6th May 2013 ... Purple Patch

1919 ... Purple Thorn ... Selenia tetralunaria

Another great night for the garden mothing.

Purple Thorn has only made one previous appearance so I was pleased to see this one.

Another hit or miss moth is the weird looking Chocolate-tip, this one is the third garden record.....

2091 ... Chocolate-tip ... Clostera curtula

From the exotic to the mundane, a Brown House-moth, the first of many ....

647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella ... Brown House-moth

 Waved Umber was also added to the year list .....

1781 ... Waved Umber ... Horisme vitalbata

10 Pugs showed up last night, 8 of them were Double-striped with 2 Brindled .... or are they ?
The bottom picture is definitely a Brindled but the top one looks more like an Oak Tree Pug

Oak-tree Pug ?

1852 ... Brindled Pug ... Epithecia abbreviata

Last nights catch :-

0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella ... Brown House-moth ... 1, YF

0649 ... Esperia sulphurella ... Sulphur Tubic ... 2

0697 ... Agonopterix arenella ... Brindled Flat-body ... 1

0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea ... Mallow Groundling ... 2

0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella ... Garden Cosmet ... 2

0974 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana ... Heather Tortrix ... 3

0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana ... Light Brown Apple Moth ... 2

1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 6

1781 ... Waved Umber ... Menophra abruptaria ... 1, YF

1852 ... Brindled Pug ... Epithecia abbreviata ... 2, YF

1862 ... Double-striped Pug ... Gymnoscelis rufifasciata ... 8

1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle ... Acasis viretata ... 1

1906 ... Brimstone Moth ... Opisthograptis luteolata ... 1

1919 ... Purple Thorn ... Selenia tetralunaria ... 1, YF

2019 ... Chocolate-tip ... Clostera curtula ... 1, YF

2063 ... Muslin Moth ... Diaphora mendica ... 2

2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta ... 1

2186 ... Powdered Quaker ... Orthosia gracilis ... 2

2187 ... Common Quaker ... Orthosia cerasi ... 2

2190 ... Hebrew Character ... Orthosia gothica ... 5

2243 ... Early Grey ... Xylocampa areola ... 3

11th April 2011... garden traps

Overnight min. temp...3.4 deg. calm, clear.
Garden trap results:-
998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 1
1852 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata 1
1862 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 1, year first
2182 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda 1

2187 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi 1

2188 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta 1

2243 Early Grey Xylocampa areola 2

2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa 1

Brindled Pug, Eupithecia abreviata

Shuttle-shaped Dart, Agrotis puta

Garden Birds :-
A singing Willow Warbler in the garden may be the first one in 20 years...I will have to search for my garden bird records sheet and check.

23rd March 2012... The Dells garden

Overnight min. temp. 3.8 deg
The warm sun in the garden today produced 2 Esperia sulphurella and an unfortunate common lizard which the cat caught and brought into the house.
It had shed its tail during the encounter, and remarkably lived to see another sunny day....................



Common or Viviparous Lizard,  Zootoca vivipara

 A couple of minutes after placing it in the sun on the front patio paving slabs, it scuttled off  without its tail, which will regrow.

MOTHS :-
Temperatures remained above 8 deg C until midnight and the highest count of moths to date were recorded in and around the garden traps....49 moths of 12 species.
Esperia sulphurella and Brindled Pug were added to the year list plus a Mompha type to be ID'd..................

0649...Esperia sulphurella 2, year first
0695...Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
1524...Emmelina monodactyla 14
1852...Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata 1, year first



Brindled Pug, Eupithecia abbreviata

 1862...Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 4
1917...Early Thorn Selenia dentaria 1
2182...Small Quaker Orthosia cruda 4
2187...Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi 12
2188...Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta 6
2190...Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica 2
2243...Early Grey Xylocampa areola 3

Not sure of this one.....
I thought maybe Mompha propinquella  at first, but Epermenia chaerophyllella is also similar...........
Comments are always welcome.

Now officially confirmed as Epermenia chaerophyllella.... Thanks Skev ! That is new for the garden and brings me ever closer to that 500 species total.