July Moths (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

The first looks a Crinan candidate to me and the second looks a Saltern/Large candidate to me.

I will get back to this when time permits.

All the best

Cheers Paul.

 

[Farnboro John]

Nothing out of the ordinary today unless you count a few moths that have taken a few weeks off before reappearing: Nut-tree Tussock being a good example. The biggest proportion of the 39 moths of 21 species were micros (aargh) - 5 Mother of Pearls (or should that be Mothers of Pearl) beat 4 Dark Arches and 4 Shuttle-shaped Darts. 2 Sallow Kittens, a Canary-shouldered Thorn and a Tree-lichen Beauty were best of the rest.

John

 

[Rubia]

Disappointing night, clear sky and very low temperature. Did just over 2 hours, till moths appeared to stop moving. Early arrival was 4th Pine Hawk-moth of the year. Only other notable moth was a Knot Grass. 23 moths of 19 species.
Friday currently looks promising with higher temp. Fingers crossed.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Didn't trap the last two nights due to very high winds.

The whole month here has been more like March or April than July.

 

[Allen]

Finally trapped after the dodgy weather for last few nights but pathetic catch again. Singles of Turnip/Shuttle-shaped Dart/Common Rustic, a very worn, almost transparent Poplar Hawk-moth and 2 Willow Beauty.

Am not sure why such low catches compared to Farnboro John who is only the other end of town!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Numbers remain low with the usual species recorded, however, the undoubted highlight was a Straw Undwering, a rare moth in Notts and my second record of the species here.

A quick look at the last couple of years moth reports, tells me that this is the first record in Notts in at least three years, my last was in 2010.

 

[Allen]

Another low count of single digit numbers. I'll try and post a picture of the set up later for suggestions on what might be the issue (or maybe it is purely location driven) but a homemade Skinner trap with 2 x 30W bulbs, 10 cm clearance between bottom of box and bottom of gulley, eggboxes stacked only under the gulley sides. The only things I can think of to check with others are:

- I'm checking trap at circa 6:30am, would earlier make any difference (assume not as the moths should effectively be in the eggboxes anyway come daylight)

- There is no perspex cover sitting above the bulbs so the unit is open across the top, does that make a difference to catch (several units online don't have a cover so assume not)

 

[KenM]

FWIW just a single moth amongst the egg boxes this am, my 1st was 17th July last year, a case of lightning striking twice?

Cheers

 

[dantheman]

Finally ...

... set the moth trap! A friend is down and camping up at my place, been trapping a few nights already, so I set the trap at the girlfriends in Mabe nr Falmouth last night. Not used it before - Gladiator 22W blacklight actinic in a plastic tub but pleasantly surprised.

Like FJ I've been recording my moths all wrong (date), but unlike FJ I'm young and willing to change ( ).

So last night (29th July 2020) -

Small Fan-footed Wave 1
Dingy Footman 2
Willow Beauty 1
Small Phoenix 2
Dark Square Spot 1
Uncertain/Rustic 3
Magpie Moth 2
Garden Carpet 1
Common Rustic 3
Early Thorn 1
Dark Arches 1
LYU 1
Smoky Wainscot 1
July High Flyer 1
Lesser YU 1
Drinker 1
Shuttle Shaped Dart 1
Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing 1
Purple Clay 1
Pale Mottled Willow 1
Buff Arches 1

Plus 5 micros, won't repeat here unless anyone is interested. Very handy having my mate id them as saved a lot of time (recognised a majority, but a lot of them the names would have escaped me). Best up at the field was a nice Privet Hawk Moth (small Heath Actinic, running off battery pack).

 

[dantheman]

Another low count of single digit numbers. I'll try and post a picture of the set up later for suggestions on what might be the issue (or maybe it is purely location driven) but a homemade Skinner trap with 2 x 30W bulbs, 10 cm clearance between bottom of box and bottom of gulley, eggboxes stacked only under the gulley sides. The only things I can think of to check with others are:

- I'm checking trap at circa 6:30am, would earlier make any difference (assume not as the moths should effectively be in the eggboxes anyway come daylight)

- There is no perspex cover sitting above the bulbs so the unit is open across the top, does that make a difference to catch (several units online don't have a cover so assume not)

There was a thread where people would post their set ups with photos - I think? Always useful.

EDIT: Your Moth Trap Setup

An older thread than I thought!!

 

[Allen]

Thanks Dan, an old thread but very useful anyway.

 

[aeshna5]

Think you've discovered a new species there Dan- Dark Square-spot! Guess you meant either Small or Double Square-spot?

 

[Steve Lister]

Another modest catch for me this morning, 57 of 24 species with Small Phoenix and Cloaked Minor NFY the highlights.

Still hardly catching any yellow underwings of any variety.

Andy - I have never had Straw Underwing here but a friend caught one four miles away on Sunday night. The recent Atlas map suggests it should be commoner than that.

Steve

 

[Andy Adcock]

Another modest catch for me this morning, 57 of 24 species with Small Phoenix and Cloaked Minor NFY the highlights.

Still hardly catching any yellow underwings of any variety.

Andy - I have never had Straw Underwing here but a friend caught one four miles away on Sunday night. The recent Atlas map suggests it should be commoner than that.

Steve

Steve,
it doesn't even appear in the last Notts, conservation status guide although that's now six years old.

 

[regor]

All this talk of the scarcity of Straw Underwing has got me worried - I’ve been getting a couple each night recently. This is one isn’t it? (please excuse poor photo) Its hindwings were pale yellow.

 

[Paul Chapman]

All this talk of the scarcity of Straw Underwing has got me worried - I’ve been getting a couple each night recently. This is one isn’t it? (please excuse poor photo) Its hindwings were pale yellow.

:t:

Not uncommon down here. That said a number of commoner moths can start to slip away without being noticed as a result of excessive chemical use, habitat loss, etc....

All the best

 

[Andy Adcock]

:t:

Not uncommon down here. That said a number of commoner moths can start to slip away without being noticed as a result of excessive chemical use, habitat loss, etc....

All the best

It's not been lost AFAIK Paul, Straw Underwing has never been regular up here.

 

[dantheman]

Think you've discovered a new species there Dan- Dark Square-spot! Guess you meant either Small or Double Square-spot?

Ha, written down on the back of the envelope as D Sq Spot, so the latter. Lucky that would be the only error tbh ...

 

[dantheman]

Last night, 30th July. Checked c7:30am

Macros -

25 of 15 species outside the trap, 43 of 24 in, so allowing for overlap 68 individuals of 34 species in total.

New were -

Out -

Brussels Lace 1 (lifer?)
Rivulet 1
Buff-tip 2
Flame Shoulder 1
Yellowtail 1
Clouded Silver 1
Coxcomb Prominent 1
Brimstone 1
Straw Dot 1
Fan Foot 1

In -

Rosy Footman 1
Marbled Green 1
Double-striped Pug 1
Square Spot Rustic 1
Knot Grass 1

Overall most numerous were Dingy Footman (11), Common Rustic, Small Phoenix and Large Yellow Underwing (all 5)

+ couple dozen micros of c10 species.

 

[Allen]

I was reading on the Moth Trap thread that Dan directed me to that Skinner traps with solid baffles rather than clear ones lose more moths. Does anyone have any experience as maybe that could be my problem, mine are solid fascia board material.

Thanks