May the 4th be with you.

Excuse the Star Wars pun.
May 4th turned out to be a very wet night indeed so the trap covers were employed, but a spot of rain doesn't deter the moths too much as long as it is warm.
29 moths of 14 species were trapped including first appearances for Knot Grass and Waved Umber this year.
Anyone starting out mothing may be confused by Waved and Small Waved Umber so here they are .... Small Waved Umber top

The catch 4/5/2015
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1, (Brown House Moth)
0649 Endrosis sarcitrella, 1, (White-shouldered House Moth)
0649 Esperia sulphurella, 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 6, inside shed on window

Mompha subbistrigella

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1, (Light Brown Apple Moth)
1728 Garden Carpet, 2
1781 Small Waved Umber, 2
1906 Brimstone Moth, 3
1936 Waved Umber, 1, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2187 Common Quaker, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 1
2289 Knot Grass, 1, year first

Knot Grass

2306 Angle Shades, 1

A female Sparrowhawk flew into the garden this morning and there was just about enough time to grab the camera and snap a passable shot through the double glazing of the patio door  ...

2nd May 2015 ... Latest moths from the garden

The warmer weather is welcome but there is always a price to pay at this time of year, rain covers are the order of the day.
The garden species list has reached 56 and here are the latest ...
29th April
Spectacle ...

 

30th April
Small Waved Umber ...

2nd May
Chinese Character ...

Turnip Moth ...

Toadflax Brocade ...

Toadflax Brocade is a Red Data Book species, commonly found in my garden both in Spring and Autumn.
Locally it is on the increase and I am lucky to record this neat little moth into double figures annually.
The foodplant is a mystery as there are no toadflax patches nearby.
The larva will happily munch Antirrhinums but there is none growing in the surrounding gardens, apart from the odd one or two, seemingly not enough to sustain the kind of population numbers found in my garden, so there may be a food source that is overlooked.
Any ideas ?
Another RDB moth that is regular in the garden is Small Ranunculus, which is also on the increase locally,30 plus were recorded in the garden last year.
The flight season is late April to October according to the literature, but at the Dells it is June/July and again in Sept/Oct when they overlap with Large Ranunculus.

15th April 2014 ... Garden Traps Latest ... Agonopterix purpurea ??

Min. overnight temperature - 1.6deg C.
Much happier with my new Oregon weather-station, the one it replaced read 4.5 deg minimum which was far too high.
Calm and clear, full moon
An Agonopterix sp was netted in the late afternoon and given its tiny size it is a strong candidate for Agonopterix purpurea.
This moth was last recorded in Bedfordshire on the 1904 Victoria County records.
It has been retained for gen det.
A worn individual, remnants of the markings can just about be seen in this "shot in a pot" pic.

691 ... Agonopterix purpurea ?

Despite the full moon and cold conditions, a small variety of moths found their way in and around the traps.
3 x Angle Shade's had pupated and hatched in the garden shed and were drawn to the window by the trap lights outside, as were 3 x Mompha subbistrigella and a White-shouldered House-moth.
Highlight of the Night
KNOT GRASS ... which may equal the earliest VC30 record
The Catch:-
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella, x 1
0691 ... Agonopterix purpurea, x 1 .... To be confirmed (garden first, if confirmed and first VC30 record for 110 years)
0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella, x 3
1781 ... Small Waved Umber, x 1

Small Waved Umber

1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 1
1927 ... Brindled Beauty, x 1

Brindled Beauty

2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart, x 1
2182 ... Small Quaker, x 1
2243 ... Early Grey, x 3

Early Grey

2289 ... Knot Grass, x 1 ... year first

Knot Grass

2306 ... Angle Shades, x 3
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, x 1

10th April 2014 ... Garden Moth Traps latest

Overnight min. temp. 11deg C, Cloudy, calm.
Quite a nice variety in and around the traps last night.
Small Waved Umber could possibly be the earliest VC30 record in a year where early records are commonplace.
Highlight of the Night ...
SPRUCE CARPET
The catch ..
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella, x 1
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella, x 2, (1 daytime)
0695 ... Agonopterix alstromeriana, x 1
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, x 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 6
1728 ... Garden Carpet, x 2, ... year first

