21st April 2015 ... Warm days,cold nights ... Red Valerian

3.5 deg C min temp.
Crystal clear nights mean the temperature drops rapidly soon after dark, especially with the wind direction from the North-east.
The North Sea is at its coldest at this time of year and it chills the wind that passes across it as it heads our way, so says the Met Office.
Early evening flyers are trickling into and around the traps but it remains a slow trickle.
Having said that, two more species were added to the garden year list last night.

A brace of Holly Blue butties were spotted in the garden during the day feeding on the freshly opened flowers of Red Valerian.
These Valerians have self seeded, from where I know not, but they are highly recommended for all kinds of insect life.
Last year I had Hummingbird Hawk-moth feeding on them, so I have let them spread and they now grow as perennials.
If you don't have this plant, get down to your local garden centre and buy a couple of clumps, you won't be sorry.
Below: Red Valerian, (Centranthus rubra), just coming into flower

Back to the moths ...
Last nights trap results.
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 (Brown House Moth)
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 2 (Both in shed, late pm)

Mompha subbistrigella

0998 Epiphyas postvitta, Pair in cop

Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

1342 Eudonia angustea, 1, year first

Eudonia angustea

1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 1
1862 Double-striped Pug, 4
1883 Yellow-barred Brindle, 1, year first

1883 Yellow-barred Brindle

2063 Muslin Moth, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2243 Early Grey, 1
2425 Nut-tree Tussock, 1

21st Feb 2015 ... Waiting

It's still very quiet on the mothing front with little opportunity to fire up a trap or two.
Looking at the forecast for the remainder of Feb it will probably be March before the traps go on again.
So far my garden total stands at 10 moths of 7 species, compared to 2014, 17 moths of 8 species.
Latest moth ...
19th Feb
1047 ... Acleris schalleriana

1047 ... Acleris schalleriana

At least it's a start !

I missed the warm evening of the 5th Jan , too busy watching Liverpool struggle to beat lowly AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup.
Better late than never tho, trap on at 11.00 pm and although I missed the best part of the evening I managed to get 2015 started with a 464 Diamond-back Moth and a 998 Light Brown Apple Moth.

464 Plutella xylostella, Diamond-back Moth

This is the first time I have recorded P. xylostella in January, but no surprise as Nov and Dec 2014 saw record numbers.

998 Epiphyas postvittana, Light Brown Apple Moth

 E. postvittana is recorded pretty much all year round in my garden which has established apple trees 

15th Nov 2014 ... Latest from the garden traps

The warmer nights since the mini cold snap a few days ago has triggered a hatch of Double-striped Pugs with two around the lights last night.

Double-striped Pug, BF1862

The bulk of the catch over the last 5 nights has been Light Brown Apple Moths, Epiphyas postvittana, with 15 records, and Common Plume, Emmelina monodactyla, with 5.

Epiphyas postvittana, BF 998

A second Sprawler this year was a good find on the 13th Nov. and only my 3rd ever garden record in 5 years of trapping.
Also on the 13th was a Red-green Carpet and a worn Lesser Yellow Underwing.

Sprawler, BF 2227

It's been a good year for the little migrant micro Plutella xylostella, The Diamond-back Moth, with record garden totals this year.
One more was in the trap last night ...

Plutella xylostella, BF 464

... and I almost overlooked a Grey Shoulder-knot on the light coloured stone wall near the trap.

Grey Shoulder-knot, BF 2237

17th April 2013 .. Getting the wind up

I put the traps on last night even though the wind was gusting at 40 plus mph.
That's number 8 on the Beauforte Scale, which is gale force !
As the wind showed no sign of abating, I went out at 21.00 to switch off the traps but decided to leave them on after finding a few moths clinging on the traps for dear life.
It's incredible how anything managed to fly in those conditions but 14 moths of 8 species were recorded ..

0688 .. Agonopterix heracliana ... Common Flat-body ... 3

0688 .. Agonopterix heracliana

0998 .. Epiphyas postvittana ... Light Brown Apple Moth ... 1

0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana

1047 .. Acleris sparsana ... Ashy Button ... 1

1047 ... Acleris schalleriana

1524 .. Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 4

1524 .. Emmelina monodactyla

2139 ... Cerastis rubricosa ... Red Chestnut ... 1

2139 ... Cerastis rubricosa 

2187 ... Orthosia cerasi ... Common Quaker ... 1
2190 ... Orthosia gothica ... Hebrew Character ... 2
2243 ... Xylocampa areola ... Early Grey ... 1

Back to the vernacular names ....
The above pics show  some examples of micro vernaculars, one well established, one coming into acceptance and two that are liked, ignored or even rediculed.
Personally, I like the idea of these micro vernacular names coming into common usage as long as the Latin name is used alongside.
There is something quaint about using the vernacular.
If these odd names for the micro moths eg Bells, Groundlings, Smudges, Buttons etc were standard, as they appear to be in certain publications, then why not use them ? Some county moth sites do, and for future generations the names would just trip off the tongue.
But as Mark Skevington points out in his blog, use it or not, it is imperative that the Latin generic/specific names are always used first and foremost, and I whole heartedly agree with that, vernacular names are flights of fancy, think about some of the macro moth names.... but we all use and like them.
There is a certain permanence in these vernacular names when accepted as common usage, for example, the taxonomic Latin names could possibly change several times over a period of time but an Epiphyas postvittana with a few taxonomic name changes would still  remain a Light Brown Apple Moth  and there would be no pronunciation difficulties.
Epiblema uddmanniana is now Notocelia uddmanniana, on the UK Moths site it is still Epiblema but Bramble Shoot Moth is a reassuring constant.
I would also like to see our European neighbours doing the same...using the Latin but adding their own vernacular as a point of international interest and amusement...  for Light Brown Apple Moth ?
Hellbraun Apfel Motte has a certain Teutonic ring to it
Lichtbruin appelmot for the cloggers
Not sure what the French would call theirs ... Brun Clair Pomme Papillon de Nuit... (shrug) .
any cunning linguists out there ?

