during the summer months were generally much much better, I would be looking at 450 species.
2 x traps last night, Twin 20watt Blacklight fluorescent and Dual 15 watt Blacklight fluorescent/ 2 x 11 watt actinic PL's.
30+ Large Y. U,
6 x Lesser Y. U.
2 x B-b Y. U.
4 x Set. Heb. Character
1 x Light Emerald
1 x Rosy Rustic.......... pictured below

3 x Centre-barred Sallow (Where are the all the Sallows?)
2 x Copper Underwing
18 x Vine's Rustic
16 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Oak Hook-tip
7 x Pale Mottled Willow
4 x Turnip Moth
1 x Brimstone Moth
1 x Green Carpet
1 x Spectacle................Pictured below, camoflaged on rock

8 x Willow Beauty
2 x Garden Carpet
6 x Square-spot Rustic
2 x Nutmeg
2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Flame-shoulder

TRAP ALERT !!!

"Korky" the cat. 6 months old.
Seen exiting the trap after searching for her favourite snack. Large Yellow Underwings.
This was a birthday present from my daughter Nikki back in June, she told me it was a 9 weeks old tom -cat.
I registered it as "Korky" with a local vet and when I took it to the surgery for its cat flu jabs, I asked the vet at what age should I bring him in to be neutered.
The vet gave me a quizzical look and said, "You can't, but you can bring HER in for spaying".
Embarrasing or what ! I didn't think of checking first.
Named after a male cat in the Dandy or Beano comic, (can't remember which, Dandy I think) dating back to the 1930's, she remains "Korky"

HOME GUARD :-

Cheap, crude but effective rain guard until I fix a hinged perspex sheet on a wall/shed. Impractical unless you are present when rain begins to fall !

Checking Wikipedia, I find that Korky appeared in the first edition of The Dandy on 4th Dec 1937

I think it's time to get me coat and sign out !

9th Sept 2011...Another down, 5 to go

2011-09-10T14:01:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp 15deg, calmish.
Warm night, little wind = new for year moth.

GREY PINE CARPET
224 macro, 171 micro
just 5 more to join the 400 club !

8th Sept 2011.....Garden Traps

2011-09-09T18:39:00.000+01:00

Min overnight temp: 12.3 deg, Breezy
Not a lot been happening for a few nights with the cold and wet but managed to add a year-first Chinese Character last night.

CHINESE CHARACTER.

32 x Large Yellow Underwing
16 x Vine's Rustic
12 x Flounced Rustic
11 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
7 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Snout
4 x Willow Beauty
4 x Orange Swift
2 x Yellow Shell
6 x Turnip Moth
2 x Small Dusty Wave
7 x Pale Mottled Willow
9 x Square-spot Rustic
1 x Straw Underwing
2 x Copper Underwing
3 x Centre-barred Sallow
1 x Angle Shades
1 x Marbled Beauty
3 x Light Emerald
1 x Chinese Character
1 x Green Carpet
3 x Common Wainscot
1 x Flame Shoulder
1 x Garden Carpet
3 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Garden Tally 2011:-
394 species,...... 223 macro, 171 micro

4th Sep 2011... 6 of the best

2011-09-05T11:36:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp: 8.9 deg, cold breeze, with an unexpected shower. Or should I say, the forecast was for clear skies in the whole of Bedfordshire !
An Orange Sallow completed the set of six Xanthia family sallows, and joins Sallow, Barred Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow, Dusky-lemon Sallow and Pale-lemon Sallow on the garden list.
Add on the closely related Centre-barred Sallow to the list and it is quite an impressive garden tally.
The unrelated Bordered Sallow and Dusky Sallow are also on the list.

ORANGE SALLOW

If there are any doubts that summer is over, the appearance of Black Rustic
should have you clicking on the Amazon dot com Christmas catalogue for ideas ! This is my earliest record for the garden.

BLACK RUSTIC

Now for the all important wine bet.....
Macros:
It couldn't be much closer, I have 222 garden macros for the year and The Captain has 223, unless he added some last night.
Micros: This is where I am copping a spanking, Captain Trappings is sitting on a healthy 195 species whereas I am languishing on 171.
SO, trailing by 25 species is not a good position to be in

3rd Sep 2011...1p

2011-09-05T09:38:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp: 13.5 deg, calm
My second Hummingbird Hawkmoth of the year was seen in the front garden at 18.30 hours.
Thanks to sharp-eyed Captain Trappings who spotted it as he was leaving.
After that great start to the evenings mothing, nothing new turned up but still a nice selection was recorded.
A Cream-bordered Green Pea was unexpected.
Best of the rest, Centre-barred Sallow, Angle Shades, Snout, Cabbage Moth, Silver Y, Vapourer, also another 50 plus, maybe more, L.Y.U's.
That makes well over 150 for the last two nights !

CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA

VAPOURER

SILVER Y

2nd Sep 2011... Garden traps latest

2011-09-03T19:38:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp: 13.2 deg, calm, clear sky.
The warmest night since 12th Aug locally.
Ran two traps last night, 96 Large Yellow Underwings were counted which came close to last years record of 99.
Dusky Thorn was a garden first and Large Wainscot and Centre-barred Sallow were year firsts. Correction: Dusky Thorn is a year first.

