March Moths (3 Viewers)

[Surreybirder]

I had my trap on till bedtime but no moths--it wasn't very cold but it was windy.
Ken

 

[PaulK]

I'm extremely jelous - I could only dream of getting double figures in March. With the cold wind recently I haven't put the trap out. Living in a town centre it is a bit pointless even with a slight breeze

Just looking out of my window the trees seem quite calm and i'll probably try tonight!

 

[Pete Haynes]

Last night (20th)

Weather as forecast again. Min 1.3C, cloudy, some breeze, dry. 10 moths of 3 species in one trap:

Small Brindled Beauty (3) - all in pristine condition, looked as though they had just hatched.
Hebrew Character (1) - definitely a different one to yesterday.
Chestnut (6) - as reliable as ever.

plus a very smart Agonopterix arenella from inside the bathroom.

Similar weather forecast tonight. I shall probably put the same trap out.

All the best
Pete H

 

[black52bird]

And finally....Budapest, too!!

Well friends,
After my odd Codling Moth in the kitchen in January, we, like Wandered Scot, have had copious snow and freezing temperatures, all of which changed on Sunday, since when it's been sunny and between 10-15C!!
I got the first bird migrant on Saturday - the Black Redstart has returned to our roof, a day later than last year!! However, winter friends like Siskin, Hawfinch and Brambling were all feeding in the garden still, and I had the best views yet this winter of the flocks of Waxwings which have been frequenting the park opposite for the past 3 weeks. And again this morning at 8 am - what a lovely tinkling sound the flocks make.
Anyway, to moths.
So I started with a new species for me and the balcony: Satellite - slightly damaged right wing as you see from the pics below. And then the second one I can't do, so I'm starting this year as I finished last with a request for suggestions. I've lightened the pictures a little - it's a very dark small Noctuid (20 mm wing). It seems to have a dark inner side to the kidney marks and various scalloping patterns, plus the dark dots towards the trailing edges of the wings. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

David

 

[Brian Stone]

Freezing nights still forecast here until the weekend but then really warming up. Still managed a couple of moths but had to go to Spain for them. Is the first Sloe Carpet Aleucis distinctata? The second is a Scoparia, does anyone recognise it?.

 

[Wandered Scot]

As David says, we are finally getting Spring like weather over here. Monday night 17:00 was 11°C, and I rubbed my hands gleefully! the trap was duly switched on, but then 19:00 5°C and 21:30 1°C with the grass already frosty crisp underfoot! However;

2 March Moth
1 Spring Usher (my first ever :bounce: a fresh hatch)

Cheers

Jim

 

[Surreybirder]

The temp finally stayed up at dusk (above 6 deg C) and I doubled the number of species that I've had all year till now. Still not sensational but :
2 yellow horned (new for year)
1 oak beauty (nfy)
1 micro
4 small quakers (nfy)
1 small brindled beauty
Hope others have some luck!
Ken

 

[Pete Haynes]

The temp finally stayed up at dusk (above 6 deg C) Ken

Temp here in the Surrey Hills, at these dizzy heights, a min of 5.3C, breezy and lots of rain from about 03.00 till 06.30. Put out four traps, 3 MVs plus a 40W actinic, which I forgot to fill with egg trays and it still caught 12 moths of 7 species. So who needs egg trays? Compares with the other three traps at 13 (7), 17 (9) and 13 (6). At last things are livening up.

Total of 55 moths of 12 species as follows:

Yellow Horned (1)
March Moth (1)
Small Brindled Beauty (4)
Oak Beauty (2)
Small Quaker (8)
Common Quaker (5)
Hebrew Character (5)
Grey Shoulder Knot (1) - new for year
Satellite (8)
Chestnut (18)
Tortricodes alternella (1)
Acleris ferrugana (1)

No rain tonight, just hope the wind calms down.

All the best for tonight
Pete H

 

[black52bird]

Is it a Powdered Quaker?

I posted 2 pictures of a moth I caught on Monday, asking for any suggestions, but I've been having another go myself, and the nearest I can come to it is Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis). I suggest this on the basis of the kidney mark having the inner past marked more darkly, the rows of dark dots towards the trailing edge of the wings. I've looked at the pictures (318 in Waring; Plate 30 in Skinner) plus the ones in the local Hungarian book, and whilst all the pictures are much paler than my specimen, Waring does say ground colours goes 'to blackish' which is the first impression I had of this.
Could any of you with experience of Powdered Quaker please take a look at the pictures (reproduced below with 2 more very similar ones) and give me your opinion?
Thanks in advance

David

 

[Surreybirder]

I posted 2 pictures of a moth I caught on Monday, asking for any suggestions, but I've been having another go myself, and the nearest I can come to it is Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis). I suggest this on the basis of the kidney mark having the inner past marked more darkly, the rows of dark dots towards the trailing edge of the wings. I've looked at the pictures (318 in Waring; Plate 30 in Skinner) plus the ones in the local Hungarian book, and whilst all the pictures are much paler than my specimen, Waring does say ground colours goes 'to blackish' which is the first impression I had of this.
Could any of you with experience of Powdered Quaker please take a look at the pictures (reproduced below with 2 more very similar ones) and give me your opinion?
Thanks in advance

David

Hi, David,
I only ever had one powdered quaker but it certainly was a lot paler than that. So I'm not sure.
(Things are looking promising here tonight--I've already got three new species for the year and it's only 10 pm.)
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

My provisional list for tonight is:
*March moth 3
*twin spot quaker 2
*common quaker
small brindled beauty
oak beauty 2
small quaker 3
yellow horned 1
*Hebrew character 1
*clouded drab 1

15 moths of 9 species (*five new for year)

 

[Reader]

I ran a trap for the first time this year but after a short while the heavens opened up. I did manage to get two moths.

