• Other Diary Pages:
• 2007
  • March/April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
• 2008
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
• 2009
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
• 2010
  • January
  • February
  • March

 

Number of species:
This month: 111

 

 

Weather: Clear, 12°C, light breeze.

Still a bit of a breeze about but far less noticeable than on recent nights. A pretty good catch to end the month with too with more than twenty species in the trap. I had that old problem with warm and jumpy moths again though, keeping them under control enough to be identified was tricky enough, let alone, waiting to be photographed - not too bad though, I only missed the Brown Silver-line, the Inlaid Grass Veneer I did manage to get a photo of but it wasn’t anything like good enough for public display.

Tortricidae

• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana Walker
• 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana D. & S.
• 1 Yellow-faced Bell Epiblema cynosbatella Linn.

Crambidae

• 1 Inlaid Grass Veneer Crambus pascuella Linn.
• 1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis Treit.

Geometridae

• 1 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata Linn.
• 1 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata D. & S.
• 1 Broken-barred Carpet Electrophaes corylata Thunb.
• 1 Mottled Pug Eupithecia exiguata Hb.
• 1 Currant Pug Eupithecia assimilata Double.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 1 Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata Linn.
• 1 Brown Silver-line Petrophora chlorosata Scop.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.
• 2 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata Linn.

Arctiidae

• 1 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 7 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum Linn.
• 1 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica Hufn.

 

Saturday 30 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 10°C, fairly windy.

Hmm… another late start - not a good idea. The trap was shaded and out of the wind but we still lost some of the contents the moment it was disturbed which included both the first Small Magpie and, a little less excitingly, a Brown House-moth.

I should point out that the great Professor Bayley contacted me to point out that my Common Rustic identification was wrong and the moth in question was in fact a Small Clouded Brindle, which, it has to be said is a far more interesting moth. Note to self: Pay more attention.

Yponomeutidae

• 2 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Gelechiidae

• 1 Heather Groundling Neofaculta ericetella Geyer

Oecophoridae

• 1 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella Stainton

Tortricidae

• 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana D. & S.

Crambidae

• 1 Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata Linn.

Geometridae

• 3 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata Hufn.
• 1 Broken-barred Carpet Electrophaes corylata Thunb.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 1 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata Linn.

Arctiidae

• 1 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 3 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 2 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Vine’s Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua D. & S.

 

Friday 29 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear at first, foggy towards dawn, 12°C, light breeze.

I forgot to situate the trap in a shady location last night, when I finally managed to get out to it this morning the sun hand been shining strongly on it for some time and I suspect a large proportion of its content was long gone, what was left was pretty jumpy and keen to escape.

Tortricidae

• 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana D. & S.

Geometridae

• 2 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata Hufn.
• 1 Sharp-angled Carpet Euphyia unangulata Haw.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 2 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata D. & S.

Arctiidae

• 1 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda Linn.

Noctuidae

• 4 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum Linn.
• 1 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis Scop.

 

Thursday 28 May 2009

 

Weather: Cloudy, 13°C, light winds.

Yesterday was one of those cool wet miserable days that when night falls the temperature hardly drops which, I think, goes to show that for a really good moth night you need a decent day to precede it. I guess I’m complaining a bit too hard, it wasn’t a bad night by any means, only one new species for the year though, a Willow Beauty.

Yponomeutidae

• 2 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Tortricidae

• 1 Spotted Shoot Moth Rhyacionia pinivorana Lienig & Zeller

Crambidae

• 1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella D. & S.

Geometridae

• 1 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata D. & S.
• 1 Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata Hb.
• 1 May Highflyer Hydriomena impluviata D. & S.
• 1 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria Knoch
• 1 Grass Rivulet Perizoma albulata D. & S.
• 1 Freyer’s Pug Eupithecia intricata Zett.
• 1 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria D. & S.

Sphingidae

• 2 Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi Linn.

Lymantriidae

• 1 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda Linn.

Noctuidae

• 1 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum D. & S.
• 4 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 6 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum Linn.
• 2 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica Hufn.
• 2 Vine’s Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua D. & S.
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis Scop.

 

Wednesday 27 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear, cool, 8°C, windy.

Talk about down to earth with a bump, what a difference. Mind you, three first for the year including our second f. carbonaria which it has to be said, along with the Scalloped Hazel was in a pretty sorry state. The Angle Shades almost came as a surprise as I had been wondering when we would finally see one this year.

