Moths and other critters in my Cypriot garden (2 Viewers)

[Atropos]

Starting to get a bit more interesting here now.

Silver-striped Hawkmoth plus, a Western Palearctic, tick for me in the form of this enormous, Convulvulous Hawkmoth. An attractive Chafer too with this Anoxia orientalis.

Had you not caught Convolvulous in the UK?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Had you not caught Convolvulous in the UK?

No, uncommon migrant and I wasn't best placed to get one.

 

[Atropos]

I caught a few but the majority of my trapping was on the south coast (East Sussex and Kent) or in Suffolk / Norfolk so was in areas more likely to catch them as migrants.

 

[Andy Adcock]

My first Cynaeda dentalis

Clear nights and a full moon make for poor trapping, Geometrids are dominant with very few, if any, Noctuids for over a week.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Here's a few to show the variation in Blair's Mocha

 

[Atropos]

My first Cynaeda dentalis

Clear nights and a full moon make for poor trapping, Geometrids are dominant with very few, if any, Noctuids for over a week.

Cynaeda dentalis was always a favourite of mine, used to catch it at Rye Harbour quite regularly. Stunning little moth

 

[Andy Adcock]

It's been cloudy and humid for a couple of nights so the catch has picked up. Big problem with very large ants getting in the trap and eating half the catch so need to find a solution for that.

A tiny Herb Emerald, shown here with a Bulrush Waisnscot to illustrate size.

The Caradrina was tiny too.

Four images of the ridiculously variable Noctua warreni.

A pale form of Purple Marbled.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Here are two, worn, Emerald species which have lost their green colour, I've never seen this in any of the UK species I used to catch?

 

[Andy Adcock]

I'm catching very little in the way of macro moths right now, no idea why, I thought it would be prolific here but it's not. Maybe I'll try a different light source, currently using a black light and maybe will bring my Mercury / Tungsten, blended lamp out when I get back to the UK next.

It's hard enough tracking down macro moth ID's so I think people will understand that it's even harder, nigh on impossible with micros, here are a few bits from last night, id anyone knows what any of them are, I'd be grateful.

 

[Atropos]

I totally agree, micros are a totally different level of difficulty to track down an ID for, at times can get no further than Family level. We forget how lucky we were in the UK to have guides for every taxa out there. I have just spent an ultimately fruitless day trying to get a very distinctive Tort down to genus level!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I'm getting a bit better at stuff I get regularly, once I've had help with an initial ID, I'm usually OK, still coming to terms with a lack of common names though!

The Cryphia is either ochsi or algae (Tree Lichen Beauty), said to be indistinguishable without dissection, also, an as yet unidentified Pug sp......aaah, that feels good to use a common name!!!

A couple from the last few days plus a burying Beetle sp.

 

[renopaul]

an as yet unidentified Pug sp

Andy, could it simply be Double-striped Pug? I've been caught out by this one around the Med, they seem more colourful than at home.

Cheers
Paul

 

[Andy Adcock]

Andy, could it simply be Double-striped Pug? I've been caught out by this one around the Med, they seem more colourful than at home.

Cheers
Paul

Yes, thanks Paul,
I overlooked it on the Cyprus list as I hadn't realised it wasn't a Eupithecia!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Last nights best bits.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Last nights pick.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Not much in the way of moths but big problem with various predators getting in to the trap and wreaking havoc. Often, there will be a couple of Mantis but now, predatory ants are a problem and had a nice Tiger Beetle today but even that, was falling prey to the ants.

 

[Atropos]

Not much in the way of moths but big problem with various predators getting in to the trap and wreaking havoc. Often, there will be a couple of Mantis but now, predatory ants are a problem and had a nice Tiger Beetle today but even that, was falling prey to the ants.

That is a huge problem over here and is one of the main reasons I can only use a sheet, that and the potential for medically significant species getting inside it and biting me when I remove the boxes!

 

[Andy Adcock]

No ants last night, I wonder if they're nomadic?

Here the best bits which wouldn't be complete without an unknowm micro which may be an Aglossa sp

 

[Andy Adcock]

Approaching a full moon again so catch is poor but here's the best bits.

 

[Atropos]

Thats not a Silver-striped Hawk looks like a worn Hippotion celerio to me