Oct 4th 2015, Garden Traps report

Two more "newbies" for 2015
Brown-spot Pinion and Pink-barred Sallow. These common species are quite rare in my garden and I missed out on both of them last year.

Brown-spot Pinion

Pink-barred Sallow

A Common Wainscot, Common Marbled Carpet,two Large Ranunculus and two Spruce Carpet were also present along with the usual Lunar Underwing's, Black Rustic's, Blair's Shoulder-knot and the late Summer/early Autumn hangers on.

Common Wainscot

A well camouflaged Large Ranunculus

Spruce Carpet

On the lookout for a Merveille du Jour now and a garden first Autumnal Rustic would be a nice find

Garden Moths catch-up

It's been a very slow year with moth numbers well down on last year.
Here are a few since late Aug.

Treble-bar

Dusky THorn

Maiden's Blush

Dotted Rustic

Epinotia ramella f. costana

Lunar Underwing

Depressaria badiella

Clover Case-bearer - Coleophora alcyonipennella

Old Lady, sugaring

Large Ranunculus

23rd Sept 2014 .. Yellow-line Quaker

A little earlier than in previous years, a Yellow-line Quaker braved the rain last night and was found in the soaked egg boxes ...

Yellow-line Quaker

August/September "brown" is gradually giving way to "yellow/orange" and I'm hoping to get a good selection of Sallows.
Centre-barred Sallow and Orange Sallow to date...

Red Underwing is still on my want list, but it's starting to look like a dipper this year which would be the only year it hasn't appeared in the garden.
Plutella xylostella, the Diamond-back Moth has had a good year in the garden and last night was no exception with 2 recorded ..

Plutella xylostella

22/9/2014
Best of ..
Small Ranunculus
Brimstone Moth, 2
Garden Carpet, 2
Old Lady
Lunar Underwing ...high count of 23

23/9/2014
Full list
2, Plutella xylostella
2, Epiphyas postvittana
1, Agriphila geniculea
1, Eudonia angustea
2, Emmelina monodactyla
2, Small Dusty Wave

Small Dusty Wave

2, Garden Carpet
1, Double-striped Pug
1, Brimstone Moth
6, Willow Beauty
2, Turnip Moth
7, Shuttle-shaped Dart
12, Large Yellow Underwing
5, Leser Yellow Underwing
1, Setaceous Hebrew Character
1, Square-spot Rustic
1, Large Ranunculus

Large Ranunculus

1, Yellow-line Quaker, year first
28, Lunar Underwing, high count
1, Marbled Beauty
4, Angle Shades

Angle Shades

1, Large Wainscot, 2nd for year
4, Pale Mottled Willow

15th Sept 2014 .. New macro for garden

Pinion-streaked Snout has been on my want list for a while now so it was nice to find one in the trap this morning.
With its

small size and Ephestia-like stance it could easily be mistaken for a micro moth.

Green Carpet, Small Emerald and Small Blood-vein, all fresh, were recorded over the last two nights,, and a year first Large Ranunculus joined two Small Ranunculus.

Little and Large ... Large Ranunculus and Small Ranunculus

The Wine Race ...
Started in 2010, between myself and Matt Burgess who traps about 3 miles away, the most garden moth species recorded in a year wins a bottle wine from the loser.
Last year we were joined by Ben Sale who traps about 15 miles down the road in Stevenage.
To be fair, Ben tends to go out in the field on good mothing nights covering a wide range of sites to the detriment of his garden tally, but sportingly hits his kick with a bottle of the fermented grape.
Now that he is a married man we are expecting more competitive garden totals from his traps as he won't be allowed out so much. Oops, my tongue just got stuck in my cheek !
The previous 4 years have seen overwhelming victories for the Upper Caldicote traps of Matt B, but the 2014 "race" could be closer than a Scottish referendum poll now that my micro gen det results are in from David Manning, our county micro recorder.
15 site first micro's for my garden list along with 23 year first species was more than I could have hoped for .... the gloves are well and truly off.
Here is the "site first" list ...
0493..Coleophora serratella ..15th July
0946..Aethes rubigana .. 15th July
1268..Cydia coniferana .. 15th July
1284..Dichrorampha vancouverana .. 15th July
0566..Coleophora sternipennella .. 17th July
0844..Syncopacma larseniella .. 17th July
0304..Parornix devoniella .. 18th July
0724..Metzneria lappella .. 18th July
1287..Dichrorampha aeratana .. 19th July
0736..Monochroa lucidella .. 20th July
0315..Phyllonorycter harrisella .. 26th July
0866..Brachmia blandella .. 26th July
1208..Pseudococcyx posticana .. 26th July
0305..Parornix scoticella .. 27th July
0678..Depressaria sordidatella .. 28th Aug

