June 2008 Moths (1 Viewer)

[Basher]

Perhaps you're using the wrong type of bulb Luke.
Here's a picture of me changing the bulb on my Robinson trap

B

 

[davidg]

Had a full trap last night - including 5 Privet HMs - with two new moths for the garden - Broom Moth and Reddish Light Arches. I've thumbed through Waring & Skinner for the past few hours but now admit defeat - can anyone help me with these three please?

thanks, in advance, B

I think it's an oddly marked Brown Rustic and 2 x Heart and Club.

David

 

[Basher]

Thanks David - I was going for Heart & Club for the two Darts - their size confused me though - Moth 2 being considerably larger than Moth 3 - and larger than Heart & dart too.
I'll check out Brown Rustic - not a species I'm too familiar with. B

 

[luke]

Perhaps you're using the wrong type of bulb Luke.
Here's a picture of me changing the bulb on my Robinson trap

B

dont think i could fit that bulb in my garden let alone my trap! I dont think its the light as i've caught loads so far with it. But again last night produced just 2 heart & Dart and a spruce carpet!

 

[Brian Stone]

You do get lulls and my catches are still way down on what I was getting before the disaster that was last year. Keep plugging away.

 

[luke]

indeed i will. i've also got my generator which i havnt used yet, so i might go out for an evening with that and reassure myself that my trap can catch moths!

 

[robhope]

First reasonable night

how come everyone else is catching moths and i'm not! over the past 4 nights i've hardly caught anything. last night for example, i caught 2 moths. a spectacle and a heart & dart!!!

My last few attempts have also just been Heart and Darts but last night was relatively reasonable:-

Angle Shades
Bee Moth (3)
Bright-line Brown-eye
Broad-barred White
Common Pug
Flame Shoulder (2)
Garden Carpet
Heart and Dart (8)
Pale Mottled Willow
Shuttle-shaped Dart (3)
Small China-mark
The Spectacle
White-shouldered House-moth
Willow Beauty (2)

And two unknown micros:-
Picture 1 – Maybe Incurvaria spp.? (oehlmanniella?)
Picture 2 - ? (have a felling it's obvious)

I'm still jealous or everyone else though..

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few

 

[SveinB]

A few moths coming to light last nigh too, despite heavy rain most of the night.

Deilephila porcellus- Small Elephant hawkmoth 1
Pheosia gnoma- Lesser Swallow prominent 1
Sideridis reticulata- Bordered gothic 1
Autographa pulchrina- Beautiful Golden Y 3
Athetis pallustris- Marsh moth 1
Lacanobia suasa- Dog's Tooth 1
Apamea crenata- Clouded-Bordered Brindle 1
Sideridis rivularis- Campion 1

 

[luke]

Last night produced just three moths! but one was a Popular Hawkmoth so it wasnt all that bad. the other two were Clouded bordered Brindle and a broom moth. What is it will hawkmoths and rain. All three hawks i've caught have been on nights it was raining??

 

[Brian Stone]

Were the other less popular?

 

[luke]

lol, i've been spelling it like that since i started mothing! i bet my county recorder will have a laugh when i send him me note book!

 

[MikeWall]

And two unknown micros:-
Picture 1 – Maybe Incurvaria spp.? (oehlmanniella?)
Picture 2 - ? (have a felling it's obvious)

Yes oehlmanniella and an Ephestia sp. (gen job)

Mike

 

[birdbloke]

Hawkmoths

Highlights of last nights catch were 5 Elephant Hawkmoths.And it rained all night.
Cheers Nathan

 

[Reader]

I have had another surprise in my garden on June 16th. I didn't ID it myself because I passed it over due to location and date dates in Warings and UK Moths. Nigel Stone on Warks Moths ID'd it but even he was surprised. It has been ID'd as a Dotted Clay.

Having looked at this moth in Warings I am left wondering how I missed it. The markings are spot on but the late July onwards threw me.

Looking at UK Moths I don't think I would have picked this moth from the illustration and description. Woodland & Heathland is hardly my habitat. Even in Warings it states only occasional garden visitors.

