Wednesday 25 July 2012

On the scent

With the lovely weather decided to give the Clearwing pheromone lures ago in the garden yesterday.

Orange-tailed Clearwing (Synanthedon andrenaeformis)

Orange-tailed Clearwing (Synanthedon andrenaeformis)

Orange-tailed Clearwing (Synanthedon andrenaeformis)

Was rewarded almost instantly with four Orange-tailed Clearwings to the VES lure.  Have placed it again today and there has been a maximum of eight individuals at any one time.

Very pleased with this addition to the garden list.

Dave

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Four Footmen and more

Another great night at the garden trap on 23rd July; a few left to confirm but currently 386 moths of 78 species.  Crambids and Footmen posting the big numbers and four species of the latter group:

Rosy Footman
Rosy Footman (Miltochrista miniata)

Scarce Footman
Scarce Footman (Eilema complana)

Dingy Footman
Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola)

Common Footman
Common Footman

A few more images from recent nights:

Yellow-tail
Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)

Brown-tail
Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea)

Dusky Sallow
Dusky Sallow (Eremobia ochroleuca)

There were two very obvious highlights but need to wait for it to cool down before I can get any images so they will have to wait to a subsequent post...

Dave

Monday 23 July 2012

On the crest of a Wave(d)

Very pleased to find this beautiful moth clinging to the inside of the trap last week: Waved Black.

Waved Black (Parascotia fuliginaria)

Given the colouration I almost missed it against the black of the Robinson but pleased I didn't as this is another new one for the garden, representing species number 665, wonder what species will be lumbered with the number of the beast...

Dave

Monday 16 July 2012

Look at the palps on that!

Had a short walk in Covert Wood on Sunday morning with the dog and net.

Lots of Crambids about and loads of leafmines to be found too.

The highlight was another new species for me in the shape of the 'fuzzy faced' Gelechid, Sophronia semicostella.

Sophronia semicostella


The following were new for the year in the garden over the weekend:

Large Twin-spot Carpet
Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata)


Pyrausta despicata
Pyrausta despicata

Dave

Wednesday 11 July 2012

One of 'The Big Five'

A slight improvement again in the garden trap last night with over 50 species that included a handful of new for years.

The highlight was the striking Leopard Moth:

Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina)

New for year supporting cast included:

Oak Nycteoline
Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana)

Small Rivulet
Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata)

Scarce Footman
Scarce Footman (Eilema complana)

Blastobasis adustella
Blastobasis adustella

Saturday 7 July 2012

In the 70's

Not  a reference to the decade that fashion forgot but to a run of three consecutive nights with over 70 species to the garden trap.

What fascinates me too about this is that it is far from the same 70+ species each night, of course there's a core of about 50 or so 'usual suspects' - Heart and Dart, Dark Arches, Common Footman, Chrysoteuchia culmella etc etc - but there is great variation on top of this.

The beauty of MapMate is that I can readily tell what has been going on and quick analysis shows that for these three species-rich, Halcyon days there have been a total of 138 species in the garden which has of course helped to push the garden year list on very nicely to 264 species (all stages).

Highlights of late include:

Festoon
 Festoon (Apoda limacodes)

 Four-dotted Footman (new to the garden) Four-dotted Footman f. flava (Cybosia mesomella) (2)

Sciota adelphella (also new to the garden) Sciota adelphella

 Ruddy Carpet
Ruddy Carpet (Catarhoe rubidata)

Ethmia terminella (a lifer)
Ethmia terminella

Dave

Monday 2 July 2012

Garden year list moves on nicely

Although nothing like the bumper haul at the beginning of last week I have still had a steady stream of additions to the 2012 garden year list over the last few days, including:

Nephopterix angustella
Nephopterix angustella

Pale Oak Beauty
Pale Oak Beauty (Hypomecis punctinalis)

Argyresthia brockeella
Argyresthia brockeella

Orthopygia glaucinalis (I know it has a new name...)
Orthopygia glaucinalis

Clay
Clay (Mythimna ferrago)

July Highflyer - reared through from larva
July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata)

These two not new for the year but any excuse to post images of Hawks:

Elephant Hawk-moth
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) - close-up

Privet Hawk-moth (with Elly trying to muscle in on the shot, top left)
Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri)

Dave