May Moths 2021 (1 Viewer)

[Steve Lister]

Having ignored April completely it was good to put the trap out last night and actually catch some moths. Six to be exact, all NFY:
Muslin Moth
Scalloped Hazel
Common Pug
Clouded Drab
and the two house moths

Steve

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Been working through all my recent Pug photos, many unassigbable to species (by me, certainly) but some I think I've figured out - White-spotted, Common & Oak-tree (that last a tick).
This morning things are back to being pretty quiet, with Flame Shoulder being the only NFY.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Two moths total last night, Garden Carpet and Early Thorn.

 

[Allen]

Nothing here last night, disappointing

 

[Rubia]

10/05. Only 7 moths. 1 Scorched Carpet (nfy), 2 Frosted Green, 2 Mottled Pug (nfy), 1 Nut-tree Tussock (nfy) and 1 Small Quaker.
Tonight looks good for temp, but wind speed is above the desirable level which might not help.

 

[Farnboro John]

Only five moths this morning but at least Dotted Chestnut was NFY.

Dotted Chestnut
Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
Clouded Drab 2

Cheers

John

 

[Andy Adcock]

Five more than I got................

Edit: Just found a Brindled Beauty, again, on the wall near the light and it's my third tick of the spring!

 

[Rubia]

11/05. 2 Lunar Marbled Brown off wall at midnight, 1 Cnephasia sp off wall and a faded Pug sp off window at 5am. Nothing in the trap.
Plus another Black Sexton Beetle.
Less wind tonight.
I hadn't realised that Mottled Pug was a life tick from 10/05.

 

[Andy Adcock]

11/05. 2 Lunar Marbled Brown off wall at midnight, 1 Cnephasia sp off wall and a faded Pug sp off window at 5am. Nothing in the trap.
Plus another Black Sexton Beetle.
Less wind tonight.
I hadn't realised that Mottled Pug was a life tick from 10/05.

I used to get the Common Burying (Sexton) Beetle at my light in Russia, boy do they stink!!!

Common sexton beetle | The Wildlife Trusts

The Common sexton beetle is one of several burying beetle species in the UK. An undertaker of the animal world, it buries dead animals like mice and birds, and feeds and breeds on the corpses.

www.wildlifetrusts.org

 

[prhodes]

Small trap in North London, with lots of light pollution, and inexperienced operator. I'm sure I'll only get a fraction of the typical catch but five moths last night, Shuttle-shaped Dart and 4 Pale Mottled Willow?

 

[Rubia]

used to get the Common Burying (Sexton) Beetle at my light in Russia, boy do they stink!!!

Yes, they certainly have a pretty poor choice of aftershave. You can often detect them from a few yards away by the sweet smell of death. Having said that I do rather like them, they are impressive beasts. They are also remarkable, not merely for burying dead animals, but they dissect and coat it in antibacterial chemicals. Then tend their young and feed them. If one grub begs too much for food and gets annoying they will kill it. That ought to make the average teenager stop for thought.

Small trap in North London, with lots of light pollution, and inexperienced operator. I'm sure I'll only get a fraction of the typical catch but five moths last night, Shuttle-shaped Dart and 4 Pale Mottled Willow?

Hiya Phil. That's one more moth than I got last night. You generally get stuff down in London a week or so earlier than me just to the north of you. Urban warmth I guess.

 

[Steve Lister]

Just four moths this morning, but one was an Eyed Hawk-moth so can't complain. Only my 4th in 17 years trapping here, and the earliest of them by a month.
Takes my garden year list to a measly 17.
Steve

 

[Andy Adcock]

Just four moths this morning, but one was an Eyed Hawk-moth so can't complain. Only my 4th in 17 years trapping here, and the earliest of them by a month.
Takes my garden year list to a measly 17.
Steve

I caught my first in 2019, after 15 years trapping and got another the next night, none since.

Of the regular Hawks I still haven't had Small Elephant.

 

[Rubia]

12/05. Trapped till midnight when the rain arrived. 4 Brimstone, 1 Lime-specked Pug (nfy), 1 Oak-tree Pug, 1 Diamond-back Moth (nfy), 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 1 Many-plumes Moth, 1 Least Black Arches (nfy).
One Smooth Newt on patio near trap.
Just got up after 3 hours sleep to find it is going to rain all night here now, so no trapping.

Would like an Eyed Hawk, very envious of that one.

 

[Farnboro John]

I caught my first in 2019, after 15 years trapping and got another the next night, none since.

Of the regular Hawks I still haven't had Small Elephant.

I get Small Elephants most summers but not last year, curiously. I'd love to trap an Eyed Hawk-moth. Only seen one once and that was trapped by a friend in Fleet. I might have a go in my brother's back garden soon, its not far from there (a few hundred yards).

John