One for Surreybirder. (1 Viewer)

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

• Apr 2, 2004

• #1

Hi Surreybirder,
Keep your fingers crossed, you may see something like this later in the year.

The choice of caption is yours, however I suggest these:-

Poplar Hawk says "Flash Bastard"
or
Poplar Hawk says " One of us has got the wrong cammo gear on"

Harry Eales.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Apr 2, 2004

• #2

We've had one of them, Harry - the right hand, but what is the left-hand one?

 

Surreybirder

Ken Noble

• Apr 2, 2004

• #3

Thanks, Harry, very nice.
I'd be equally happy with poplar or elephant... but preferably both!
Nice captions!

 

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

• Apr 2, 2004

• #4

Hi Scampo,
The insect on the left is a Poplar Hawk, that to its right is an Elephant Hawk. I get about 15- 20 of each in my garden trap each year, not all in one night though, but throughout their flight periods. Both are very common species locally.
Looking forward to getting my first Lime Hawk which has only just appeared in south Durham in the last year as a resident breeding species.

Harry Eales.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Apr 2, 2004

• #5

We had an elephant hawk caterpillar last year, but no moths. Our cat was playing with it and, my, did it look fearsome. I saved it and put it under a safe log.

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Apr 2, 2004

• #6

Just on the topic of hwkmoth numbers, what's the most of one species any of you have had in one night? My record (it might be a British record?) was 42x Small Elephant Hawks in June '99.

 

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

• Apr 3, 2004

• #7

Morning Chris,

Small Elephant Hawks are scarce in my local, but I did get 9 spms on one occasion on Holy Island, Northumberland. It's a coastal species only near me.

My best night for any Hawkmoth was back in the 1970's on a disused airfield which was overgrown with Sallows. In a four hour period I trapped 31 spms, my friend working about 50 yards away had 26 spms. All were Poplar Hawk. There was a good range of gray shading from pale through to very dark grey. 1 spm was rather small and khaki in colour. I have never seen another specimen like it. However, nights like that are rare but when they occur they are a fantastic experience.

I'm still hoping to find the Eyed Hawk locally, but it's been 30 odd years since anyone saw one in either Northumberland or Durham. Still, you never know maybe one night I will be lucky.

Harry Eales.

 

Last edited: Apr 3, 2004

B

Bubbs

Well-known member

• Apr 3, 2004

• #8

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I'm still hoping to find the Eyed Hawk locally, but it's been 30 odd years since anyone saw one in either Northumberland or Durham. Still, you never know maybe one night I will be lucky.

My record for Eyed Hawk Moth in my MV was three in one night along with Poplar. Both species usually appeared well after midnight. Durham is not far from York, so watch out, they may be coming your way one warm summer night/early morning.

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Apr 3, 2004

• #9

That's starnge John that they appear 'well after midnight' - over here you can generally set your watch by them to be in at 12:05am - Poplars first, followed by Eyed and Elephant.
I suppose I'm lucky in the fact that we get plenty of Eyeds, but I'd give my right arm for any of the following 'regulars':
Privet Hawkmoth
Lime Hawkmoth
Pine Hawkmoth
We just don't get 'em!

 

A

Angus T

Well-known member

• Apr 7, 2004

• #10

CJW said:

but I'd give my right arm for any of the following 'regulars':
Privet Hawkmoth
Lime Hawkmoth
Pine Hawkmoth
We just don't get 'em!

Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware, none of those three have ever been recorded in Ireland. Of the 'regulars' here, I've recorded one Small Elephant Hawk. Most Elephant HM in a trap is 12, and most Poplar HM is 7. Really lucky last year to have a Striped HM and 3 Convolvulus HM, though in the context of last year, its possibly more true to say that one was unlucky not to get the latter.

I distinctly remember the very first night I ever had trap on. The 3rd moth in was an Elephant HM at 23:10. Never knew such a thing existed till then.

 

Brian Stone

A Stone chatting

• Apr 8, 2004

• #11

I've only recorded Privet, Poplar and Hummingbird in my garden so far but hoping for more with a concerted effort this year. I suspect Poplar may prove quite numerous.

Could the cold and windy weather please ease up soon. Ta.

 

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

• Apr 8, 2004

• #12

Hi Brian,
I did a little pupae digging around the base of the trunk of a Sallow growing in my garden today, I turned up a total of four Poplar Hawk pupae, all alive and wriggling.
Give it a try it's a fascinating sideline to entomologising.

In your area you should get Lime & Eyed Hawkmoths , as well as some of the migrant species. It's just a case of waiting until your luck comes to the top of the pile. In 40 years I have had 6 Death's-head and 2 Convolvulous Hawks, one of the latter bred from a larvae taken locally last year. Most things come to he who waits, well occasionally, anyway.

I'm not as lucky as a long dead local naturalist, who took 50 Convolvulous Hawk larvae along a coastal hedgerow overgrown with Field Convolvulous at Seaton Sluice, Northumberland in 1901. But I still live in hope.

Harry Eales.