National moth night (UK) (1 Viewer)

[Angus T]

When I scraped the ice off my car windscreen at 4.15 this morning, I thought that the omens didn't look too good for NMN!
But let's hope that the false mochas are a hardy breed!

Not quite the coldest night of month here, but had ground frost. Tonight may not be quite as cold, but still cold. The first hour or 2 may not be too bad, but I think after that will be very quiet.

 

[harry eales]

Not quite the coldest night of month here, but had ground frost. Tonight may not be quite as cold, but still cold. The first hour or 2 may not be too bad, but I think after that will be very quiet.

Hi Angus,
Nice and hot here now, but light showers promised for the afternoon. Cloudless sky forecast for tonight with temps around 47deg.F. (6-7deg C) Ground frost at high altitude. Fortunately I'll at a low altitude in a wooded valley which is well sheltered, so tonight may not be so bad. Certainly it can't be worse working there than in my garden at the moment.
Checklist:
Generator, moth traps, choke, cable, spare bulbs, food, coffee, nubile buxom blonde, spare sweater, Barbour, brolly, spare fuel for 'jenny', cool box, spare nubile blonde, dictaphone, butterfly net, pill boxes, parking permit, wine ropes, camera, torch, sleeping bag. That should do it.

Harry Eales.

 

[Angus T]

Checklist:
.........nubile buxom blonde, spare sweater.............

Evidently you won't need the spare sweater!

 

[CJW]

Gloriously sunny and warm 16ºc at the moment and a min. 7ºC with light and variable breeze and partially cloudy here tonight. I'll be out with the same equipment as Harry (brunettes rather than blondes and I'm not sure if "Jenny" will be able to come) plus I'll be trapping at my local curragh, so hopefully it might retain a bit of the day's heat.

 

[Angus T]

Not quite the coldest night of month here, but had ground frost. Tonight may not be quite as cold, but still cold. The first hour or 2 may not be too bad, but I think after that will be very quiet.

Called it wrong,
Temp plummitted like a stone after sunset and was below 5C by time light went on, and is 0.1C atm with ground frost (-3C)

Have got 8 species to light,
Hopefully there'll be something in the 3 traps, as temp may not be quite as cold where they are.
Thankfully I did get a few daytime species in.

I hope it was better for others.

 

[Grampy Bustard]

A bit chilly chaps!

I don't know about you but last night (NMN), was the worst haul by far over the last 2 weeks. The actinic was empty, and not too much in the MV.

Taxa
0017 Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus) 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 3
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 1
1936 Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria) 1
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 1
1995 Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 2
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 3
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1

Also tried sugaring in the local old woodland last night for the first time, with no success, but did get a Silver-ground Carpet in the car headlights.
No cloud cover, and the temp must have dropped to about 3deg this morning.

 

[Surreybirder]

Even as a novice I had no problems identifying the contents of my trap this a.m. (Sunday) -- null points, as they delight in saying on the Eurovision song contest. (I did turn the trap off at bed-time, I admit.) The previous night, with the trap on all night I caught one common marbled carpet.
BTW I've now bought a copy of Skinner, as so many people swear by it. It's going to take a bit of getting used to!!
I didn't see much in the day time either, but there was a rather handsome cardinal beetle flying around on Friday (which I'm told is 'notable') and a larva which was doing an excellent imitation of a twig.

 

[CJW]

Well, two of us spent about 2 hours (11pm -1am) freezing our nads off whilst stood around the trap last night (we did do a bit of sugaring with limited success) for 15 sp!
(In order of appearance):

Clouded Border x3
Silver Ground Carpet x6
Com/Dk Marbled Carpet x2
Scalloped Hazel x7
Herald x2 (at sugar)
Small Square Spot x4
Poplar hawk x8
Small Engrailed x3 (attached photo)
Broom x1
Elephant hawk x1
Pale-shouldered Brocade x1
Flame Carpet x2
Pebble Prominent x2
Buff Tip x1
Early Thorn x2

A bit odd that Poplar Hawkmoth was the commonest species last night, infact both they and the Elephant hawk came in well before their usual flight time of post midnight.

 

[harry eales]

Well a change of venue for me didn't do much good at all. All set up by 9.0pm, within half an hour the temperature plummeted. Clear sky and cold breeze didn't help either.

Terminated at 2.0am, the total catch:

1 Pebble Prominent.
1 Brimstone.
1 White Ermine.
1 Scalloped Hazel.
1 Small Square Spot.

Several dozen medium size Caddis and several hundred minute 'Caenis' Caddis, better known as 'Fishermans Curse'.

The most interesting item of the evening was the buxom blonde. lol.

Harry Eales.

 

[CJW]

I feel a bit better about our paltry efforts now! Still I think I would have swapped places with you Harry

 

[Swift]

Left the trap running in the garden and went to the local moth groups event moths recorded at the event were
0018 Map Winged Swift x1
1875 Small White Wave x6
1902 Brown Silver Line x8
1903 Barred Umber x7
1956 Common Wave x2
1918 Lunar Thorn x1
1994 Buff Tip x2
2006 Lesser Swallow Prominent x1
2028 Pale Tussock x2
2089 Heart and Dart x3
2302 Brown Rustic x2
2326 Clouded Bordered Brindle x1
2380 Treble Lines x3
2425 Nut Tree Tussock x2

There was also one that was cause of much debate see attached photo.

Back home the trap held
0648 White Sholuldered House Moth x2
0649 Sulphur Tubic (not in the trap)
1920 Scalloped Hazel x1
and what looks like a Carpet but not sure which.

Here piccys of a couple not id' and Buff Tip and Pale Tussock.Oops the piccy is terrible ,well never mind .

 

[CJW]

Hi Swift, without seeing the underwing (and even then, it's not always reliable) I wouldn't like to say whether the carpet is a Common or Dark Marbled Carpet.
The 'terrible pic', well, hmmm, the best I can manage is Pale-shouldered Brocade (although it could be a Beautiful) - I've taken the liberty of brightening it up a bit to see if any of the other guys can add to that.

 

[harry eales]

Hi Swift,
I think your no1 is Common Marbled Carpet, they are extremely variable and no two look exactly alike. No idea about the last one though insufficient detail of the moth to be seen.

Harry Eales.

 

[Swift]

Here is the underwing

 

[Angus T]

Swift, did you see this moth at rest? Somehow, Angle Shades came to my mind. They have distinctive resting posture.

 

[CJW]

I agree with Harry on this, now that we have seen the underside of the underwing (I would have preferred the underside of the upperwing for completeness), that cross line just seems a little too 'smooth' for Dark Marbled.

 

[CJW]

Thought you might like to see this that my mate took whilst we were packing up this morning.

 

[Swift]

Angus T ,the moth debate raged between Dogs Tooth, Pale Shouldered and Beautifull Brocade , the general opionion was that it could well be a Beautifull Brocade in our county there is only one record and that is of a possible! I am new to the moth game but I could see the points thay pointed out ,I think they intend to show it "Mr Big" today so will post when I find out what the decision is , cheers.

 

[CJW]

How did you get on at the organised event, Swift?
Decent turn out? How many species were caught?

 

[Swift]

CJW the first list is from the event ,14 species and about a dozen people.