DUSKY THORN

CENTRE-BARRED SALLOW

LARGE WAINSCOT

28th Aug 2011....Garden update

2011-08-30T00:27:00.001+01:00

For the last week I could have put a ditto under the catch list and overnight temperatures with little variation on the catch and, "also wet", next to the 9/10 degree overnight lows.
So after a couple of nights of non trapping, I fired up the lights and traps last night and a Red Underwing duly obliged.
My third Old Lady made a brief visit along with two Silver Y.
Vine's Rustic, Large Yellow Underwing,Turnip Moth and Willow Beauty made up the bulk of the macro catch.
Micro numbers are plummeting but Agriphila geniculea are still around in numbers.
18 x Large Yellow Underwing
12 x Vine's Rustic
12 x Turnip Moth
10 x Willow Beauty
3 x Brimstone Moth
5 x Square-spot Rustic
3 x Common Wainscot
4 x Yellow Shell
1 x Flame Shoulder
1 x Red Underwing year first

RED UNDERWING

1 x Old Lady
3 x Garden Carpet
1 x Green Carpet
6 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
5 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Double-striped Pug

DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG

4 x Flounced Rustic
4 x Straw Underwing
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2 x Silver Y
2 x Orange Swift
1 x Spectacle
1 x Light Emerald
1 x Marbled Beauty

14 x Agriphila geniculea
1 x Agriphila tristella
1 x Carcina quercana
1 x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Endrosis sarcitrella
1 x Phlyctaenia ruralis
2 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Galleria mellonella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
1 x Tinea trinotella

Garden 2011
388 species
217 macro
171 micro

22nd Aug 2011...At last !

2011-08-23T16:21:00.000+01:00

Yes, at last a new for year macro, albeit a banker bet.
Three Square-spot Rustic turned up, which is a little sad really as it heralds the end of Summer, as if anyone will notice !

SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC

2011 Garden total now stands at:-
387 species....216 macro, 171 micro

21st Aug 2011....Static

2011-08-22T13:35:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp...9.3 deg, calm, clear sky.
A bit cooler than the forecasted minimum, 13 deg.
Very little to report as the summer species are starting to look rather tired now and the autumn species haven't got going yet.
There has been a noticeable drop in Shuttle-shaped Dart numbers and an increase in Vine's Rustic lately.
I was clearing an overgrown Dog Rose from the front garden yesterday and came across a very large gall

Dog Rose gall

As a kid growing up in Kent, we used to call these "Robins pincushions". I'm sure there are several local names for these galls from county to county.

Another caterpillar that I can't ID was found near the trap last night, about 2inches long max....if anyone recognises it, feel free......

Unidentified larva

Two macros from last night .......

LIME-SPECK PUG

ROSY RUSTIC

20th Aug 2011...Trap results

2011-08-21T14:08:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp...12.1 deg, calm, patchy cloud.
60 x Turnip Moth
21 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
23 x Vine's Rustic
16 x Orange Swift

ORANGE SWIFT

12 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
13 x Straw Underwing
15 x Large Yellow Underwing
8 x Pale Mottled Willow
3 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Lime-speck Pug
3 x Garden Carpet
2 x Mouse Moth
4 x Copper Underwing agg
3 x Cloaked Minor
6 x Common Wainscot
8 x Willow Beauty
2 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Buff Ermine
2 x Cabbage Moth
1 x Bordered Pug
6 x Double-striped Pug
2 x Lime-speck Pug
1 x Tawny-speckled Pug
1 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1 x Yellow Shell
4 x Riband Wave
1 x Iron Prominent
1 x Light Emerald
1 x Spectacle
1 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1 x Dark Arches
2 x Common Rustic agg
1 x Chrysuteuchia culmella
3 x Agriphila tristella
9 x Agriphila geniculea
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Endrosis sarcitrella
5 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2 x Cydia pomonella
3 x Acentria ephemerella
1 x Alucita hexadactyla
1 x Galleria mellonella
1 x Epiphyas postvittana
2 x Scoparia ambigualis
1 x Endotricha flammealis
3 x Blastobasis adustella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella
1 x Monopis laevigella

19th Aug 2011...Quiet spell

2011-08-21T02:06:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp....11.3 deg, Breezy
45 species caught, very much the same as the previous week.
Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella) was my second record this year and the same goes for Bulrush Wainscot.

GALLERIA MELLONELLA, Wax Moth

BULRUSH WAINSCOT

18th Aug 2011...Wet, then cold

2011-08-19T16:17:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp:- 8.1 deg. One trap only
Light rain, clearing to clear skies, bright 3/4 moon, bloody cold !
73 moths of 17 species.
21 x Turnip Moth
10 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
10 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
8 x Vine's Rustic
7 x Straw Underwing
5 x Pale Mottled Willow
3 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 x Orange Swift
1 x Brimstone Moth
1 x Yellow Shell
1 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Garden Carpet
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Willow Beauty
1 x Mouse Moth
1 x Cabbage Moth
1 x Agriphila straminella

TURNIP MOTH

17th Aug 2011....Rubbish weather

2011-08-18T23:17:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp:- 9.3 deg
It was a bit of a joke when people were saying that we had our summer in April, more said in hope, but now it's looking like it may be the case.
It makes you wonder why migrant moths come here every year.... and why package holiday companies are going broke.
The weather bureau says it's because of a shift in the jet stream...ok, so who is enjoying better weather then because of the shift ? Where has it shifted to ? Shrug.
Ran two traps and the shed wall lights, maybe a couple of new species would have stopped me moaning about the weather, but alas no,
c190 moths of 38 species:-
47, Turnip Moth
24, Shuttle-shaped Dart
18, Setaceous Hebrew Character
16, Straw Underwing
12, Orange Swift
9, Willow Beauty
9, Vine's Rustic
7, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
4, Double-striped Pug
4, Flounced Rustic
3, Large Yellow Underwing
2, Garden Carpet
2, Yellow Shell
2, Brinstone Moth
2, Lime-speck Pug
2, Uncertain
2, Common Wainscot
2, Nutmeg
2, Pale Mottled Willow
1, Riband Wave
1, Treble-bar
1, Small Dusty Wave
1, Flame Shoulder
1, Cloaked Minor
1, Lesser Swallow Prominent
1, Marbled Beauty
1, Mouse Moth
1, Green Carpet
1, Common Rustic agg
2, Emmelina monodactyla
2, Agriphila tristella
1, Trachycera advenella
1, Agapeta hamana
1, Argyresthia ljungiana
1, Cochylis dubitana
1, Endotricha flammealis
1, Platyedra subcinerea
1, Dichrorampha species

Also a pink larva on the brick wall...25 mm +
Anyone know it ?

