National moth night (UK) (1 Viewer)

[harry eales]

Well the photos were taken on a limestone grassland site famed for flowers such as Pasque flower and Man Orchid among many others.

Just guessing, but, with Common Heath being a very widespread species, I think the lack of heathland around here means they are common on such sites and the habitat distinction is less significant.

I take your point Brian, and I agree that species like Common Heath can be found elsewhere, and I have found them elsewhere myself, but on heaths and moorlands it's true habitat, is where this species comes into its own and can be seen in very high numbers indeed.

Harry Eales.

 

[Angus T]

I also get Burnet Companion and Mother Shipton although just occasional specimens. However, Common Heath abound on the bogs and mires in Northumberland, not in dozens or even hundreds but literally in thousands. They're a positive menace in late May and throughout June on all my Large Heath butterfly sites in this county and also on nearly every Heather moor.

Try a peat bog Angus you should see plenty of them.

Harry Eales.

Well it wasn't a peat bog, but I netted one today!! in a local nature reserve. A male. He's rather intricate and a joy to look at. The same moth means different things to different people, isn't that right Harry?

 

[harry eales]

Well it wasn't a peat bog, but I netted one today!! in a local nature reserve. A male. He's rather intricate and a joy to look at. The same moth means different things to different people, isn't that right Harry?

One or two specimens is very nice Angus, but one or two thousand all flying at the same time is bloody distracting, especially when your looking for something else. lol. Peat Bogs are the optimum habitat for these critters.

Harry Eales.

 

[Cuckoo-shrike]

Don't forget it's the big night (and day) tomorrow. All the moths will be busy preparing for the celebrations so I'll be setting my traps at Windmill Farm Nature Reserve to see who turns up. Hope they're not wearing fancy dress, they're hard enough to i.d. as it is!

 

[Brian Stone]

Thanks for the reminder Andy. I'll be running an unattended trap at my LNR and another in the garden. Lets hope the weather warms up as predicted.

 

[Cuckoo-shrike]

Thanks for the reminder Andy. I'll be running an unattended trap at my LNR and another in the garden. Lets hope the weather warms up as predicted.

Brian, I definitely prefer your "running" a trap to my "setting" a trap!
Definitely getting warmer, so here's hoping.

 

[helenol]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2005_27_thu_03.shtml

Chance to listen to this, if you haven't done already.

 

[sbooder]

I have a small family gathering to educate in the ways of things nocturnal

Simon.

PS, already stuned them all with Lime Hawk-moth.

 

[Brian Stone]

The trap is buzzing! Looking forward to the morning. Night all.

 

[Angus T]

The trap is buzzing! Looking forward to the morning. Night all.

Only getting dark now. heading out.....

 

[Grampy Bustard]

Cracking night....8 ticks that I know about. Still working my way through them.........

 

[Angus T]

I did an all nighter, slept from 9:00 to 12:30 this morn.

Still have a trap to go through. A bumper night. Predicting about 160 species though micro numbers are lowish.
Highlight so far are 2 Catoptria falsella. I'm not aware of any previous Irish records, though I've a couple of folk to ask before I can confirm.

 

[Steve Lister]

Thanks to Mocha, who identified it from my photos, I caught the fifth VC55 record of Eucosma conterminana, plus another five new ones for my garden list including Herald and Small Blood-vein. I've only been trapping here for a couple of months.

Steve

 

[Pete Haynes]

Hi all,

A good night here in Holmbury St Mary, Surrey. Min 13.8 deg C, clear, dry though dewy, no wind. Full list below with new species smilies:

