9th April 2014 .... Garden Moth traps latest

Two Esperia sulphurella were seen flying around the Bird-cherry logs in the afternoon sun, adding one more to the garden species tally ....

649 ... Esperia sulphurella

A warm evening. with cloud cover. 13 deg C until 22.30 hrs. dropping to  7 deg as the skies cleared with a bright waxing moon on view.
Highlight of the night.
PALE PINION

Lithophane hepatica, ... Pale Pinion

The catch:-
0483 ... Epermenia chaerophyllella, x 1
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella, x 2, ... year first
0688 ... Agonopterix heracliana ???, x 1, (retained for gen det)
Very difficult species, this one will be sent for ID as I suspect A. scopariella, which has been recorded previously at The Dells on a similar hunch. A. heracliana is still the bookies favourite tho ...

0695 ... Agonopterix alstromeriana, x 3
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, x 3
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla, x 3
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 7
1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 14
1906 ... Brimstone Moth, x 2
1917 ... Early Thorn, x 1
2182 ... Small Quaker, x 2
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 6
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 3
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 3
2236 ... Pale Pinion, x 1, ... year first
2243 ... Early Grey, x 7
2306 ... Angle Shades, x 1
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, x 1

8th April 2014 Garden Traps latest

Min overnight temp. 6deg C, Clear sky, chilly
Not a great deal in the traps. The only addition to the 2014 list was an Angle Shades which is very common in the garden.
The first wave of Double-striped Pugs seems to have passed their peak, but as yet,  no Brindled or Oak-tree Pug have been recorded
0688 ... Agonopterix heracliana, x 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 1
1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 3
1917 ... Early Thorn, x 2
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 3
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 1
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 4
2243 ... Early Grey, x 4
2306 ... Angle Shades, x 1, ... Year first

2306, Euplexia lucipara, ...  Angle Shades

7th April 2014 ... Garden trap results

Min overnight temp. 6 deg C. Wind, rain until 11.00 pm. then clear and cool
Highlight of the night was no Common Quakers.
Yet another V-pug and an in-house Brown House-moth was added to The Dells year list.

0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brown House-moth, x 1, ... year first.
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, Light Brown Apple Moth, x 1
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla, Twenty-plume Moth, x 1
1858 ... V-pug, x 1
1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 2
1927 ... Early Thorn, x 2
2063 ... Muslin Moth, x 1
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 1
2189 ... Twin-spotted Quaker, x 1
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 2
2243 ... Early Grey, x 1

Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brown House-moth

6th April 20114 ... Another early V-pug

Min. overnight temp .. 13 deg C, gusting wind, light rain becoming heavier
Nothing to add to the garden year list but another early V-pug showed up ...
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, x 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 1
1858 ... V-pug, x 1

V-pug

1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 13
1917 ... Early Thorn, x 1
2063 ... Muslin Moth, x 1
2182 ... Small Quaker, x 1
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 8
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 1
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 2
2243 ... Early Grey, x 3
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, x 1
2469 ... Herald, x 1

Herald

5th April 2014 ... Purrfect !

min overnight temp .. 13 deg C, cloudy with light rain early a.m.
Surprisingly few moths in the traps but the early flight trend continues with another Varied Coronet (probable revisit) and a magnificent Puss Moth ...

Cerura vinula, Puss Moth, 5th April 2014

1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, x 5
1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 5
1917 ... Early Thorn, x 1
1995 ... Puss Moth, x 1, ... Year first
2063 ... Muslin Moth, x 1
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart, x 1
2170 ... Varied Coronet, x 1
2082 ... Small Quaker, x 2
2187 ... Common Quaker, x 7
2188 ... Clouded Drab, x 1
2190 ... Hebrew Character, x 3
2243 ... Early Grey, x 7
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, x 2

The Varied Coronet looks like the one caught on 3rd April which has found its way back to the garden as the markings appear identical, added to the fact that it is well outside of its normal flight time range ...

Varied Coronet, 5th April 2014

Varied Coronet, 3rd April 2014

 The same moth ?
I think so .... it has been released with an extra black indelible ink spot on the forewing

MARCH
Top counts ... garden moths with 5 or more records ....
1 ... 106 ... Common Quaker
2 ... 92 ..... Emmelina monodactyla
3 ... 59 ..... Early Grey
4 ... 57 ..... Double-striped Pug
5 ... 38 ..... Clouded Drab
6 ... 27 ..... Agonopterix heracliana
7 ... 26 ..... Hebrew Character
8 ... 8 ....... Small Quaker
9 ... 7 ....... Early Thorn
10 . 5 ....... Agonopterix alstromeriana

Double-striped Pug, very common at The Dells garden traps ...
The earlier ones were tiny but now they are a lot bigger, this one in particular has a wingspan of 23mm