16th Aug 2011....Daily trap latest plus some leaf mines

2011-08-17T19:29:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp:- 12.9 deg, calm, clear, bright waning moon. Half-way through August and very few hot steamy nights so far...never mind, back to the mothing !
The bright moon directly overhead for most of the evening meant the traps were relatively quiet.
Did a bit of leaf mining for the first time in my Lord Lambourne cooking apple tree and found 5 species, thanks to our micro recorder David Manning for the ID.

PHYLLONORYCTER BLANCARDELLA 0326

The pics above are Phyllonorycter blancardella 326, One of the blotch mines has been scratched away to reveal the larva and frass.

CALLISTO DENTICULELLA 0310

STIGMELLA INCOGNITELLA 0075

PHYLLONORYCTER LEUCOGRAPHELLA 0332a

Firethorn Leaf Miner on apple.

Some of last nights macros :-

SMALL BLOOD-VEIN

GREEN CARPET

ANGLE SHADES

Total for garden 2011:-
386 species...215 macros, 171 micro

Wine bet......
I'm trailing by around 16 species (:0((
Bothered ?........yes
Undaunted ?.....NO (:0))
It needs an old dog for a hard road ! And no 3 year old has ever won a Grand National.
Congrats to The Captain on passing the 500 species mark since July 2009....Awesome. With any luck I may just reach that milestone myself this year. Tough call

15th Aug 2011... Dells trap update

2011-08-16T12:11:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp :- 12.1 deg
Breezy, light rain occasionally.

Only 1 trap operating due to the rain. Another Small Ranunculus appeared last night just as I thought they were finished, and an unidentified "Dart-like" moth ...pics at bottom of this blog.
The haul :-
29 x Turnip Moth
18 x Sh-sh Dart
10 x Straw Underwing
11 x Vine's Rustic
5 x Brimstone Moth
3 x Cloaked Minor
8 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Small Ranunculus

SMALL RANUNCULUS

6 x Double-striped Pug
4 x Orange Swift
3 x Uncertain/Rustic
3 x Pale Mottled Willow
4 x Willow Beauty
1 x Marbled Beauty
2 x Riband Wave
7 x Garden Carpet
1 x Common Carpet
1 x Broad-barred White

BROAD-BARRED WHITE

2 x Grey Dagger agg
6 x Common Rustic agg
1 x Cabbage Moth
1 x Toadflax Pug
2 x Mouse Moth
1 x Light Emerald
2 x Copper Underwing agg
2 x Yellow Shell
3 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Tawny Speckled Pug

TAWNY SPECKLED PUG

1 x Spectacle
2 x Common Wainscot
1 x Silver Y
7 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Yponomeuta evonymella ...Bird Cherry Ermine
10+ Acentria ephemerella ...Water Veneer
2 x Endotricha Flammealis
2 x Alucita hexadactyla ...Twenty-plume Moth
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Parapoynx stratiotata ...Ringed China-mark
3 x Epiphyas postvittana ...Light-brown Apple Moth
1 x Cochylis dealbana
1 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
1 x Carcina quercana
1 x Dichrorampha ...probably acuminatana

DICHRORAMPHA ACUMINATANA (not verified)

1 x Pleuroptya ruralis ...Mother of Pearl
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella ...Brown House-moth
1 x Agriphila geniculea
1 x Agriphila straminella
1 x Blastobasis adustella
1 x Oegoconia agg
1 x Acleris variegana ...Garden Rose Tortrix

ACLERIS VARIEGANA

UNIDENTIFIED MACRO
It's main feature is the lack of markings despite being fresh. Wingspan 28/30mm

It's shape and behaviour in the pot suggest Turnip Moth but I've never seen one like this and I've had around 300 of them this week.

14th Aug 2011...Garden Traps

2011-08-15T21:00:00.000+01:00

overnight min temp:- 8.8 deg
A new micro was added to the garden list last night with a good selection of macros.
Euzophera pinguis is reasonably common in the area and has probably been overlooked in the past as micros were not seriously recorded.

EUZOPHERA PINGUIS 1470

60+ x Turnip Moth
34 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
12 x Straw Underwing
6 x Brimstone Moth
8 x Flounced Rustic
8 x Vine's Rustic
9 x Uncertain/Rustic
7 x Common Wainscot
2 x Cloaked Minor
9 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
5 x Copper Underwing agg
5 x Yellow Shell
2 x Garden Carpet
3 x Buff Ermine
2 x Common Rustic agg
2 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
5 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
5 x Riband Wave
3 x Orange Swift
1 x Oak Nycteoline

OAK NYCTEOLINE

1 x Light Emerald
5 x Double-striped Pug
2 x Toadflax Pug
1 x Tawny-speckled Pug
1 x Sallow Kitten
1 x Treble-bar

TREBLE-BAR

1 x Flame Shoulder
1 x Spectacle
1 x Poplar Grey
1 x Grey Dagger agg
4 x Pale Mottled Willow
5 x Willow Beauty
30 + Acentria ephemerella
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Acleris variegana
2 x Endrosis sarcitrella
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Carcina quercana
1 x Yponomeuta cagnagella
1 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
1 x Crambus pascuella
1 x Monopis obviella
1 x Eudonia mercurella
1 x Limnaecia phragmitella
1 x Bryotropha terrella
1 x Aphomia sociella
1 x Pyralis farinalis
1 x Trachycera advenella
1 x Agriphila straminella
1 x Euzophera pinguis
2 x Cacoecimorpha pronubana
382 species...215 macro, 167 micro

13th Aug 2011...Garden update.

2011-08-14T21:44:00.000+01:00

Overnight min temp:- 12.6 deg
The last two nights have started full of promise, but the clouds have disappeared to reveal a bright full moon and the mothing comes to a sudden halt.
After trapping 8 Swallow Prominents this year to date it was nice to finally catch up with Lesser Swallow Prominent.

