28/29th June 2011...Cooling Down

The past two days have been much cooler. Not much to report on the garden traps front, just one year tick and and a garden first maybe 2 following a Gen Det.... but that will be a couple of weeks or more away.
OEGOCONIA SP. I think this may be "quadripuncta" BROWN-TAIL 2029... first for year EUDONIA PALLIDA 1336... garden first, possibly overlooked in the past. Garden totals :-

296 species, 179 macro, 117 micro

Almost half way to my 400 target

27th June 2011.I don't care what the weather man says.....

We aborted the monthly Home Wood trapping on the basis of the severe weather warning. 25 to 50mm of rain with possible flash flooding and large hailstones. This was supposed to have hit us around 10.00pm but instead, it was very warm and humid with not a drop of rain until mid-day following.
In fact we missed the best mothing night of the year to date !
The garden traps/lights were switched on though for a good catch.
This garden first micro is huge, with a wingspan approaching 50mm. It normally inhabits reed beds so it was a surprise catch at The Dells.
CHILO PHRAGMITELLA a garden first

RHOPOBOTA NAEVANA Holly TortrixStar catch of the night this STRATHMOPODA PEDELLA is only the 7th record for VC30Another new addition... MOMPHA OCHRACEELLAThe stunning SCARCE SILVER-LINES 2nd record for the gardenA year first ACLERIS VARIEGANA And finally the Gypsonoma species....

GYPSONOMA OPPRESSANA 1170 caught on 27th...new GYPSONOMA DEALBANA 1169 from the 26th June GYPSONOMA SOCIANA 1168 26th June..new for garden GREEN=macro, BLUE=micro, ORANGE=year first, RED=garden first

1 x Double Square-spot

2 x V-pug

4 x Swallow-tailed Moth

30 x Common Footman

20 x Riband Wave

1 x Treble Brown Spot

10 x Least Carpet

1 x Peppered Moth

6 x Uncertain

3 x Vapourer

2 x Poplar Grey

1 x Scarce Silver-lines

1 x Miller

9 x Dark Arches

2 x Small Ranunculus

1 x Sycamore

1 x Mottled Beauty

2 x Bright-line Brown-eye

1 x Marbled Minor agg

2 x Grey Dagger agg

6 x Scarce Footman

1 x Green Pug

1 x Privet Hawk-moth

1 x Cloaked Minor

2 x Buff Ermine

2 x Dot Moth

2 x Willow Beauty

2 x Large Yellow Underwing

1 x Small Dusty Wave

2 x Nutmeg

1 x Tawny Shears

1 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

1 x Figure of Eighty

1 x Dun-bar

1 x Chilo phragmitella

3 x Eudonia mercurella

8 x Chrysoteuchia culmella

12 x Crambus lathoniellus

1 x Crambus perlella

1 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Endrosis sarcitrella

2 x Ephestia parasitella

1 x Phlyctaenia coronata

1 x Acleris forsskaleana

2 x Yponomeuta cagnagella

1 x Yponomeuta malinellus

1 x Celypha striana

1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella

1 x Aphelia paleana

1 x Batia unitella

1 x Mompha ochraceella

2 x Phycita roborella

1 x Acleris variegana

1 x Phlyctaenia perlucidalis

1 x Ancylis achatana

1 x Ditula angustiorana

1 x Agapeta hamana

1 x Gypsonoma oppressana

1 x Strathmopoda pedella

1 x Rhopobota naevana

1 x Gypsonoma dealbana (26th June)

1 x Gypsonoma sociana (26th June)

TOTALS :-

294 species...178 macro, 116 micro

No update on the wine bet, the Captain hasn't posted for a while, but he may be a short head in front

