Après moi, le deluge??

Whilst this time last year all the talk was of a drought in relation to lack of rainfall, there is a drought again this year, only this time it is of moths; spring is really taking its time to arrive this year...

Also on a drought theme, the post-Orthosia drought is well documented, but a pre-Orthosia drought too; it is almost too much to bear.

However, for the first time in weeks I put the trap on for a few hours yesterday evening and managed to end the drought, albeit with a single March Moth, that was at least new for the year list, so I should be thankful for small mercies.  Also had Dotted Border on the blackthorn thicket when dusking.






I just hope the March Moth was a portent: "Après moi, le deluge", one can only hope we will soon be under a deluge of moths, but looking at the weather I doubt it just yet.

Dave

Brachypterous beauty

After long hours scouring bushes and trunks, finally managed to locate this wonderful female Dotted Border.

She was not an easy catch as she was scuttling up an Ash tree trunk and I had to clamber about 10ft up, wedge myself so that my hands were free and then coax her into a pot. Having the head torch was essential. I don't know what anyone walking past would have thought...







Dave

Slight improvement

Well the respite from really cold and wintry weather has seen a rise in the number of moths around with a few being added to the garden year list including Early Moth, Early Grey and Chestnut.

Early Moth




Early Grey



The most notable sighting though was of a significant flush of emergence of Dotted Border and Early Moth, with the blackthorn bushes by the house literally crawling with them two evenings ago.



This was followed a night later by a flush of dozens of Agonopterix heracliana on the garden hedge, was fascinating to see so many at once.

Slim pickings plus macro early stages

The weather, and the fact it is still only early February, conspires to restrict what adult moth activity there might be and as a result, records to the garden trap are few and far between.

Daytime early stage searches have been pretty successful as far as micros go, as per my latest post on my sister blog:  http://kentmicromoths.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/early-stages-carcina-quercana_7.html

But I also managed to find this Brimstone Moth larva by torchlight (I was actually searching blackthorn for female Early Moth, to no avail as yet this year).





The only other macro ('honorary' status at least) early stage find of note has been more larvae, galls and emergence holes of Raspberry Clearwing.

Dave

2012 highlights

Not a brilliant year but a few highlights nonetheless; some just because they're handsome beasts - Speckled Yellow, Mother Shipton, Ruddy Carpet; some new to the garden - Waved Black, Four-dotted Footman; plus a few of the (many) great moths from my trip to SW France - Passenger, Frosted Yellow, Purple Cloud, Orache Moth, Dewick's Plusia.

Moths of the Lot: part IV

A few more images from this summer's trip to SW France...

Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula)


Lythria cruentaria


Dewick's Plusia (Macdunnoughia confusa)


Latin (Callopistria juventina)


Epicallima formosella

The Sphinx puts in an appearance

Things ticking over in the garden as the year end approaches, but still had time to add one to the garden list, one that has been long overdue - Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx) - which takes the garden list to 674 species.

Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx)


Dave