LESSER SWALLOW PROMINENT

BILL D
Thanks for suggesting Pearly Underwing for my weird Turnip Moth.
I checked out quite a few images and thought that was a good call.
I sent pics to recorder but without seeing the underwing he could not accept it.
In the interest of accurate records, this is perfectly understandable.
The underwings are in the cat litter tray in a slightly different format so this time it's "One that got away". Pearly Underwing is now my priority target so every Turnip Moth is getting doubly checked.
I mentioned the smooth antennae on the weird one compared to the feathered of Turnip. Captain Trappings made a good point....is there a difference between male and female as is the case of Lead-coloured Drab ???? Anyone ???

381 species...215 macro, 166 micro

12th Aug...Wine bet taken to new (low) level !

2011-08-14T00:08:00.001+01:00

overnight min temp:- 14.4 deg
calm...humid...early morning rain...soaking traps
Captain Trappings has resorted to sneaky tactics.....after falling behind in the Great Wine Bet for the most garden species in a year, he has managed to entice/kidnap/lure/sweet-talk County Micro Recorder David Manning to check every leaf on every plant/shrub/tree in his garden and took great delight in telling me that another 20 or so micro moths will be added to his list as a result of the leaf mines found.
This bar-raising dastardly tactic will put me in third place, with Daylight second, so a stepping up of night patrols will be the order of the day, at least until my begging letter arrives on Mr M's doormat !
60 species recorded last night with only one year first entry, Cacoecimorpha pronubana, Carnation Tortrix, a common micro at The Dells.
My garden list for the year has now reached 380 and my early season target of 400 now looks very modest.

CARCINA QUERCANA

87 x Turnip Moth
52 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
12 x Large Yellow U'wing
2 x Lesser Yellow U'wing
1 x Tawny-speckled Pug
1 x Ruby Tiger
5 x Copper Underwing agg
2 x Brimstone Moth
4 x Yellow Shell

ORANGE SWIFT Female, 42mm wingspan

5 x Orange Swift
3 x Riband Wave
3 x Cloaked Minor
3 x Uncertain
6 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Flame Shoulder
1 x Marbled Beauty
5 x Common Wainscot
2 x Least Carpet
3 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow U'wing
2 x Garden Carpet
2 x Toadflax Pug
6 x Double-striped Pug

1 x Currant Pug (above)
3 x Common Rustic agg
2 x Small Dusty Wave
3 x Buff Ermine
1 x Common Carpet
1 x Poplar Hawkmoth
3 x Vine's Rustic
4 x Willow Beauty
1 x Flounced Rustic
1 x Small Waved Umber
2 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Mouse Moth
2 x Limnaecia Phragmitella
3 x Blastobasis adustella
3 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
1 x Acentria ephemerella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
1 x Trachycera advenella
4 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2 x Endotricha flammealis
1 x Alucita hexadactyla, (Twenty-plume Moth)
2 x Crambus pascuella
1 x Monopis obviella
1 x Lyonetia clerkella
1 x Cydia pomonella
2 x Dichrorampha sp
1 x Cacoecimorpha pronubana, year first
1 x Mompha sp
2 x Cochylis dubitana
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella
1 x Agriphila straminella
1 x Agriphila tristella
1 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
2 x Yponomeuta cagnagella
1 x Acleris variegana
1 x Agonopterix alstromeriana

11th Aug 2011....Lull

2011-08-12T21:05:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp:- 14.3 deg
Overcast, calm.
Fen Wainscot was among the 52 species last night, along with a new micro, Limnaecia phragmitella, and one that looks like a worn Turnip Moth, but the antenna isn't feathered ?

I intended to retain it for the recorders but it escaped during the photo shoot and before I could rescue it, the cat ate it ! (No, it wasn't a Puss Moth or Catoptria) )
78 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
52 x Turnip Moth
11 x Straw Underwing
11 x Common Wainscot
4 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
9 x Large Yellow Underwing
2 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
3 x Orange Swift
7 x Common Rustic agg
5 x Riband Wave
5 x Cloaked Minor
3 x Yellow Shell
3 x Willow Beauty
6 x Pale Mottled Willow
8 x Uncertain/Rustic
7 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Marbled Beauty
4 x Copper Underwing agg
1 x Sallow Kitten
1 x Small Dusty Wave
2 x Grey Dagger agg
1 x Toadflax Pug
1 x Heart & Dart
2 x Iron Prominent
3 x Buff Ermine
4 x Vine's Rustic
1 x Dingy Footman
6 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Fen Wainscot
1 x Flame Shoulder
2 x Common Carpet
6 x Acentria ephemerella (Water Veneer)
1 x Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth)
2 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Brown House-moth)
2 x Argyresthia ljungiana
4 x Pyrausta aurata
2 x Epiphyas postvittana (Light-brown Apple Moth)
1 x Endotricha flammealis
3 x Yponomeuta cagnagella (Spindle Ermine)
2 x Monopis obviella
2 x Batia unitella
3 x Blastobasis adustella
2 x Clepsis consimilana
1 x Pleuroptya ruralis (Mother of Pearl)
1 x Limnaecia phragmitella
1 x Monopis laevigella (Skin Moth)
2 x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
1 x Cochylis dubitana
1 x Rhyacionia pinicolana
1 x Catoptria pinella

379 species.....214 macro & 165 micro
I think I am slightly ahead for the wine bet...Captain Trappings is away for two nights to see relatives up in Smoggy-land so I will be at it with all lights blazing.
Weather looks ok if the rain holds off....4 or 5 new species would be a nice little Brucie !

LIMNAECIA PHRAGMITELLA

AMBLYPTILIA ACANTHADACTYLA

10th Aug 2011...Improving

2011-08-11T16:19:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp :- 13.3 deg.....windy
Nothing exciting in the traps but at least it was 5 deg warmer and looks to be even warmer tonight with the wind dropping.

COLEOPHORA HEMEROBIELLA

BLASTOBASIS ADUSTELLA

TOADFLAX PUG

GELECHIA SENTICETELLA

PHYCITA ROBORELLA

The wind didn't blow anything exotic into my garden but numbers were up and 41 species were recorded.

