October Moths (2 Viewers)

[dantheman]

Last night, 14 of 9 . Minimum temp was 5C, previous night was 6C

Lunar Underwing 3
Black Rustic 3
Feathered Ranunculus 2
Lesser Yellow Underwing 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
Common Marbled Carpet 1
Beaded Chestnut 1
Square-spot Rustic 1 (worn)
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1

Lesser YU and Sh Sh Dart my first in October.

 

[Steve Lister]

I was struck by how mild and cloudy it was last night so gave it a go. I was rewarded by just six moths but two were NFY - my third-ever Feathered Thorn and a Red-line Quaker. A Pale Mottled Willow is my latest-ever by five days.

Looks similar weather tonight so might have another go.

Steve

 

[Rubia]

It was mild last night, as observed above, but I only did till 22:15 having agreed to go with a friend to Norfolk today. Probably lost some moths but saw a robin in some scrub instead.
14 moths of 8 species. 5 Merveilles, 2 Large Ranunculus plus some standard fare.
Hopefully a longer session tonight.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Conditions seemed promising last night, but this morning's crop was unaccountably meagre; two Spruce Carpets and singles of Red-green Carpet, November Moth agg & Pink-barred Sallow. I'll try again tonight but my hopes of a Merveille du Jour are waning....

 

[dantheman]

Update from post #48, Oct 15th -

Macro moths reported on this thread this month -

1. Pale Mottled Willow
Common Marbled Carpet
Snout
Barred Sallow
Garden Carpet
Red-green Carpet
Brimstone
Lunar Underwing
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Green-brindled Crescent
11. Black Rustic
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Square Spot Rustic
Large Yellow Underwing
Mallow
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Autumnal Rustic
Feathered Ranunculus
Beaded Chestnut
Spruce Carpet
21. Dark Swordgrass
Chestnut
Gem
Merveille du Jour
Grey Shoulder-knot
Turnip Moth
Light Emerald
Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Rosy Rustic
Blair's Shoulder-knot
31. Deep-brown Dart
Willow Beauty
Juniper Carpet
November Moth agg
Figure of Eight
Yellow-line Quaker
Red-line Quaker
Brindled Green
Angle Shades
Pink-barred Sallow
+
41. Brown-spot Pinion
Silver Y
L-album Wainscot
Double-striped Pug
Satellite
Copper Underwing
Feathered Thorn
Large Wainscot
Frosted Orange
Delicate
Large Ranunculus
52. White-point

Let me know if I've missed any of course. (EDIT: updated, including Brindled Green which was omitted previousy)

 

[dantheman]

I'll try again tonight but my hopes of a Merveille du Jour are waning....

All my first ones from last week were outside the trap in the evening; I tend to check the trap and immediate area briefly mid-evening and again just before turning in. Once it was still there in the morning and the other day 2 were inside, but def worth checking pm I think.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Cheers Dan, I pop out to check around the trap throughout the evening. Tonight's not shaping up to be a classic, but I shall persevere.

 

[dantheman]

Cheers Dan, I pop out to check around the trap throughout the evening. Tonight's not shaping up to be a classic, but I shall persevere.

Still got a few weeks to go in the flight period but partly depends on the weather of course ... good luck.

 

[StuartReeves]

A surprisingly OK Friday night haul for me with 39 moths of 13 species. Beaded Chestnut was the most numerous, with 12 individuals, followed by 7 each of Black Rustic and Mallow. Yellow-line Quaker, Large Wainscot and Frosted Orange were new for the year, with the latter two also being additions to Dan's list above. Rosy Rustic also falls into that category, although I saw a few earlier in the year.

 

[dantheman]

A surprisingly OK Friday night haul for me with 39 moths of 13 species. Beaded Chestnut was the most numerous, with 12 individuals, followed by 7 each of Black Rustic and Mallow. Yellow-line Quaker, Large Wainscot and Frosted Orange were new for the year, with the latter two also being additions to Dan's list above. Rosy Rustic also falls into that category, although I saw a few earlier in the year.

