Last nights moth trap results ... 6/7/15

Nice and warm @ 15 deg C minimum and little wind.
Two skinner traps in garden.
The catch:-
Micro moths
0424 Yponomeuta evonymella 1
0426 Yponomueta malinellus 1
0462 Ypsolopha sequella 1

0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella 3
0674 Depressaria badiella 2
0787 Bryotropha terrella 2
0870 X Oegoconia sp 1
0937 Agapeta hamana 1
0994 Clepsis consimilana 5
0998 Epiphyas postvittana 2
1010 Ditula angustiorana 2
1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 1
1020 Cnephasia stephensiana 1
1063 Celypha striana 2
1175 Epiblema uddmanniana 1
1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella >10
1294 Crambus pascuella 4
1302 Crambus perlella 1
1331 Acentria ephemerella 2

1334 Scoparia ambigualis 3
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 1
1344 Eudonia mercurella 1
1376 Eurrhypara hortulata 1
1390 Udea prunalis 1
1424 Endotricha flammealis 2
1428 Aphomia sociella 3
1474 Ephestia unicolorella 2
1481 Homoeosoma sinuella 1
1513 Pterophorus pentadactyla 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2

Macro moths
0161 Leopard Moth 2

1653 Buff Arches 1

1690 Small Blood-vein 1
1699 Least Carpet 6
1705 Dwarf Cream Wave 5
1713 Riband Wave 8
1728 Garden Carpet 2
1742 Yellow Shell 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet 1
1777 July Highflyer 1

1813 Haworth's Pug 1

1834 Common Pug 5 (probably)
1837 Grey Pug 2
1862 Double-striped Pug 3
1887 Clouded Border 1
1906 Brimstone 1
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth 2
1931 Peppered Moth 1
1937 Willow Beauty 4
1976 Privet Hawk-moth 3
1994 Buff-tip 1
2047 Scarce Footman 2
2050 Common Footman >10
2061 Buff Ermine 3
2069 Cinnabar 1
2087 Turnip Moth 1
2088 Heart and Club > 10
2089 Heart and Dart > 20
2098 Flame 3
2107 Large Y. U. 1
2109 Lesser Y. U. 1
2145 Nutmeg 2

2160 Bright-line Brown-eye 1
2170 Varied Coronet 2
2192 Brown-line Bright-eye 1

2193 Clay 1
2198 Smoky Wainscot 1
2199 Common Wainscot 1
2279 Sycamore 1
2280 Miller 1
2284 X Dark/Grey Dagger agg. 1
2293 Marbled Beauty 1
2321 Dark Arches 8
2322 Light Arches 4
2337 X Marbled Minor agg.
2341 Cloaked Minor 3
2381 X Uncertain/Rustic 7
2387 Mottled Rustic 3
2389 Pale Mottled Willow 1
2421 Scarce Silver-lines 1
2422 Green Silver-lines 2

Scarce and Green Silver-lines

2434 Burnished Brass 1
2441 Silver Y 1
2466 Blackneck 1 ... probable re-visit from previous night.
2489 Fan-foot 2
Plus a few micros for ID

19th June 2014.. Not sure about The Rustic, plus odd grub to ID

Uncertain and Rustic, always a headache.
Easier to tell them apart when in pristine condition, and it will help to shine your torch from wingtip towards the head.
Rustic is shinier than Uncertain.
Unscientific, but on fresh specimens it's not a bad guide.
Try it on Mottled Rustic, they are super shiny but easy to ID
Anyway, once I am reasonably sure I have separated the two, the rest are recorded as aggregates, though to be honest I am never 100% sure and should send a couple to the county recorders for examination of the genitalia.
So for now ....
UNCERTAIN

RUSTIC

Neither retained ... they are free to live out their uncertain rustic lives.