9th AUGUST 2011...Memorable

2011-08-10T21:16:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp:- 8.6 deg
Nothing memorable in the traps as the mini slump continues. It looks like warming up a little over the next few days but the wind, along with a full moon won't improve the catches. I'm setting the traps though, hoping for an odd blow-in.
The memorable news was the birth of my 7th grandchild, a boy named Dexter, to my daughter Nikki and husband Rupert. Congrats to both.

7th & 8th AUGUST 2011...Quiet

2011-08-09T17:03:00.002+01:00

Overnight min temps....7th: 9.6 deg, 8th: 10.1 deg. It's been slim pickings for the last couple of nights due to the cool breezy conditions and it was nice to be able to draw breath.
Nothing new in traps, just the usual, but less of them.
So I thought I would post a moth that would set your pulses racing if one ended up in your traps ! Highly unlikely as they are day flyers but who knows ?

UTETHEISA BELLA

There is one record of doubtful origin from 1948. On Skokholm Island, Pembrokeshire, which is believed to be ship assisted from the U.S.of A.
The other startling record from 1948 was the arrival of (then) little me.
This is common down the eastern half of North America, through the Caribbean and into South America, and is known locally as The Rattlebox Moth.
I snapped this one on Grand Cayman. In flight it looks completely pink and when it lands the markings can be seen...a little beauty !

6th Aug 2011....Another reed species

2011-08-07T17:13:00.003+01:00

Overnight min temp. 10.2 deg, windy
Much cooler than of late with a niggling wind so numbers were down.
A mere 34 Shuttle-shaped Darts cluttered up the traps with a dozen Turnip Moths.
A Broad-barred White was a nice find as was my second Tawny Speckled Pug of the sub species fulvata with the red wing patches for easy I.D.
Two more pugs rolled up which I will illustrate below....

The one above is definitely DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG but the one below, which is about the same size looks to have a different wing shape, although the markings suggest it is another D.S. Pug

Only 6 micros were found in the traps and the walls went patrol-less last night due to company and wine,
However, a year first garden micro was discovered during the morning trap inspection through bleary eyes. 1329 Donacaula forficella
Yet another reed feeding species and I can only think they are coming from the fairly nearby River Ivel which is lined with reeds along its route through Biggleswade.

DONACAULA FORFICELLA 1329

378 species.....214 macro, 164 micro
I am ahead in the all important wine bet. But that crafty bugger has a few micros stashed away in his fridge ready for the recorder !

CLICK ME

5th Aug 2011...Garden latest

2011-08-07T12:32:00.003+01:00

Overnight temp: 13 deg. calm
43 macro and 25 micro species were recorded last night.
Shuttle-shaped Dart numbers have hopefully peaked as only 80 were in the 2 traps !
A Bulrush Wainscot and a Flounced Rustic were new for the year.
A very worn Toadflax Brocade was number 11 this season and another Least Yellow Underwing along with Spectacle, Straw Dot, Nutmeg, Bordered Pug, Swallow Prominent and Pebble Hook-tip the best of the rest.
A flying visit (excuse the pun) from joint County macro recorder, Andy Banthorpe, produced a new micro species for the garden.
Head down and bum up in a small patch of Yarrow he unearthed a mine and cocoon of Bucculactrix cristatella thanks Andy !

BUCCULACTRIX CRISTATELLA cocoon on Yarrow.....Photo: Melissa Banthorpe, joint county macro recorder

I did contact Captain Trappings to inform him of the new species (and to gloat a little) but he checked out a patch of Yarrow growing in his garden and found Jack queen king, mine, larva and cocoon all on one plant.
After finding leaf mines of Lyonetia clerkella on my Apple, Birch, Crab Apple, Bird Cherry and Plum trees, I eventually found the adult on the patio window and Cochylis Hybridella was also a new find.

BULRUSH WAINSCOT f. fraterna

FLOUNCED RUSTIC

LYONETIA CLERKELLA

COCHYLIS HYBRIDELLA

2011 garden species:-
376,.......214 macro, 162 micro
STOP PRESS......
Another micro to add after ID from David Manning...county micro recorder.
It's one I should have tracked down myself as it is quite distinctive.

ORTHOTELLA SPARGANELLA 470

377 species.......214 macro, 163 micro

4th Aug. 2011....After the Lord Mayors show.

2011-08-07T10:24:00.001+01:00

Overnight min temp...12 deg, calm
The previous evenings Diplopseustis perieresalis is going to be a hard act to follow but it was the micros again that boosted the garden tally.
Best of the macro moths were Barred Red, Sallow Kitten, the reappearance of Vine's Rustic and Orange Swifts in their finest livery.
The usual 100 plus Shuttle-shaped Darts were in the two traps and Turnip Moth numbers are increasing so I'll be looking carefully for a similar looking Swordgrass.

BARRED RED

The micros produced 3 new garden records.
228 Monopis weaverella, 746 Chrysoesthia drurella and 1260 Cydia splendana.

CHRYSOESTHIA DRURELLA 746

MONOPIS WEAVERELLA 228

CYDIA SPLENDANA 1260

3rd Aug....Big Night !

2011-08-04T22:14:00.002+01:00

Overnight min temp = 14.4 deg
calm, humid, cooler breeze after midnight, rain at 0400am
Best night so far with some amazing species. Yet again, over 100 Shuttle-shaped Darts were counted in the two traps.
A recce of the garden at 22.30 paid off with a White-spotted Pinion on the back wall.

WHITE-SPOTTED PINION

More Toadflax Brocade (2) were caught, making 10 for the year. But no more Small Ranunculus......

