An old Knaresborough hag...or Which witch is which?

... otherwise known as Mother Shipton or if you like, Callistege mi. (geeky kudos if you know which kids TV programme is referenced in the post title).



Netted this on a very small piece of remnant chalk grassland close to home yesterday lunchtime.  I just love the pattern on the wings and all credit to the imagination of those who gave this moth its vernacular name.  Much more imaginative than the scientific species name which purely refers to the 'M' shape on the underside of the wings; how boring (yet precise and effective of course) is that in comparison.

From the image below, you can really see the likeness!



Dave

Is this a dagger which I see before me...

..yes it is, but only as an aggregate for now.

New for year species continue to be added to the garden list; latest including Oak Hook-tip, Grey/dark Dagger agg., Capua vulgana and Hofmannophila pseudospretella.


Catch report, 125W MV back garden, East Kent, 28th May 2012

Monopis obviella
Caloptilia syringella
Argyresthia trifasciata
Plutella xylostella
Hofmannophila pseudospretella
Epiphyas postvittana
Capua vulgana

Common Swift
Oak Hook-tip


Chinese Character
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Garden Carpet
Common Carpet
Green Carpet
Common Pug
Brimstone Moth
Waved Umber
Light Emerald
Heart and Dart

Shuttle-shaped Dart
Flame Shoulder
Shears
Bright-line Brown-eye
White-point
Dark Dagger / Grey Dagger

Rustic Shoulder-knot
Marbled Minor agg.
Treble Lines
Spectacle

Dave

Of Nets, Emeralds and Brass

Species and numbers to the garden trap responding very well to the summer-like conditions, with many new for year over the weekend.  Star of the show, undoubtedly, Netted Pug:

Catch report, back garden, East Kent, 27th May 2012

Tinea trinotella - 3

Epiblema cynosbatella

LBAM - 12

Endrosis sarcitrella - 4

Eudonia angustea - 5

Agonpterix arenella

Burnished Brass

Treble-bar

Green Carpet - 10

Fern - 3

Poplar Hawk-moth

Shuttle-shaped Dart - 5

Rustic Shoulder-knot - 2

Angle Shades

Common Carpet

Waved Umber

Treble Lines

Netted Pug

Muslin Moth

Bright-line Brown-eye

Common Swift - 7

Light Emerald

Puss-y galore!

Stop Press: Puss Moth emergence update

Five more emerged over a two-hour period yesterday, two of them right before my eyes, allowing an opportunity to capture the wing inflating and drying process in this set of images.  I found watching this absolutely magical.





Dave

Good haul at the trap

After a very successful evening at Denge Woods (http://kentmicromoths.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/bonsai-banzai-bonanza.html) with a great list of micros plus the lovely macro - 14 Small Purple-barred, the trap in the back garden also didn't disappoint.



Catch report, Back garden, East Kent. 23rd May 2012

Garden Pebble (nfy)



Eudonia angustea
LBAM - 22 (definitely back with a vengeance this year)
Nematopogon swammerdamella
Argyresthia trifasciata (nfy)


Common Pug
Common Carpet
Green carpet - 17
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Brimstone - 7
Treble Lines - 2 (NFY)
Cabbage
Common Swift
Pale Prominent
Fern
Shuttle-shaped Dart - 3
Purple Bar (nfy)

Away we go.....

Finally, the moths begin to arrive...much warmer (dare I say almost hot temperatures) have resulted in the expected upturn in fortunes both when dusking and to the garden trap. Macros still predominate to the trap whilst micros continue to be encountered much more when dusking.

And the Puss Moths reared from eggs last year have started to emerge from their long slumber with 5 thus far.  They're crawling all over the kitchen in a "My family and other animals" sort of way....

Catch report - 125W MV back garden trap, East Kent

Cochylis atricapitana
LBAM - 7
Parsnip Moth
Endrosis sarcitrella
Pale Prominent
Waved Umber - 3
Small Waved Umber
Angle Shades
Flame Shoulder - 2
Green Carpet - 12
Common Carpet
Red Twin-spot carpet
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Clouded Drab
Fern
Shears
Latticed Heath

Some photo highlights:
 

Ready for take-off?

Well an upturn at the garden trap last night, with a 'whopping' 12, yes twelve, species!  Lets hope it's a sign that things are starting to take-off, literally.

Catch report Back garden 17/5/2012

Prays fraxinella f. rustica


Eudonia angustea - 2
Epiphyas postvittana

Red Twin-spot Carpet
Garden Carpet


Green Carpet
Brimstone - 4
Waved Umber - 2
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Peppered Moth


Flame Shoulder


Cabbage Moth


Here's to the upward trend continuing.

Dave

Drip, drip, drip

No not the sound of rain, for once, but the excruciatingly slow trickle of moths to the garden trap. Micros to the trap are almost non-existent, thankfully dusking and early stage searches continue to prove fruitful.

Only three species to the trap last night:

Shuttle-shaped Dart, Brimstone and Chinese Character (nfy).



Dusking was much  better yesterday evening, with micros much better represented (more of which over on the kent micro moths blog: http://kentmicromoths.blogspot.co.uk/

The only macros on the dusking foray were Green Carpet and Spectacle.



Dave

Steady does it...

Nothing to set the world alight last night, but a few more new for year, highlight was the micro Phtheochroa rugosana.



Catch report

Epiphyas postvittana
Endrosis sarcitrella
Phtheochroa rugosana

Shuttle-shaped Dart



Waved Umber



Brimstone
Nut-tree Tussock


Early Grey

Bits and pieces

Too windy last night for anything decent to the trap:

5 Epiphyas postvittana
Early Grey
Angle Shades




Dusking (in the lee of any shelter) was slightly more productive:

7 Cosmiotes freyerella
Depressaria heraclei
Brimstone Moth
2 Green Carpet



Fingers crossed that the forecast for the weekend holds true and that the wind dies down a bit...

Dave

Catch report: back garden MV trap, 8th May 2012

Still no more than ticking over but at least a list, of sorts, from last night:

Agonopterix arenella 
Epiphyas postvittana - 8 (are they bouncing back this year?)
Emmelina monodactyla
Angle Shades
Brimstone

and two new for year...

 Rustic Shoulder-knot
 

Common Swift
 

Dost thou love hawking?

Only one moth to the garden trap last night, actually clinging to the sheet, but one that marked the start of the Hawks for me, surely decent May weather must be round the corner?

A pleasant surprise

Still not much doing in the traps but did get this one which was new for me: Elachista albifrontella




Also netted this while out and about this afternoon - Latticed Heath.


Dave

Garden catch-up

Finally the deluge eased (for a while) to allow a couple of nights trapping in the garden.  Managed to add a few new for years before April was out:


Herald - always a pleasure


Scorched Carpet


Brimstone


V-Pug


Fern