NATIONAL MOTH NIGHT CHECKLIST - 9th July 2005

MACROS

0161 Leopard Moth Zeuzera pyrina 2
1653 Buff Arches Habrosyne pyritoides 7
1657 Common Lutestring Ochropacha duplaris 2
1666 Large Emerald Geometra papilionaria 1
1699 Least Carpet Idaea vulpinaria 2 |:d|
1711 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata 1
1713 Riband Wave Idaea aversata 7
1754 The Phoenix Eulithis prunata 1
1768 Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata 1
1777 July Highflyer Hydriomena furcata 3
1789 Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata 1
1858 The V-Pug Chloroclystis v-ata 1
1876 Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria 1
1887 Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata 1
1893 Tawny-barred Angle Semiothisa liturata 1
1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 1
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria 1
1931 Peppered Moth Biston betularia 2
1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria 1
1941 Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata 9
1956 Common Wave Cabera pusaria 1
1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata 5
1962 Barred Red Hylaea fasciaria 3
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor 4
1992 Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus 1
1994 Buff-tip Phalera bucephala 4
2000 Iron Prominent Notodonta dromedarius 1
2008 Coxcomb Prominent Ptilodon capucina 1
2037 Rosy Footman Miltochrista miniata 1
2043 Orange Footman Eilema sororcula 1
2047 Scarce Footman Eilema complana 3
2049 Buff Footman Eilema deplana 4
2050 Common Footman Eilema lurideola 8
2061 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum 1
2088 Heart and Club Agrotis clavis 6
2089 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis 11
2098 The Flame Axylia putris 8
2102 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta 3
2107 Large Yellow U/w Noctua pronuba 47
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow U/w Noctua fimbriata 1
2118 True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea 6
2120 Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica 1
2128 Double Square-spot Xestia triangulum 2
2155 Dot Moth Melanachra persicariae 3
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea 1
2193 The Clay Mythimna ferrago 3
2199 Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens 1
2205 Shoulder-striped Wainscot Mythimna comma 1
2278 Poplar Grey Acronicta megacephala 2
2279 The Sycamore Acronicta aceris 1 |:d|
2291 The Coronet Craniophora ligustri 2
2301 Bird's Wing Dypterygia scabriuscula 4
2302 Brown Rustic Rusina ferruginea 1
2305 Small Angle Shades Euplexia lucipara 6
2318 The Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina 1
2321 Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha 15
2337 Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis 5
2343 Common Rustic Mesapamea secalis 2
2381 The Uncertain Hoplodrina alsines 14
2382 The Rustic Hoplodrina blanda 4
2410 Marbled White Spot Lithacodia pygarga 7
2434 Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis 1
2441 Silver Y Autographa gamma 1
2442 Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina 1
2450 The Spectacle Abrostola triplasia 2
2477 The Snout Hypena proboscidalis 7
2492 Small Fan-foot Herminia nemoralis 1

??? Yellow Wave/Carpet (won't open its wings!)

MICROS

0610 Elachista argentella 1
0787 Bryotropha terrella 6
0874 Blastobasis decolorella 5
0970 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix 1
0980 Variegated Golden Tortrix 1
1001 Lozotaeniodes formosanus 2
1002 Lozotaenia forsterana 1
1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 1
1032 Aleimma loeflingiana 2
1175 Bramble-shoot Moth 8
1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella 27
1294 Crambus pascuella 12
1304 Agriphila straminella 7
1376 Small Magpie 1
1377 Perinephela lancealis 1
1392 Udea olivalis 2
1405 Mother of Pearl 2
1415 Orthopygia glaucinalis 1
1424 Endotricha flammealis 16


Total Macros 67
Total Micros 19

TOTAL SPECIES 86
TOTAL MOTHS 352

83 more micros to Id (photographed everyone that didn't get away!). Probably about another 40 species.

Hope all went well with you.

All the best

Pete H

 

[Angus T]

Well I'm up to 177species logged now. Probably another 10 max from the photos.
Ran 4 traps.
Farmyard trap was the star with 120+ species and over 500moths.

I have recorded some Feathered Beauty, so will have to look at picture carefully. Not actually sure it's been recorded in Ireland before. I'm quite happy that it's not willow. Haven't got pics on computer yet so will have to wait.

 

[Cuckoo-shrike]

My best moth of NMN was this Kent Black Arches, which I believe is the 5th record for Cornwall :bounce:
(needed Mocha to i.d. it for me though - I must try harder!)

 

[Pete Haynes]

Nmn

Nice Kent Black Arches, Andy. |:d|

Can't wait to see your NMN list Angus. I've just updated mine with the unidentified little yellow wave. No wonder it wouldn't open its wings flat - its a Dingy Shell and they don't sit with their wings flat!! I had another one today. Haven't started on the unid'd micros yet and I've a load more from last night to add to the ever growing list.

All the best

Pete H

 

[Brian Stone]

I've uploaded some pictures from NMN onto my Blog. Mostly good-looking common moths. A Southern Wainscot sat very nicely for photos, which show the 'head-band' very well.
http://thenaturalstone.blogspot.com/2005/07/national-moth-night.html

It was a fairly quiet night for me despite running two traps: one in the garden and one at my LNR (which I didn't get to early enough on Sunday morning really). Still processing the records so no list as yet.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

We did our first moth trap on Saturday thanks to my brother-in-law who made my son one.

Nothing rare but we had great fun checking and id-ing those that we could.

 

[Surreybirder]

I've uploaded some pictures from NMN onto my Blog. Mostly good-looking common moths. A Southern Wainscot sat very nicely for photos, which show the 'head-band' very well.
http://thenaturalstone.blogspot.com/2005/07/national-moth-night.html

It was a fairly quiet night for me despite running two traps: one in the garden and one at my LNR (which I didn't get to early enough on Sunday morning really). Still processing the records so no list as yet.

I really enjoyed your photos, Brian!
Ken