ORANGE SWIFT 0015

......Other highlights were Early Thorn, Dingy Footman and a year first Orange Swift.
It was the micros that caused the most excitement....
A garden first Argyresthia goedartella has surely been overlooked in the past as there were large numbers present.
A year first Pandemis corylana was expected, but the big news was finding 1397a Diplopseustis perieresalis.
It is not yet official but I think there is little doubt.
Our micro recorder David Manning agrees with me but will submit it to a higher authority due to its rarity, and thanks also to Captain Trappings, to Ben Sale of Essex Moths fame, and the irrepressable Mark Skevington for backing up the ID.
If it is officially accepted, it will be just the 4th record for the UK as far as I know.
First recorded in Tresco, Scillys in 2001, then again in Exeter in 2007, with another in 2008 in Bishops Stortford,in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire.
SO, here it is.......any comments/opinions will be most welcome...

DIPLOPSEUSTIS PERIERESALIS 1397a

I have had plenty of egg on my face in the past with ID !!!
I like this one though. Publish and be damned....THIS HAS NOW BEEN ACCEPTED.

August update

2011-08-03T22:06:00.000+01:00

It's been manic around the traps for the last two nights and I'm getting behind on my records. I still have a few micros to be ID'd so I'll just post some highlights for the 1st and 2nd Aug.
1st Aug...overnight min. temp. 16 degrees
2nd Aug.. " " " " 15.2 degrees
both nights calm.

A year first Least Yellow Underwing on the 1st plus another Old Lady (still evading the camera !) Also a first for year Ypsophola sequella.

LEAST YELLOW UNDERWING

YPSOLOPHA SEQUELLA

Last night (2nd) was even busier than the previous.
100+ Shuttle-shaped Darts were emptied from the traps for the second night running !
A garden first Webb's Wainscot was a good find alongside a year first Rosy Rustic in the BBQ area trap.

ROSY RUSTIC

WEBB'S WAINSCOT

On the micro scene I found a garden first Skin Moth and a year first Rhyacionia pinicolana to add to the list.

MYOPIS LAEVIGELLA...Skin Moth

RHYACIONA PINICOLANA

Best catch of the night by far was the following :-

TOADFLAX BROCADE

Two Toadflax Brocades were a nice surprise, just when I thought they had dried up.
353 species.....209 macro, 154 micro

31st July 2011...Hot August nights ahead

2011-08-03T13:30:00.001+01:00

Min overnight temp...14.8
Calm, overcast.
July ended a little bit like, errm, July ! And the early Aug forecast is for hot, sticky nights, Mothtastic.
40 macro and 31 micro species were recorded on a warm July evening, better late than never !
c80 Shuttle-shaped Darts were the bulk of the catch.
Highlights were Yellow-barred Brindle, Small Ranunculus, Lychnis, Pebble Hook-tip,
Buff Footman, Iron Prominent, Clouded Border.
Agriphila tristella was a first for the year

YELLOW-BARRED BRINDLE

CLOUDED BORDER

BUFF FOOTMAN

Thanks Andy & Melissa Banthorpe for confirming the ID

LYCHNIS

PEBBLE HOOK-TIP

AGRIPHILA TRISTELLA

Garden tally for 2011
waiting for a few gen. dets. but it's roughly 357 species

28th - 30th July...The Dells garden update

2011-07-31T10:57:00.001+01:00

The topsy-turvy temperatures continue, and as can be seen by the stats below, there seems to be an exact mathematical equasion between temperatures and moth numbers.
One thing is for sure....7.1 degrees is chilly for the third week in July !
..........................................................................................................
30th July
min temp 9.6 deg
Species count ... 39
Moth count .......108
Most = Shuttle-shaped Dart, 44
...............................................
29th July
min temp 7.1 deg
Species count...27
Moth count......100
Most = Shuttle-shaped Dart, 49
................................................
28th July
min temp 12.9 deg
Species count...59
Moth count.......195
Most = Shuttle-shaped Dart, 75
.................................................
Obviously the best night for a while was the 28th. It was warm and humid and The Dells traps/walls were very busy.
Nothing new on 29th/30th so I will list the haul on the 28th as this was the best night of the year so far.
Micros
2 x Pleuroptya ruralis (Mother of Pearl)
2 x Yponomeuta evonymella (Bird-cherry Ermine)
1 x Dichomeris marginella (Juniper Webber) FFY

DICHOMERIS MARGINELLA 862

1 x Parapoynx stratiotata (Ringed China-mark)
2 x Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth)
5 x Endotricha flammealis
2 x Cnephasia sp.
1 x Coleophorus sp.
3 x Ditula angustiorana (Red-barred Tortrix)
1 x Pandemis heparana (Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix)
2 x Lozotaeniodes formosanus FFY

LOZOTAENIODES FORMOSANUS 1001

5 x Chrysoteuchia culmella (Common Grass Veneer)
3 x Crambus pascuella
1 x Yponomeuta cagnagella (Spindle Ermine)
1 x Agriphila straminella
1 x Blastobasis adustella
3 x Eudonia mercurella
1 x Zeiraphera isertana
1 x Eudemis profundana NFG

EUDEMIS PROFUNDANA 1113

2 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
1 x Bryotropha terrella
1 x Eucosma cana
2 x Plutella xylostella (Diamond-back Moth)
1 x Batia unitella
1 x Depressaria sp (Gen det result imminent)
1 x Dichrorampha acuminatana FFY

DICHRORAMPHA ACUMINATANA 1279

Macro
5 x Riband Wave
4 x Cloaked Minor
75 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x The Rustic
3 x Scarce Footman
2 x Straw Underwing
1 x Tawney Speckled Pug f. fulvata, NFG

TAWNEY SPECKLED PUG f. FULVATA 1838

2 x Grey Dagger agg. a doo doo doo, push pineapple, open a vein !
It always reminds me of that appalling song every time I type Dagger agg.
2 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
3 x Large Yellow Underwing
3 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2 x Yellow Shell
3 x Least Carpet
4 x Common Rustic agg
1 x Dwarf Cream Wave
1 x Common Footman
6 x Ruby Tiger
1 x Black Arches NFG

BLACK ARCHES

3 x Dark Arches
1 x Red Twin-spot Carpet
3 x Willow Beauty
1 x Small Ranunculus
1 x Leopard Moth

LEOPARD MOTH

1 x Common Carpet
1 x Flame Shoulder
2 x Buff Ermine
3 x Uncertain
2 x Clay
1 x Single-dotted Wave
1 x Poplar Grey
4 x Turnip Moth
1 x Shaded Broad-bar FFY

SHADED BROAD-BAR

Totals to date :-
351 species.....204 macro, 147 micro

27th July 2011...Double Lobed brings up double century !

