September moths 2007 (1 Viewer)

[Surreybirder]

A few new for the year last night:
red-green carpet
black rustic
large ranunculus

Other sp. included
large yellow underwing
Setaceous Hebrew character
dusky thorn
common marbled carpet
Vine's Rustic (I think)

Ken

 

[charly streets]

Hi all,

Just a couple of new species for me this month- both disturbed on the allotment, Smoky Wainscot and Firethorn Leaf Miner - a great name, great moth, shame about the photo :-(

The coolpix was really struggling to get a decent size image, the "cool light" doesn't help either as it prevents getting the camera lense right down to ground level and the outcome was even more dissapointing when I saw Brian's superb shot on his personal blog. Might consider upgrading to something with a few more pixels and (even) closer focusing.

Charly.

 

[black52bird]

Cyprus skipper help

I hope they were served with vegetables
Cyprus is a great place for wildlife... the only moth I IDed there was vestal but, as you say, loads of birds and dragonflies.
Ken

Cyprus seems a long time ago now, Ken - I've been to Poland and back in the mean time!! - but I've just been sorting some of the photos, and this Skipper is giving me a headache.I can't make it out from Higgins & Riley, so maybe it's from outside their range. It has similar ups and uns to a number of spp, with the distinctive set of 3 angled white marks on the leading corner of the forewing, and one large white mark more centrally, but the greenish background colour seems different from others of the Pyrgus genus. Anyone got any suggestions?

I've also stuck a couple of Dragonflies up on the appropriate Forum next door if you and Brian fancy a go at those.

Not much going on here in the moth world - I'm very envious of the recent catches you, Brian and Nerine are reporting - some great photos from all three, too!!

Thanks for any suggestions

David

 

[Surreybirder]

How about Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae),

 

[black52bird]

How about Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae),

That's certainly one I've looked at, Ken, although the Ups markings seem good, the uns actually look closer to those of Tufted Skipper (C. flocciferus) - although that's presumably out of range...... I think I'd better try and locate some photos of them all somewhere and see if that helps.

Best

David

 

[Surreybirder]

John,
I think you are getting too complicated. There are only four species known from Cyprus:
Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)

Common

Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)

Common

Pigmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)

Generally uncommon

Millet Skipper (Pelopidas thrax)

Uncommon

 

[black52bird]

John,
I think you are getting too complicated. There are only four species known from Cyprus:
Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)

Common

Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)

Common

Pigmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)

Generally uncommon

Millet Skipper (Pelopidas thrax)

Uncommon

It's your old friend David, Ken...(LOL)

But thanks for this info, which I don't have - I suppose I should have bought 'the Butterflies of Cyprus'. too!! And Higgins & Riley don't provide that detail (Millet Skipper doesn't even feature). So...I checked out Mallow Skipper on www.leps.it, and it has a series of very good photos, which actually look right -especially against one of the photos I didn't post, given that this might be second or third brood. However, they do have a very distinct ups pattern, which is not really visible in these 2 pics.

So thanks, Ken. I'll buy into Mallow Skipper. Tick!!

best

David

 

[Surreybirder]

Sorry, Fred.
Presumably you've checked the Butterflies of Cyprus website.
Ken

 

[black52bird]

Sorry, Fred.
Presumably you've checked the Butterflies of Cyprus website.
Ken

You presumed right, Ken - I hadn't.....didn't know there was one until you told me here, so I did, and of course, the image of the Mallow Skipper there- while hardly the best picture in the world - plus the details of the other spp. on the island are enough to tell me how right you were!! Thanks very much. That's a tick for me, of course. Id it one you saw when you were there?
Brian had a go at the two dragonflies for me, and as you observed over there, he must be right about the blue one, despite the apparent lack of the 'epaulet' marking in any of the photos I have...

Caught a few moths these last couple of nights, as it's been warm each day - up to over 20C in fact - nothing exceptional, sadly, but it's always nice to have something rather than nothing!! Lots of Pale Mottled Willows, 2 Silver Ys last night and a Large Yellow Underwing.

Best

David

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi, David,
No, I didn't see mallow skipper in Cyprus... in fact I only saw about half a dozen species well enough to ID. Two tailed pasha was probably the best. I did see O. chrysostigma and a couple of other species of Odonata... but was concentrating more on birds.
Soon be time to start looking for merveille du jour again |D|
Cheers
Ken

 

[black52bird]

Is this a Lutestring?

Good morning all,

Last night I got a nice L-album Wainscot - the first since May - another Silver Y, and these two below.

1-3: This first looks like a Lutestring, but it's a group I know nothing about, having never caught any. Has anyone got any ideas?
4-5: This is about the least marked moth I've ever had!! - and it doesn'r seem to be unmarked because it's very worn - though it is a bit frayed at the edges. Any thoughts on what it could be? I looked at all the very dark brown sp. in Waring, but they all seem to have some kind of marking on them.......

Thanks

David

 

[Brian Stone]

14 moths of 7 species here last night:
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 2
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 2
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 4
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1
2477 The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 2

 

[Nerine]

Last night I got a nice L-album Wainscot

Nice moth, one I've seen several times recently. Sorry, David, I can't help on your moths for id.

Brian, I make your moth count 15 with 8 species

I'm putting my list from last night on a new thread.

Nerine

 

[Brian Stone]

Right on two counts Nerine (my maths and the month).

 

[Surreybirder]

Good morning all,

Last night I got a nice L-album Wainscot - the first since May - another Silver Y, and these two below.

1-3: This first looks like a Lutestring, but it's a group I know nothing about, having never caught any. Has anyone got any ideas?
4-5: This is about the least marked moth I've ever had!! - and it doesn'r seem to be unmarked because it's very worn - though it is a bit frayed at the edges. Any thoughts on what it could be? I looked at all the very dark brown sp. in Waring, but they all seem to have some kind of marking on them.......

Thanks

David

Hi, David (!)
It's strange how much harder it is to ID some moths from photos than in the hand. I think the first is an oak lutestring but I think you'd better get a second op.
The second looks rather worn at the edges. There seems to be a circular mark near the front 'shoulder'. It's not a dark sword-grass is it.... no, I thought not!
George (I'll forget my own name next)