Tineidae

• 1 Skin Moth Monopis laevigella D. & S.

Geometridae

• 1 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata Hufn.
• 1 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata Cl.
• 1 Peppered Moth Biston betularia f. carbonaria Linn.

Noctuidae

• 2 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa Linn.

 

Tuesday 26 May 2009

 

Weather: Thundery, heavy rain, warm, 14°C, occasional gusty wind.

The weather looked like it was going to clear up a bit when I put the trap out last night, it didn’t but it had been wet and thundery earlier so I was fairly optimistic that things might get interesting, after all with the continued march of the Painted Ladies I was sure that there was going to be something interesting of a mothy nature on its way too, even a Silver Y would have been a bonus (as it is, we had two). I think it’s safe to say though I wasn’t prepared for what I found when I went to examine the catch this morning though, the trap was pretty busy with life but sitting contentedly on one of the egg trays was one of the most spectacular sights I expect we’ll see all year and maybe next, a Striped Hawk-moth - WOW!

Lots of other stuff as well, a Grass Rivulet, a moth supposed to be restricted to The Downs and also what I think is a Spotted Shoot Moth (two, actually) as well as numerous other first for the year.

Tineidae

• 1 Skin Moth Monopis laevigella D. & S.

Yponomeutidae

• 2 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Gelechiidae

• 1 Heather Groundling Neofaculta ericetella Geyer

Tortricidae

• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana Walker
• 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana D. & S.
• 1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana Fischer von Röslerstamm
• 1 Yellow-faced Bell Epiblema cynosbatella Linn.
• 2 Spotted Shoot Moth Rhyacionia pinivorana Lienig & Zeller

Crambidae

• 1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella D. & S.

Geometridae

• 1 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata D. & S.
• 1 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata D. & S.
• 1 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata Hufn.
• 1 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria Knoch
• 1 Grass Rivulet Perizoma albulata D. & S.
• 1 Foxglove Pug Eupithecia pulchellata Steph.
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.
• 2 Common White Wave Cabera pusaria Linn.

Sphingidae

• 1 Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi Linn.
• 1 Striped Hawk-moth Hyles livornica Esp.

Notodontidae

• 1 Iron Prominent Notodonta dromedarius Linn.

Arctiidae

• 3 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda Linn.

Noctuidae

• 9 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 4 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum Linn.
• 3 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 2 Vine’s Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua D. & S.
• 1 Marbled Minor Sp. Oligia Sp.
• 2 Silver Y Autographa gamma Linn.

 

Monday 25 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear at first clouding over, 10°C, light breeze.

At about 11:00 yesterday morning I saw the first of what eventually turned out to be literally hundreds of Painted Lady butterflies every single one of which was flying at full tilt in a straight line from the south-east to the north-west. Between 15:00 and 15:15 I counted forty of them and throughout the day their mass migration continued, I have never seen a sight like it, a truly remarkable sight. At one point while watching this phenomenal procession I noticed what I first assumed was another Painted Lady but this time flying in a more erratic way and not in the same direction as all the others, I then realised, as it got closer it was a male Emperor Moth, presumably on the scent of a female somewhere in the vicinity, eventually it rested on a reed in the river where I managed to get the photo graph above.

As for the catch, well this was pretty good, most notable I suppose as it marks the start of the Large Yellow Underwing season and long may it last - I love these moths. We also had a new species for the garden (or at least I think it is) a Buff-tipped Marble.

Tortricidae

• 1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana Fischer von Röslerstamm
• 1 Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana D. & S.

Saturniidae

• 1 Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Maiden’s Blush Cyclophora punctaria Linn.
• 1 Blood-vein Timandra comae Schmidt
• 2 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria Knoch
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.

Arctiidae

• 2 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 4 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba Linn.
• 2 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Small Clouded Brindle Apamea unanimis

 

Sunday 24 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 7°C, very light breeze.

Not a bad catch, given the conditions with a good selection of firsts for the year including our first two Buff Ermines (about time too) and two more Pugs as well.

We had another new species for the garden, not in the trap but spotted and potted by an eagle-eyed Lucas while bouncing on the trampoline. It is (or should I say, I’m pretty sure it is) a Brindled Flat-body.

Oecophoridae

• 1 Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella D. & S.

Tortricidae

• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana Walker

Crambidae

• 1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella D. & S.

Geometridae

• 1 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata Linn.
• 1 Mottled Pug Eupithecia exiguata Hb.
• 1 Freyer’s Pug Eupithecia intricata Zett.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.