2011-07-28T10:39:00.001+01:00

Overnight min. temp:- 12.8 deg
Weather:- Overcast, calm
The 200th macro for the year with a Double Lobed was a nice milestone to reach, only my second record, and just to be sure a Svenssons Copper Underwing made it 201.
Flame Shoulder and Setaceous Hebrew Character showed up after a long absence.
Other highlights were 2 x Spectacle, 1 x Campion, 1 x White Satin Moth, Pine Hawkmoth, Nutmeg, Peppered Moth, Scalloped Oak.
Carpets:- Least, Common, Garden and Red Twin-spot, Small Waved Umber, Yellow Shell

DOUBLE LOBED

Svenssons Copper Underwing is a species I like to get "out of the way" early when they are fresh. The differences in the underside of the hindwing is documented in the "Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland", by Paul Waring and Martin Townsend, although sometimes this is not always easy to differentiate.
UK Moths website state that there is a difference in the labial palps, Svenssons has white tips, whereas Copper has all dark. This seems to bear up with the examples I have looked at from my garden.
Personally, I think the overall appearance is a good rough guide, Copper Underwing looks neater with richer colouring, Svenssons always looks a little scruffy.
Unscientific it may be but it usually proves correct on fresh specimens.
It proved too fiddly to put up any pics of the underwings.

COPPER UNDERWING

SVENSSONS COPPER UNDERWING

SVENSSONS COPPER UNDERWING showing white tips to labial palps

Garden tally for 2011 :-
341 species, 201 macro and 140 micro
*** I have since had confirmation that Vitula biviella 1478b, caught on 20th July, has been accepted by the county recorder.
So the total is now 342 species...201 macro, 141 micro

26th July 2011...Gradual improvement

2011-07-27T21:59:00.000+01:00

Overnight temp. 13.4 deg. Overcast and calm conditions.
61 Shuttle-shaped Darts was an all-time high, and at last Common Carpet has turned up.
Two more Small Ranunculus brought the years total to a very healthy 22.
Three Straw Underwings were the first this year and an Old Lady made two attempts to go in the trap unsuccessfully.It fluttered around like a bat before settling on the house wall long enough for me to get camera/large pot, but not long enough to put either to use, so no pic. I had 5 or 6 of these last year so I'm hoping another opportunity will soon arise.
Tonight looks good weatherwise so I'm hoping to get my 200th macro for the year...one to go !
On the micro front, a good selection, with a garden first for Aspilapteryx tringipennella.
The Catch (macro)
61 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Copper Underwing agg.
1 x Lime-speck Pug
1 x Toadflax Pug
1 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Wormwood Pug
6 x Common Rustic agg.
2 x Willow Beauty
4 x Least Carpet
4 x Ruby Tiger
4 x Riband Wave
6 x Cloaked Minor
2 x Brimstone Moth
4 x Yellow Shell

YELLOW SHELL

1 x Marbled Beauty
3 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Pine Hawkmoth
2 x Small Ranunculus
1 x Bright-line Brown-eye
1 x Dot Moth
2 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Dingy Footman
1 x Scarce Footman
3 x Turnip Moth
2 x Common Carpet FFY

COMMON CARPET

2 x Garden Carpet
1 x White Satin Moth
2 x Pale Mottled Willow
1 x Old Lady FFY
3 x Straw Underwing FFY

STRAW UNDERWING

4 x Clay 2 x Buff Ermine
1 x Nutmeg
1 x Grey Dagger agg.
1 x Poplar Grey
2 x Uncertain
2 x Swallow Prominent

SWALLOW PROMINENT

Micros
12 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
8 x Crambus pascuella
1 x Caloptria pinella
2 x Agapeta hamana
2 x Pleuroptya ruralis
3 x Hypsopygia costalis
2 x Cydia pomonella
1 x Acleris variegana
1 x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

AMBLYPTILIA ACANTHADACTYLA

1 x Pterophorus pentadactyla
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella
1 x Acleris forsskaleana
1 x Aethes cnicana
1 x Gelechia senticetella
2 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Aspilapteryx tringipennella (garden first)

ASPILAPTERYX TRINGIPENNELLA

1 x Ditula angustiorana
1 x Platyedra subcinerea
1 x Spilonota ocellana.....not to be confused with Cydia servillana ! ( cheers Skev)
2011 Garden total now stands at 339 species, 199 macro, 140 micro with one ID pending.
The Wine Bet...
Dire ! I am trailing by about a dozen species

25th July 2011...

2011-07-26T12:43:00.001+01:00

Minimun overnight temperature; 12.6 deg
A warm, calm night with a hint of humidity raised the catch numbers.
100 plus macros were recorded with the bulk (40) being Shuttle-shaped Darts.
c50 micros.
A year first Copper Underwing agg. and two year first micros were added but just one worn Heart and Dart in the trap, which dominated the catch before the S-s Dart invasion.
The Catch:-
Micros
1 x Cydia pomonella
3 x Hypsopygia costalis
4 x Endotricha flammealis
2 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Agonopterix alstromeriana

AGONOPTERIX ALSTROMERIANA

4 x Agapeta hamana
9 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
5 x Crambus pascuella
2 x Yponomeuta evonymella
2 x Cnephasia agg.
1 x Pterophorus pentadactyla
1 x Epiblema foenella

EPIBLEMA FOENELLA

1 x Oegoconia spp.
2 x Bryotropha terrella
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella
1 x Catoptria pinella

CATOPTRIA PINELLA

1 x Yponomeuta malinellus
2 x Celypha striana
1 x Batia unitella
1 x Trachycera advenella FFY