25th Sept 2013 ... Beaded Chestnut et al

Another warm overcast night and a good selection of moths around the traps....
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella
0985 ... Cacoecimrpha pronubana x 2
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana x 9
1048 ... Acleris variegana
1342 ... Eudonia angustea x 3
1413 ... Hypsopygia costalis
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla x 3
1682 ... Blood-vein

Blood-vein

1707 ... Small Dusty Wave x 3
1728 ... Garden Carpet x 6
1764 ... Common Marbled Carpet x 2

1764 ... Common Marbled Carpet

1769 ... Spruce Carpet

1769 ... Spruce Carpet

1776 ... Green Carpet

1776 ... Green Carpet

1862 ... Double-striped Pug x 2
1937 ... Willow Beauty x 14
1961 ... Light Emerald x 2
2087 ... Turnip Moth x 5
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart x 2
2102 ... Flame Shoulder
2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing x 50*
2109 ... Lesser Yellow Underwing x 20*
2110 ... Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x 2
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character x 30*
2232 ... Black Rustic x 11
2134 ... Square-spot Rustic x 4
2165 ... Small Ranunculus

LITTLE and LARGE ..... Small and Large Ranunculus

2240 ... Blair's Shoulder-knot x 12
2248 ... Brindled Green ... YF

2248 ... Brindled Green

2252 ... Large Ranunculus x 5
2266 ... Brown-spot Pinion
2267 ... Beaded Chestnut x 2 ... YF

2267 ... Beaded Chestnut

2270 ... Lunar Underwing x 20*
2272 ... Barred Sallow ... YF

2272 ... Barred Sallow

2274 ... The Sallow ... YF

2274 ... The Sallow

2300 ... Old Lady
2306 ... Angle Shades x 4
2353 ... Flounced Rustic x 3
2384 ... Vine's Rustic x 9
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow x 20*
2477 ... The Snout

* Conservative estimate

14th Sept 2013 ... Forever Autumn

The clear night sky sent temperatures down to 5 deg C  and it looks like being a wet and windy week ahead.
Just a few late summer stragglers in the traps with some real autumn moths ....
0015 ... Orange Swift
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, Light Brown Apple Moth x 2
1309 ... Agriphila geniculea x 2
2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing x 12
2109 ... Lesser Yellow Underwing
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character x 4
2134 ... Square-spot Rustic
2154 ... Cabbage Moth
2232 ... Black Rustic
2252 ... Large Ranunculus ... YF

2270 ... Lunar Underwing ... x 2, YF

2304 ... Vine's Rustic
2306 ... Angle Shades
2353 ... Flounced Rustic
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow x 2

9th Oct. 2012 ... Garden Traps

6.4 deg. min. temp, cloudy and not a breath of wind.
Numbers of moths were unexpectedly low given the weather conditions.
Setaceous Hebrew Character made up the bulk of the catch.
Micros were down to 2 common species.

Garden birds: Today (9th)  included Great, Blue, Long-tailed and, for my garden, a scarce Coal Tit all feeding together in the trees and shrubs.
Add to that a calling Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest which are both excellent birds for my town garden.
A pair of Mistle Thrush 3 days ago were the first seen in the garden for about 5 years when they regularly came in to finish off my Golden Hornet crab apples.

Moth Traps:
  5 .. 0648 .. White-shouldered House Moth
  4 .. 1524 .. Common Plume
  2 .. 1728 .. Garden Carpet
  1 .. 1764 .. Common Marbled Carpet
  1 .. 1906 .. Brimstone Moth
  3 .. 1937 .. Willow Beauty
  5 .. 2107 .. Large Yellow Underwing
  7 .. 2109 .. Lesser Yellow Underwing
12 .. 2126 .. Setaceous Hebrew Character
  1 .. 2134 .. Square-spot Rustic

  2 .. 2240 .. Blair's Shoulder-knot
  3 .. 2252 .. Large Ranunculus

  1 .. 2267 .. Beaded Chestnut
  3 .. 2270 .. Lunar Underwing
  1 .. 2306 .. Angle Shades
  1 .. 2384 .. Vine's Rustic
  2 .. 2389 .. Pale Mottled Willow

26th Sept 2012 .. Giving it large

Light rain for most of the night but still a reasonable catch including a year first Large Ranunculus.

1 .. 332a .. Argyresthia goedartella (The all gold form)
2 .. 1342 .. Eudonia angustea
1 .. 1728 .. Garden Carpet
2 .. 1937 .. Willow Beauty
1 .. 2107 .. Large Yellow Underwing
2 .. 2109 .. Lesser Yellow Underwing
3 .. 2126 .. Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 .. 2232 .. Black Rustic
1 .. 2252Large Ranunculus, year first, (Below)

4 .. 2270 .. Lunar Underwing

4th Oct 2011...Garden traps

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

19/20th Sept 2011

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 ...... D. badiella - gen det DVM

Depressaria badiella

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

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 !

11th Sept 2011...Blowwy

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