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

April Moths (1 Viewer)

Had a new one for the trap last night - Twin-spotted Quaker as well as two Double Striped Pugs which were new for the year.
 
Still rather slow here in NW Hunts but a Blossom Underwing in the MV trap this morning brightened things up a bit. This is my second following one on 29 March 2004. That was considered a migrant but I just wonder if there might be a population around here somewhere. Although a rare species in Hunts I border Northants and I see it has been resident there:
http://www.northamptonshirewildlife.co.uk/nmoths/2183.htm

Totals from two traps:
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 1
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria), 3
2183 Blossom Underwing (Orthosia miniosa), 1
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi), 3
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta), 2
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica), 6
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola), 5

Bigger pics on my blog:
http://thenaturalstone.blogspot.com/

Brian Stone
NW VC31
 

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Not many moths last night considering what appeared to be ideal weather. Still no Clouded Drabs yet this year but I did have Red Chestnut which was new for the trap.
 
Success at last

At last I managed to trap more than one moth in a night! ;-) I sat with the trap outside our patio doors and could see I had a few visitors. An Early Thorn perched on the outside of the Gladiator Actinic so I popped it in but it wasn't there this morning. I am thinking that maybe I need to blacken the box so they are not encouraged to perch on the outside, what do you think?

1 Early Thorn (escaped)
2 Hebrew Character
1 Small Quaker
1 Twin Spotted Quaker
1 Common Quaker
1 Satelite? (see image)

I wish I had the Early Thorn to take some pictures of but maybe he will return again.

Cheers

Alex
 

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Best night yet, and three new ones - the Small Eggar being the best for the garden.
In garden in ST60 Dorset: singles each of Brown House Moth, Agonopterix propinquella, Acleris literana, Small Eggar, Double-striped Pug, Early Thorn, six Pale Brindled Beauty, one Spring Usher, three Dotted Border, single Engrailed, Small Quaker and Common Quakers, three Clouded Drab, a Twin-spotted Quaker, four Hebrew Character, and an Early Grey . At Holm Bushes: singles each of Diurnea fagella, Shoulder Stripe, Water Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Engrailed, Clouded Drab, Twin-spotted Quaker, Hebrew Character, Pale Pinion and Early Grey. At Burton Hill Wood: two Shoulder Stripe, two Pale Brindled Beauty, three Small Quaker, eight Hebrew Character and a Herald.
 
Last two nights (13th/14th)

Good to see things are livening up around the coutryside. Very active here over the last two nights being the best of the year so far, not only on numbers but on number of species - 7.1C and 7.3C, cloudy, calm and very dewy. 326 moths of 23 species and 463 moths of 21 species:

March Moth (0,1)
Shoulder Stripe (1,0)
Red-green Carpet (0,1)
Brindled Pug (12,8)
Early Tooth-striped (10,6)
Horse Chestnut (2,1) - new for year
Early Thorn (0,2) - new for year
Purple Thorn (1,1) - new for year
Brindled Beauty (1,4)
Oak Beauty (1,4)
Engrailed (2,7)
Red Chestnut (2,1) - new for year
Pine Beauty (2,9)
Small Quaker (145,270)
Common Quaker (57,89)
Clouded Drab (8,4)
Twin-spotted Quaker (21,12)
Hebrew Character (31,29)
Early Grey (1,1)
Chestnut (20,11)
Oak Nycteoline (1) - new for year
Nut-tree Tussock (1) - new for year

Ypsolopha ustella (3,0)
Diurnea fagella (3,1)
Acleris ferrugana (1,0)
Acleris literana (1,0)
Twenty-plume Moth (0,1)

I assume the Ypsolpha ustella below is correct. Couldn't see anything else to fit but it's the reddest and lightest one I've had.

(First Cuckoo of the year here yesterday)

All the best for the rest of the weekend
Pete H
 

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AlexWinser said:
At last I managed to trap more than one moth in a night! ;-) I sat with the trap outside our patio doors and could see I had a few visitors. An Early Thorn perched on the outside of the Gladiator Actinic so I popped it in but it wasn't there this morning. I am thinking that maybe I need to blacken the box so they are not encouraged to perch on the outside, what do you think?


Alex
I'd agree with satellite - there's nothing similar that I'm aware of.
I find that quite a high proportion of moths settle outside the traps - and I'm not sure that there's much you can do about it. It's usually worth scanning the surrounding area as I find that the moths often look for little hiding places in the grass or on the side of the greenhouse. If you find another moth on the outside of the trap that you want to photo it is probably safer to pot it (I use old individual pudding pots - Tesco's for example - and yoghurt pot lids but you can buy the proper ones if you want to.)
 
Thanks for the ID assistance.

Would it not help to have a black/dark catchbox so the light is not visible from the outside? Or maybe this would reduce the success of the trap?

I put the Early Thorn in the trap and it looked settles when I went to bed but in the morning he had gone. I will not make that mistake again and will pot it.