Garden Carpet

1769 ... Spruce Carpet, x 1, ... year first

Spruce Carpet

1781 ... Small Waved Umber, x 1, ... year first

Small Waved Umber

1858 ... V-pug, x 1

V-pug

1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 12
1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle, x 1

Yellow-barred Brindle

1906 ... Brimstone Moth, x 2

Brimstone Moth

2182 ... Small Quaker, x 1
2186 ... Powdered Quaker, x 1
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 10
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 3
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 3
2243 ... Early Grey, x 7
2306 ... Angle Shades, x 1

8th May 2013 ... Catch report

Last night was much cooler and quite windy as our fine weather of  late comes to a temporary end hopefully.
Two more "year first" moths were added, both common to my garden.

The catch ...
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella ... White-shouldered House-moth ... 1
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella ... Sulphur Tubic ... 1
0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea ... Mallow Groundling ... 1
0974 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana ... Heather Tortrix ... 2
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 2

1728 ... Xanthorhoe fluctuata ... Garden Carpet ... 1
1781 ... Horisme vitalbata ... Small Waved Umber ... 2, YF

1781 ... Small Waved Umber ... Horisme vitalbata

2063 ... Diaphora mendica ... Muslin Moth ... 1
2092 ... Agrotis puta ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... 4
2190 ... Orthosia gothica ... Hebrew Character ... 1
2243 ... Xylocampa areola ... Early Grey ... 2
2283/4..Acronicta tridens/psi ... Dark/Grey Dagger agg. ... 3
2306 ... Phlogophora meticulosa ... Angle Shades ... 1, YF

2306 ... Angle Shades ... Phlogophora meticulosa

12th May 2012... garden update

Night temps are down to 2 or 3 degrees again which equals slim pickings.
Last night was a little better in the early evening as the wind dropped and the temperature held up for the first couple of hours of darkness.
11th May  min. temp. 3.4 deg. windy
1342 Eudonia angustea x 2
0017 Common Swift Hepialus lupulinus  1, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta  3
2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa 1

Common Swift, Hepialus lupulinus

12th May min. temp. 3.7 deg. light breeze, clear.
0647 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
0808 Platyedra subcinerea  2
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 1
1342 Eudonia angustea 3
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3
1781 Small Waved Umber Horisme vitalbata 1
1862 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 1
2000 Iron Prominent Notodonta dromedarius 1, year first
2064 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 9
2154 Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae 2
2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica 1
2243 Early Grey Xylocampa areola 1

1 micro, possibly Mompha subbistrigella or similar, for gen. det.

Mompha subbistrigella ???

Small Waved Umber. Horisme vitalbata

Iron Prominent, Notodonta dromedarius

23rd April 2011.....Ticking along beautifully

The warm weather continues and already some people are moaning about being too hot....say no more...........The moths on the other hand relish the warmer weather and came out en masse last night... At 11pm it was still 15 deg and The Dells traps chalked up another garden "first" a cracking PALE OAK BEAUTY 1944 of the dark form humperti, wingspan...50mm

First of hundreds no doubt.....Pyrausta aurata

SCORCHED CARPET 1888 a nice addition to 2011

WAVED UMBER 1936 FFY

CYDIA POMONELLA 1261.....Codling Moth Last night:-

24 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

15 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana

3 x Epiphyas postvittana

3 x Endrosis sarcitrella

2 x Emmelina monodactyla

2 x Grey Dagger agg.

2 x Brimstone Moth

2 x Knot Grass

2 x Scalloped Hazel

Scorched Carpet *year first

Pyrausta aurata *year first

Flame Shoulder

Pale Tussock

Early Grey

Common Quaker

Powdered Quaker

Nut-tree Tussock

Ruby Tiger

Lime Hawkmoth

Tinea trinotella

Waved Umber *year first

Pale Oak Beauty *Garden first

Nutmeg

Cochylis dubitana

Incurvaria masculella

Plutella xylostella *year first

Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Cydia pomonella *year first

Muslin Moth

Esperia sulphurella

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

GARDEN TOTAL:-

86 species......57 macro, 29 micro

19th & 20th April 2011 The Dells update

My Agonopterix species was Gen inspected by the county recorder and he confirms that it is indeed AGONOPTERIX SCOPARIELLA. from 28/03/11....that's 3 new Agonopterix species added this week to the garden records. The GLORIOUS weather continues and moths are turning up unseasonably early across the land, so would I if I was a moth. The traps are slowly getting busier and the Shuttle-shaped Darts numbers are steadily growing. Traps will be chock full of Large Yellow Underwings before we know it !

