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The moths that the bat missed (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Surreybirder
- Start date
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
Thanks, Chris. You are so quick that you'd posted your answers before I'd noticed that I had put a couple of pix up of the same moth and removed the duplicates! But you've given me enough to go on.
The variety in May is astounding. I've hardly had more than one or two of any species in the last week or so but still added about 15 new species for the garden, not counting unidentified micros!
Ken
The variety in May is astounding. I've hardly had more than one or two of any species in the last week or so but still added about 15 new species for the garden, not counting unidentified micros!
Ken
Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
I had a bit of fun with one of these last year and I think both the pugs (ignoring the probable Double-striped) might be White-spotted. The second one certainly looks to have a good white mark on the thorax. There should also be white marks on the side of the abdomen, which the eye of faith might pick out in the second photo.
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Hi Ken,
I agree with Chris on the ID's but as to 1 and 15 I haven't got any idea, 15 is at a bad angle with insufficient wing visible to make more than a guess.
I'm still getting very poor catches in comparison with previous years, e.g. last night produced the following list.
Brimstone 1
Knot Grass 1
Flame Carpet 2
Spruce carpet 1
Scalloped Hazel 1
Water Carpet 4
Rivulet 8
Lesser Swallow Prominent. 1
Small Angle Shades. 1
I live in a very small country village, situated in a well wooded valley, surrounded by Oak, Birch, Sallow, Poplar, Alder and numerous other larval foodplants. Perhaps it's the new Sodium street lighting that's causing the problem? (there is a road at the end of my garden).
It's certainly not a shortage of moths in the vicinity, yesterday whilst beating Oak I had hundreds of moth larvae tumble into the tray as well as the Purple Hairstreak butterfly larvae I was looking for, and I was only a few hundred yards from home.
I do have a resident Bat population but seldom have more than three or four over the trap during any evening. It can't be the size of my garden either, it's 125' x 30' and is basically a wild garden and has always produced considerable catches in the past. I have tried replacing my MV bulb but without any change in moth numbers.
Perhaps a change of venue will work, I will have to see what National Moth Night produces this weekend.
Harry Eales.
I agree with Chris on the ID's but as to 1 and 15 I haven't got any idea, 15 is at a bad angle with insufficient wing visible to make more than a guess.
I'm still getting very poor catches in comparison with previous years, e.g. last night produced the following list.
Brimstone 1
Knot Grass 1
Flame Carpet 2
Spruce carpet 1
Scalloped Hazel 1
Water Carpet 4
Rivulet 8
Lesser Swallow Prominent. 1
Small Angle Shades. 1
I live in a very small country village, situated in a well wooded valley, surrounded by Oak, Birch, Sallow, Poplar, Alder and numerous other larval foodplants. Perhaps it's the new Sodium street lighting that's causing the problem? (there is a road at the end of my garden).
It's certainly not a shortage of moths in the vicinity, yesterday whilst beating Oak I had hundreds of moth larvae tumble into the tray as well as the Purple Hairstreak butterfly larvae I was looking for, and I was only a few hundred yards from home.
I do have a resident Bat population but seldom have more than three or four over the trap during any evening. It can't be the size of my garden either, it's 125' x 30' and is basically a wild garden and has always produced considerable catches in the past. I have tried replacing my MV bulb but without any change in moth numbers.
Perhaps a change of venue will work, I will have to see what National Moth Night produces this weekend.
Harry Eales.
No.1 is a pyralid, and by the way the moth looks narrow , I'd go for Eudonia angustea. Don't mind what guides say about flight times. It seems to turn up at odd times of year. I could not say that it isn't one of the 'others'
As for the pugs, I'm inclined to side with Chris. I would like explantion of what makes them Common and not something else. So far I'm not really very far down the 'pug road'
As for the pugs, I'm inclined to side with Chris. I would like explantion of what makes them Common and not something else. So far I'm not really very far down the 'pug road'
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
Surreybirder said:
Just posted a pic of one I had two nights ago here. It is Epiblema cynosbatella (1174), a tortrix with bright yellow palps.
http://cgi.ukmoths.force9.co.uk/show.php?id=452
A different pic attached.
Attachments
Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
I can't find any pics of Common Pug with those white bars on the thorax and the white spots on the side of the abdomen look clearer in that last pic. Why isn't it White-spotted Chris? Like Angus I am keen to learn what to look for. I have a vast experience of only a handful of either species so far 
Thanks
Thanks
CJW
Hit-and-run WUM
I may well be wrong, Brian. Perhaps the thorax bands were more obvious in the flesh, so to speak.
The ones I've put down as White-spotted have always had very white thorax markings and larger white spots on the hindwing and less obvious orbital spots.
Let's face it, pugs are a nightmare.
The ones I've put down as White-spotted have always had very white thorax markings and larger white spots on the hindwing and less obvious orbital spots.
Let's face it, pugs are a nightmare.
Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
Waring et al say that common pug has noticeably narrower fore-wings... but I've not got enough experience to be able to tell! Both common and white-spotted seem to be reasonably common in Surrey. I'll see what my county recorder says!
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