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

16th April 2014 ... Garden traps and garden taps

A bit of late afternoon netting in the garden produced a few micros
Anthophila fabriciana, the common Nettle-tap was found for the first time in 2013, with one individual turning up whilst sweep netting Ox-eye Daisies in the front garden for Dichrorampha species, so to net 3 of them flying around the back garden was pleasing.
In the same session, 2 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 3 x Esperia sulphurella, 1 rather worn Epermenia chaerophyllella, and a Light Brown Apple Moth were also caught along with 4 x Mompha subbistrigella on the inside of the garden shed window.

Below ... One of three Nettle-taps caught.and  Argyrotaenia ljungiana

Anthophila fabriciana, ... Nettle-tap

Argyrotaenia ljungiana

The evening and night saw temperatures up a little at 4.9deg C but with a bright 95% waning moon.
As well as 3 individuals being netted in the afternoon, a single Esperia sulphurella was attracted to the trap lights during the night ...

Esperia sulphurella

The Catch
0385 ... Anthophila fabriciana, x 3, ... year first
0483 ... Epermenia chaerophyllella, x 1
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella, x 3 (+1)
0697 ... Agonopterix arenella, x 1, ... year first

Agonopterix arenella

0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella, x 4
0974 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana, x 2, ... year first
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, x 1 (+3)
1342 ... Eudonia angustea, x 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 1
1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 2
2063 ... Muslin Moth, x 1
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart, x 3
2139 ... Red Chestnut, x 1

Cerastis rubicosa, ... Red Chestnut

Red Chestnut, ... Cerastis rubicosa

2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 3
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 1
2243 ... Early Grey, x 4

29th April 2013 ... Garden trap report

2.3 deg min. calm, clear
Just the one micro to add to the year list ....

974 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana 

0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana ... Heather Tortrix ... 1 ... YF
1523 Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 1
1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata ... Double-striped Pug ... 4
2187 Orthosia cerasi ... Common Quaker ... 2
2188 Orthosia incerta ... Clouded Drab ... 2
2190 Orthosia gothica ... Hebrew Character ... 5
2243 Xylocampa areola ... Early Grey ... 2
2256 Eupsilia transversa ... Satellite ... 1

16th April 2012... Something new at last !

Overnight min. temp 4.6 deg. Wind, strengthening with rain (wet traps). 
The traps have been switched on tonight so I'm hoping the heavy rain that the weatherman has promised doesn't come earlier than the forecast. (See above !)
Temperatures are predicted at 4 deg minimum so maybe a few moths will be about tonight.
A daytime Argyrotaenia ljungiana was on the patio window this afternoon, and an Early Grey and Angle Shades were on the house wall beside the patio door, very odd for 4.15 pm....

A year first Argyrotaenia ljungiana 974

Tonights trap results to follow, including the afternoon moths.
The expected rain came a little earlier than forecast so the traps had to be emptied. moths and water.
It was a good exercise though with two new macros turning up before the weather set in.

0649 Esperia sulphurella 1 

1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata 1 year first

2186 Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis 1 year first

2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica 1

2243 Early Grey Xylocampa areola 2

0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 1 year first

2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa 1

1920 Scalloped Hazel, Odontopera bidentata  

2186 Powdered Quaker, Orthosia gracilis

29th April 2011...They're playing my song !

WE ARE THE CAMPIONS
A year first CAMPION 2166 defied the wind last night

VINE'S RUSTIC 2384 year first...can't wait for the Rustics and uncertains !!!

ARGYROTAENIA LJUNGIANA 0974... a commoner

It's been an excellent year for SCALLOPED HAZEL 1920 Last night:-

Shuttle-shaped Dart x 20

Common Pug x 4

Turnip Moth x 3

Garden Carpet x 2

Argyrotaenia ljungiana x 2

Red Twin-spot Carpet

Brown-line Bright-eye

Lime Hawkmoth

Epiphyas postvittana

Scalloped Hazel

Vine's Rustic *year first

Campion *year first

TOTAL

97 species to date (62 macro, 35 micro

One more night in April to get the "ton" ? ...3 more needed

19th April 2011..One swallow doth not a summer make

Shakespeare, I think.....Very low numbers last night with the bright full moon in full view.......I almost didn't bother with the traps but as usual on they went....A first Swallow Prominent justified the change of mind.....Three (at least) Esperia sulphurella in the garden during the day boosted my micro list by one.