SALLOW KITTEN...20/04/11.....first for year FOXGLOVE PUG 1817......20/04/11.... first for 2011 SWALLOW PROMINENT 2007...third one so far SMALL WAVED UMBER 1781..20/04/11...2 of these last night 20/04/11...1st appearance for FLAME SHOULDER x2 19/04/11 ...A very dark example of GREY/DARK DAGGER agg. County recorder is interested in this and will examine it. Bets are on GREY DAGGER 2284, either way it's the earliest record for the county which seems to be the trend around GB this year ESPERIA SULPHURELLA 649.....seen on 19th & 20th by day and also attracted to the traps at night.Thanks Ben for pointing out that I have labelled this incorrectly...it is indeed INCURVIA MASCULELLA....my garden is full of E. sulphurella at the moment 19/04/11....AGONOPTERIX PROPINQUELLA 696....a new addition 19/04/11...AGONOPTERIX ARENELLA 697.....another new micro for the Dells 19/04/11 TINEA TRINOTELLA 247...FFY Waiting for the micro recorder to confirm ID but I think this could be EPINOTIA IMMUNDANA 1136 ID now confirmed by recorder and also by "Eagle-eyed" Ben Sale, thanks Ben The next 3 individual moths are unidentified, but I caught some of these last year and it caused a bit of a stir...The word was, if I catch some again this year, and the suspected ID is correct...it could be BIG news. Well here they are again...the micro recorder has some live examples and the result is expected over the next two weeks.....stay tuned. (or it could be a big anticlimax !) In the meantime I thought I would post some pics.

19/04/11 ..................? 20/04/11.............?? 20/04/11...........??? TOTALS for 19th

6 x Esperia sulphurella (Daytime)
6 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

4 x Double-striped Pug
3 x Hebrew Character
3 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Agonopterix arenella *Garden first
2 x Tinea trinotella *Year first
2 x Early Grey
Brimstone Moth
Clouded Drab
Common Quaker
Argyrotaenia ljungiana
Emmelina monodactyla
Nut-tree Tussock
Grey/Dark Dagger agg
Agonopterix propinquella *garden first
Swallow Prominant
Small Quaker
Powdered Quaker
Oak-tree Pug
Epinotia immundana (to be confirmed) ID confirmed
1 x micro (probably a very small Brown House-moth) to be ID'd ID confirmed as Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Brown House-moth)
Incurvia masculella * garden first...during the day

TOTALS for 20/04/11:-
Esperia sulphurella (any amount by day)
8 x Shuttle-shaped Dart (here we go again !)
6 x Early Grey
2 x Hebrew Character
2 x Common Quaker
2 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Flame Shoulder *year first
2 x Grey/Dark Dagger
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Small Waved Umber
Ruby Tiger
Sallow Kitten *year first
Swallow Prominent
Garden Carpet
Powdered Quaker
Tinea trinotella
Small Quaker
Epiphyas postvittana
5 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Common Pug
1 x Foxglove Pug *year first

plus the 3 no. mystery moths

The Dells garden year tally now stands at 45 macro and 22/23 micro (mystery moth ID pending)
I have decided not to continue adding up the total moth numbers, just the species.

14th April 2011....Meanwhile, back to the moths

Best night for a while in the garden traps. Minimum temperature was a tad under 9 deg C and 5 year first species were found. ........... COMMON PUG 1834

GARDEN CARPET 1728

SMALL WAVED UMBER 1781

OAK-TREE PUG

ERIOCRANIA SUBPURPURELLA 0006

Last nights catch :-

7 x Common Quaker

4 x Early Grey

2 x Double-striped Pug

2 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Powdered Quaker

1 x Hebrew Character

1 x Clouded Drab

1 x Brimstone Moth

1 x Eriocrania subpurpurella *year first

1 x Oak-tree Pug *year first

1 x Garden Carpet *year first

1 x Small Waved Umber *year first

1 x Common Pug *year first

Garden Totals:-

751 moths (597 macro, 154 micro)

45/46 species (31 macro, 14/15 micro) one ID pending