Rainy night doesn't deter the moths

14 deg minimum temp. last night but with rain ranging from light drizzle to a steady downpour although not the thundery heavy stuff that the Met Office were forecasting.
As long as it is warm the rain doesn't seem to bother the moths and last nights catch was good despite the rain covers being on the traps with their associated restrictions.
In fact it was the best night of the year so far with 41 species recorded
New for 2015 were ...
Straw Dot

Agapeta hamana

Treble Brown Spot

Eudonia mercurella

Crambus lathoniellus

Miller

Aethes smeathmanniana

Riband Wave

Epinotia bilunana

Bactra furfurana, 2nd record, previous in July 2013 (gen det DVM)

Uncertain ... fairly certain !

June 12th
0464 Plutella xylostella, 1
0937 Agapeta hamana, 1, year first
0947 Aethes smeathmanniana, 1, year first
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1110 Bactra furfurana, 1, year first
1133 Epinotia bilunana, 1, year first
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella, 1
1301 Crambus lathoniellus, 1, year first
1344 Eudonia mercurella, 3, year first
1356 Evergestis forficalis, 1
1376 Eurrhypara hortulata, 5
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1474 Ephestia unicolorella, 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave, 2
1711 Treble Brown Spot, 3, year first
1713 Riband Wave, 1, year first
1728 Garden Carpet, 3
1819 Mottled Pug, 2
1834 Common Pug, 4
1837 Grey Pug, 3
1860 Green Pug, 1
1867 Treble-bar, 1
1906 Brimstone, 3
1937 Willow Beauty, 1
2069 Cinnabar, 1
2089 Heart and Dart, 12
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1
2154 Cabbage Moth, 1
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye, 1
2280 Miller, 1, year first
2284x Dark/Grey Dagger agg, 1
2321 Dark Arches, 1
2333 Large Nutmeg, 2
2337x Marbled Minor agg.
2381 Uncertain, 1, year first
2384 Vine's Rustic, 3
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2
2450 Spectacle, 1
2474 Straw Dot, 1, year first
2489 Buttoned Snout, 1

Not too many pics on the web showing Buttoned Snout playing dead.
They will curl up tightly and sometimes lay on their backs when harassed, but tip them out of the pot and they are off like a rocket.
The previous two I caught this year did exactly that ... one disappeared in my dining room, the other in the shed. Third time lucky for a half decent pic.

19th June 2014.. Not sure about The Rustic, plus odd grub to ID

Uncertain and Rustic, always a headache.
Easier to tell them apart when in pristine condition, and it will help to shine your torch from wingtip towards the head.
Rustic is shinier than Uncertain.
Unscientific, but on fresh specimens it's not a bad guide.
Try it on Mottled Rustic, they are super shiny but easy to ID
Anyway, once I am reasonably sure I have separated the two, the rest are recorded as aggregates, though to be honest I am never 100% sure and should send a couple to the county recorders for examination of the genitalia.
So for now ....
UNCERTAIN

RUSTIC

Neither retained ... they are free to live out their uncertain rustic lives.

Last night was on the chilly side with temperatures struggling to stay in double figures and the catch reflected this.
Very few micros, although I didn't patrol the traps so maybe missed a few.
Instead I watched England v Uruguay and the less said about that the better !
One new micro for the year was Carcina quercana which was expected.

Others of note ...
Small Ranunculus
White Satin Moth
Buff Arches
Toadflax Pug
Dun-bar
Light Arches
Varied Coronet
Miller

BUFF ARCHES

MILLER

Here's a strange looking grub. I thought it was a slug at first.
It was feeding on a Hawthorn leaf.
It has a wet look about it and is sticky like a slug, but I have no idea what it is ... anyone know ?

14th June 2013 ... And so it was, that later ......

....as The Miller told his tale ...etc etc.

2280 ... The Miller ... Acronicta leporina

The first Miller of the year always brings to mind Procol Harem and their most popular song.
Other newbies for the year were as follows :-

1011 ... Pseudargyrotoza conwagana ... Yellow-spot Tortrix

1165 ... Zeiraphera isertana ... Cock's-head Bell

1376 ... Small Magpie ... Eurrhypara hortulata

More wind and showers tonight and tomorrow and Monday ......... :(

24th June 2012 .. It's Miller time

Overnight low ... 9.4 deg. light breeze, DRY !
Looks like the next few nights are going to be good before the rain and wind return.
Garden Traps:-
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella 5
0787 Bryotropha terrella 3
0994 Clepsis consimilana 1
1063 Celypha striana 1
1301 Crambus lathoniellus 2
1428 Aphomia sociella 2
1474 Ephestia parasitella 6
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1713 Riband Wave 1
1728 Garden Carpet 2
1834 Common Pug 2
1906 Brimstone Moth 1
1937 Willow Beauty 12
2069 Cinnabar 1
2089 Heart & Dart 6
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
2098 Flame 2
2107 Large Yellow Underwing 1
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing 1, year first
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
2147 Shears 1, year first
2154 Cabbage Moth 1
2280 Miller 1, year first (Below)