TRACHYCERA ADVENELLA

1 x Pammene fasciana
2 x Pandemis cerasana
1 x Blastobasis lacticolella
1 x Aethes cnicana FFY

AETHES CNICANA

MACROS
4 x Cloaked Minor
2 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3 x Scarce Footman
40 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
8 x Least Carpet
5 x Ruby Tiger
1 x Copper Underwing FFY

COPPER UNDERWING

3 x Marbled Beauty
1 x Poplar Grey
2 x Dwarf Cream Wave
1 x Common Footman
2 x Garden Carpet
6 x Common Rustic agg.
5 x Riband Wave
2 x Small Ranunculus

SMALL RANUNCULUS

1 x Nutmeg
4 x Yellow Shell
5 x Dark Arches
1 x Lime-speck Pug
1 x Willow Beauty
1 x Smoky Wainscot
1 x Dun-bar
1 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 x Single-dotted Wave
1 x Bright-line Brown-eye
3 x Uncertain
1 x Double Square-spot
1 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Dot Moth
TOTALS
To be added. Awaiting ID checks

24th July 2011...Garden latest

2011-07-25T20:32:00.000+01:00

Overnight minimum temp....8.8 deg
Still cold but the temp hung around at 13 deg until late evening and the moth count was higher.
Of the 90 macro moths caught, 30% of them were Shuttle-shaped Darts.
The Catch:-
34 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Willow Beauty
2 x Buff Ermine
2 x Brimstone Moth
5 x Scarce Footman (No Common Footman)
3 x Ruby Tiger
1 x Silver Y

SILVER Y

2 x Marbled Beauty
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Heart & Dart
3 x Dark Arches
7 x Riband Wave
3 x Cloaked Minor
1 x Early Thorn

EARLY THORN

2 x Red Twin-spot Carpet
2 x Yellow Shell
1 x Grey Dagger agg.
1 x Mouse Moth
1 x Bright-line Brown-eye
1 x Brown-line Bright-eye
1 x Dusky Sallow

DUSKY SALLOW

1 x Scalloped Oak
2 x Double Square-spot
1 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 x Uncertain
1 x Smoky Wainscot
1 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Nut-tree Tussock

NUT-TREE TUSSOCK

1 x Agapeta hamana
5 x Crambus pascuella
2 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
3 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Pyralis farinalis
3 x Pleuroptya ruralis
1 x Aphelia paleana
3 x Eudonia mercurella
1 x Cnephasia spp.
6 x Acentria ephemerella
1 x Acleris forsskaleana
2 x Yponomeuta evonymella
1 x Yponomeuta malinellus
1 x Coleophora hemerobiella NFG

COLEOPHORA HEMEROBIELLA

2 x Celypha striana
3 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
1 x Gelechia senticetella
1 x Bryotropha terrella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
Garden year tally:-
330 species, 195 macro, 135 micro

21st to 23rd July...Catch 22

2011-07-24T07:12:00.001+01:00

Too cold for July and it showed as only 22 species were trapped last night (Saturday, 8 deg.) and 35 species on Thursday (21st, 8 deg.). Friday 22nd was too cold, wet and windy to bother.

Campion

Yellow-tail

Maple Prominent

Single-dotted Wave

There were one or two highlights but no new species.
2x Campion, one on Friday and another last night making 3 appearances for my signature moth this year.
A Maple Prominent was a second record this year.
A micro caught on 20th July, Pammene fasciana 1236, was confirmed by the county recorder, which is a new species for the garden list.

Pammene fasciana1236

Species total for the garden stands at 329 with a couple of micros pending. The full list of macro/micro species are on the Pages at the top of the blog.

20th July 2011...Warmer night brings new County micro

2011-07-22T10:53:00.001+01:00

EPINOTIA CAPRANA 1154 (County "first")

What a difference a few degrees makes during this relatively cold July weather.
The traps were full of moths and amongst them was a county first pictured above.
Fortunately it was a classic form of this variable moth and presented no ID problems but to be sure pics were sent to the recorder for confirmation.
What was it doing in my garden ? ......totally wrong habitat, unless my 1000mm x 750mm garden pond is pulling in marsh/fen species !

BLASTOBASIS ADUSTELLA 873 another new micro for The Dells garden

Hawkmoth species are doing well at The Dells, with EYED, POPLAR, PRIVET, LIME, HUMMINGBIRD, ELEPHANT and SMALL ELEPHANT to date, so I was pleased to add another in the form of, not one but TWO....PINE HAWKMOTH......

......Just as I thought I had dipped out on this species !
Other highlights of the 70 species were:-
3 x Small Ranunculus, bringing the total to 21 for the year
2 x Silver Y
2 x Spectacle
1 x Sallow Kitten
1 x Poplar Grey
1 x Elephant Hawkmoth
1 x Chilo Phragmitella
1 x Zeiraphera isertana
1 x Metzneria metzneriella
1 x Ypsolopha scabrella

Garden running total :-
328 species...195 macro, 133 micro

The wine bet is looking a little grim now.
The Captain has increased his lead into double figures and now the school holidays have started, his rugrats will be combing every blade of grass.
This is bad news indeed because I am leading with macros but since Keely and Louie were eagerly given their own nets by C T, I am around 20 micros behind.
The holiday period could be a bridge too far !

Doldrums

2011-07-20T21:29:00.000+01:00

We seem to be stuck in a weather rut at the moment with night temperatures hanging around the 11 degrees mark and cool northerly winds.
Nothing much happening trapwise except a steady increase in Shuttle-shaped Dart numbers and a slackening off from Heart & Dart and Dark Arches which dominated the catch previously.
Only two new micros in the past 4 days, both new additions for the garden.
Cochylis atricapitana and CALAMOTROPHA PALUDELLA pictured below.

325 garden species, 194 macro and 131 micro this year to date.
The Wine Bet....... I will have to re-double my efforts and patrol the lights more than of late.
Captain Trappings has opened up a nine point lead with 334 species.