Updated, but RR was 29 above if that's what you meant. Good haul anyway. Think the nights are going milder for a bit, so hopefully more to come ...

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Nothing new last night in the end. Black Rustic, Figure of Eight & Yellow-line Quaker the most interesting, Red-green Carpet & November Moth agg the most numerous at three apeice.

 

[Rubia]

18/10. 27 moths of 13 species. Garden ticks - Acleris sparsana Ashy Button and (the Yah! one) Delicate. 3 Mervs, 5 Shuttle-shaped, Large Ranunculus, 4 Set Heb Character, Red-green Carpet, Lesser Y U, 2 Yel-line Quaker, 2 Lg Y U , 2 Beaded Chestnut, Black Rustic, 2 Gr-brindled Crescent and White-point.
I swapped traps at 23:30 from the MV to the actinic which I ran till 06:20 this morning (the first time I've had traps out all night). Only 5 in the actinic but Delicate was one of them.
Re - Merveilles - I've now caught quite a few (15 on spreadsheet) and only one has ever been in the trap all the others were on the table, the wall or the fence. They really don't like going in. I check my trap every 15 to 20 minutes normally which seems to be why I find lots I think, but also the only big tree near me is an oak that undoubtedly contributes to the cause. I think that is what advert breaks in films are for, so moth-ers can check their traps (they think of everything those TV schedulers).

 

[dantheman]

Last night min temp was 9C but didn't seem to make that much difference to the moths overall. 15 of 7

Black Rustic 5
Lunar Underwing 3
Beaded Chestnut 2
Merveille de Jour 2
Lesser Yellow Underwing 1
Angle Shades 1
Feathered Ranunculus 1

All moths were inside the trap, except 1 Black Rustic and 1 Lunar Underwing.

@Rubia - I was wondering how you did it, whether you stayed hunched up all night by the trap for hours upon end with just the occasional moth coming in!

 

[dantheman]

So far in October I've trapped 13 times - 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th and then 10th Oct onwards.

From the joint list - Potential Lifers/NFGs for me are in bold; species I've recorded this month are indented and in normal font, species I've had in previous months (ie October targets?!) are in italics.

Pale Mottled Willow
- Common Marbled Carpet
Snout
Barred Sallow
- Garden Carpet
Red-green Carpet
- Brimstone
- Lunar Underwing
- Shuttle-shaped Dart
- Green-brindled Crescent
- Black Rustic
- Setaceous Hebrew Character
- Square Spot Rustic
- Large Yellow Underwing
Mallow
- Lesser Yellow Underwing
- Autumnal Rustic
- Feathered Ranunculus
- Beaded Chestnut
- Spruce Carpet
Dark Swordgrass
Chestnut
Gem
- Merveille du Jour
Grey Shoulder-knot
- Turnip Moth
- Light Emerald
- Hummingbird Hawk-moth
- Rosy Rustic
Blair's Shoulder-knot
Deep-brown Dart
- Willow Beauty
Juniper Carpet
November Moth agg
Figure of Eight
Yellow-line Quaker
- Red-line Quaker
Brindled Green
- Angle Shades
- Pink-barred Sallow
Brown-spot Pinion
Silver Y
- L-album Wainscot
- Double-striped Pug
Satellite
Copper Underwing
Feathered Thorn
Large Wainscot
Frosted Orange
Delicate
Large Ranunculus
52. White-point



So think I've had 26 species this month from the 13 sessions, of which 5 were new; Green-brindled Crescent, Merveille de Jour, Spruce Carpet, Turnip Moth and Red-line Quaker

Not thinking that's a great return rate. Plenty more to hope for ...

Apologies if this is a bit boring- others welcome to compare how many they've had of the cumulative total.

 

[Rubia]

Apologies if this is a bit boring- others welcome to compare how many they've had of the cumulative total.

