28th May '15 ... 100 species passed ... Micro I.D. required

The 100th garden species for 2015 .... Lime Hawk-moth

B.F.1979, Lime Hawk-moth, Mimas tiliae

100 species is a pleasing landmark for the garden but in reality it is going to be the poorest year for a while and I am already 40 species down on last year.

Can anyone ID this micro before I deliver it to our recorder ?
Wingspan c14mm
Thanks Ben Sale, ... Prays fraxinella, Ash Bud Moth
Confusion species .. Prays ruficeps, Dark Ash Bud Moth

449, Prays fraxinella, Dark form

449 Prays fraxinella, Dark form

It's quite a plain Jane, (or John) and could be a new species for the garden.
Thanks to Bennyboymothman for pointing me in the right direction, I can now eliminate Prays ruficeps so no new species for my garden after all.
The head colour could fit "ruficeps" but the slightly darker area half way down the forewing confirms it as the dark form of "fraxinella". You may have to squint a little.
Also the flight time leans more to Frax than Rufi. which flys July/Aug.
The only reliable way of telling them apart is the vein pattern in particular the hindwing according to our micro recorder, because of the similarity of the genitalia.
This involves brushing off the wing scales, soaking the wings, then checking the vein pattern through a decent microscope.
There is an opportunity of adding a new micro species to the Bedfordshire VC30 micro list as Prays ruficeps remains unrecorded.

The confusion moth:- Prays ruficeps. Information below copied from Norfolkmoths.co.uk
"Originally thought a dark form of Prays fraxinella (Ash Bud Moth). Flying later in the year than fraxinella.

DNA barcoding indicates that P. ruficeps is a species distinct from P. fraxinella. The latter does have a dark form but in it the faint fraxinella markings can still be distinguished.

P. ruficeps has an unremittingly black forewing without any underlying sign of ‘fraxinella-ish’ markings, and a ‘rufi’ ‘ceps’, (Red/Brown Head), though this can vary somewhat in the ‘rufi-ness’ of the ‘ceps’."
[John Langmaid, Aug 2013]

(Accepted as a valid species in the new British list 2013)
The other "year newbies" presented no ID probs...

1648, Pebble Hook-tip

1931, Peppered Moth

28th May
8.7 deg C min temp.
overcast.
0449 x 1 Prays fraxinella, Dark form, year first
0647 x 1 Hofmannophila pseudospretella
0808 x 1 Platyedra subcinerea
0998 x 1 Epiphyas postvittana
1342 x 1 Eudonia angustea
1428 x 1 Aphomia sociella
1648 x 1 Pebble Hook-tip, year first
1728 x 2 Garden Carpet
1781 x 1 Small Waved Umber
1834 x 2 Common Pug
1931 x 1 Peppered Moth, year first
1971 x 1 Lime Hawk-moth, year first
1981 x 1 Poplar Hawk-moth
2028 x 1 Pale Tussock
2087 x 1 Turnip Moth
2092 x 3 Shuttle-shaped Dart
2126 x 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
2156 x 1 Light Brocade
2306 x 2 Angle Shades
2334 x 2 Rustic Shoulder-knot
2380 x 1 Treble Lines
2384 x 2 Vine's Rustic
2389 x 3 Pale Mottled Willow

27th May ... Back from Rhodes, normal mothing resumes

Had a great time in Rhodes at the wedding of our close friends son who we have known since the nappy years.
Did the tourist things, Rhodes old town, Acropolis at Lindos, donkey rides etc but little time for the natural world, although my pics of the Acropolis contained some heavily cropped photo's of a distant breeding pair of Black-eared Wheatears.

 The only moth seen on our hotel wall ...

... an Idaea species by the look of it, roughly the size of a Least Carpet or Treble Brown Spot

Arrived home at 11.30 pm last night feeling absolutely cream crackered but flicked on the traps before throwing some zeds.
Got up too late to beat the early birds around the traps but found 15 moths of 13 species within, including 3 species for the garden year list.
1 x Common Swift (year first)
1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Epiphyas postvittana
1 x Aphomia sociella
2 x Garden Carpet
1 x Common Pug
1 x Scalloped Hazel
1 x Poplar Hawk-moth, (year first)

1981, Poplar Hawk-moth

1 x Turnip Moth
1 x Heart and Dart
2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 x Nutmeg, (year first)