2284 Grey Dagger agg. 1
2321 Dark Arches 7
2333 Large Nutmeg 4
2337 Marbled Minor agg.
2389 Pale Mottled Willow 3
2434 Burnished Brass 1, year first (Below)

2477 Snout 2, year first (Below)

7th May 2011...Local snouts

Perfect weather conditions almost, lots of warm humid air and light wind.
Midnight onwards it was cover up the traps as some much needed rain arrived.
Plenty of year first moths turned up so it was a pity the rain came.
BUTTONED SNOUT 2480

THE SNOUT 2477

ORANGE FOOTMAN 2043

YELLOW-BARRED BRINDLE

TREBLE-LINES 2380

THE MILLER 2280

ANGLE SHADES 2306

(((FREYER'S PUG 1827)))........OCHREOUS PUG 1844

GREEN CARPET 1776

COMMON WAVE 1738

Garden last night :-

30+ Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Garden Carpet
6 x Turnip Moth
1 x Pale Tussock
1 x Willow Beauty
3 x Scalloped Hazel
4 x Large Nutmeg
1 x Orange Footman * year first
1 x The Snout * year first
1 x Ruby Tiger
1 x Small Waved Umber
1 x Green Carpet * year first
2 x Marbled Minor agg.
1 x Toadflax Brocade possible revisit from previous evening
1 x Common Wave * year first
1 x The Miller * year first
1 x Yellow-barred Brindle * year first
2 x Mottled Pug
1 x Angle Shades * year first
4 x Heart & Dart
1 x Grey Dagger agg.
1 x Buttoned Snout * year first
1 x Treble-lines * year first
1 x Ochreous Pug ** Garden first
1 x Brindled Pug
5 x Common Pug
3 x Vine's Rustic
1 x Puss Moth
1 x Buff Ermine
3 x Bright-line Brown-eye
1 x Esperia sulphurella
2 x Tinea trinotella
1 x Epiblema cynosbatella
5 x Platyedra subcinerea
1 x Mompha subbistrigella
2 x Elachista argentella ** Garden first
1 x Dichrorampha simpliciana ** Garden first
1 x Agonopterix heracliana
1 x Agonopterix arenella
1 x Emmelina monodactyla
4 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
3 x Argyresthia trifaciata
1 x Cydia pomonella
3 x Aphomia sociella
2 x Alucita hexadactyla
3 x Epiphyas postvittana

5th June.....Shear Luck ?

Another 30 plus species night despite the rain,
...................................................
MOTTLED PUG

PALE TUSSOCK

originally had this as a Marbled Minor agg but keen-eyed Matt Burgess correctly pointed out that it is a MOTTLED RUSTIC .

PEPPERED MOTH

SMALL SQUARE-SPOT

WHITE ERMINE

TAWNY SHEARS

SILVER Y

MILLER

ELEPHANT HAWKMOTH 30 plus more species with a couple to be confirmed:-

19 x Heart & Dart

7 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

3 x Willow Beauty

3 x Marbled Minor agg.

2 x Miller

2 x White Ermine Garden first
2 x Common Marbled Carpet

2 x Setaceous Hebrew Character

2 x Pale Mottled Willow

2 x Treble Lines

2 x Turnip Moth

2 x Large Nutmeg

Mottled Rustic Garden first

Lime Hawkmoth

Elephant Hawkmoth Garden first

Chinese Character

Silver Y first for year

Mottled Pug

Common Pug

Flame Shoulder

Bright-line Brown-eye

Small square-spot Garden first

Tawny Shears Garden first

Vine's Rustic

some more micros to be identified

21st May....As the Miller told his tale

Another warm evening saw my first MILLER on the garden shed

PINE HAWKMOTH on the funnel trap and taken into the house for a photo on the pine table. A garden first.

OAK HOOK-TIP found in the skinner trap. Another garden first.

CHINESE CHARACTER my 4th garden first of the evening Results:-

12 x S.S.Dart

4 x Brimstone Moth

3 x Common Pug

2 x Mottled Pug

2 x Grey/Dark Dagger

2 x Heart and Dart

1 x Knot Grass

1 x Least Black Arches

1 x Rustic Shoulder-knot

1 x P.M. Willow

1 x Bright-line Brown-eye

1 x Chinese Character (garden first)

1 x Oak Hook-tip (garden first)

1 x Pine Hawkmoth (garden first)

1 x Miller (garden first)

MICRO

Bee Moth..Aphomia sociella

Plus some for Mr. Manning