August Moths (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

A surprisingly thin night last night (17 individuals of 13 species) offset by the fact that at last I caught a Straw Underwing this year! Copper Underwing was also NFY.

Numbers, only the following reached the dizzy heights of two:

Shuttle-shaped Dart
Flame Shoulder
Vines Rustic
Heart and Dart

A Poplar Hawk-moth continued their run and a small, worn Silver Y made me work for the ID.

John

Same here, cold, wet and windy, commonest moth here right now is Lesser Broad-bordered Underwing, only highlight, one Old Lady.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

I think that it's virtually impossible to separate this species from Currant Pug without dissection?

OK, I'll probably submit it as a probable with photos and let someone else worry about it! For me personally though, given its large size and wing shape, based on the books & online resources I'm happy to call it a Wormwood.

 

[Atropos]

So......ideas needed. On holiday in rural Devon and thinking would get loads of numbers. Go to the trap this morning and about 10 macros although one was a cracking Oak Eggar!!!! So what is the problem? Home made trap with blue plastic foldable storage crate, 2 x actinic bulbs across top, clear perspex V with 2cm slot in bottom 10cm from bottom of trap and no escape routes up the side. Eggboxes only stacked up to the sides. Seems to pretty much be same design as available online. Or maybe I need to be out checking it before 07.30am?

Suspect a bit of not getting to the trap early enough (I get to mine 30 minutes or so before it gets light) and possibly the state of the moon. I was out in one of my bush sites on Monday night and there was no cloud cover and so although the moon not full it was very bright and certain families (Sphingidae most notably for me) were virtually absent where as a week earlier there were several species and individuals. over all diversity as down as well from 140 spp to 100spp

 

[Andy Adcock]

Twenty five moths total, a few more than I expected in such weather.

Shuttle-shaped Dart 5
Lesser Broad-bordered Underwing 5
Large Y-u 1
Rustic / Uncertain 1
Old Lady 1
Square-spot Rustic 3
Copper Underwing 3
Fanfoot 1
Garden Carpet 1

 

[Steve Lister]

Just 66 moths of 25 species this morning but both Flame Carpet and two Six-striped Rustics were NFY as well as being species I missed out on last year.
Large YU finally made it into double figures - just - but nothing else did.

A couple of miles away my mate had 34 Large YU and 17 Vine's Rustics in a catch of 157.

Steve

 

[KenM]

With cloud cover it was always going to be an interesting night...

Scalloped Oak, 5 Brimstone, Lime-speck Pug (believe my 3rd ever), 8 Jersey Tigers, 13 OAP’s, 2 TLB’s + lifer...Maple Prominent, in all 45 of 20 species.

Cheers

 

[Allen]

Suspect a bit of not getting to the trap early enough (I get to mine 30 minutes or so before it gets light) and possibly the state of the moon. I was out in one of my bush sites on Monday night and there was no cloud cover and so although the moon not full it was very bright and certain families (Sphingidae most notably for me) were virtually absent where as a week earlier there were several species and individuals. over all diversity as down as well from 140 spp to 100spp

Thanks Atropos....will try and earlier start and see if that helps. Although surely that only helps see stuff outside the trap....inside numbers shouldn't be affected as they can't escape anyway.

 

[Farnboro John]

Thanks Atropos....will try and earlier start and see if that helps. Although surely that only helps see stuff outside the trap....inside numbers shouldn't be affected as they can't escape anyway.

You'd be surprised.... the growing light of morning gets to the point where it pretty much overpowers my actinic and moths with a view of the sky whiz off through the central slot pretty accurately. It definitely helps to get there earlier, though I don't get quite that excited with a full day at work in prospect.

John

 

[Allen]

Thanks John. I shall try that next time...I wrongly assumed they'd head for the egg boxes rather than freedom!

 

[prhodes]

Amongst the regulars, an apparently rather late Knot Grass? (happy to be corrected on ID on these greyish complex pattern moths). 23 species last night despite the small trap being 'half covered' in JTs at one point.

 

[prhodes]

May have to take break as the cat has taken to chasing the Jersey Tigers around the garden. However, when caught they seem to play dead and survive, but feel I've still got a duty of care for them.

 

[Farnboro John]

View attachment 1401210
Amongst the regulars, an apparently rather late Knot Grass? (happy to be corrected on ID on these greyish complex pattern moths). 23 species last night despite the small trap being 'half covered' in JTs at one point.

I'm still getting them too, quite a few things are late this year.

John

 

[Atropos]

You'd be surprised.... the growing light of morning gets to the point where it pretty much overpowers my actinic and moths with a view of the sky whiz off through the central slot pretty accurately. It definitely helps to get there earlier, though I don't get quite that excited with a full day at work in prospect.

John

It helps to be an insomniac...plus my wife gets up at 0515 everyday to train (she is a long distance swimmer and swim 1.5 - 2km every morning)

 

[Steve Lister]

Potentially yet another addition to my garden list this morning in the form of the rather unimpressive Leek Moth Acrolepiopsis assectuella which is still unusual in these parts I think.
Also NFY were Angle Shades, Treble-bar, Centre-barred Sallow (only my third ever and the earliest of them) and Old Lady.
93 moths of 27 species.

Steve

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Another tick this morning - Feathered Gothic, a very handsome specimen. Also rating high in the looker stakes, my first Sallow Kitten of the year. Other notables included three September Thorns, two Yellow-barred Brindles, Nutmeg, Centre-barred Sallow and Swallow Prominent.

 

[Rubia]

13-18/08. A few NFY - Orange Swift, Cabbage Moth, Marbled Beauty, White-spotted Pug, Mouse Moth and Bordered Pug.
5 Mouse Moths last night, only had 3 last year in total.

 

[Allen]

Appreciate any id thoughts on these. The dark streaks and grey dusting led me to Small Wainscot but I could be completely off. In rural South Devon this week.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Nothing at all to report of note last night until I belatedly found my third ever Orange Swift.

 

[Andy Adcock]

An average night again with a couple of highlights which inculded my first ever Ear Moth, third Maiden's Blush and fourth Rosy Rustic with last nights Orange Swift attached too.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Our recorder is making me 'lump' my Ear which is disappointing but not surprising.