Lymantriidae

• 1 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda Linn.

Arctiidae

• 1 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 3 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis Linn.

 

Saturday 23 May 2009

 

Weather: Mainly clear, 8°C, light breeze.

I was embarrassingly late out to the trap this morning and I suspect we might have suffered a little as far as the accuracy of today’s records go, nevertheless what remained inside the trap was far from uninteresting with some new species for the year and an opportunity to get that Treble Lines photo I missed yesterday. Also a new species or maybe not a new species but a realisation of a possible/probable misidentification, in the trap we had what I quickly identified as a Clouded-bordered Brindle, as the moth looked familiar I checked the records to not only discover we haven’t seen one before but also I think what I had down as a Clouded Brindle might, in fact be a Clouded-bordered Brindle too, further study required I think.

I thought I’d put up the photo of Gorse Case-bearer as although it’s not a new species, it’s better than the last one (below).

Coleophoridae

• 1 Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta Haw.

Geometridae

• 1 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata D. & S.

Lymantriidae

• 1 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda Linn.

Noctuidae

• 2 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis Linn.
• 1 Clouded-bordered Brindle Apamea crenata Hufn.
• 1 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica Hufn.

 

Friday 22 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 7°C, light breeze.

"*Σ?$**Ω!*&!!!!!" was my first reaction (apologies to the neighbours) swiftly followed by a John Cleese like desire to pull up a nearby tree and beat the trap with it. At some point in the wee small hours it had decided to stop working and everything (of the moth persuasion) had fled, weirdly the Cockchafers and the myriad little black flies had chosen to stay. The one crumb of comfort was the Alder Kitten I had found sitting on the lamp holder last night was safely potted, I also observed what would have been the first Treble Lines of the year fly into the trap but that was about it.

Notodontidae

• 1 Alder Kitten Furcula bicuspis Borkh.

Noctuidae

• 1 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica Hufn.

 

Thursday 21 May 2009

 

Weather: Mainly clear, 6°C, light breeze.

After spending some time last night watching the comings and goings (or rather, lack of) around the trap I ended up going to bed vaguely disconsolate. This morning though the contents of the trap represented a slight but definite upturn from the past couple of nights, another Lime Hawk-moth and the first Small Square-spot of the year topping the bill. I also spent a little while by the river and around the garden in the early evening yesterday netting more or less anything that flew by. All the "micros" in the list below are from this foraging expedition. The Twenty-plume Moths were all in amongst a rather overgrown Honeysuckle and a flew up when I gave it a good shake with the net handle.

Choreutidae

• 2 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana Linn.

Alucitidae

• 4 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Crambidae

• 1 Small Purple and Gold Pyrausta aurata Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata Linn.
• 4 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Sphingidae

• 1 Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae Linn.

Noctuidae

• 1 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi View.
• 1 Spectacle Abrostola tripartita Hufn.

 

Wednesday 20 May 2009

 

Weather: 7°C mostly clear, little wind.

Not quite what I would have hoped for from the first more or less still night in what seems like ages.

Yponomeutidae

• 1 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia D. & S.

Noctuidae

• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.

 

Tuesday 19 May 2009

 

Weather: 8°C mostly clear but a little rain in the morning, windy.

Down to Earth with a bump. The Light Brown Apple Moth, I netted yesterday afternoon and is only the fourth this year - where have they all gone?

Tortricidae

• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana Walker

Geometridae

• 1 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria Knoch

Noctuidae

• 1 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.

 

Monday 18 May 2009

 

Weather: Cool, overcast, 7°C, very windy.

The temperature was nigh on irrelevant, it was and remains far too windy for temperature to be a factor. At least there was something thing of interest to be found in the trap, the Red Twin-spot Carpet being the first of the year and the Emperor Moth was the third one we’ve seen this year - i’m now sure I must have supplemented the local population last year.

Saturniidae

• 1 Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia D. & S.
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.

Noctuidae

• 2 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.

 

Sunday 17 May 2009

 

Weather: Mild, partly cloudy, 8°C, fairly breezy.

If it hadn’t have been for the three "wonder" nights last week I would have been jolly pleased with last night’s catch, one new species and a couple of firsts for the year, but by that comparison it looks a little light weight. The new species is I think, based on hunch more than anything else, a Rush Marble. It does look the part and seems to fit in terms of available habitat. The two firsts were Garden Pebble and a fine looking Gold Spot.

Choreutidae

• 1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana Linn.

