17th July 2014 . New county macro moth

Warm and humid conditions of late have seen the traps absolutely crawling with creatures, mostly moths.
An electrical storm with accompanying torrential rain at around 2am put a damper on proceedings but by then I had already racked up a good selection.
The undoubted highlight was a county first macro moth ....
KENT BLACK ARCHES, normally found on the south coast around to the East Anglian coast but appears to be slowly spreading inland.
Two female OAK EGGAR, one captured, one flying around the trap were followed by a stunning male inside the trap on the morning inspection.
Males are rarely seen, females are annual in the garden.
below :-
2076 Kent Black Arches

above:-
Would you care to dance ?  1637 Oak Eggar
below:-
No !

Too late mate, note the egg that rolled out of the capture pot .. top left
moving on ...
More year firsts ...
1978 ... PINE HAWK-MOTH

It was in pristine condition, but took the full force of the deluge as it sat below the gap in the skinner trap.
below ... A site first micro that will require gen det, either way it's a site first
My pick is ... 844 Syncopacma larseniella but it could equally be
847 . Syncopacma taeniolella

below ..
1380 . Phlyctaenia perlucidalis

1645 . Scalloped Hook-tip

2003 . Pebble Prominent

16th July
Year list additions
0873 . Blastobasis adustella
1108 . Lobesia obscisana
1304 . Agriphila straminella
2303 . Straw Underwing
The second generation of Toadflax Brocade is on the wing with singles on 16th and 17th ...
below:-
Toadflax Brocade

1108 . Lobesia obscesana

26th June 2013 ... Good catch.... Possible new garden Pug (confirmed)

Much warmer, overcast, no moon, humid,calm.
Conditions that add up to a good catch and that was the case ...
About 50 species were recorded, probably more as some ID needs verification, especially one of the pugs that looks good for "shaded" (below)

1840 ... Shaded Pug  ... Eupithecia subumbrata

Shaded Pug confirmed by County Recorders ... Thanks Andy and Melissa, this can now be added to my garden list
The Catch :-
0229 ... Monopis obviella
0263 ... Lyonetia clerkella
0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella ... 2
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella ... 2
0779 ... Bryotropha affinis
0787 ... Bryotropha terrella ... 4
0874 ... Blastobasis lacticolella ... London Dowd
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana ... 3
1176 ... Epiblema trimaculana
1294 ... Crambus pascuella, YF

1294 ... Crambus pascuella

1344 ... Eudonia mercurella ... 2
1376 ... Eurrhypara hortulata
1428 ... Aphomia sociella
1474 ... Ephestia unicolorella ...3
1481 ... Homoeosoma sinuella
1711 ... Treble Brown Spot
1713 ... Riband Wave ... 4 ... YF

1713 ... Riband Wave .. Idaea aversata,  ab. remutata

1727 ... Silver-ground Carpet
1728 ... Garden Carpet ... 4
1827 ... Freyer's Pug ... 4
1834 ... Common Pug ... 6
1840 ... Shaded Pug ... garden first
1860 ... Green Pug ... 2
1931 ... Peppered Moth ... 2
1937 ... Willow Beauty ... 5
1958 ... Clouded Silver ... 2
1976 ... Privet Hawk-moth ... 3

1978 ... Pine Hawk-moth ... YF

1978 ... Pine Hawk-moth ... Hyloicus pinastri

1991 ... Elephant Hawk-moth ... 2
1994 ... Buff-tip
2050 ... Common Footman ... 2
2061 ... Buff Ermine ... 2
2069 ... Cinnabar
2088 ... Heart and Club ... YF

2088 ... Heart and Club ... Agrotis clavis

2089 ... Heart and Dart ... 19
2098 ... The Flame ... 2
2102 ... Flame Shoulder
2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing ... 4
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character ... 2
2154 ... Cabbage Moth ... 2
2155 ... Dot Moth ... YF

2155 ... Dot Moth ... Melanchra  persicariae

2160 ... Bright-line Brown-eye
2164 ... Broad-barred White
2279 ... Sycamore ... 2
2306 ... Angle Shades
2321 ... Dark Arches ... 2
2322 ... Light Arches ... YF

