June 2009 Moths (1 Viewer)

[Brian Stone]

And here is what years of munching by a few moth larvae can do. There are many trees at this site that have been weakened to this point.

 

[antshrike69]

Fantastic shots Brian - what a charismatic creature.

 

[Brian Stone]

Fantastic shots Brian - what a charismatic creature.

People have often said that about me... Oh I see what you mean|:$|

There have been some cracking shots on this thread and it great to see things like the Purple Cloud and Netted Pug that Svein is able to share with us. Thanks all.

 

[antshrike69]

A few newbies for the year list including Mother of Pearl, Clouded Brindle and Short-cloaked Moth. The main event though was the mass emergence of Water Veneer from the pond. Although I've been recording a handful on occasional nights, last night there were at least 250-300 around the trap.

 

[Surreybirder]

I had a short session last night. Only new macros for the year were peach blossom and v-pug. As usual, I'm struggling with some of the micros.
Ken

 

[Davebutterflyman]

About a four hour session last night and it was my wife who seemed to be netting all the NFY'S while i monitored the trap.A good 207 moths in 60 species with some nice NFY'S.

Small elephant hawkmoth NFY
Varied coronet NFY
Bordered white NFY
Blastobasis decolorella NFY
Wormwood pug NFY
Orthopygia glaucinalis NFY

 

[socksitis]

Lots last night, some 9 E Hawk moths,
Grey Dagger
Beautiful Snout
Grass Emerald
Green Silver lines
Lobster Moth
Coronet
Buff Arches

All New To Me!

 

[Reader]

For the very first time this year I am running a trap and it is a very interesting trap so far with a first for my garden with a Red-necked Footman but the surprise was literally two minutes ago when a Red Admiral Butterfly flew onto the trap.

I won't be running the trap for very long but hopefully I will have photos in the morning to add to the thread of the footman and the Butterfly, plus anything else interesting I hopefully will trap.

John

 

[Davebutterflyman]

Look forward to those John.

A short session tonight but still productive with 112 moths in 42 species with 3 NFY.

Pale shouldered brocade
Thistle ermine
Small rivulet

Dave.

 

[Surreybirder]

It took me about two hours just to go through my catch and pot up the ones I want to take a further look at. Annoying competition from robin which flew into the shed and knocked over a couple of jars. I'm afraid I gave up trying to separate all the common/smoky wainscots and rustic/uncertains!
I'm up to 60 species with quite a couple not yet IDed.
New for garden: true lover's knot
Cypress carpet (my 500th garden species if confirmed)!
New for year include: common footman
clouded border
knot-grass
buff-tip
light arches
beautiful hook-tip
L formosanus
Crambus lathoniellus
pebble prominent
short-cloaked
lackey
dun-bar
single-dotted wave
pine carpet
rosy footman
smoky wainscot

Also, first hornet of year :-(
I also found a least carpet at the station.
Ken

 

[antshrike69]

Last night was busy again at the trap, with the species mix changing on a daily basis. Common Marbled Carpets are now in very low numbers, for example, but Uncertains are now very common.

A few NFY:

Scarce Footman - nice comparison alongside 2 Common Footman (Footmen?)
Smoky Wainscot 2
Single-dotted Wave 1

Most exciting was the 4th Small Ranunculus for VC31. I've yet to get a good photo due to it wing-fluttering every time I take it out of the pot, but will post a picture later if possible. I see that martinf had one in Cambridge recently, though - maybe another species spreading?

 

[Surreybirder]

cypress carpet?

as mentioned above. Anyone disagree?

 

[SveinB]

I had a very nice session out in the forest last night. I took my sheet and genny to a location that has given some of my most interesting moths before, but then mostly to a battery powered UV trap. Now I wanted to try this location with brighter light, and in this good weather conditions we are having these days.

Lots of moths were coming to the sheet in the 3,5 hour session I had, about 175 moths of 50 species ID'ed so far, mainly macros. And there are still about 15 species of micros in pots to ID....:eek!:

The definite highlight was a species I have had in mind and been hoping for- as there are a handful of old sightings of it from my part of the country:

Large Dark Prominent- Notodonta torva 1 (NEW) :t:

Other fun stuff was for example:

Poplar Hawkmoth 6
Ashworth's Rustic 2
Sweet Gale Moth 1
Toadflax Brocade 1
Glaucous Shears 1

But the best of all is still to be out in the summer night, to watch and hear the sounds of the living forest (long extention cable to the genny is provided .... ).

My attempts to get some photos of the LDP on the sheet failed, as it went totally nuts spinning around like crazy on the ground sheet- so I potted him to get the photos today. After spending the last 4 hours of the night in the fridge it seems to have passed out. So Yes, it is just as dead as it looks like.

Svein B

 

[martinf]

Really poor last night, had high hopes with various pugs and a Buff Ermine flying about as I set up trap

Only 16 moths of 8 spp. this morning including 2nd ever Lackey (much paler than last weeks one), and first Large YU of the year and this micro which is new

 

[dantheman]

Pretty disappointing for me too - considering I'm currently down in SW France...

Only 5 or so macro species - 3 as yet unidentified!!

5 Ruby Tigers
3 Willow Beauties (the irony)
A nice selection of micros
2 Glow worms

Hopefully it can get better!!

 

[Nick Tanner]

Pick of the week on my commute to work was this stunning Small Ranunculus found at rest on an advertising hoarding at Earlsfield Station (London / Surrey) last Friday (26th)

Nick

 

[Reader]

My first trapping of the year was done from 10pm to 2am resulting in a total of 258 moths caught.

Only one was new for the garden but it was a good one. red-necked Footman. Surprise of the night was a Red Admiral dropping into the trap at 11.45pm last night.

So far I have ID'd 64 species but there are 8 moths I am not sure of. Below are five of them. Can you have a look and see what you think please.

1. Poss Beautiful Arches
2. Poss Dusky Brocade
3. Poss Dusky Brocade
4. Poss Cyclamen Tortrix (I have also considered 1007 Capua vulgana)
5. Poss Brindled Pug

John

 

[davidg]

Hi John,

I can't see No 1 as anything other than Dark Arches but I think you're right with Dusky Brocade for 2 and 3. Not sure about the tort or the pug but unlikely to be Brindled this late in the year, I think.

David

 

[Surreybirder]

and this micro which is new

Cydia pomonella?

As we seem to be slipping in a few IDs into the thread is this also a dusky brocade? (I had it down as a possible light brocade but it doesn't work for me.)
Ken

 

[antshrike69]

A few pictures from last night

1. Small Ranunculus - highlight of the trap!
2. Scarce Footman
3. Common Footman
4. Maple Prominent