Yponomeutidae

• 1 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Tortricidae

• 1 Rush Marble Bactra lancealana Hb.

Crambidae

• 1 Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata Linn.
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.

Noctuidae

• 4 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Vine’s Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua D. & S.
• 1 Gold Spot Plusia festucae Linn.

 

Saturday 16 May 2009

 

Took a rain check (cheque?) - what does that expression mean? Anyway, it was far to wet for any trapping.

 

Friday 15 May 2009

 

Weather: Mild, more or less continuous torrential rain until midnight, overcast and misty later, 10°C, breezy.

If I had been a little more disorganised yesterday evening I wouldn’t have had the trap out and ready to go before the deluge arrived but, as it was out and despite the pouring rain I switched it on in the hope the rain, would be short lived and all would be okay. As it happened, the rain got heavier and and carried on intermittently until shortly before midnight. I have to confess I was almost surprised to see it still working this morning and when I was checking what we had caught I was very pleased to find a bright, fresh, Yellow-barred Brindle amongst the soggy remnants of egg tray. I would have been more than satisfied to put this down as the highlight of an unsurprisingly somewhat diminished catch (by the standards of the past two days) when I noticed sitting on the choke, next to the trap, the Mocha pictured above. In one fell swoop, the last three nights of trapping became stratospheric and legendary (by my lowly standards at least). I’ll also be interested to see what might be following on behind the four Diamond-back Moth, could they be at the front of a migratory influx I wonder.

The stats for the past three nights are as follows:

• 90: Number of moths (not unusual).
• 47: Number of species (incredible).
• 17: Number of families represented.
• 18: Firsts for the year.
•  4: New species.

If this is a sign of things to come then I can only say things are looking pretty rosy (and time consuming at the moment).

Yponomeutidae

• 4 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Oecophoridae

• 1 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella Linn.

Tortricidae

• 1 Dark-barred Twist Syndemis musculana Hb.

Alucitidae

• 1 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Mocha Cyclophora annularia Fabr.
• 1 Maiden’s Blush Cyclophora punctaria Linn.
• 1 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata Hufn.
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 1 Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata Hb.

Noctuidae

• 2 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 3 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.

 

Thursday 14 May 2009

 

Weather: Very mild, overcast, 12°C, light wind.

A repeat performance of last night but with an almost completely different cast. More than forty species have shown up over the past two nights. Yet again a long list of firsts for the year, the most satisfying of which were the Scalloped Hook-tip which we’d only seen once before (in ’07) and I didn’t get a photo then and the Pale Tussock which we also didn’t see last year in Lindfield (we did see them in Dorset last May though). We also had a new species and remarkably I’m quite certain I have identified it correctly, a Gorse Case-bearer (assuming, that is, the white streaked costa is diagnostic - see photo on record page).

I had to exercise extreme caution when examining the trap’s contents this morning as not only was Lucas not with me (his birthday today so his attention was very much elsewhere) but what company I did have consisted of a completely brazen, male Blackbird, I had to chase him off on more than one occasion as he came within inches of me and the moths and he certainly wasn’t going to be suckered by the offer of juicy Cockchafer beetles.

Tineidae

• 1 Skin Moth Monopis laevigella D. & S.

Choreutidae

• 1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana Linn.

Yponomeutidae

• 1 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Coleophoridae

• 1 Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta Haw.

Gelechiidae

• 1 Heather Groundling Neofaculta ericetella Geyer

Oecophoridae

• 2 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella Linn.

Tortricidae

• 2 Brassy Twist Eulia ministrana Linn.

Alucitidae

• 2 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Pyralidae

• 1 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella Linn.

Drepanidae

• 1 Scalloped Hook-tip Falcaria lacertinaria Linn.
• 1 Oak Hook-tip Watsonalla binaria Hufn.

Geometridae

• 1 Maiden’s Blush Cyclophora punctaria Linn.
• 1 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata Linn.
• 1 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria Knoch
• 1 Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata D. & s.
• 1 Currant Pug Eupithecia assimilata Double.
• 1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata Haw.
• 3 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 4 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.
• 1 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria Thunb.

Notodontidae

• 1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula Cl.

Lymantriidae

• 1 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda Linn.

Arctiidae

• 1 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa Linn.

Noctuidae

• 2 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis Scop.

 

Wednesday 13 May 2009

 

Weather: Mild, overcast with light rain towards dawn, 10°C, light wind.