2322 ... Light Arches ... Apamea lithoxylaea

2333 ... Large Nutmeg ... 2
2334 ... Rustic Shoulder-knot ... 2
2384 ... Vine's Rustic ... 8
2387 ... Mottled Rustic ... 2
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow ... 2
2450 ... Spectacle
2489 ... Fan-foot
AGGREGATES and PENDING ID's
Dark/Grey Dagger ... 2
Marbled Minor agg ... 4
Uncertain/Rustic ... 2
Mompha sp
Dichrorampha sp

SAINSBURY'S CATCH and VIEW
On my birthday, daughter Nikki and her husband Rupe bought me a kids bug catcher kit from Sainsbury's as a bit of a joke.
The plastic magnifier and tweezers are neither use nor ornament, but the bug viewing cage is ideal for raising larvae.
I haven't tried breeding any larvae through to adult stage yet, but now I will give it a go.
Ignore the brightly coloured plastic frame and you have a very serviceable unit indeed, with a handy door for replenishing food supplies and a large white mesh area to check out the progress of your nursery.
It even has a carry handle.
Ideal for those larger larvae.
At just £3.00 I will be purchasing a few more of these

The creepy crawly catch and view kit

The white mesh is very see through ... not sure about the colour scheme though.
Note the handy swing-away door for ease of access.

Length = 150mm (6 inches)
Height = 100mm (4 inches)
Width = 100 mm
Be the envy of your moth society with a SAINSBURY'S CATCH AND VIEW KIT.
Hurry while stocks last.

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

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 !

11th &12th July.

11th July............All traps blazing with 40+ species recorded
..........................................................................................................
a garden first in the shape of this rather worn
BLACKNECK

MALLOW ......1st for year. STOP PRESS:::::::::: Eagle-eyed Matt Burgess has noticed that this is NOT a Mallow. It is in fact a SHADED BROAD-BAR which is very similar. Thanks Matt that is a Dells Garden First and I will be expecting my year first Mallow in about two months time.

one of 2 NUT-TREE TUSSOCK

LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING.....I've taken a few "hits" from these big guys, but love 'em or hate 'em they are a cracking moth. Another wrong ID by yours truly ! This is a female BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING thanks Ornithom, much appreciated.

SHARK

MOTTLED RUSTIC

my 2nd PINE HAWKMOTH

RED/DARK TWIN-SPOT CARPET

12th July....................Much cooler last night with a bit of rain thrown in. Just had the one trap working and numbers were well down with 22 species of macros noted.
I was almost sure the top pic was the UNCERTAIN (contradiction noted) in its grey form, but the black dots along the leading edge of the forewing confirm it is the very similar PALE MOTTLED WILLOW

This NUTMEG is definitely a different one from the night before, it became breakfast for a cheeky robin which darted in before I could transfer it to the release bin.

BROAD-BARRED WHITE The rest are the usual visitors at the moment with a few interesting micros .

12/07/10

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

12 x Dark Arches

8 x Uncertain

8 x Common Footman

5 x Riband Wave

5 x Willow Beauty

3 x Heart & Dart

3 x S.S.Dart

3 x Large Yellow Underwing

3 x Scarce Footman

2 x Marbled Beauty

2 x Dot Moth

2 x Grey/Dark Dagger

2 x Buff Ermine

2 x Marbled Minor agg

1 x Swallow-tailed Moth

1 x Broad-barred White

1 x Pale Mottled Willow

1 x Single-dotted Wave

1 x Least Carpet

1 x Cloaked Minor

1 x Bright-line Brown-eye

1 x Light Arches

21st May....As the Miller told his tale

Another warm evening saw my first MILLER on the garden shed

PINE HAWKMOTH on the funnel trap and taken into the house for a photo on the pine table. A garden first.

OAK HOOK-TIP found in the skinner trap. Another garden first.

CHINESE CHARACTER my 4th garden first of the evening Results:-

12 x S.S.Dart

4 x Brimstone Moth

3 x Common Pug

2 x Mottled Pug

2 x Grey/Dark Dagger

2 x Heart and Dart

1 x Knot Grass

1 x Least Black Arches

1 x Rustic Shoulder-knot

1 x P.M. Willow

1 x Bright-line Brown-eye

1 x Chinese Character (garden first)

1 x Oak Hook-tip (garden first)

1 x Pine Hawkmoth (garden first)

1 x Miller (garden first)

MICRO

Bee Moth..Aphomia sociella

Plus some for Mr. Manning