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

July Moths (1 Viewer)

Last night had promise on the Met Office app, warm and cloudy, but in reality was clear and cold. 87 moths of 23 species, but it was the usual stuff with nothing new. It started moderately but got slower and slower as time passed. 24 Common Footman, 16 Garden Grass-veneer and 8 Riband Wave. Dusky Sallow, Peppered Moth, Fern and Swallowtail the only attractive ones. Very disappointing. For July the weather seems dreadful.
A pleasing new moth for me was Foresters; one I've wanted to see; spotted by a mate at Elveden, Suffolk by A11 while doing some casual botany.
 
Diverse catch last night: 43 moths of 23 species. Of those, 5 were NFY: Mother of Pearl, Yellow-tail, Rosy Footman, Small Ranunculus and Grass Emerald, the last being a full tick. 4 Elephant Hawk-moths were dwarfed by a Pine Hawk-moth and Heart and Darts only just beat Shuttle-shaped Darts 6:5.

John
 
Surprisingly small catch this morning on what I thought would be a decent night: maybe there are not many moths around in urban areas this year. Anyone else found the same?

Anyway, 61 moths of 21 species with the highlight being a rather faded Small Ranunculus NFY and my first Yponomeuta of any type also NFY, unfortunately a padella/malinellus agg.

Steve
 
Steve Lister said:
Surprisingly small catch this morning on what I thought would be a decent night: maybe there are not many moths around in urban areas this year. Anyone else found the same?

Anyway, 61 moths of 21 species with the highlight being a rather faded Small Ranunculus NFY and my first Yponomeuta of any type also NFY, unfortunately a padella/malinellus agg.

Steve
Click to expand...

Your catch is enormous compared to mine Steve!
 
A pretty decent night, with Poplar Hawk, Plain Golden Y, V-Pug, Marbled Beauty, Common Wave, Purple Clay & Buff Arches all among those putting in welcome repeat appearances. A new record total of 41 Large yellow Underwings bumped numbers up to 82. The real highlights were the three new species (out of a total of 27); Lesser Yellow Underwing, Drinker and, best of the lot, a Sharp-angled Carpet, which as far as I can gather is an extreme rarity in Flintshire, and quite a looker to boot!

Buff Arches
Large Yellow Underwings
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Drinker
Sharp-angled Carpet
 

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Pretty decent night here too, with 116 moths of 43 species. Footmen were the most abundant, with Common the most numerous of the five species represented. Miller, White Satin and Oak Hooktip were all new for the garden.
 
My highlights, again of a very low numbers night, White Satin Moth and Poplar Grey.
 

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Another disappointing total (67 of 30) but including some nice records......

Common Wave NFY and only my 2nd in 15 years on this street
Double Square-spot NFY
Dun-bar NFY
Middle-barred Minor NFY
Pine Hawk-Moth 2nd for year and only 3rd one here

I don't know what has happened to Large Yellow Underwings round here - I am only catching odd ones. Dark Arches not much better.

Steve
 
Steve Lister said:
Another disappointing total (67 of 30) but including some nice records......

Common Wave NFY and only my 2nd in 15 years on this street
Double Square-spot NFY
Dun-bar NFY
Middle-barred Minor NFY
Pine Hawk-Moth 2nd for year and only 3rd one here

I don't know what has happened to Large Yellow Underwings round here - I am only catching odd ones. Dark Arches not much better.

Steve
Click to expand...

I've only had one in total Steve, perhaps the air is too clean this year :-O

I haven't had a Square-spot Rustic yet either, a species which is usually abundant here.
 
