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Moth ID help, Scotland (1 Viewer)

thomasclark1985

Well-known member
Hi,

Last week I tried out my homemade moth trap for the first time, whilst away in Scotland. Armed with my moth guide I managed to ID just a few of them, (which took hours thumbing through the pages, from front to back repeatedly as I am a total beginner!) and there were many I couldn't ID, so can anyone help with these please?

Cheers,

Tom
 

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Thanks guys.

Just another question, when trying to attach some photo's I have difficulty trying to keep within the dimension limits. Most photos I can crop which solves it, but others are already too zoomed in that cropping means I lose half of the photo, is there a quick/easy way of solving this?
 
A few more

Thanks Andy, that's sorted it. Here are a few more. Am I right on any of these?

1) Lead-coloured drab
2) Brown silver-line
3) Streamer
4) Grey birch
5) Engrailed, again.

Cheers,

Tom
 

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Nailed em all mate, talented beginner!

The Drab is a tricky one but the rounded corners to the wing rather than slightly pointed, support LcD rather than Clouded I think, however, I still think that there's a chance that someone will tell us we're wrong, something is niggling about this one?




A
 
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Cheers mate, I'll hold back on the ID then! The drabs/quakers/darts all look difficult from my first proper look through the guide, I think I started out with about 6 species I thought It looked like! I could really get into moth'ing, it's just difficult without a decent garden to get trapping practice in.

Cheers,

Tom
 
One more!

Here is another photo, I was going with Common Quaker for the one on the left, and for the right I have no idea, another drab maybe?

Don't worry this is the last one!

Cheers,

Tom
 

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Common Quaker is correct,
wondering about a very dark, Rustic Shoulder-knot for the other, there aren't that many species that show a half dark kidney mark?


A
 
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As I've mentioned previously on many websites, etc., there are some basic structural features that can help in the elimination process when trying to identify moths belonging to the main subfamilies of the Noctuidae. Most can be seen with a 10x hand lens but it's sometimes easier with a binocular microscope.
The terminology is somewhat 'old school' - but it really does help.
Noctuinae: spined hind tibiae ('back legs') - don't confuse these with the spurs that most noctuids have at the junction between the various sections of the legs. They are chitinous spines poking through the scales on the hind tiniae.
Hadeninae: eyes are hairy when viewed obliquely.
Cuculliinae: eyes are 'lashed' (they have long cilia overhanging the upper part of the eye)
Amphipyrinae: none of the above but with large globular eyes.
Using the above one can eliminate the majority of the possible species and concentrate on the 'right' subfamily.
Martin
 
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