27th April 2015 ... Half century

The predicted invasion of Shuttle-shaped Darts was put on hold due to the poor conditions of late, the only decent night was the 25th when there were a good selection in flight but the persistent rain meant the trap covers were in use.
Wet traps or fewer moths is the choice.
The half century was reached on the 25th with a Brimstone Moth or Common Pug depending on the Wine Race committee accepting Oak Eggar in larval form, my case being the acceptance of micro moth leaf mines. Ben ? Matt ?

Oak Eggar larva,
80mm long on a Hawthorn sapling trunk at ground level

Oak Eggar larva, 80mm

Brimstone Moth

Common Pug

Apart from the above, the only other highlight of the week were my Mums 90th birthday party and the first sightings of Orange-tip butterflies in the garden, 2 x males, both on 27th April.
The poor mothing conditions are with us for a few more days according to the weather forecast and so far this year I am 25 species down on 2014.

10th April 2014 ... Garden Moth Traps latest

Overnight min. temp. 11deg C, Cloudy, calm.
Quite a nice variety in and around the traps last night.
Small Waved Umber could possibly be the earliest VC30 record in a year where early records are commonplace.
Highlight of the Night ...
SPRUCE CARPET
The catch ..
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella, x 1
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella, x 2, (1 daytime)
0695 ... Agonopterix alstromeriana, x 1
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, x 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 6
1728 ... Garden Carpet, x 2, ... year first

Garden Carpet

1769 ... Spruce Carpet, x 1, ... year first

Spruce Carpet

1781 ... Small Waved Umber, x 1, ... year first

Small Waved Umber

1858 ... V-pug, x 1

V-pug

1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 12
1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle, x 1

Yellow-barred Brindle

1906 ... Brimstone Moth, x 2

Brimstone Moth

2182 ... Small Quaker, x 1
2186 ... Powdered Quaker, x 1
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 10
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 3
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 3
2243 ... Early Grey, x 7
2306 ... Angle Shades, x 1

31st March 2014 ... Garden Moth Traps latest

Min. overnight temperature .. 9 deg C, calm and cloudy with a brief light spell of rain..
No great numbers of moths in the traps but the nightly species list is gradually getting longer.
Oak Nycteoline was a good catch for the garden as was Brindled Beauty, both rare at The Dells.
Catch List :-
0006 ... Eriocrania subpurpurella, x 1, ... Year first

Eriocrania subpurpurella 

0483 ... Epermenia chaerophyllella, x 2,
0688 ... Agonopterix heracliana, x 2
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, x 2
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 10
1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 17
1906 ... Brimstone Moth, x 1, ... Year first

Brimstone Moth

1917 ... Early Thorn, x 1
1927 ... Brindled Beauty, x 1, ... Year first

Brindled Beauty, Lycia hirtaria

2182 ... Small Quaker, x 4
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 3
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 3
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 3
2243 ... Early Grey, x 4
2256 ... Satellite, x 2
2423 ... Oak Nycteoline, x 1, ... Year first

Oak Nycteoline, ... Nycteola revayana

The first Caddis for 2014, however I have no idea what species it is, but it is very early ...

23rd April 2013 .. New Moth for The Dells garden

A warm calm evening, almost perfect for the moth traps apart from a 95% bright waxing moon.
There was a nice surprise in the actinic trap this morning, a Brindled Beauty, new for the garden.

1927 .. Lycia hirtaria .. Brindled Beauty

Other year first visitors were :-
Brimstone Moth and Twenty-plume Moth, plus a tiny micro that defied the limits of my little Panasonic Lumix
That one will go to Mr Manning for ID.

1906 .. Opisthograptis luteolata .. Brimstone Moth

1288 .. Alucita hexadactyla .. Twenty-plume Moth

 Let's see if I can get THIS one right .....