The first one I am fairly sure of. the second not so easy for me. I reckon the first is an Oak Beauty. The second possibly a Lead-coloured Drab. Can you confirm them please?

John

 

[Brian Stone]

That's a Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi), one of just two moths I had last night. The other was a Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica).

 

[Reader]

That's a Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi), one of just two moths I had last night. The other was a Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica).

Brian

Are you answering my question?

The reason I ask is I didn't think Common Quakers had the feathered Antennae that is on the second moth, plus I wouldn't have thought the other moth was a Hebrew Character.

If you are answering another query, then apologies.

John

 

[Brian Stone]

Yours are Oak Beauty and Common Quaker. I had just two moths last night: a Common Quaker and a Hebrew Character.

Feathering looks fine, e.g.:
http://www.fugleognatur.dk/gallery.asp?mode=ShowLarge&ID=1053

 

[Reader]

Yours are Oak Beauty and Common Quaker. I had just two moths last night: a Common Quaker and a Hebrew Character.

Feathering looks fine, e.g.:
http://www.fugleognatur.dk/gallery.asp?mode=ShowLarge&ID=1053

Hi Brian

Is it right then that Common Quakers have the feathered antennae. I hadn't realised they had that.

John

 

[black52bird]

Powdered Quaker

Hi, David,
I only ever had one powdered quaker but it certainly was a lot paler than that. So I'm not sure.
(Things are looking promising here tonight--I've already got three new species for the year and it's only 10 pm.)
Ken

Thanks very much Ken. This is very helpful.

Your photo is very close to the specimens shown in the Waring and Skinner books, isn't it? (i.e. much paler than what I'm showing). But, as we know colour is not necessarily always the most helpful pointer!! The illustration in the old Hungarian book only has a very dark brown specimen...so it's possible that that's commoner in this part of the world. However, what does strike me from comparing your photo and mine is that the wing shape is very different, which could be more of an indication that it isn't a Powered Quaker than the ground colour....... Perhaps this is going to be another one of these pesky Continental European species which doesn't feature in the UK books, and which will entail a lengthy search of the relevant websites. Unless Harri comes to my rescue as so often in the past. Harri...are you out there?!!

Thanks again, Ken.

 

[charly streets]

Hi all,

Whilst we're on the subject, I took this early last April and for some reason I thought it was too worn to positively ID it. I had it down as a possible Common Quaker- any pointers as to why it is or isn't. As this is the only "quaker" I've seen on my travels so far any help would be appreciated.

Cheers, Charly. :t:

 

[Pete Haynes]

Last night

Some real action at last. Min temp 7.4C, rain on and off all evening, little breeze. One of my traps kept tripping the RCD, probably wet getting in the night before, so only ran with three. Anyway, the electrics are drying out on the Rayburn at present!
88 moths of 17 species plus an interesting spider (see below), male and female Minotaur beetles, a Lousy Watchman (Dor beetle) and what I presumed were a couple of Ichneumon flies.

Yellow Horned (5)
March Moth (9)
Small Brindled Beauty (2)
Oak Beauty (3)
Dotted Border (4)
Small Quaker (11)
Common Quaker (3)
Clouded Drab (1) - new for year
Twin-spotted Quaker (1) - new for year
Hebrew Character (4)
Grey Shoulder-knot (1)
Satellite (4)
Chestnut (34)
Depressaria daucella (1)
Tortricodes alternella (1)
Acleris ferrugana (3)
Acleris cristana (1)

Another wet night forecast tonight. Looking forward to the first dry, warm, still night! Mustn't be greedy though!

All the best
Pete H

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks very much Ken. This is very helpful.

Your photo is very close to the specimens shown in the Waring and Skinner books, isn't it? (i.e. much paler than what I'm showing). But, as we know colour is not necessarily always the most helpful pointer!! The illustration in the old Hungarian book only has a very dark brown specimen...so it's possible that that's commoner in this part of the world. However, what does strike me from comparing your photo and mine is that the wing shape is very different, which could be more of an indication that it isn't a Powered Quaker than the ground colour....... Perhaps this is going to be another one of these pesky Continental European species which doesn't feature in the UK books, and which will entail a lengthy search of the relevant websites. Unless Harri comes to my rescue as so often in the past. Harri...are you out there?!!

Thanks again, Ken.

I'm pretty much stuck, David. In some ways it looks not unlike a very dull chestnut, partly because of the shape but also because the ovals are quite pronounced. When Harri appears he may be able to cast some light on the ID.
Ken