September moths (1 Viewer)

I had a short trapping session last night and got two centre-barred sallows. Nothing else new for the year but a fresh burnished brass and a spectacle added variety to most of the usual suspects.
Ken

3. is Euphyia unangulata.

Agreed. Its rather late isn't it. Another species sneaking in a second brood? More likely just a long lived individual. I see from Mike's site they are not unknown in September in Hants:
http://www.bike2nature.co.uk/moths/moth_1794.htm

Whoops again!
(I'm having trouble with carpets at home, too--leaking pipe, saturated floor etc.) Come to think of it, why are the moths called 'carpets'? Do any of them have associations with carpets, look like carpets, behave like carpets?
Ken

hardly worth reading

Driving home after dark last night the country lanes were alive with moths... hardly a moment with none in view. Unfortunately this situation wasn't reflected in my trap with just a scattering of the commoner species.
Best were probably a fresh green carpet, snout, burnished brass. (This may have been due to the fact that my neighbour--two away--had his garden lights on. He has six street lights going down to his garden shed. Considering we don't have any street lights round here, his garden must be the brightest place for a mile. His lights are those rather orangy coloured ones (sodium?) but I strongly suspect that they affect my catches. Fortunately he doesn't use them that often.)

My ISP has suddenly doubled my download speed to 2Mps... pretty amazing! Only trouble is that they went 'down' for nearly all of yesterday. Always seems to happen on a Friday for some reason.
Ken

On Thursday night the roads were packed with moths too. I wished I had my trap set up already!

A few nights ago I travelled back through clouds of moths but there were none at my wine rags and the following morning's traps were nothing special. Odd innit!

An attack of lethargy precluded trapping last night but definitely give a go tonight. Good birds in the garden this morning though with Sand Martin, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Willow Warbler all less than frequent visitors.

Quiet again last night. I got a couple of micros though.
Ken

When do you guys generally give up mothing for the winter?

Andrew said:

When do you guys generally give up mothing for the winter?

Click to expand...

I don't,

Though numbers are low from Dec onwards.

Sep 3rd Wicklow Trap list 51 species/ 2 traps

It was cooler than forecasted with temp ranging 11-13C. Light winds with fairly
clear sky.
Ran 2 traps in garden, 50 species between them, with the 15w actinic performing
relatively well. Mouse Moth, Brindled Green and Treble Bar were new for year.

125w Skinner. 547 moths, 38 species
0288 Caloptilia stigmatella 1
0873 Blastobasis lignea 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 11
1260 Cydia splendana 1
1305 Agriphila tristella 2
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 2
1702 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) 1
1722 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata) 3
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 4
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 2
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 3
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) 2
2049 Buff Footman (Eilema depressa) 1
2051 Four-spotted Footman (Lithosia quadra) 1
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 51
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 13
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 19
2123 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 16
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 270
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 69
2198 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 1
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 25
2248 Brindled Green (Dryobotodes eremita) 2
2269 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago) 6
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2299 Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 3
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 5
2350 Small Wainscot (Chortodes pygmina) 5
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 4
2360x Ear Moth agg. (Amphipoea oculea agg.) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 11
2368 Crescent (Celaena leucostigma) 3
2439 Gold Spot (Plusia festucae) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1
2474 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 1

15w Actinic Skinner, 244 moths 35species
0873 Blastobasis lignea 1
0969 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis corylana) 1
1038 Acleris laterana 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 6
1111 Bactra lancealana 1
1309 Agriphila geniculea 1
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 1
1708 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) 1
1722 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata) 5
1725 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe ferrugata) 2
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 5
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
1867 Treble Bar (Aplocera plagiata) 2
1907 Bordered Beauty (Epione repandaria) 1
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 1
2087 Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum) 1
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 47
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 11
2123 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 14
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 91
2133 Six-striped Rustic (Xestia sexstrigata) 1
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 19
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 13
2248 Brindled Green (Dryobotodes eremita) 2
2269 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 2
2350 Small Wainscot (Chortodes pygmina) 4
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 2
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 2
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1
2484 Pinion-streaked Snout (Schrankia costaestrigalis) 1

Surreybirder said:

Quiet again last night. I got a couple of micros though.
Ken

Click to expand...

First is Carcina quercana and the other one looks like Agapeta hamana.

Angus T said:

I don't,

Though numbers are low from Dec onwards.

Click to expand...

Ditto

brianhstone said:

Ditto

Click to expand...

Ditto, though I tend to wait for comparatively mild nights. Don't stop yet... there are quite a few interesting species that only start to emerge during September-December. (And I'm determined to get a green-brindled crescent this time round!)
Ken

brianhstone said:

First is Carcina quercana and the other one looks like Agapeta hamana.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Brian. I had the second down as A hamana, another rather variable micro. The first is a year 'tick'.
Ken

Ah, so ya did!

As for keeping going, you wouldn't want to miss December Moth either (flying from Nov-Jan).

Managed a new macro for the garden last night in the shape of a Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria). :t:

The Treble-bar pic shows the claspers nicely - Lesser Treble-bar has a fatter, blunter abdomen tip.

The Light Emerald was really small. Perhaps many second generation individuals are?

Glad you 'corrected some horrid spleing'! It's strange.... dusky thorn is one of my commoner species whereas I've only ever had one flounced rustic which you say you get masses of. I've not had a treble-bar agg here either.
Ken

...and I was hoping for a pause in using the light to make a few people happy!

Andrew said:

...and I was hoping for a pause in using the light to make a few people happy!

Click to expand...

Have you been annoying the neighbours Andrew?

Rob

Bugger the neighbours! It's my Mum who's annoyed!