23rd Dec 2012 Late Quaker

Wet but much warmer
min temp = 10 deg

A late, very worn, Yellow-line Quaker and a Light Brown Apple Moth were attracted to the lights in the shed windows.
Blacklights, actinic and a normal 36 watt fluorescent were all left blazing until midnight

Epiphyas postvittana, Light Brown Apple Moth

.

This Yellow-line Quaker has seen better days

6/7/8/9th Nov 2012 .. Slim pickings

Not much to report from The Dells garden traps over the last few nights.
Weather has been OK but moths are thin in the air.

6th Nov
Light Brown Apple Moth
Common Plume
Dark Chestnut
Angle Shades

7th Nov
Black Rustic

8th Nov
1, Lesser Yellow Underwing
3, Blair's Shoulder-knot
2, Light Brown Apple Moth
2, Common Plume

9th Nov
Just two moths........

998 Epiphyas postvittana, Light Brown Apple Moth

1760 Red-green Carpet, Chloroclysta siterata

28th Feb 2012 ... Garden trap results.....

Overnight min. temp.... 8.1deg,  low cloud, fine drizzle or heavy mist.
14 moths of  9 species was a good return with a year first Agonopterix alstromeriana.
A record number of Satellite (4) was nothing compared to the 20+ in Bennyboymothmans garden trap !

Trap results:-
2187.....Common Quaker....................Orthosia cerasi
2188.....Clouded Drab.........................Orthosia incerta
2243.....Early Grey...............................Xylocampa aereola
2256.....Satellite x 4.............................Eupsilia transversa
0688.....Agonopterix heracliana x 2
0695.....Agonopterix alstromeriana, ...  year first
0998.....Epiphyas postvittana
1025.....Tortricodes alternella x 2
1524.....Emmelina monodactyla

Epiphyas postvittana



Tortricodes alternella




Agonopterix alstromeriana



Common Quaker, ...Orthosia cerasi



Clouded Drab, ... Orthosia incerta



Satellite, ... Eupsilia transversa

24th Jan 2011...Garden Traps

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

10th Jan 2012

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

3rd Nov 2011...Late Large Nutmeg

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

24th Feb 2011....Quaking all over

Another favourable evening certainly suited Common Quaker, I had 7 in the trap this morning plus one from earlier which I had removed.
The shed blacklights lured a Chestnut and Satellite but the Dotted Border still remains on The Dells "most wanted" list.
The competition for the most species between myself and Matt (http://trappingsofsuccess.blogspot.com/) took a turn for the worst as he had a good night last night and eased into the front with a "mickey taking" Dotted Border and a Small Quaker plus a Clouded Drab.
I did manage to cling on to a very close 2nd position with a year first Epiphyas postvittana with hundreds more to come.
They probably enjoy my old variety apples, a Lord Lambourne cooking apple, Charles West dessert apple plus a Golden Hornet crab apple.
...................................................................
EPIPHYAS POSTVITTANA 998 (Light Brown Apple Moth)

COMMON QUAKER 2187

THE SATELLITE 2256

CHESTNUT 2258 8 x Common Quaker

5 x Agonopterix heracliana

1 x Satellite

1 x Chestnut

1 x Tortricodes alternella

1 x Epiphyas postvittana

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

Garden total for 2011 = 52 moths of 16 species, (10 x macro, 6 x micro)

22nd - 29th Oct....Update.

A mixture of temperatures ranging from below zero to 11 deg.C this week, with windy conditions and rain on 3 nights. Last night was calmer and very mild until the cloud cover disappeared.
29th Oct...
2 x Willow Beauty
2 x Lesser Yellow U'wing
2 x Red-line Quaker
2 x Angle Shades
1 x Satellite
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Blair's Shoulder=knot
...................................................................................................................................
ANGLE SHADES

LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING

RED-LINE QUAKER

28th Oct......Mild, windy, dry.

One each of:-

Willow Beauty

Blairs Sh-knot

Yellow=line Quaker.

Barred Sallow

Red-green Carpet

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

Light Brown Apple Moth

A faded Beaded Chestnut

BARRED SALLOW

RED-GREEN CARPET

RED-LINE QUAKER

27th Oct...cool, dry and breezy

Large Wainscot.....Blair's Shoulder-knot.....Red-line Quaker.....Satellite.....Willow Beauty

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

LARGE WAINSCOT

SATELLITE
26th Oct.....wet and windy....2 x Large Wainscot....1 x Blair's Shoulder-knot

25th Oct....Cold.....Pale Mottled Willow.....1 x Red-line and 1 x Yellow-line Quaker

24th Oct....Cold........1 x Yellow-line Quaker

23rd Oct ZERO 22nd Oct.......1 x Willow Beauty...2 x Lesser Yellow U'wing...2 x Blair's Shoulder-knot...

1 x Large Wainscot...1 x Yellow-line Quaker... 1 x Spruce Carpet and a probable Agonopterix heracliana.................................................................................................................

WILLOW BEAUTY

Agonopterix heracliana ??????
SPRUCE CARPET