SWALLOW PROMINENT 2007

ARGYROTAENIA LJUNGIANA 974 .....a common micro

ESPERIA SULPHURELLA 649

LEAST BLACK ARCHES 2078.....from previous evening, fairly common in The Dells garden but difficult in some areas. Last nights catch:-

Just 6 moths caught in the two traps and 5 on the walls.

2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

2 x Early Grey

2 x Double-striped Pug

1 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Brimstone Moth

1 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana

1 x Swallow Prominent *year first

3 x Esperia sulphurella *year first

TOTALS:-

849 moths recorded (676 macro, 173 micro)

58/59 species (41 macro, 17/18 micro) one ID pending, today the frozen specimen is being collected by the county micro recorder.

10th April 2011....The Dells Garden

A disappointing night really. Conditions were perfect and expectations high but the moths didn't come to the party. Saying that, I did get a new micro for the year, Argyrotaenia ljungiana. These are very common in my garden but none the less stunning especially in spring. ARGYROTAENIA LJUNGIANA Results :- 6 x Double-striped Pug ...5 x Early Grey ...4 x Common Quaker ...3 x Emmelina monodactyla ...2 x Hebrew Character ...1 x Agonopterix heracliana ...1 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana (Year first).... Totals:- 709 moths (560 macro, 149 micro) ....24 macro species ....12/13 micro species with one ID pending

1st June..wet and miserable !

A cold, wet start to "flaming june" and because of work commitments could only trap until just after midnight....
ARGYROTAENIA LJUNGIANA a common micro in my garden

another Minor on the shed door which I could not retain, so it goes down as......

MARBLED MINOR agg.

PALE TUSSOCK on the illuminated roller blind Results:-

5 x Heart & Dart

4 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 x Small Waved Umber

1 x Buff Ermine

1 x Pale Tussock

1 x Marbled Minor agg.

1 x Light Brown Apple Moth

1 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana

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

That's it until the weekend, off to the West Midlands for 3 days...work (:0((

19th May...Let's go MICRO !

The warmer weather got the micros out in force last night, a good selection visited the traps and I can now ID a lot more than before with a little help from Mr Manning of course !

Eudonia angustea

Tinea trinotella

White-shouldered House-moth
Emmelina monodactyla on take-off

Brown House-moth

Esperia sulphurella

Dichorampha acuminatana

Argyrotaenia ljuniana

Epiblema cynosbatella

Phtheochroa rugosana (lovely moth but cant pronounce its name !) I hope the ID is OK

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

MACRO LIST FOR LAST NIGHT TO FOLLOW

Micro I.D.

The micros on the previous post have been identified as Argyrotaenia ljungiana (thanks goes out to Ben Sale of Essex Moths for I.D. assistance).
The bottom pic shows a much more brightly marked specimen that was on the Skinner trap recently.
This post is a reminder to myself to try to be a little more observant !

WHAT A BEAUTY !

THE TOP TWO pictures show 2 micros that made it into my shed.
It looks to me as though they could be different colour varieties of the same species as they are the same size (about 8mm long) and shape..................... Help !

.................And here is the other one.usually seen with wings rolled up this EMMELINA MONODACTYLA was showing off. Note the missing back leg.

just as your are thinking you might be starting to get to grips with macro identification......along come the PUGS !!! OK here goes........

COMMON PUG (or Brindled, or Oak Tree, or ...............)

No problem with this little beauty though..........

my very first PINE BEAUTY Results for 30th April :-

10 x S.S.Darts

4 x Early Grey

3 x Brimstone

2 x Common Quaker

1 x Powdered Quaker

1 x Small Quaker

1 x Small Waved Umber (caught at last and released far away....nightly visitor for 3 nights)

1 x Pine Beauty (garden first)

1 E. monodactyla

AND the two micros pictured above, results show a 66% drop in species on the previous 2 nights. They have obviously seen the May bank holiday weather forecast !
The two micros are Argyrotaenia ljungiana Thanks Ben !