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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

May Moths GB&I (1 Viewer)

DMW

DMW

Well-known member
It felt like Spring had finally arrived for the early part of the night - warm, calm and muggy, and good numbers of moths flying, especially pugs. Catch was therefore a little disappointing, with c.15 species and Common Quaker still the most abundant species.

Did get the first hawk-moth of the year though - a Poplar, and a new one for the garden, Agonopterix alstromeriana.
 
First night's trapping for a few weeks due to holidays brought 12 moths of 8 species. NFY were Herald, Brimstone Moth and my earliest ever Eudonia angustea
 
No trapping yet this month but walking round my neighbourhood (Southfields, London) and in Richmond Park, there were hundreds of Horse Chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella flying around and sitting on tree trunks.
Martin
 
First night of semi-successful trapping here in Barnes, London last night (well, successful for me...). 10 specimens of 4 species, including 3 Pale Mottled Willows and a new one for me - 1 Twenty-Plume Moth.

Will try again tonight.
 
A few moths to lighted Windows this evening (Southfields, SW18):
Bee moth
Tachystola acroxantha
Twenty-plume moth
Horse Chestnut leafminer
Light-brown Apple moth
 
13 moths of 5 species last night. The early theme continued with a Dark/Grey Dagger agg, my earliest by many weeks. This is very much a mid July-August moth for me normally.
 
Three consecutive nights running my trap, with Friday being the most successful - 16 moths of 10 species, new ones for me included Shuttle-shaped Dart, Brimstone Moth, Chestnut and Bee Moth. Plenty of Common Pugs (I guess - this group seem very daunting to me!), with at least 3 each night.

Last night was more of the same, but lower quantities, with a few new micros for me to puzzle over today.

Amazing what a difference a bit of warmth makes.
 
Common Pugs

petleyr said:
Three consecutive nights running my trap, with Friday being the most successful - 16 moths of 10 species, new ones for me included Shuttle-shaped Dart, Brimstone Moth, Chestnut and Bee Moth. Plenty of Common Pugs (I guess - this group seem very daunting to me!), with at least 3 each night.

Last night was more of the same, but lower quantities, with a few new micros for me to puzzle over today.

Amazing what a difference a bit of warmth makes.
Click to expand...

I would be surprised if you were catching that number of Common Pugs this early on. Why not post a photo or two and see what others think.
Richard
 
Hi Richard - happy to - I think I let them all go, but will check the camera, and if not, will try and get a picture next time. All advice happily received!
 
Hi Rich
We shared a few species from last night. Here's the list for the LWC, Barnes:
Common Quaker
Bee moth
Light Brown Apple moth
Lime Hawk
Brimstone moth
Pyralis farinalis
Knot Grass
Silver Y
Hebrew Character
Cream-bordered Green Pea
Lunar Marbled Brown
Clouded Drab
Least Black Arches
Probable Oak-tree Pug
Mompha subbistrigella
Mompha epilobiella
Tachystola acroxantha
Dichomeris acuminatus
Eudonia angustea
Cydia strobilella
Platyedra subcinerea
Parornix torqillella?
plus a few micros still to identify.
Best wishes
Martin
 
Pug-atory

Hi Richard,

Here's the one I could get from this morning's haul.... the photo isn't great (as usual), and the moth is paler than the picture suggests.

Any good for an ID? Perhaps Oak-Tree? I only had one of these in the trap today.

<EDIT - attachment didn't seem to work, so posted to the ID forum instead>

Cheers, Rich.
 
Well done Bill for spotting the (non)deliberate mistake. Too many names floating about in what used to pass for a brain!
Of course, what I meant was Dichrorampha acuminatana!
 
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Cryptoblabes bistriga was new for the garden last night. Looks like the first record for the Southend area.

Not a bad May so far, everything turning up on cue except Toadflax Brocade which was a bit late but now is nightly, that is if I can find them as they rarely enter the trap.
 

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Found this am on the wall outside trap with several Maiden's Blush, Nut-tree tussock and Barred Hook-tip....only the 2nd one I've had in 10 years!

Cheers
 

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Terrible here in Nottingham, too cold at night still, averaging 2-3 moths per night with none at all last night.

The night before I just had two but that included my first ever Chocolate-tip, local in Notts.

Andy
 

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Still very low numbers of moths in the garden MV trap here - just 12 species last night, but did get my first Water Carpet. Surprisingly, Least Black Arches was the most numerous species, with 6 individuals.
 
And very low numbers here in South Hampshire. I had an early Large Yellow Underwing about a week ago, followed by Coxcomb Prominent this week, a new moth for me, as was Firethorn Leaf Miner, trapped locally. 2 Bee moths in the trap last night.

Dave W
 
Agree with the low to non existent returns so far this year, a Hornet in the trap Friday night didn't help either. A quick look this am and the only customer was a Grey Dagger on the chair that supports the trap, perhaps a closer inspection later (sifting through the egg boxes), might reveal.....another? :eek!:


Increased yield by 100%....found a Brimstone!
 
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