NE.London last night, best night for variety so far this year for me. (1 Viewer)

KenM · Jul 14, 2019

The numbers of noctuid moths so far this year have been relatively low for me, with mainly Geoms. and Micros in the pot particularly Pyrrhalids, which have occurred in double digit figures on recent nights.

Last night Old Lady, Small Elephant Hawk and a female Poplar Hawk Moth (buff form) graced us with their presence albeit briefly, apart from the Poplar Hawk which I brought into the house unwittingly attached to my clothing, enabling me a few camera shots, a minimum of circa twenty sp, thus not a bad night for me.

Cheers

honeym · Jul 14, 2019

Hi Ken
That seems quite a low number - but I gues it depends on your situation (i.e. the habitat in the immediate area), the type of trap used and how the trap is run.
I would expect 3 to 4 times that number at this time of year.
I've also had low numbers of noctuids this season.
Martin

Andy Adcock · Jul 14, 2019

My numbers of all species are very low but given my method (an open porch window) I do ok though some nights, actual moths, not species, are in single figures.

I'm on an exposed, fairly high, windy corner which really doesn't help at all.

KenM · Jul 14, 2019

honeym said:
Hi Ken
That seems quite a low number - but I gues it depends on your situation (i.e. the habitat in the immediate area), the type of trap used and how the trap is run.
I would expect 3 to 4 times that number at this time of year.
I've also had low numbers of noctuids this season.
Martin

Hi Martin,
The habitat is broad leaved woodland, thus no problem there. I have a Heath Robinson affair, basically a small ceramic urn with a plastic bowl (with requisite “double flapped letterbox” cut out the base with a 15w UV light sitting on top.

It’s served me well over the years with some great moths, I previously had a (borrowed) pucker affair, however this went back to the owner and I’ve improvised since. To be honest I found (with the previous set up...too many moths to go through on occasion, thus my current trap suits me quite well.

It’s a small comfort to know that Noctuids are generally low at this time, and not necessarily a “local affair”.

Cheers

Ken

KenM · Jul 15, 2019

honeym said:
Hi Ken
I've also had low numbers of noctuids this season.
Martin

Just a single Large Yellow Underwing last night representing the Noctuid family! :eek!:

Andy Adcock · Jul 17, 2019

KenM said:
Just a single Large Yellow Underwing last night representing the Noctuid family! :eek!:

I haven't had LYU at all yet this year.

Farnboro John · Jul 27, 2019

It must depend where you are. I ran my trap the night before last (first time this year, Maz wouldn't let me while we had the rats in the back garden but they are now dealt with) and here are some numbers:

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 39
Large Yellow Underwing 22
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 8
Heart and Dart 22
Shuttle-shaped Dart 21

Least Carpet 7 (biggest Geometrid number)

Range of species was 25.The bulk of my trap in volume terms is almost always Noctuids though the species selection can be closer.

Pick of the bunch was a tick, I've put it on a separate thread.

John

KenM · Jul 27, 2019

Farnboro John said:
It must depend where you are. I ran my trap the night before last (first time this year, Maz wouldn't let me while we had the rats in the back garden but they are now dealt with) and here are some numbers:

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 39
Large Yellow Underwing 22
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 8
Heart and Dart 22
Shuttle-shaped Dart 21

Least Carpet 7 (biggest Geometrid number)

Range of species was 25.The bulk of my trap in volume terms is almost always Noctuids though the species selection can be closer.

Pick of the bunch was a tick, I've put it on a separate thread.

John

As you say John depends on a number of variables, the closest I could come would be the Least Carpet, certainly had up to 3-4 of those individuals during a given session.

Last night I placed the parasol over my 15w UV and under my halogen security light (between the two basically) also I altered the angle of the halogen from 90-45 degrees and got my best diversity haul of individual moths so far. a single LYU, 2 Pebble Prominents, Peppered Moth, Early Thorn, Peach Blossom, several TLBeauties, Clay, Copper Underwing and a number of Geoms and Micros. :t:

Britseye · Jul 27, 2019

I've got so many LYU here in Cornwall, I even found one in the letter box when I collected the post yesterday morning. I'll send you twenty for just one of your Tree-lichen Beauties, Ken.

Farnboro John · Jul 27, 2019

KenM said:
As you say John depends on a number of variables, the closest I could come would be the Least Carpet, certainly had up to 3-4 of those individuals during a given session.

Last night I placed the parasol over my 15w UV and under my halogen security light (between the two basically) also I altered the angle of the halogen from 90-45 degrees and got my best diversity haul of individual moths so far. a single LYU, 2 Pebble Prominents, Peppered Moth, Early Thorn, Peach Blossom, several TLBeauties, Clay, Copper Underwing and a number of Geoms and Micros. :t:

Interesting! I also had Peppered Moth (pale); Dusky and September Thorns; several Tree-lichen Beauties, a couple of Clays - but not the others although they have all except Peach Blossom been garden visitors in past years.

Other Noctuids included 6 Dark Arches, 2 Turnips, Dot Moth and Double Square-spot.

My trap is one of those plywood boxes with a double neon tube across it, placed by the back (North facing) wall of the house in a straight terrace with nothing behind it but trees including my own Buddleia, Cove Brook and a school field for the next hundred yards.

John

KenM · Jul 27, 2019

Britseye said:
I've got so many LYU here in Cornwall, I even found one in the letter box when I collected the post yesterday morning. I'll send you twenty for just one of your Tree-lichen Beauties, Ken.

You’d better send me 100 LYU’s Graham!, as I found another 5 TLB’s this am, all resting on the black sealing strip between the PVC surround and the glass. :t:

aeshna5 · Jul 27, 2019

Britseye said:
I've got so many LYU here in Cornwall, I even found one in the letter box when I collected the post yesterday morning. I'll send you twenty for just one of your Tree-lichen Beauties, Ken.

LYU isn't a good abbreviation as it could be either Large or Lesser Yellow Underwing, though I'm guessing you meant the former!

Farnboro John · Jul 27, 2019

I think actinic is the word my ageing brain was struggling for in describing my trap light..... 8-P

John

Paul Chapman · Jul 28, 2019

When I saw my first Tree-lichen Beauty, I had to write it into my first edition copy of Skinner. Difficult to speculate how far it will spread.

Mind you, I had to write in Cypress Carpet and Channel Islands Pug amongst 20+ species since.

All the best

Andy Adcock · Jul 28, 2019

Paul Chapman said:
When I saw my first Tree-lichen Beauty, I had to write it into my first edition copy of Skinner. Difficult to speculate how far it will spread.

Mind you, I had to write in Cypress Carpet and Channel Islands Pug amongst 20+ species since.

All the best

I had the first Notts record last year.

aeshna5 · Jul 28, 2019

andyadcock said:
I had the first Notts record last year.

They're certainly well established around London.

Paul Chapman · Jul 28, 2019

aeshna5 said:
They're certainly well established around London.

There is a story of a Butterfly Conservation expert attending the House of Commons on official business - maybe on the reclassification of various Schedule 5 moths - and finding one of the early records on the wall. Not sure if the story is true or how accurately recounted by me here.

All the best

NE.London last night, best night for variety so far this year for me. (1 Viewer)

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