13th April 2015 ... Latest garden Moth

Alucita hexadactyla, the Many-plumed Moth or Twenty-plume Moth.

Garden status: Common

The clear and fresh conditions were not ideal as can be seen by the catch.

The forecast for the next 3 or 4 days looks very good and it is easy to predict a large number of "year first" moths this week.

A new addition to the "critter" list was discovered in the house and not the most welcomed visitor by a long chalk.

Silverfish, Lepisma saccharina

13th April :-

6.2 deg.C min.

Calm, clear, fresh

0688 Agonopterix heracliana, 1

0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 1

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1

1288 Alucita hexadactyla, 2, year first

1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 4

1862 Double-striped Pug, 15

1917 Early Thorn, 1

2063 Muslin Moth

2187 Common Quaker, 2

2188 Clouded Drab, 1

2190 Hebrew Character, 1

2243 Early Grey, 1

16th March 2014 ... Bee Early

Confirmation from recorder that the Bee Moth caught last night is the earliest record for VC30, the previous early record was 7th April. ( D.V. Manning, Beds & Northants micro moth recorder)

Aphomia sociella, ... Bee Moth

I think this one may be Caloptilia syringella ?
But I'll wait for confirmation ....
CONFIRMED as 281 Caloptilia populetorum, new for garden and only the second for VC30 (D. Manning gen det)

Caloptilia populetorum

Twin-spotted Quaker No. 2 for the year ...

Last nights catch:-
01 x 0263 ? ... C syringella ? ....Caloptilia species to be confirmed ... Year first
01 x 0663 ... Diurnea fagella
02 x 0688 ... Agonopterix heracliana
01 x 1047 ... Acleris schalleriana, Year first

Acleris schalleriana

02 x 1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla, Twenty-plume Moth, Year first

Alucita hexadactyla

01 x 1428 ... Aphomia sociella, Bee Moth, Year first
08 x 1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla
06 x 1862 ... Double-striped Pug
10 x 2187 ... Common Quaker
08 x 2188 ... Clouded Drab
01 x 2189 ... Twin-spotted Quaker
01 x 2190 ... Hebrew Character
06 x 2243 ... Early Grey
Plus 3 Depressaria types for pos ID... Results later

23rd April 2013 .. New Moth for The Dells garden

A warm calm evening, almost perfect for the moth traps apart from a 95% bright waxing moon.
There was a nice surprise in the actinic trap this morning, a Brindled Beauty, new for the garden.

1927 .. Lycia hirtaria .. Brindled Beauty

Other year first visitors were :-
Brimstone Moth and Twenty-plume Moth, plus a tiny micro that defied the limits of my little Panasonic Lumix
That one will go to Mr Manning for ID.

1906 .. Opisthograptis luteolata .. Brimstone Moth

1288 .. Alucita hexadactyla .. Twenty-plume Moth

 Let's see if I can get THIS one right .....

483 .. Epermenia chaerophyllella .. Golden Lance-wing (to some)

The Haul :-
1 tiny micro .... ID results later
0483 ... Epermenia chaerophyllella ... GOLDEN LANCE-WING ... 1
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla ... TWENTY-PLUME MOTH ... 1 YF
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... COMMON PLUME ... 6
1862 ... Gymnoscelis rufifasciata ... DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG ... 5
1906 ... Opisthograptis luteolata ... BRIMSTONE MOTH ...1 YF
1917 ... Selenia dentaria ... EARLY THORN ... 2
1927 ... Lycia hirtaria ... BRINDLED BEAUTY ... 1 NFG
2187 ... Orthosia cerasi ... COMMON QUAKER ... 7
2188 ... Orthosia incerta ... CLOUDED DRAB ... 2
2190 ... Orthosia gothica ... HEBREW CHARACTER ... 4
2243 ... Xylocampa areola ... EARLY GREY ... 7
2389 ... Padrina clavipalpis ... PALE MOTTLED WILLOW

27th March 2011 ... Garden Traps

Overnight min. temp. 2.3 deg. calm, clear,
43 moths of 11 species
0483... Epermenia chaerophyllella 1
0998...Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 4
1288... Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla 1, year first
1524... Emmelina monodactyla 7
1862... Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 6
2139... Red Chestnut Cerastis rubricosa 1, year first
2182... Small Quaker Orthosia cruda 4
2187... Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi 2
2188... Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta 6
2190... Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica 4
2243... Early Grey Xylocampa areola 7

1288 Alucita hexadactyla

2139 Red Chestnut, Cerastis rubricosa

22nd March 2011...Garden Update

Another great night weather-wise, with temperatures staying into double figures for most of the evening.
The cloud cover had gone by 22.30 and temps slowly fell to a min of 3.6 deg in the early morning hours.
70 moths of 12 species were caught, which is a very high total for my town garden at this time of year.
............................................................................
ALUCITA HEXADACTYLA, 1288, The Twenty-plume Moth

Another view of this strange moth, showing the wing structure.

A. hexadactyla

MARCH MOTH 1663

CLOUDED DRAB 2188

DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG Totals :-

29 x Common Quaker

13 x Double-striped Pug

7 x Early Grey

4 x Clouded Drab

4 x Emmelina monodactyla

4 x Agonopterix heracliana

3 x Hebrew Character

2 x Diurnea fagella

1 x March Moth

1 x Small Quaker

1 x Chestnut

1 x Alucita hexadactyla *FFY

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

325 moths (234 macro, 91 micro) of 26 species (17 macro, 9 micro)