At last, the strong easterly wind that has been blowing for the past few days has finally abated and after what seems like months we get a decent night’s weather. The effect of this though is not quite so good, instead of new species and year’s firsts popping up in dribs and drabs, we’ve just had a bit of a deluge. There weren’t, it has to be said, too many moths, with no more than three of any one species but in total we had twenty six species with two new ones and eight firsts for the year, the obvious star of which was a beautiful, fresh Lime Hawk-moth.

The two entirely new species are from the lower reaches of the taxonomic list but I’m fairly confident I’ve got them right. The first is a Heather Groundling, which must, I guess, have come from garden heather, there’s a fair bit around. The second is, I think, Common Cosmet, well, it seems to fit the bill.

The two Small Purple and Gold weren’t actually in the trap but were flying around yesterday evening when I set the trap out.

Gelechiidae

• 1 Heather Groundling Neofaculta ericetella Geyer

Momphidae

• 1 Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella D. & S.

Tortricidae

• 2 Dark-barred Twist Syndemis musculana Hb.
• 1 Brassy Twist Eulia ministrana Linn.
• 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana D. & S.
• 1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana Fischer von Röslerstamm
• 1 Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella Cl.

Alucitidae

• 1 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Crambidae

• 2 Small Purple and Gold Pyrausta aurata Linn.

Drepanidae

• 1 Oak Hook-tip Watsonalla binaria Hufn.

Geometridae

• 1 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata Linn.
• 1 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata Hufn.
• 1 Sharp-angled Carpet Euphyia unangulata Haw.
• 3 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 2 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.

Sphingidae

• 1 Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae Linn.

Notodontidae

• 1 Pebble Prominent Notodonta ziczac Linn.
• 1 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze
• 1 Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma Fabr.

Noctuidae

• 2 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 2 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis Scop.
• 1 Nut-Tree Tussock Colocasia coryli Linn.

 

Tuesday 12 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear at first, becoming overcast, 7°C, very windy.

Nasty weather - even windier than it was last night. Another Dark-barred Twist which I can’t believe was the same one as we had yesterday as that one, after I brought it in to photograph, was caught in a gust of wind and last seen disappearing far into the west at about 40mph.

Tortricidae

• 1 Dark-barred Twist Syndemis musculana Hb.

Notodontidae

• 1 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze

Noctuidae

• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.

 

Monday 11 May 2009

 

Weather: Mainly clear, 9°C, very windy.

I set up the trap next to a fence and in the lee of the ridiculously strong and gusty easterly wind, this must surely have helped as I doubt we’d have caught anything if the trap had been more exposed. What we did catch was few in number again, but fairly interesting with three new species for the year and another (or maybe the same one) Dark-barred Twist. The year’s firsts were a Currant Pug which, I think, rates as possibly, a slightly more easy to "do" pug, a Vine’s Rustic (good-bye Orthosias, hello Hoplodrinas) and a lovely fresh May Highflyer which didn’t hang around for a photo - one of the big drawbacks to trapping in very windy weather.

Tortricidae

• 1 Dark-barred Twist Syndemis musculana Hb.

Geometridae

• 1 May Highflyer Hydriomena impluviata D. & S.
• 1 Currant Pug Eupithecia assimilata Double.
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.

Notodontidae

• 1 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze

Arctiidae

• 1 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica Cl.

Noctuidae

• 1 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Vine’s Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua D. & S.

 

Sunday 10 May 2009

 

The night was forecast to be clear and cooler than the night before so, with yesterday’s catch in mind I didn’t bother putting the trap out. However, I did net a new species for the garden yesterday afternoon, a Dark-barred Twist, a tortricid, something that we haven’t seen too many of this year.

 

Saturday 09 May 2009

 

Weather: Mainly clear, 7°C, light wind.

The wind might have abated but maybe that’s not such a good thing - it must have got colder than I thought last night. Uninspiring.

Noctuidae

• 1 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.

 

Friday 08 May 2009

 

Weather: Overcast, mild, 10°C, very windy.

The very windy weather continues, I think last night was the windiest yet. Again though, the catch was pretty good and varied with four firsts for the year, one of which seems to have had a name change since we last saw it: Pebble Prominent has gone from being an Eligmodonta to a Notodonta.

Geometridae

• 1 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata Hufn.
• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.

Notodontidae

• 1 Iron Prominent Notodonta dromedarius Linn.
• 1 Pebble Prominent Notodonta ziczac Linn.
• 1 Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma Fabr.