2145, Nutmeg

1 x Early Grey

Daytime 28th May
3 x Pyrausta aurata

1361, Pyrausta aurata

P. aurata was moth #99 for 2015
Ton up tonight !

13th May ... Latest garden Moths

Here are the latest garden moth catches for the last 6 nights.
Off to Rhodes tomorrow morning for a week, so it would be nice to record 5 more species for the year list tonight and hit the 100 mark.
...........
Last nights weather conditions were pretty dire and not only didn't I get the 5 "new for year" species to notch up the 2015 century, I didn't even record 5 moths of any species !
Oh well ..
αντίο, θα επανέλθω σε επτά ημέρες

May 18th
5.7 deg. C. min
Cold, overcast, strong winds
1920 Scalloped Hazel, 1
2063 Muslin Moth, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 1


May 17th
8.5 deg. C min.
Overcast, Light Breeze, Early a.m. rain = wet traps
409a Argyresthia trifasciata, 1, year first

409a, Argyresthia trifasciata

0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1
0697 Agonopterix arenella, 1
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1279 Dichrorampha acuminatana, 1
1728 Garden Carpet, 5
1776 Green Carpet, 1, year first
1781 Small Waved Umber, 2
1817 Foxglove Pug, 1, year first

1817, Foxglove Pug

1834 Common Pug, 4
1906 Brimstone Moth, 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel, 1
2087 Turnip Moth, 2 (3) one to check *
2089 Heart and Dart, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1, year first

2126, Setaceous Hebrew Character

2157 Light Brocade, 1, year first

2157, Light Brocade

2279 Sycamore, 1
2384 Vine's Rustic, 1
* A probable Turnip Moth to be checked

May 16th
6 deg. C min.
Clear sky, fresh
0808 Platyedra subcinerea, 1
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1834 Common Pug, 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel, 1
2028 Pale Tussock, 1
2063 Muslin Moth, 2
2087 Turnip Moth, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2154 Cabbage Moth, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2223 Toadflax Brocade, 1
2380 Treble Lines, 1, year first

2380 Treble Lines

2384 Vine's Rustic, 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 1

May 15
12.2 deg. C min but feeling much cooler.
Overcast with occasional light rain.
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 2
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 2
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 1
1728 Garden Carpet, 1
1862 Double-striped Pug, 1
1906 Brimstone Moth, 3
2000 Iron Prominent, 1, year first

2000, Iron Prominent

2089 Heart and Dart, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2223 Toadflax Brocade, 3
2384 Vine's Rustic, 1, year first

2384, Vine's Rustic

2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2

May 14
6.7 deg. C. min.
Cold, wet, miserable. trap covers on.
Just 3 moths in the two traps, the worst mid May result ever.
1 each of :-
2063 Muslin Moth
2087 Turnip Moth
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart

May 13
4.9 deg C. min.
Cool and clear sky.
0247 Tinea trinotella, 1
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 1
0697 Agonopterix arenella, 1
0808 Platyedra subcinerea, 1
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 2
1819 Mottled Pug, 1
1834 Common Pug, 1
2063 Muslin Moth, 1
2089 Heart and Dart, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6
2154 Cabbage Moth, 1, year first

2154, Cabbage Moth

2223 Toadflax Brocade, 2

2223, Toadflax Brocade

2306 Angle Shades, 2
2450 Spectacle, 1

12th May ... First Silver Y of the year

A much cooler night than the previous with the temperature falling to 5 deg with clear skies and fresh.
Tonight is looking very similar.
A bright Venus is on show at the moment in the early part of the evening to the west.
A poor catch compared to the 11th
A year first Silver Y was found in one of the traps this morning ..

2441, Silver Y

12th May
0247 Tinea trinotella, 1
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 2
1279 Dichrorampha acuminatana, 1, year first

1279, Dichrorampha acuminatana

1342 Eudonia angustea, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 1
1781 Small Waved Umber, 1
1819 Mottled Pug, 1
2089 Heart and Dart, 1, year first

2189 Heart and Dart

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2223 Toadflax Brocade, 1
2306 Angle Shades, 1
2441 Silver Y, 1

11th May 2015 ... New moth for garden + a bumper night.

I'll start by thanking Mr Ian Woiwood.
After reading his post on Beds Moth group Facebook on 3rd May regarding the use of a pheromone lure to successfully attract a male Emperor Moth to his garden, I was prompted to get on to Anglia Leps and order one.
I made a net bag and hung it on the trellis fence at 10.00 am. where it sat all day until 16.45 pm. when a male Emperor turned up.
This is the first record for the garden and the lure has now gone into the freezer until next April.
I have tried a couple of times to "assemble" newly hatched female Emperors without success, mainly due to adverse weather conditions at the time of the hatching in 2013/14
By using a lure there's no waiting for a hatch and you can pick your weather, much easier.