I find it quite interesting seeing what others are getting in different parts of the country, both species and quantity. For myself, I'm quite driven forward by knowing there is more to get. The first of anything is exciting in the garden. Then there are the stats on numbers for recording to pass to the county recorder. This is my first year, but future years will give interesting comparisons. I got a copy of 'A guide to Moth Traps and their use' from AES today and its fascinating. No two years will be the same for species and numbers. Who knows what opening that trap tomorrow will bring or checking the wall.
Keep posting Dan.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Pale Mottled Willow
- Common Marbled Carpet
- Snout
- Barred Sallow
- Garden Carpet
- Red-green Carpet
- Brimstone
- Lunar Underwing
- Shuttle-shaped Dart
Green-brindled Crescent
- Black Rustic
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Square Spot Rustic
- Large Yellow Underwing
Mallow
- Lesser Yellow Underwing
Autumnal Rustic
Feathered Ranunculus
- Beaded Chestnut
- Spruce Carpet
Dark Swordgrass
- Chestnut
Gem
Merveille du Jour
Grey Shoulder-knot
Turnip Moth
Light Emerald
Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Rosy Rustic
- Blair's Shoulder-knot
Deep-brown Dart
Willow Beauty
Juniper Carpet
- November Moth agg
- Figure of Eight
- Yellow-line Quaker
- Red-line Quaker
- Brindled Green
- Angle Shades
- Pink-barred Sallow
Brown-spot Pinion
- Silver Y
L-album Wainscot
Double-striped Pug
- Satellite
- Copper Underwing
- Feathered Thorn
Large Wainscot
Frosted Orange
Delicate
Large Ranunculus
52. White-point

Nine October sessions, 25 species, eight new; Black Rustic, Figure of Eight, November Moth agg, Red-line Quaker, Brindled Green, Yellow-line Quaker, Feathered Thorn & Chestnut.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Three Oct sessions for me, total of four moths of four species, Lge Yellow Underwing, Red-line Quaker, Common Marbled Carpet and Shuttle-shaped Dart...................

 

[Jabberwocky]

Down to 8C here last night but still got 52 of 15. 5 of these were NFY, 3 each of Large Waiscot, Red-line Quaker and November Moth agg, 2 Merveille du Jour and a Sprawler( NF Dans October list). The remainder were
Beaded Chestnut 15
Yellow-line Quaker 6
Black Rustic 5
Green-brindled Crescent 4
Barred Sallow 3
Chestnut 2
Brown-spot Pinion 2
Lunar Underwing
Pink-barred Sallow
Brick

Both MdJ were outside the trap.

October to date, 4 sessions, 111 moths and 22 species. Gem the only new for garden and another 8 added to the year list.

My normal method for trapping is usually to set up early, sometimes in the morning. Place the trap on an old white woven shower curtain and leave it. Electrics are fitted with a photo-cell so it comes on at dusk, useful if I'm out birding and not home until after dark. I may or may not check during the evening before bed but not more than a couple of times. Tend to watch a lot of BBC so not many intervals. In the morning I close down the trap before the birds get to anything outside the trap, during the summer months it helps to drink some good quality ale in the evening in order to wake early! I always leave it on for the whole night but I don't have to go to work.

 

[dantheman]

Thanks all - interesting stuff for sure.

Looks like we're just past the 24hr deadline for editing the post (post #65 and #76 above - 52 species before Sprawler), but will post a new update in a couple days time or so.

Just been out to the trap - no moths to see and it's raining already (next 4 hours or so forecast) and getting pretty windy through the night with Southerlies/South easterlies. So we'll see, ever hopeful Think coastal locations should have a good chance of some interesting immigrants, don't know what the rest of the country will be like (we only have Netflix, so don't tend to follow the national weather) ...

 

[Rubia]

Closed the trap at 23:45 as its coldish and fairly windy so little is happening out there.
8 moths of 8 species. New for garden is Rusty-dot Pearl (rather beautiful little moth under the lens).
Snout, Red-green Carpet, Black Rustic, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Green-brindled Crescent, Turnip Moth, Lesser Yellow Underwing.
Haven't had a Turnip for a bit (Baldrick probably ate them).
The weevil Brachypera zoilus dropped in too.