Cheers

Alex
 
Two new moths for me during a good session trapping at my parent's place in Hampshire. The Nut-tree Tussock was a female and laid a good batch of eggs in a pot.

14 April 125W MV Skinner:
1881 Early Tooth-striped (Trichopteryx carpinata), 1
1927 Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria), 1
1930 Oak Beauty (Biston strataria), 2
2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda), 11
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis), 1
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi), 8
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta), 2
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda), 6
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica), 10
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola), 1
*2260 Dotted Chestnut (Conistra rubiginea), 1
*2425 Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli), 1
* = first for me
 

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Last night (15th)

Hi Brian, I have one or two bogey moths and Powdered Quaker is one of them (Lead-coloured Drab and Dark Chestnut are two more!). What is your sure fire way of separating Powdered from a slightly different Common? Is it size or what?

Another good night here with the highlight being the first Streamer of the year. Min temp 6.7C, cloudy/clear, calm and dewy again. 427 moths of 22 species as follows:

Shoulder Stripe (1)
Streamer (1) - new for year
Brindled Pug (6)
Early Tooth-striped (2)
Horse Chestnut (1)
Purple Thorn (1)
Brindled Beauty (2)
Oak Beauty (5)
Engrailed (2)
Red Chestnut (1)
Pine Beauty (4)
Small Quaker (238)
Common Quaker (67)
Clouded Drab (17)
Twin-spotted Quaker (16)
Hebrew Character (45)
Early Grey (2)
Chestnut (5)
Oak Nycteoline (1)

Eriocrania chrisolepidella (1) (probable) - new for year whichever Eriocrania it is - piccie below for comment - to be gen detted.
Diurnea fagella (5)
Agonopterix arenella (1)
Acleris notana/ferrugana (5) - 3 almost certainly ferrugana.

Here's to another good night tonight.

All the best
Pete H
 

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Powdered Quaker really don't feel much like Common Quaker when you get one. Its distinctly larger, a slightly different shape. The patterning and texture are pretty consistent and quite distinctive. Its another one of these "you know it when you see it" jobs.
 
Last night my trap was really buzzing for the first time this year.
Lots of Orthosia sp. (nothing different)
pine beauty (first for two years)
20-plume (new for year)
early grey (nfy)
Micro that I'm sure I've seen before but cannot place.
Anon. pug
early thorn (nfy)
Ken
 

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Surreybirder said:
Micro that I'm sure I've seen before but cannot place.
Anon. pug
Ken

Hi Ken,

I think your micro is Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella. Needs a look at the hindwing (see UK Moths for details). The pug is probably a melanistic Brindled Pug. I've had a good proportion of these in my 60 Brindleds to date.

Last night here was colder at 5.9C but it was cloudy and calm, if somewhat dewy again. Biggest haul of the year to date with 699 moths of 29 species. The highlights were my first Blossom Underwing of the year and another Eriocrania chrysolepidella/cictricella. List as follows:

March Moth (1)
Shoulder Stripe (3)
Red-green Carpet (1)
Brindled Pug (33)
Early Tooth-striped (8)
Horse Chestnut (2)
Early Thorn (3)
Brindled Beauty (5)
Oak Beauty (6)
Engrailed (2)
Red Chestnut (2)
Pine Beauty (10)
Small Quaker (348)
Blossom Underwing (1) - new for year
Common Quaker (131)
Clouded Drab (19)
Twin-spotted Quaker (25)
Hebrew Character (49)
Pale Pinion (1)
Early Grey (2)
Satellite (1)
Chestnut (33)
Dotted Chestnut (1)
Oak Nycteoline (1)

Eriocrania chrysolepidella/cictricella (1)
Diurnea fagella (3)
Agonopterix arenella (1)
Acleris notana/ferrugana (4)
Twenty Plume Moth (2)

Total for year so far is 4,112 macros of 36 species and 98 micros of 12 species. Only half last year's species for April so far but almost the same number of moths with Small Quakers already overtaking last year's total. Shows they aren't affected by the cold weather!

All the best
Pete H
 

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Cool, clear night here in VC31 and a very small catch (12 moths of 6 species from two traps) but first Powdered Quaker of year for my garden in the actinic.
 
Pete Haynes said:
I assume the Ypsolpha ustella below is correct. Couldn't see anything else to fit but it's the reddest and lightest one I've had.

Hi Pete,

Looks like Zelleria hepariella to me, mate

Mike
 
MikeWall said:
Hi Pete,

Looks like Zelleria hepariella to me, mate

Mike

Thanks Mike. You've confirmed what Andy Mitchell said on 'the other forum'. I had one last year in July that wasn't worn like this one, which had obviously overwintered.

All the best
Pete H
 
Last night (17th)

Cooler last night at 4.9C min, cloudy/clear, calm and dewy. Only 1 micro, the inevitable Acleris ferrugana. 485 moths 0f 20 species with the highlight being 4 Blossom Underwings - 1 in each of the four traps!

All the best for tonight.
Pete H
 

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