Last night was on the chilly side with temperatures struggling to stay in double figures and the catch reflected this.
Very few micros, although I didn't patrol the traps so maybe missed a few.
Instead I watched England v Uruguay and the less said about that the better !
One new micro for the year was Carcina quercana which was expected.

Others of note ...
Small Ranunculus
White Satin Moth
Buff Arches
Toadflax Pug
Dun-bar
Light Arches
Varied Coronet
Miller

BUFF ARCHES

MILLER

Here's a strange looking grub. I thought it was a slug at first.
It was feeding on a Hawthorn leaf.
It has a wet look about it and is sticky like a slug, but I have no idea what it is ... anyone know ?

7th June 2014 .. Garden moth species list ...

Yet another good night for the garden traps with over 60 species recorded.
Heart and Dart is the most numerous with 23 individuals.
The local sparrows may have accounted for many more as there are no moths present outside of the traps in the morning but plenty of evidence in the form of loose wings scattered nearby.
To avoid this I would need to get up at 03.30 am. each morning which is not going to happen so a few moths will have to take their chances.
Four different species of Hawk-moth were in one of the traps, Eyed, Privet, Small Elephant and Elephant.
Here are the year first species :-
From top to bottom
Archips podana
Syndemis musculana
Hedya nubiferana
Buff Arches
Eyed Hawk-moth
Sycamore
Middle-barred Minor
Small Fan-foot

It looks like being a good week with warm, humid air coming up from the Med and across Spain to the UK, especially the south/south east counties.
The occasional heavy shower may spoil the party though.

29th June 2013 ... Underneath the arches

Arches ....Light, Dark and a year first Buff ....

1653 ... Buff Arches ... Habrosyne pyritoides

12. 3 deg min temp with a lively warm breeze, not as good as the previous night but still a decent catch ...
A second Shaded Pug and another Small Elephant Hawk-moth were good finds and a few micros were potted up for ID.

The Catch ...
0449 ... Prays fraxinella ... Ash Bud Moth
**** ... Coleophora sp. to be determined
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella ... White-shouldered House Moth ... 2
0787 ..;. Bryotropha terrella ... Cinerous Groundling ... 2
0925 ... Phtheochroa rugosana ... Rough-winged Conch ... YF

925 ... Phtheochroa rugosana

0985 ... Cacoecimorpha pronubana ... Carnation Tortrix ... 2
0989 ... Aphelia paleana ... Timothy Tortrix
0994 ... Clepsis consimilana ... 2
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana ... Light Brown Apple Moth ... 3
1020/4. Cnephasia sp to be determined
1063 ... Celypha striana
1083 ... Hedya nubiferana ... Marbled Orchard Tortrix ... YF

1083 ... Hedya nubiferana

1133 ... Epinotia bilunana ... Crescent Bell
1293 ... Chrysoteuchia culmella ... 3 ... YF

... 3
1302 ... Crambus perlella
1348 ... Parapoynx stratiotata ... Ringed China-mark ... 2 males
1376 ... Eurrhypara hortulata ... Small Magpie ... 4
1390 ... Udea prunalis ... Dusky Pearl ... YF
1392 ... Udea olivalis ... Olive Pearl
1474 ... Ephestia unicolorella ... False Cacao Moth ...3
1653 ... Buff Arches ... YF
1654 ... Figure of Eighty
1728 ... Garden Carpet ... 4
1742 ... Yellow Shell
1764 ... Common Marbled Carpet
1769 ... Spruce Carpet
1827 ... Freyer's Pug ... 4
1834 ... Common Pug ... 3
1840 ... Shaded Pug
1860 ... Green Pug
1862 ... Double-striped Pug

1862 ... Double-striped Pug

1906 ... Brimstone Moth ... 3
1931 ... Peppered Moth ... 2
1937 ... Willow Beauty ... 4
1976 ... Privet Hawk-moth ... 2
1992 ... Small Elephant Hawk-moth
1994 ... Buff-tip
1997 ... Sallow Kitten