Saturnia pavonia, Emperor Moth (male)

A sunny spot on the trellis fence, with the lure in a homemade net bag

A good day was followed by an equally good evening, warm, dry, maybe a tad too breezy at times for the micro moths, but 28 species were recorded with a possible 29 pending a Pug I.D.
The catch:-
11th May, warm, breezy, 9.9 degC min.
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 3
0697 Agonopterix arenella, 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 3
0925 Phtheochroa rugosana, 1, year first

925, Phtheochroa rugosana

0964 Cochylis dubitana, 1, year first

964, Cochylis dubitana

0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 1, year first

974, Argyrotaenia ljungiana

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 3
1099 Endothenia marginana, 1, year first (to be confirmed)

1099, Endothenia marginana 

1342 Eudonia angustea, 1
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1643 Emperor Moth, 1, garden first
1654 Figure of Eighty, 1, year first

1654, Figure of Eighty

1781 Small Waved Umber, 2
1819 Mottled Pug, 2, year first

1819, Mottled Pug

1834 Common Pug, 2
1862 Double-striped Pug, 1
1883 Yellow-barred Brindle, 2
1906 Brimstone Moth, 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel, 1

1920, Scalloped Hazel

2028 Pale Tussock, 1, year first

2028, Pale Tussock

2087 Turnip Moth, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 8
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye, 1, year first

2160, Bright-line Brown-eye

2166 Campion, 1, year first

2166, The Campion

2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2289 Knot Grass, 1
2306 Angle Shades, 3
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2, year first

2334, Rustic Shoulder-knot

2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2

10th May 2015 ... Garden Moth Trap results

A warmer evening saw moth numbers up but not the big jump in "year firsts" that I was expecting.
There were 3 species added to the list though, Cinnabar, Carrion Moth and a Mallow Groundling.
0228 Monopis weaverella, 1, year first, (Carrion Moth)

0247 Tinea trinotella, 1, (Bird's-nest Moth)
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1, (Brown House Moth)
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 3, (White-shouldered House Moth)
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 2, (Garden Cosmet)
0808 Platyedra subcinerea, 3, year first,  (Mallow Groundling)
Status:  Nationally Scarce B, but plentiful at The Dells...

808 Platyedra subcinerea

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 4, (Light Brown Apple Moth)
1342 Eudonia angustea, 2, (Narrow-winged Grey)
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1, (Bee Moth)
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 3, (Common Plume)
1834 Common Pug, 2
1862 Double-striped Pug, 4
1906 Brimstone Moth, 4
2063 Muslin Moth, 2
2069 Cinnabar, 1, year first
I must buff up the perspex on the skinner traps !
This one escaped before a decent pic could be taken.

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 12
2190 Hebrew Character, 1
2223 Toadflax Brocade, 1

9th May 2015 ... Small Ranunculus and Black and Red Froghopper

The last two nights have seen very low moth numbers in the traps, mostly Shuttle-shaped Darts.

The one saving grace was a year first Small Ranunculus.

This Red Data Book species is one of my regulars and has been increasing over the last 3 or 4 years so I'm hoping for a good showing this year.

Small Ranunculus

A new bug for the garden was found this afternoon on a clump of Coriander.

A Black and Red Froghopper, Cercopis vulnerata.

Moth numbers on the up

Compared to the last few weeks, last night was almost a moth-fest.
Overcast, humid and a minimum overnight temperature of 8 deg saw 60 moths of 24 species come to the traps.
The night started off on the right note with Tinea pellionella flying around my computer screen for an easy year tick.
My late afternoon check of the interior sides of the shed windows reaped a reward as Mompha epilobiella was found amongst the many Mompha subbistrigella.

240 Tinea pellionella, Case-bearing Clothes Moth

893 Mompha epilobiella

Check list 7th May
0240 Tinea pellionella, 1, year first
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 3
0649 Esperia sulphurella, 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 7
0893 Mompha epilobiella, 1, year first
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 2
1288 Alucita hexadactyla, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 3
1728 Garden Carpet, 3
1837 Grey Pug, 1, year first

1837 Grey Pug

1862 Double-striped Pug, 6
1906 Brimstone Moth, 4
2003 Pebble Prominent, 1, year first  (at high level, just below the house roof)

2003 Pebble Prominent

2078 Least Black Arches, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 12
2188 Clouded Drab, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2221 Mullein, 1, year first

2221 Mullein

2223 Toadflax Brocade, 2
2243 Early Grey, 1
2279 Sycamore, 1, year first

2279 Sycamore

2306 Angle Shades, 2
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 1