Moths of June 2010 (1 Viewer)

[Surreybirder]

And I think I might have a new species for the county too - Argyresthia cupressella. Appalling photo - I think I need to sort out my camera for these tiny micros.

Snap! I'm the only person in Surrey to have recorded that species as far as I know, but I must admit that I only 'found' it when my CR dissected it. :eek!: I find it almost impossible to photograph these tiny micros. Hope it is confirmed, Ken

 

[antshrike69]

What's the main confusion species Ken? It seems a perfect match to photos on the web, although maybe not all members of the genus are illustrated online?

 

[Surreybirder]

What's the main confusion species Ken? It seems a perfect match to photos on the web, although maybe not all members of the genus are illustrated online?

I'm not enough of an expert to know that - all I know is that a first for the county will require a voucher specimen. As I said, I didn't study mine - I just sent it to the CR.
Ken

 

[Andy1979]

How do you guys normally ID your micros? I find trawling the web a little tedious and there are only so many common ones. I've only started with Micros this year after 5 previous yrs trapping Macros. I'm only up to 16 micro species and this is probably due to my inability to ID them...

Thanks.

 

[karpman]

Being new to Moths, This will be my third night trapping and results have been astounding!

20 or so moths Id'ed and another 20 or so still to work through, Duplicates no doubt. But have managed so far 3 hawk moths! Eyed a Elephant on my first night trapping and this stunner turned up whilst gardening today!

Many thanks

Karpman

 

[Surreybirder]

How do you guys normally ID your micros?

Thanks.

With a lot of difficulty and a lot of help!
There's a good guide to micro families on the ALS site... www.angleps.com/micro_guide.doc
and there are several good sites where you can look at thumbnails which saves trawling through loads of individual photos. www.hantsmoths.org.uk and http://www.hantsmoths.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 for example.
The there's always the ID section of this forum
Ken

 

[Oleander]

A few more moths that the last nights. It was no wind and the temp went down to 12 degrees. Full moon.

5 Clouded-bordered Brindle
4 Buff Ermine
3 Ingrailed Clay
2 Pale Tussock
2 White Ermine
2 Brown Rustic
2 Pale-shouldered Brocade
1 Brimstone
1 Oak Hook-tip
1 Pebble Hook-tip
1 Silver Y
1 Treble Lines
1 Flame Shoulder
1 Fox Moth
1 Apamea Illyria
1 Lesser Swallow Prominent
1 Scalloped Hook-tip
1 Clouded Buff
1 Map-winged Swift
1 Cinnabar [nfy]

The Cinnabar isn't even supposed to exist where I live. But there is no doubt in the ID. Unfortunately I only got a photo of it dead, it escaped from my pot. I hit it into the grass with my hand and then grabbed it too hard and squeezed it. I was too afraid of losing it...:-C

 

[Tri-Counties Birder]

My best trapping session ever last night at Brockham Quarry near Dorking produced an incredible 65 macros, which included seven lifers for me. To seasoned moth'ers it was probably an above-average night at best, but for me it was just incredible.

Best were the chalk specialists of Galium Carpet and Reddish Light Arches, as well as the gorgeous micro Ocecera semirubella. Fantastic to see only my second Privet Hawk-moth too.

Loads more shots and details on the blog.

Good mothing.

 

[Nerine]

To seasoned moth'ers it was probably an above-average night at best, but for me it was just incredible.

I know how you feel. I still feel like that after almost four years of moth-ing - the excitement of not knowing what you'll find and the thrill of finding the unexpected - (and the expected!)

I had an amazing catch from 26th June, even with a bright moon. Well over 200 moths and 70 species. There were 17 Hawk-moths, thirteen of which were privet!

New for my garden
Scorched Wing

New for the year
Diamond-back Moth
The Lackey
Buff Arches
Least Carpet
Ruddy Carpet
Yellow Shell
Cypress Carpet
Lime-speck Pug
Sharp-angled Peacock
Delicate
Smoky Wainscot
Cream-bordered Green-pea
Burnished Brass
Dark Spectacle
Small Fan-foot

Nerine

 

[antshrike69]

Nice work Nerine!
Highlights for me over the last two nights have been

Ectoedemia sp NFG - awaiting ID but not E. decentella (the only species I've recorded before).
Homoeosoma sinuella NFG
Cream-bordered Green Pea NFG - a nice comparison with Green Oak Tortrix of which I had 14 last night alone. Compare this to a single individual in 2009!
Privet, Lime, Poplar and Elephant Hawks.