483 .. Epermenia chaerophyllella .. Golden Lance-wing (to some)

The Haul :-
1 tiny micro .... ID results later
0483 ... Epermenia chaerophyllella ... GOLDEN LANCE-WING ... 1
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla ... TWENTY-PLUME MOTH ... 1 YF
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... COMMON PLUME ... 6
1862 ... Gymnoscelis rufifasciata ... DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG ... 5
1906 ... Opisthograptis luteolata ... BRIMSTONE MOTH ...1 YF
1917 ... Selenia dentaria ... EARLY THORN ... 2
1927 ... Lycia hirtaria ... BRINDLED BEAUTY ... 1 NFG
2187 ... Orthosia cerasi ... COMMON QUAKER ... 7
2188 ... Orthosia incerta ... CLOUDED DRAB ... 2
2190 ... Orthosia gothica ... HEBREW CHARACTER ... 4
2243 ... Xylocampa areola ... EARLY GREY ... 7
2389 ... Padrina clavipalpis ... PALE MOTTLED WILLOW

30th April 2012 .. Garden Traps

Overnight min. temp. a heady 9.6 deg. breezy, constant rain late evening;
It could have been an absolute bumper night but along came the rain to put a damper on it...again.
Pinch, punch, first of the month, no returns, white rabbits, and hoping that Awful April doesn't become Miserable May.
Trap results :-
0229 Monopis obviella 1, year first (29th Apr)
0648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella 1 year first
0649 Esperia sulphurella 4
0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 2
1288 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla 1
1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 2, year first
1781 Small Waved Umber Horisme vitalbata 1, year first
1862 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 2
1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 1, year first
2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda 1, year first
2064 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa 1, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 1

2028 Pale Tussock, Calliteara pudibunda

1906 Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata

1728 Garden Carpet, Xanthorhoe fluctuata

2064 Ruby Tiger, Phragmatobia fuliginosa
Ruby, Kaiser chiefs

648 White Shouldered House Moth, Endrosis sarcitrella

24th April 2011...DELLS latest

It wasn't as good as the previous evening but I still managed to add 1 macro and 2 more micros to the garden tally.
I noticed that "Stewart of the North" caught a Heart & Dart so I guess the traps will soon be infested with them for several weeks, it's nice to see the first one tho...and then it's the Rustic/uncertain/do your head in Moths to follow !
BRIMSTONE MOTH 1906...I have had 15 of these in the last three nights and although they are common they are still a cracking moth

The latest pug addition...MOTTLED PUG 1819

A new micro...EPHESTIA PARASITELLA ssp UNICOLORELLA 1474.....The nominate species is from Southern Europe and the sub species Unicolorella is the only one found in Britain (Thanks to our micro recorder for the ID and info)

First for the year...Garden Pebble... Evergestis forficalis 1356 Garden Totals:-

19 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

5 x Brimstone Moth

3 x Garden Carpet

2 x Evergestis forficalis *year first

2 x Scalloped Hazel (both very worn)

2 x Flame Shoulder

Incurvaria masculella

Esperia sulphurella

Early Grey

Grey Dagger agg

Waved Umber

Red Twin-spot Carpet

Hebrew Character

Common Quaker

Emmelina monodactyla

Muslin Moth

Powdered Quaker

Ephestia parasitella ssp unicolorella *Garden First

Mottled Pug *year first

5 x Unidentified Pugs

........................................

88 species......58 macro, 30 micro

13th April 2011......Fire and Brimstone

Night temperatures are still very much on the cold side so the fire is on inside and the Brimstone was near the trap outside..................................................................... BRIMSTONE MOTH 1906 Year first

AGONOPTERIX ALSTROMERIANA 695...another year "first".

Last night:-

3 x Common Quaker

3 x Early Grey

2 x Hebrew Character

1 x Double-striped Pug

1 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Brimstone Moth *Year first

1 x Agonopterix alstromeriana *Year first

TOTALS:-

728 moths caught, (577 macro, 151 micro)

39/40 species (26 macro, 13/14 micro) one micro ID pending

31st May...THE DELLS, GARDEN

One new species recorded last night, and the month ends with 30 species recorded for May. Last nights tally included the following:- MARBLED MINOR agg.SHEARS garden first

A pair of BUFF ERMINE

RUSTIC SHOULDER-KNOT

just the one BRIMSTONE MOTH

BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE I have set a target of 120 for the garden this year, not including micros. Don't know if that is achievable, but 63 so far and June/July are two good months so I am quietly confident.

Results:-

12 x S.S.Dart

8 x Heart & Dart

4 x Turnip Moth

2 x Buff Ermine

2 x Small Waved Umber

2 x Vine's Rustic

2 x Rustic Shoulder-knot

2 x Bright-line Brown-eye

1 x Brimstone Moth

1 x Shears (garden first)

1 x Green Carpet

1 x Marbled Minor agg.

From top to bottom....... Common Footman, Silver y, Herald, Yellow Shell and Brimstone.

A selection of visitors to the ultra-violet lamp that i set up in my shed before the trap was built. Mostly from July:-