Garden moths update

Just when we thought the weather was warming up ...
6 deg last night and 7 the night before.
Not much to get excited about in the traps.
The first Privet Hawk-moth arrived on the 5th and the highlights for yesterday/last night was a Hobby that hurtled through just above roof-top height, giving good views of the face pattern as it flew towards the afternoon sun and a couple of year firsts for the moth traps.
Last nights catch :-
1 x 0229 Monopis obviella
1 x 0808 Platyedra subcinerea
2 x 1063 Celypha striana, year first

Celypha striana

1 x 1728 Garden Carpet
1 x 1768 Grey Pine Carpet, year first

Grey Pine Carpet

3 x 1834 Common Pug
1 x 1936 Waved Umber

Waved Umber

1 x 1937 Willow Beauty
1 x 2069 Cinnabar
1 x 2087 Turnip Moth
8 x 2089 Heart and Dart
6 x 2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart
3 x 2223 Toadflax Brocade
1 x 2333 Large Nutmeg
1 x 2389 Pale Mottled Willow

Below:-
Privet Hawk-moth from 5th June ... year first

Privet Hawk-moth

5th June 2014 ... Garden Moth traps latest ...

7 degrees C  on a clear night felt chilly for flaming June but an improvement on the previous 2 nights which saw constant light rain and few moths.
Lime Hawk-moth and a first for year Privet Hawk-moth were present in the traps amongst the vast numbers of Heart and Darts, and a Fan-foot was added to the garden 2014 year list.
Lime Hawk-moth (below)

Privet Hawk-moth (below)

Fan-foot (below)

10th June 2013 .... Year list additions

The Moth Fairy came and left me a Pale Prominent for my birthday ... :)
New for year ......

2011 ... Pale Prominent ... Pterostoma palpina

2 more for the year list ....

2087 ... Turnip Moth ... Agrotis segetum

2333 ... Large Nutmeg ... Apamea anceps

Some of the rest .........

1976 ... Privet Hawk-moth ... Sphinx ligustri

2286 ... Knot Grass ... Acronicta rumicis

AND A NICE CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

from Mrs Trappings, Keely and Louie ..... 

4th June 2013 ... Privet Hawk-moth cleared for landing

The first Privet Hawk-moth of the year crash landed into the trap last night, they really are massive !
Rather windy and cool, the wind chill is due to the temperature of the North Sea, which is well below the seasonal average. This is because of the very cold March.
The wind is coming from the North and it is being chilled by the sea temperature, so a southerly biased wind will give us warmer nights if we ever get one !
A good selection of moths were recorded last night, adding 7 to my year list but the micro moths are still thin on the ground.....

0985 ... Cacoecimorpha pronubana ... Carnation Tortrix ... 1 ... YF

985 ... Cacoecimorpha pronubana ... Carnation Tortrix

0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana ... Light Brown Apple Moth ... 1
1356 ... Evergestis forficalis ... Garden Pebble ... 1 ... YF

1356 ... Evergestis forficalis ... Garden Pebble

1727 ... Silver-ground Carpet ... Xanthorhoe montanata ... 1 ... YF

1727 ... Silver-ground Carpet ... Xanthorhoe montanata

1728 ... Garden Carpet ... Xanthorhoe fluctuata ... 4
1776 ... Green Carpet ... Colostygia pectinataria ... 1
1834 ... Common Pug ... Eupithecia vulgata
1976 ... Privet Hawk-moth ... Sphinx ligustri ... 1 ... YF

1976 ... Privet Hawk-moth ... Sphinx ligustri

1994 ... Buff-tip ... Phalera bucephala ... 1
2000 ... Iron Prominent ... Notodonta dromedarius ... 1
2007 ... Swallow Prominent ... Pheosia tremula ... 2
2060 ... White Ermine ... Spilosoma lubricapeda ... 1 ... YF

2060 ... White Ermine ... Spilosoma lubricapeda

2089 ... Heart and Dart ... Agrotis exclamationis ... 1 ... YF

2089 ... Heart and Dart ... Agrotis exclamationis

2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta ... 5
2279 ... Sycamore ... Agrotis aceris ... 1
2283/4. Dark/Grey Dagger agg. ... Acronicta tridens/psi ... 1
2441 ... Silver Y ... Autographa gamma ... 1 ... YF

2441 ... Silver Y ... Autographa gamma

2450 ... Spectacle ... Abrostola tripartita ... 1

Bad news .....
I have declared war on these little varmints.
I am determined to see my Day Lilies intact, so removal and disposal* on a regular basis is the plan.
*  (disposal means my neighbour gets more than he should, if you know what I mean !)

Lily Beetle ... Lilioceris lilii

10th June 2012.. Garden traps

Steady rain all night.
I put the two traps on, one inside the open shed door, the other near the house with a sheet of ply over it.
The shed trap caught 15 moths and the one near the house just two, a Shuttle-shaped Dart and a year first Privet Hawk-moth.

Privet Hawk-moth