1997 ... Sallow Kitten ... Furcula furcula

2050 ... Common Footman ... 3
2061 ... Buff Ermine ... 5
2088 ... Heart and Club ... 4
2089 ... Heart and Dart ... 21
2098 ... The Flame ... 2
2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character ... 2
2154 ... Cabbage Moth
2160 ... Bright-line Brown-eye ... 3
2164 ... Broad-barred White
2170 ... Varied Coronet
2283/4. Dark/Grey Dagger agg
2321 ... Dark Arches.
2322 ... Light Arches
2333 ... Large Nutmeg ... 4
2337/9. Marbled Minor agg. ... 6
2384 ... Vine's Rustic
2387 ... Mottled Rustic ... 2
2381/2  Uncertain/Rustic agg.
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow
2422 ... Green Silver-lines

2422 ... Green Silver-lines ... Pseudoips prasinana

2477 ... The Snout
2489 ... Fan-foot

16th July 2012.. Fern return + Wine Bet

The Wine Bet.
A week ago I was enjoying a 17 point lead over "Captain Trappings" for the most macro moths caught during the year.
Having lost the bottle of grape juice for the  two previous years since the bets conception, I was feeling rather confident, but in just 5 days my 17 moth cushion has been whittled down.
17, then 13, 11, 10, now 7
The school summer hols were bad news for The Dells last year, as Matts rug-rats, Keely & Louie found all kinds of moths, peering into every known "kid height" crevice, producing many rabbits out of the hat to obliterate my then 15 point lead.
With the school break up a week or so away, my 7 point lead is looking extremely vunerable.
(it's back to 10 if Upper Caldecote drew a blank last night)
................................................................................................................
16th July, overnight low...12.1 deg, windy.
A brief early evening power cut was a set-back.
My RCD protected sockets tripped out and I missed the first hour of darkness before I realised the traps were off.

Garden Traps :-
1 ... 0424 ... Yponomeuta evonymella
1 ... 0455 ... Ypsolopha scabrell, *year first, (Below)

1 ... 0464 ... Plutella xylostella
1 ... 0937 ... Agapeta hamana
1 ... 0972 ... Pandemis heparana,
1 ... 1063 ... Celypha striana
1 ... 1175 ... Epiblema uddmanniana
2 ... 1261 ... Cydia pomonella
10+.1293 ... Chrysoteuchia culmella
10+.1294 ... Crambus pascuella
1 ... 1302 ... Crambus perlella
1 ... 1334 ... Scoparia ambigualis
2 ... 1424 ... Endotricha flammealis
3 ... 1428 ... Aphomia sociella
2 ... 1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla
1 ... 1653 ... Buff Arches, (Below)

1 ... 1673 ... Small Emerald
1 ... 1782 ... Fern, *year first, (Below)

1 ... 1862 ... Double-striped Pug
1 ... 1917 ... Early Thorn, (Below)

1 ... 1922 ... Swallow-tailed Moth
1 ... 2030 ... Yellow-tail *year first, (Below)

3 ... 2047 ... Scarce Footman
10+.2050 ... Common Footman
2 ... 2061 ... Buff Ermine
1 ... 2069 ... Cinnabar
1 ... 2077 ... Short-cloaked Moth
3 ... 2089 ... Heart & Dart
3 ... 2098 ... Flame
2 ... 2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing
1 ... 2109 ... Lesser Yellow Underwing
2 ... 2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 ... 2128 ... Double Square-spot
1 ... 2154 ... Cabbage Moth, (Below)

1 ... 2198 ... Smoky Wainscot, *year first, (Below)

3 ... 2284x . Grey Dagger agg.
16 . 2321 ... Dark Arches
1 ... 2322 ... Light Arches
1 ... 2341 ... Cloaked Minor
12 . 2381 ... Uncertain
2 ... 2441 ... Silver Y 