26th June 2011...GLUT

It's been hard finding the time to keep up with the blog and records at this time of year....and I am not working at the mo, so I don't know how you guys with full time jobs manage !
Caught a nice new addition for the garden, BLUE-BORDERED CARPET

and made a few inroads into Captain Trappings leading species total, with double-figures new or year first arrivals. VAPOURER expected in the traps and at this time of year and didn't disappoint........ ..... and this FOXGLOVE PUG was potted on the shed wall YEAR FIRSTS... NEW FOR GARDEN... MACRO...MICRO
20 plus Common Footman
3 x Scarce Footman
8 x Heart and Dart
1 x Vapourer
3 x Dot Moth
3 x Yellow Shell
2 x Small Dusty Wave
7 x Riband Wave
2 x Swallow-tailed Moth
5 x Fan-foot
1 x Smoky Wainscot
5 x V-Pug
1 x Silver-Y
1 x Blue-bordered Carpet
1 x Clouded Silver
1 x Iron Prominent
1 x Small Emerald
1 x Ruby Tiger
1 x Varied Coronet
2 x Grey Dagger agg
5 x Uncertain
8 x Dark Arches
2 x Large Yellow Underwing
2 x Double Square-spot
1 x Least Carpet
1 x Small Blood-vein
1 x Toadflax Pug
1 x Treble Brown Spot
1 x Blackneck
1 x Single Dotted Wave
1 x Common Emerald
1 x Scalloped Oak
1 x Mottled Rustic
1 x Rustic Shoulder-knot
1 x Marbled Minor agg
2 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Green Pug
20 Other pugs not identified
1 x Light Arches
3 x Pale Mottled Willow
3 x Willow Beauty
2 x Rustic
1 x Heart and Club

6 x Aphomia sociella
5 x Eudonia mercurella
2 x Acleris forsskaleana
2 x Eurrhypara hortulata
2 x Homoeosoma sinuella
2 x Sitochroa verticalis
2 x Phlyctaenia coronata
1 x Yponomeuta cagnagella
2 x Teleiodes vulgella
1 x Batia lunaris
1 x Phtheochroa rugosana
3 x Cnephasia agg
1 x Ephestia parasitella
1 x Orthopygia glaucinalis
1 x Phycita roborella
1 x Parapoynx stratiotata
2 x Mompha subbistrigella
1 x Epiblema foenella
1 x Pandemis cerasana
15+ x Crambus lathoniellus
15+ x Chrysoteuchia culmella
Totals:-
284 species....175 macro, 109 micro

25th June 2011...Near perfect conditions disappoint.

With the warm humid conditions, the expected glut of year ticks didn't happen on a slightly disappointing evening,

Never mind, tonight looks even better with temps staying at 18 deg.

MAPLE PROMINENT 2009 year first



COMMON RUSTIC agg. year first this time ! BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING 2110 year first

I didn't expect to find a RED ADMIRAL under the shed blacklight

Garden totals to date :-

271 species...168 macro, 103 micro

The wine bet has taken a severe backward step as Captain Trappings weighed in with 12 + new ticks last night, putting me about 9 behind.

His twin 15watt actinic/BLB trap ("The Ratface".....the only garden trap you'll ever need...Cheap...economical to run...deadly ) certainly came into it's own last night as he left me floundering in his wake.

23rd June 2011....Making a meal of it

A selection from last night.......
PYRALIS FARINALIS 1417... year first Meal Moth SCYTHROPIA CRATAEGELLA 0450.... Hawthorn Moth ACLERIS FORSSKALEANA 1036... New for The Dells garden Is this another DINGY SHEARS ??? AGLOSSA PINGUINALIS 1421... Large Tabby FOXGLOVE PUG 1817 ALUCITA HEXADACTYLA 1288... Twenty-plume Moth THE MILLER 2280 CLOUDED BORDER 1887...year first #4 and #5 SMALL RANUNCULUS 2165 THIS ONE IS FOR LOUIE....... FOX UNDERWING 2107...... It's the same colour as a Fox's back
Garden total:-
268 species... 165 macro, 103 micro

22nd June 2011...Nights in .............

........ WHITE SATIN moth... 2031, SCALLOPED OAK 1921 COMMON RUSTIC agg 2343/a
ERROR
CABBAGE MOTH 2154 SMALL RANUNCULUS 2165, 3rd for year METZNERIA METZNERIELLA 0726, a garden first 22nd June :-

18 x Common Footman

17 x Uncertain aggs.