Yesterday I went to the New Forrest and Portland, we set off at 06:00. My friend wanted to see Heath Grasshopper which we found and I swept a Grass Emerald at the same spot. There was an incident on the heath about 70 yards away with 3 police units, 6 ambulances and a rescue helicopter. They recovered a body from a pond I believe. Then we went to Portland and saw two Large Tortoiseshell Butterflies, both in pristine condition. Very pretty. Home at 20:00, one hours sleep then put the moth trap out and was up till 04:40. An interesting night with lots of stuff, 186 moths of 52 species, with several micros in fridge still. I emptied the trap from 03:15 in the company of around 40 wasps, listening to the Blackbird singing. Why did they make days so short? Someone order some longer days, so I can fit more stuff in please.
Moths that were new for garden included - Ypsolopha scabrella, Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Latticed Heath, Dot Moth and Small Rivulet.
Not new but nice - Coronet, Peppered Moth, Dun-bar, Scalloped Oak, Elephant HM, Yellowtail, Nut-tree Tussock, Barred Hook-tip, Swallowtail, Yellow Shell, Bright-line Brown-eye, Dusky Sallow, Light Emerald, Boxtree Moth, Scorched Carpet, Clay. 31 Chrysoteuchia culmella won on numbers.
No Large Yellow Underwings here either.
 
andyadcock said:
I've only had one in total Steve, perhaps the air is too clean this year :-O

I haven't had a Square-spot Rustic yet either, a species which is usually abundant here.
Click to expand...

I never get many Square-spot Rustics, an average of about ten a year. None yet this year.
Large YU numbers can vary tremendously: I have just checked my database and I had 784 in 2008 but only 38 in 2011.

Both Flame and Flame Shoulder have yet to put in an appearance here this year.

Steve
 
I normally get loads of Square-spot Rustics but later than this and into Autumn, so I'm not yet worried by not having had any. Three Large Yellow Underwings last night so they are going up albeit slowly.

39 of 21 species. Heart and Dart just won with 5, over Riband Wave, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Small Dusty Wave with 4 each. NFY Canary-shouldered Thorn, Festoon and Clay Triple Lines (the last being a tick). One Elephant Hawk-moth, a Miller, an Oak Hook Tip and a Kitten I haven't yet ID'd made up the best of the rest.

John
 
Rubia said:
Yesterday I went to the New Forrest and Portland, we set off at 06:00. My friend wanted to see Heath Grasshopper which we found and I swept a Grass Emerald at the same spot. There was an incident on the heath about 70 yards away with 3 police units, 6 ambulances and a rescue helicopter. They recovered a body from a pond I believe. Then we went to Portland and saw two Large Tortoiseshell Butterflies, both in pristine condition. Very pretty. Home at 20:00, one hours sleep then put the moth trap out and was up till 04:40. An interesting night with lots of stuff, 186 moths of 52 species, with several micros in fridge still. I emptied the trap from 03:15 in the company of around 40 wasps, listening to the Blackbird singing. Why did they make days so short? Someone order some longer days, so I can fit more stuff in please.
Moths that were new for garden included - Ypsolopha scabrella, Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Latticed Heath, Dot Moth and Small Rivulet.
Not new but nice - Coronet, Peppered Moth, Dun-bar, Scalloped Oak, Elephant HM, Yellowtail, Nut-tree Tussock, Barred Hook-tip, Swallowtail, Yellow Shell, Bright-line Brown-eye, Dusky Sallow, Light Emerald, Boxtree Moth, Scorched Carpet, Clay. 31 Chrysoteuchia culmella won on numbers.
No Large Yellow Underwings here either.
Click to expand...

Hi Rubia. Whereabouts did you see the Large Tortoiseshells on Portland? I gather they've now been found breeding there & I still need to see these for the UK. I've seen a few locations mentioned on there.
 
Steve Lister said:
I never get many Square-spot Rustics, an average of about ten a year. None yet this year.
Large YU numbers can vary tremendously: I have just checked my database and I had 784 in 2008 but only 38 in 2011.

Both Flame and Flame Shoulder have yet to put in an appearance here this year.

Steve
Click to expand...

Had a couple of Flame but no Flame Shoulder yet.
 
Hi Rubia. Whereabouts did you see the Large Tortoiseshells on Portland? I gather they've now been found breeding there & I still need to see these for the UK. I've seen a few locations mentioned on there.
Click to expand...
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