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
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| 0688 .. Agonopterix heracliana |
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| 0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana |
1047 .. Acleris sparsana ... Ashy Button ... 1
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| 1047 ... Acleris schalleriana |
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| 1524 .. Emmelina monodactyla |
2139 ... Cerastis rubricosa ... Red Chestnut ... 1
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| 2139 ... Cerastis rubricosa |
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 ?
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