Noctuidae

• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 4 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis D. & S.
• 2 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.
• 1 Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis Linn.

 

Thursday 07 May 2009

 

Weather: Overcast, mild, 10°C, very windy.

Very much like last night in that the catch was small but with a relatively wide variety of species. Another first for the year too, a White-spotted Pug.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria H.-S.
• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma Fabr.

Arctiidae

• 1 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica Cl.

Noctuidae

• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 2 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 2 Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis D. & S.
• 1 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.

 

Wednesday 06 May 2009

 

Weather: Mainly overcast, mild, 10°C, windy.

I’m sure it would have been a better night if it hadn’t have been so windy, what we did get was a small but varied selection including the first Sharp-angled Carpet and Heart and Dart of the year but the moths were outnumbered by the twelve Cockchafers, which must be a record.

Tortricidae

• 1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana Fischer von Röslerstamm

Geometridae

• 1 Sharp-angled Carpet Euphyia unangulata Haw.
• 2 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata Haw.
• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lunar Marbled Brown Drymonia ruficornis Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 1 Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis Linn.
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Tuesday 05 May 2009

 

Weather: Overcast, mild, 10°C, breezy.

Monday afternoon was cool, wet and windy, by nightfall the rain had stopped and the wind had died down a little leaving us with what ended up being a very mild cloudy night, which, I’m sure would have been much more productive if it had occurred in a spell of generally warmer weather. The highlights of the catch were two Great Prominent and the first Grey Pine Carpet of the year.

Geometridae

• 1 Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata Hb.
• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Notodontidae

• 2 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze
• 1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula Cl.

Noctuidae

• 1 Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis D. & S.
• 3 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis Scop.

 

Monday 04 May 2009

 

Weather: Mostly clear, chilly, 2°C, windy.

Oh, I so nearly didn’t bother putting the trap out, it was obvious it was going to be a rubbish night.

Notodontidae

• 1 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze

 

Sunday 03 May 2009

 

Weather: Clear at first becoming cloudy with rain, 7°C, fairly breezy.

Not a great night for the trap - too damp and windy. With the exception, maybe, of another Great Prominent, the most interest was to be seen flying around the garden during the day (see photos above).

Geometridae

• 1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata Haw.
• 5 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Notodontidae

• 1 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze

Noctuidae

• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis D. & S.
• 1 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Saturday 02 May 2009

 

Weather: Overcast most of night, clearing towards dawn 10°C, breezy.

PUGS! hateful little things, I went through them to the best of my ability (slight) but I’m convinced they’re not all correctly identified - are any of them Oak-tree for instance? Oh well… The rest of the catch was pretty straightforward, except maybe the Common Birch Bell which I’m fairly confident is right as the other contender’s (E. nisella) main flight season isn’t until July. We had three first for the year: Bird’s Nest Moth (another tineid with questionable larval habits, this time, and not surprisingly given the name, feeding on the detritus to be found in birds’ nests), a Clouded Border (our earliest record) and a Pale Mottled Willow, also a "semi-first" with two White-shouldered House-moth (the real first being in Devon at Easter). All in, fifteen species in all - not bad.

Tineidae

• 1 Bird’s Nest Moth Tinea trinotella D. & S.

Oecophoridae

• 2 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella Linn.
• 1 Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana Fabr.

Tortricidae

• 1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana Fischer von Röslerstamm

Alucitidae

• 3 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 2 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata Haw.
• 7 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata Linn.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma Fabr.

Noctuidae

• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 3 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 2 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 2 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis Scop.

 

Friday 01 May 2009

 

Weather: A little thin cloud early on, clearing soon after dusk, temperature falling to about 5°C, slight wind.

Another of those frustrating nights which, before it got dark, looked to be just about perfect, warm, cloudy and very little wind, but as soon as the sun started setting the clouds dissipated and the temperature dropped - oh well. I shouldn’t complain as the catch wasn’t without interest, we had our second Herald (or maybe it was the same one we saw in November after hibernation) and also a Skin Moth, this wasn’t in the trap but was spotted by Lucas yesterday evening outside one of the front windows whilst pulling the curtains. I suspect that its whereabouts wasn’t a coincidence as immediately beneath where the moth was flying is a favoured s**t-house for all the local cats and considering this species larvae have a rather unsavoury lifestyle it’s probable that this one had recently emerged from its larval home.

Tineidae

• 1 Skin Moth Monopis laevigella D. & S.

Alucitidae

• 2 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Noctuidae

• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 2 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix Linn.