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May Moths 2023 (1 Viewer)

Trapping remains intermittent & unspectacular. Out and about today though, Common Health & Speckled Yellow both very welcome.
 

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Warmer night last night and the year's first Small Dusty Wave (2 weeks early cf Waring et al but in bounds per Hants Moths flying tonight) Orange Footman and Pale Mottled Willow as well as another Great Prominent and four Cockchafers.

Edit: went back out to photograph the Pale Mottled Willow and found a micro, Esperia sulphurella, sitting on the table just behind where the moth trap had been. No points for missing it in the first place but tick!

John
 
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First proper catch this morning, and about time too!

Sharp-angled Peacock, Foxglove Pug (I think, I'll put one up later), 3 Poplar Hawk Moths, Angle Shades, Treble Lines, Heart and Dart all NFY; Great Prominent, 7 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Pale Mottled Willlow, Common Quaker. Three in fridge, a pug, a carpet and a micro (sounds like the beginning of a joke.) 6 Cockchafers.

Update 1053hrs: The fridged "carpet" was a Seraphim, the pug was Brindled. Haven't sorted the micro yet.

Update 1103hrs: Micro is Epinotia immundana.

John
 
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After a night off it looked warm enough to trap again last night so I'm going to blame the low numbers on a slight North breeze.

One each of Double-striped Pug (NFY), Flame Shoulder, Treble Lines and Heart and Dart were eclipsed in interest by single micros of Tachystola acroxantha which is so easy I recognised it and Syndemis musculana which took me twenty minutes with book and internet but was a tick so I don't mind.

John
 
Low numbers here last night too. Except for half a dozen pugs (which I can't id), and 3 cockchafers, there were 2 Treble Lines, a Pale Prominent, and a female Muslin. Not been much better the previous day with the obligatory 'chafers there was a Garden Pebble, female Muslin, 3 Brimstone, number of pugs (probably all brindle), 2 Garden Carpets.
 
Only 15/10 but its been so poor so far turns out to be my best night of the year so far.
NFY were Cochylis atricapitana (my earliest ever by 26 days but I only ever get one a year), Notocelia cyanosbatella, Eudonia angustea, Common Pug, Pale Mottled Willow and Treble Lines.
 
Not quite as good as a couple of nights ago but three NFY: Small Clouded Brindle, Light Emerald, White-point, plus a repeat Flame Shoulder. Numbers wise 5 Treble Lines and 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts.

Going again tonight.

John
 
Cooler this morning than I expected and not much of a catch: Willow Beauty NFY rather annoyingly flew off the kitchen window before I could photograph it, ending this year's perfect record. Numbers-wise 3 Treble Lines kept that species on top, only other moths were a White-point and a Heart and Dart.

John
 
Did my first trap for the year ,last night , not expecting too much because all my neighbours have cut down all their trees and shrubs . Not many species but I did get my first ever Eyed Hawkmoth . Other moths were 2 Pale Mottled Willow , 2 Brimstone , 1 Heart and Dart , 1 Turnip moth ( very dark individual ) ,6 Pale Brown Apple moths and 1 Garden Carpet .
 

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Did my first trap for the year ,last night , not expecting too much because all my neighbours have cut down all their trees and shrubs . Not many species but I did get my first ever Eyed Hawkmoth . Other moths were 2 Pale Mottled Willow , 2 Brimstone , 1 Heart and Dart , 1 Turnip moth ( very dark individual ) ,6 Pale Brown Apple moths and 1 Garden Carpet .
What was your overnight temp CS…cos I had nowt again last night, believe mine got down to 8/9 although I did have a couple of Brimstones c10.30 pm around my security light….but nowt in the trap.😩
 
It was around 8 degrees here last night. Not much in the trap except unident pugs. There was a White Ermine inside, and something which is probably a Seraphim but not sure. Outside the trap I found a Buff Ermine at the foot of a garden ornament.
 

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It was around 8 degrees here last night. Not much in the trap except unident pugs. There was a White Ermine inside, and something which is probably a Seraphim but not sure. Outside the trap I found a Buff Ermine at the foot of a garden ornament.
Looks like Seraphim to me. That's the one I identify by the fact that on first seeing it each year I am puzzled!

John
 
Looks like Seraphim to me. That's the one I identify by the fact that on first seeing it each year I am puzzled!

John

What confused me is that the upper bar is convex whilst it appears convex in the book, then I looked at my old images and they are all convex too. So Seraphim it is.
 
Things are slowly improving here. My biggest catch of the year but still a modest 17 of 13.
NFY today were Silver Y (2), Chocolate-tip (only my 3rd ever here in 15 years, and the latest by 14 days), Grey Dagger agg, Brimstone and Cinnabar.
 
Trapped again last night, bumper night for Treble Lines (10) and Shuttle-shaped Dart (4); two more NFY, a single LBAM and two Light Brocades; other than that a single Syndemis musculana. Near miss of some parts of Brimstone by the trap, presumably a Great Tit or Robin beat me to it this morning.

Not a big catch but not a return to previous dire straits either.

John
 
I saw this "fresh" Luna Moth the day before yesterday. For some reason one of the eyes looks deformed. Is this normal? I didn't want to disturb the moth so I have no idea what the other eye looks like.
 

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