 

[Surreybirder]

17 Hawk-moths, thirteen of which were privet!

Nerine

That's indecent - I've never had one. I've only had poplar hawk so far this year though an unidentified hawkmoth was nectaring on peony in our garden at last light two evening ago. I suspect elephant but I'll never know.
Ken

 

[Nerine]

That's indecent - I've never had one. I've only had poplar hawk so far this year though an unidentified hawkmoth was nectaring on peony in our garden at last light two evening ago. I suspect elephant but I'll never know.
Ken

Ah, I'm sorry, Ken - I didn't mean to show off. I do hope you get a privet hawk soon. Fingers crossed! Do you have a lilac tree or ash?

Nerine

 

[Oleander]

Nerine, that is amazing! 13 Privets!!! o I haven't seen one this year, and the last week has not produced much... Last night I got less then 20 moths, and no new species. Highlight, a Poplar Hawk.

I wish the moths would start coming soon, there's so many species I haven't seen.

 

[Surreybirder]

moth heaven?

I woke at 4.00 a.m. when there were still a few moths flying around the trap. I have never seen the trap so active, presumably because it was still c14 degC outside. There must have been c400 moths in the trap and I'd say that about 100 flew off as I checked the catch. It took me till 6.45 just to pot the ones I wanted to photograph or examine more closely. In the past I've often been surprised by how few micros I get but not this time - many of which I don't have a clue about. (I used every tube I possess!) New for year included small angle-shades (my second ever :t common footman, rosy footman, little emerald (c4), riband wave, swallow-tail (c3), green pug, double square-spot (tbc)...
Still no hawks though :C But about 20 blotched emeralds.
I may not be back on-line for quite a while :eek!:
Ken

 

[Nerine]

What a catch, Ken! Blotched Emerald is one I would love to see. But so strange how it goes - I ran the actinic last night and only caught around 30 moths. No hawks. Galium Carpet was new for the year. I really expected a larger catch. Oh well, at least I'll have time to look closely at the few micros I caught - and hopefully id them.

Nerine

 

[dantheman]

There were 17 Hawk-moths, thirteen of which were privet!

Your own Privet Army? ...

(Sorry, took a long time coming ...) Trapping on the night 27th/28th June, and checking the trap at 7.10am produced about 80 moths of 22 species.

Brown Silver-Line 1 NFY
Bright Line Brown Eye 1 NFY
Light Emerald 1 Lifer
Broom Moth 1 Lifer
Fan Foot 1 Lifer
Heart and Dart 34
Poplar Hawkmoth 1

I think that's the first emerald sp I've caught in the uk, shame it was totally faded.

 

[Dmacaskill]

Not a bad catch last night despite the breeze and very bright moon.
small angle shades-2
white ermine-3
small elephant hawk-2
brimstone-1
brown rustic-6
drinker-4
spectacle-2
mottled beauty-3
beautiful golden y-3
garden tiger-2
purple bar-2
dark tussock-3 (pic male& female )
clouded border-1
flame carpet-4
siver ground carpet-4
clouded bordered brindle-6
pale shouldered brocade-1
flame shoulder-3
magpie-1 (pic)
grass rivulet-1
bordered white-2
small square spot-4
broom moth-1
poplar hawk-1
bright-line-brown eye-6
common marbled carpet-1
saxon-1
scalloped hazel-1
marbled coronet-1(pic) NFM
light emerald-1
broken barred carpet-1 NFM
fox glove pug-1
currant pug-1
plus a few micros to id.

 

[socksitis]

Good night here despite the heavy rain - moths were still flying, highlights being:
1 Ghost moth
1 Small fan foot
1 Common emerald
1 Blood vein
2 burnished brass
4 dot moth
1 ruby tiger
3 double line

Have a small green totrix like micro in a pot awaiting some inspiration for ID. Also had a pug that I actually though I could ID as it was green - but no!

 

[Surreybirder]

sounds like Tortrix viridana and green pug!
Ken

 

[Oleander]

Two traps placed the usual way. Temperatures dropped to 14 degrees when I turned the traps off at about 03:15. Full moon, but no wind. Not many moths, but many species.
Quite pleased with the catch anyway, 5 new species if I have ID them right. I am sure of two of them, but confirmation on the attached ones would be great! :t:

3 Buff Ermine
3 Brown Rustic
2 White Ermine
1 Brimstone
1 Bright-line Brown-eye
1 Ingrailed Clay
1 Heart & Dart
1 Lesser Swallow Prominent
1 Peppered Moth
1 Iron Prominent
1 Clouded-bordered Brindle
1 Beautiful Golden Y
1 Pine Hawk-moth
1 Apamea Illyria
1 Plain Golden Y [nfy] - photo 1
1 Dark Arches [nfy] - photo 2
1 Sallow Kitten [nfy] - photo 3
1 Straw Dot [nfy]
1 Beautiful Hook-tip [nfy]