My 2007 Moth catches (1 Viewer)

[Reader]

I'd agree with Buff Footman for the first - not one I get at home though

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=3122

Thanks Paul

It's the first time I have ever seen one myself so that was a nice bonus considering the conditions i was trapping in.

What about the 2nd & 3rd. Am I ok with those ID's

John

 

[Reader]

4 could be one of the Acleris sp. (very worn)
Has 5 got any scales left !

To be honest Ken, I though those two might be beyond recognition.

I may go quiet for a few hours as I am about to rush of to North East Norfolk after a rare bird so I don't suppose I will be back until late tonight. I am just waiting for another Birdforum member to get here in Coventry then I should be off in about 20 minutes or so time.

John

 

[Surreybirder]

Happy twitching!!
Ken

 

[Reader]

Happy twitching!!
Ken

Thanks Ken

We got back at 23:15 and straight away I put my trap out. There seems to be a lot of moth movement in the first hour so I will stay with it until about 2am then shut it down and go to bed as I am knackered.

John

 

[Reader]

This one's thrown me a bit. Is it a Cabbage Moth?

John

 

[Surreybirder]

Or is it a common rustic agg?
Ken

 

[Reader]

Or is it a common rustic agg?
Ken

I forgot about the Common Rustics.

Thanks Ken.

John

 

[Reader]

I got home at 23:15 last night from Norfolk and straight away put the trap on. From then on it was manic with moths coming from everywhere. I was going to run it for a couple of hours but in the end I kept it going until 03:30am.

By then I had potted about 40+ species of moths from outside of the trap but the inside of the trap was heaving.

I shut everything down, moved the trap into the garage, closed off the gaps and then slipped and almost knocked the trap over. Thankfully everything looked ok (why didn't I check properly??) so I went to bed for a few hours. When I got up I checked and photographed the potted moths first, did some shopping and eventually went to the trap at about 3pm.

Disaster. Somehow I had knocked the perspex at angle, leaving a gap for the moths to get out, and get out they did. All I was left with in the trap was three Scalloped Oak and a Mother of Pearl. What a bummer.

Anyway I am left with quite a few I am still checking over but here are some I have tried to ID. They would be new moths for me if any (or all) of them are correct.

1. Olive
2. Poss Udea prunalis
3 & 4 Poss Coleophora lutipennella
5. Poss Toadflax Pug

 

[Brian Stone]

My thoughts:

1. Olive Yes. For some reason I really like this one.
2. Poss Udea prunalis Yes
3 & 4 Poss Coleophora lutipennella Very few Coleophora can be identified without dissection, not sure if this one of them
5. Poss Toadflax Pug Double-striped. There is a subtle difference in shape

 

[Reader]

My thoughts:

Thanks Brian

I must admit I am having problems with those i have left.

The first two I think are the same species (two different moths).

1 & 2. Poss Trachycera marmorea
3. Poss Scoparia ambigualis
4. ???
5. ???

John

 

[Brian Stone]

1&2. Trachycera advenella - good likeness on Mike's site.
3. My guess would be Eudonia mercurella but big caveat as usual.
4. I guess a Cnephasia sp. If it was big it could be stephensiana
5. Argyresthia goedartella

 

[Reader]

1&2. Trachycera advenella - good likeness on Mike's site.
3. My guess would be Eudonia mercurella but big caveat as usual.
4. I guess a Cnephasia sp. If it was big it could be stephensiana
5. Argyresthia goedartella

Thanks Brian

It was a straight choice between two for 1&2 and of course I picked the wrong one.

I wondered about Mercurella for No 3 but they are not easy are they?

No4. This moth was ready to fly, even after quite a few hours in the Fridge, and I didn't have chance to transfer it to the graph paper. My impression was that it was relatively large so I will check out the stephensiana first.

No. 5. I can't believe I talked myself out of that one. I didn't feel comfortable with it plus the eyes on the UK moth photo are white with a black dot in the middle whereas mine just has black eyes.

I still have four or five I am looking at but here are a couple of them that I have tried to ID.

1. Poss Celypha lacunana
2. Poss Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix

John

 

[Surreybirder]

I agree with lacunana.
I'm not sure that eye colour is that significant... does anyone know?
Ken

 

[Reader]

I agree with lacunana.
I'm not sure that eye colour is that significant... does anyone know?
Ken

Thanks Ken

Any ideas on the Tortrix?

I am still working on the last few and will post either later tonight or tomorrow on my thoughts.

John

 

[Reader]

1&2. [
4. I guess a Cnephasia sp. If it was big it could be stephensiana

Hi Brian

I have checked this out and looking at Mike's site I am pretty confident that this is a Flax Tortrix.

Here is a link to Mike's image. http://www.hantsmoths.org.uk/moth_list.htm

I am still working away at the others but I'm having problems even working out the family of this one.

John

 

[Brian Stone]

The Cnephasias can't be identified on external features. They are all too variable. The only one that might not need dissection is stephensiana but that's only based on size and others might get as big. God that's vague! Just stick em down as Cnephasia sp. unless the nadgers are under a microscope.

 

[Brian Stone]

I am still working away at the others but I'm having problems even working out the family of this one.

Gracillariinae?

 

[Reader]

Gracillariinae?

I think this one will go down as beyond recognition.

BTW Brian. Any ideas on the Tortrix in post 272?

I have lost the plot on the following. I have looked and looked at so many moths that i am now totally confused.

Any ideas on these. All I have after this are some Ermines that look different from each other that I suppose will go down as Ermine aggs. I will leave those until tomorrow before looking at them.

1 & 2 the same moth.
3. ???
4. ???
5. Probably beyond recognition.

John

 

[Brian Stone]

1&2 Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana
3. Grapholita sp.?
4. C/S. lacunana
5. ...Nah!

 

[Brian Stone]

2. Poss Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix

Agreed.