So it looks like my garden is setting another trend with a moth a month earlier than previously recorded. The earliest Warwickshire record is for July 16th 2006.

John

 

[robhope]

Yes oehlmanniella and an Ephestia sp. (gen job)

Mike

Thanks Mike.

It seems that some of the other people on this forum have a good relationship with their County Recorder allowing such dissections (at a price). I have had a brief look for the Sussex Recorder (with no success) as I would not mind paying for several extra species this way. If anyone knows who is the responsible for Sussex, or point me in the right direction with someone else that would carry out the dissections (and the correct procedures/equipment) I would greatly appreciate it.

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few

 

[MikeWall]

Thanks Mike.

It seems that some of the other people on this forum have a good relationship with their County Recorder allowing such dissections (at a price). I have had a brief look for the Sussex Recorder (with no success) as I would not mind paying for several extra species this way. If anyone knows who is the responsible for Sussex, or point me in the right direction with someone else that would carry out the dissections (and the correct procedures/equipment) I would greatly appreciate it.

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few

The Sussex recorder is Colin Pratt. I knew that, but the same information is easily available by typing 'Sussex county moth recorder' into Google! Many CRs do it for the love of the job, to add to the knowledge base, and wouldn't want payment. I don't know about Colin, but Hampshire, my county, is unusual in that the main CR Tim Norriss doesn't collect or dissect. That's down to me and others! And sorry no I can't volunteer to take yours on as I have too much of my own at the end of the year.

Jon Clifton at ALS does dissections at £2 a throw but it's not something he'd want to be inundated with.

If you get in touch with Colin, even if he can't help you himself, he might be able to point you in the direction of an experienced lepidopterist in the county who would be prepared to 'take you on'

HTH

Mike

PS just found this which may be of interest at http://www.mothscount.org/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=26
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST, nr Henfield, Sussex. Identifying difficult moths by genitalia
25 October 2008. Times to be confirmed. Booking essential: 01929 406009 or [email protected]

 

[SveinB]

A very good night for trapping with light- mild and clouded, with some light rain falling in the darkest hour of the night. I used 3 traps- one 125MV, and two UV-cold cathode traps, at 2 locations. As far as I have been able to ID:

Notodonta dromedarius- Iron prominent 1
Ptilodon capucina- Coxcomb prominent 1
Hepialus humuli- Ghost moth 2 (m & f)
Diacrisia sannio- Clouded buff 1
Sideridis rivularis- Campion 1
Sideridis reticulata- Bordered gothic 8
Autographa pulchrina- Beautiful golden Y 2
Lacanobia suasa- Dog's tooth 1
Diarsia mendica- Ingrailed clay 1
Ochropleura plecta- Flame shoulder 1
Rusina ferruginea- Brown rustic 5
Mythimna ferrago- Clay 1
Lasionycta imbecilla- Silurian 3
Lygephila viciae- (no common name) 8
Xestia triangulum- Double Square-spot 2
Xestia ashworthii- Ashworth's rustic 1
Hypena proboscidalis- Snout 1
Eurrhypara hortulata- Small magpie 1
Colostygia pectinataria- Green carpet 1

Last but not least-
Hyles gallii- Bedstraw Hawkmoth 1

+ lots of other carpets, pugs and micros.

The UV cold cathode tubes works great, and is a perfect solution for battery operated moth trapping- in my opinion. Low power consumption, low price- and good effect. They seem to work best inside the forest- not so good in open aereas. Read more about them in my other thread about how I have been building my traps- if interested.

Svein B

 

[robhope]

Mike,

Thanks a lot a for all the information. I will do a bit of googling and also have a look at the websites.

Cheers again.

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few

 

[luke]

Help!

i need a bit of help, i caught a swallow prominent a little while ago. it laid a load of eggs in the pot, so i felt a bit guilty and decided to keep them in the pot to see if they hatch and they have this morning! i got about 30 little catterpillers. will they eat willow? i know poplar and sallow are the main food plants but will willow be ok?

 

[Brian Stone]

Try them. Best to start with stuff you have readily to hand. Very often once larvae get started on one footplant they won't switch.