12 x Heart and Dart

10 x Dark Arches

3 x Scarce Footman

1 x Lime Hawk-moth

1 x Privet Hawk-moth

3 x Garden Carpet

1 x Small Dusty Wave

4 x Pale Mottled Willow

1 x Barred Yellow

2 x The Flame

1 x Sycamore

2 x L.Y.U's

3 x Light Arches

1 x Common Rustic agg ERROR......Cabbage Moth

3 x Small Blood-vein

2 x Grey Dagger agg.

1 x Common Wainscot

1 x Peppered Moth

2 x Dwarf Cream Wave

4 x Buff Ermine

1 x White Satin Moth * year first

1 x Small Ranunculus

1 x Short-cloaked Moth

1 x Buff-tip

2 x Least Carpet

1 x Scalloped Oak * year first

2 x Heart and Club

1 x Smoky Wainscot

1 x Epiblema uddmanniana

4 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella

1 x Aphomia sociella

1 x Endotricha flammealis

3 x Eudonia mercurella

2 x Archips podana

1 x Ephestia parasitella

2 x Emmelina monodactyla

2 x Eurrhypara hortulata

2 x Udea prunalis

1 x Metzneria metzneriella ** garden first

1 x Oegoconia agg.

1 x Bryotropha terrella

1 x Clepsis consimilana

2 x Chrysoteuchia culmella

1 x Crambus pascuella

1 x Phycita roborella

2 x Cnephasia agg

Garden total :-

265 species.....164 macro, 101 micro

There may be another macro to add, just waiting for official ID confirmation of yesterdays DINGY SHEARS.

Many thanks to Bill D. and Matt (Captain Trappings) for pointing this out.

After checking out a few web images I am convinced they are spot on.

21st June....Cream of the Crop

The gusty wind blew in some interesting moths to the garden last night, among them this CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA 2418

Don't know what this is...probably a Common Rustic agg. Size is ok.

Any suggestions (mothwise) welcome ?????????????????????

This one is a DOUBLE SQUARE-SPOT 2128, but a Triple-spotted Clay is easily missed as the markings are just about identical,,,see Matts blog, he's got pics of both. CELYPHA LACUNANA 1076 the wind kept the micro count well down last night.

Almost unbelievable....My second GRASS RIVULET 1807,

THE CLAY 2193,

BURNISHED BRASS 2434, quite a worn bedraggled example, but a year tick.

LEAST CARPET 1699 My 3rd so far, with a few more to follow no doubt. 1 x Cream-bordered Green Pea ** garden first

2 x Garden Carpet

1 x Bright-line Brown-eye

16 x Common Footman

2 x Scarce Footman

3 x Riband Wave

1 x Peppered Moth

15 x Uncertain

11 x Heart and Dart

3 x Heart and Club

12 x Dark Arches

3 x Light Arches

4 x Buff Ermine

2 x Common Wainscot

1 x Smoky Wainscot

1 x Elephant Hawk-moth

1 x Privet Hawk-moth

2 x Marbled Minor agg.

3 x Willow Beauty

2 x Dwarf Cream Wave

1 x The Miller

1 x Yellow Shell

5 x Pale Mottled Willow

4 x The Flame

1 x The Lackey

1 x Least Carpet

1 x The Clay * year first

1 x Burnished Brass * year first

1 x Common Emerald

1 x Grass Rivulet

1 x Double Square-spot

3 x Eudonia mercurella

1 x Clepsis consimilana

3 x Ephestia parasitella

2 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella

2 x Emmelina monodactyla

2 x Epiblema uddmanniana

3 x Cnephasia agg.

2 x Aphomia sociella

1 x Celypha lacunana

262 species to date, 162 macro, 100 micro

20th June 2011....Garden traps

Rain almost stopped play and the covers went over the trap.
Not a bad selection tho......
AGAPETA HAMANA 937 was a new tick for the year.....

.... followed by a second for year LACKEY 1634

My second DOT MOTH 2155 and this time I managed to get a pic.

GYPSONOMA SOCIANA 1168 a year first... ERROR...ERROR

Thanks Mark "Skev" Skevington for correctly I D'ing this as ....

SPILONOTA OCELLANA 1205 the BUD MOTH, a year first

I thought I'd leave the best 'til last....... A garden first ( and a lifer) SCARCE SILVER-LINES 2421 caught while checking the shed wall actinic lights in-between showers.

259 species.....159 macro, 100 micro

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 !