4th July ... Cloak and Dagger

A warm, sultry night produced a trap full.
Cloaked Minor and Short-cloaked Moth were both year firsts, throw in 4 Grey Dagger aggs. and you've got a blog heading .
Traps results :-
The Micros
1 ... 0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 ... 0648 Endrosia sarcitrella
1 ... 0874 Blastobasis lacticolella
2 ... 0905 Blastodacna hellerella year first
2 ... 0937 Agapeta hamana
3 ... 0994 Clepsis consimilana
1 ... 1033 Tortrix viridana
3 ... 1216 Cydia pomonella
5 ... 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella *
5 ... 1294 Crambus pascuella *
5 ... 1302 Crambus perlella *
2 ... 1338 Dipleurina lacustrata
4 ... 1344 Eudonia mercurella
1 ... 1348 Parapoynx stratiotata
1 ... 1371 Sitochroa verticalis (Below

3 ... 1376 Eurrhypara hortulata
1 ... 1390 Udea prunalis
1 ... 1413 Hypsopygia costalis year first
2 ... 1424 Endotricha flammealis
1 ... 1439 Trachycera advenella year first (Below)

8 ... 1474 Ephestia parasitella
2 ... 1481 Homoeosoma sinuella
1 ... 1524 Emmelina monodactyla
* more than 5, but unchecked
Several micros potted up for ID/gen det.

The Macros
1 ... 1653 Buff Arches year first (Below)

1 ... 1669 Common Emerald
2 ... 1690 Small Blood-vein
2 ... 1705 Dwarf Cream Wave
1 ... 1711 Treble Brown Spot
6 ... 1713 Riband Wave
2 ... 1728 Garden Carpet
1 ... 1765 Barred Yellow
1 ... 1816 Toadflax Pug
1 ... 1817 Foxglove Pug
3 ... 1834 Common Pug
1 ... 1837 Grey Pug
1 ... 1922 Swallow-tailed Moth
2 ... 1931 Peppered Moth
5 ... 1937 Willow Beauty
1 ... 1955 Common White Wave year first (Below)

1 ... 1958 Clouded Silver
1 ... 1976 Privet Hawk-moth
1 ... 2009 Maple Prominent year first (Below)

1 ... 2026 Vapourer year first (Below)

5 ... 2047 Scarce Footman
12 . 2050 Common Footman
2 ... 2069 Cinnabar
1 ... 2077 Short-cloaked Moth year first (Below)

2 ... 2087 Turnip Moth
6 ... 2088 Heart & Club
12 . 2089 Heart & Dart
3 ... 2098 Flame
3 ... 2107 Large Yellow Underwing
2 ... 2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 ... 2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 ... 2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 ... 2128 Double Square-spot
1 ... 2155 Dot Moth
1 ... 2164 Broad-barred White
1 ... 2165 Small Ranunculus
3 ... 2170 Varied Coronet
3 ... 2199 Common Wainscot
1 ... 2279 Sycamore
4 ... 2284x Grey Dagger agg.
8 ... 2321 Dark Arches
1 ... 2333 Large Nutmeg
2 ... 2341 Cloaked Minor year first (Below)

18 . 2381 Uncertain
2 ... 2422 Green Silver-lines (Below)

7 ... 2489 Fan-foot

19th June 2011

It was all going well until the clouds cleared and temps dropped from 14 deg to just 7 deg. Is it really June ?
The 100th micro was not to be, but 3 more macros were added to the year list.
BUFF ARCHES 1653

SMOKY WAINSCOT 2198.. Thanks to Captain Trappings who pointed out that it was not a Common Wainscot.

MOTTLED BEAUTY 1941... only my second record TOTALS :- 255 species (158 macro, 97 micro)

I built a nest box on the inside of my shed and have had the local Blue Tits nest in it on two previous occasions.

Not this year, it is chock full of common wasp nest which will be on the local schools nature table in November/December. I will have to be wary when I check the shed lights in Aug/Sep...they seem to sting for fun at that time of year !