Code Red: February yields a garden newbie

Nice to get a new one for the garden so early in the season.

This beautiful Red Chestnut was flying around the security light yesterday.

Not-so Dotted Border

... although it's hardly her fault, given the vestigial nature of her wings, there's no room for the dots seen on the males.

Was very pleased to find her scuttling down an Ash tree trunk; there were males on nearby bushes too.

Solid start to the year

Mainly thanks to fruitful early stage searches (predominantly for micros) the year list is already just above 30 species, not bad for late January.

The highlight by a country mile being the Yarrow-feeding larvae of Aethes margaritana; not much to look at now but the adult completes a real ugly duckling story.





Some of the rest include:

Raspberry Clearwing larvae - good to see the local colony thriving, although under the threat of development!
Pammene regiana - cocoons under Sycamore bark
Limnaecia phragmitella in Typha seed heads
Metzneria metzneriella larvae in Knapweed seed heads
M. lappella larvae in burdock seed heads
Angle Shades and Brimstone Moth larvae
Female Early Moth
Luffia ferchaultella cases in several locations
Cases of Coleophora gryphipennella masquerading as thorns on Dog Rose

The only other adult moths have been Ypsolopha mucronella, Agonopterix heracliana, Dark Chestnut, Mottled Umber and Emmelina monodactyla.

Late addition to the garden year list

Having missed out on this one in the Spring was pleased to get a Satellite as the only visitor to the garden trap last night.

Autumnal Assembly

It has been a good autumn so far at the garden trap, this just a chance to reflect on some if the beauties trapped thus far...

Brown-spot Pinion and Autumnal Rustic




Brindled Green




Beaded Chestnut



Sallow, Barred Sallow and Pink-barred Sallow



Black Rustic

Vestal variations

Well it is certainly turning out to be a pretty good autumn for migrant moths and I have managed to get in on the action a little too.

Had five Vestal over the last three days, showing the considerable variation in this beautiful species.

Yarrow double-header

Whilst I was actively searching for the first of these - Coleophora argentula larval cases - the second was a chance find - Yarrow Pug larva

Both on Yarrow in the field by the house.

Coleophora argentula larval case




Yarrow Pug (Eupithecia millefoliata) larva





Dave

700 and beyond...

Whilst finally getting MapMate up to date, after what has been a very busy season, I realised that I have now passed the 700 species mark for my humble back garden.  Some of the species that pushed it beyond 700 are illustrated below...

Scallop Shell (Rheumaptera undulata)



Pempelia obductella



Loxostege sticticalis



Evergestis limbata

Moths of the Lot 2013: part II

As things are slowing up a bit at the garden trap, time for a few more from this summer's trip to SW France...

Eublemma pura




Scarce Chocolate-tip (Clostera anachoreta)




Agrotera nemoralis



Alchymist (Catephia alchymista)

Metallic mash-up

Not a natural photo, but hey, I couldn't resist putting these two metallic-themed beauties together for a photo shoot: for me the brass outshines the gold...

Another pleasant surprise

Quite a few unexpected species been turning up in the back garden of late, the latest of which is new to the garden list - Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula).

A new Carpet

On a pleasant walk in woodland near home yesterday and yet another accidental find of a new moth for me - White-banded Carpet (Spargania luctuata).

Somewhat of a Kent woodland speciality but still great to bag a new one.

Tri-Pug try out...

Three Pug species added themselves to the garden year list over recent days and thankfully didn't take hours and hours to sort, unlike many of their congeners...



Cypress Pug (Eupithecia phoeniceata)


White-spotted Pug (Eupithecia tripunctaria)


Bordered Pug (Eupithecia succenturiata)

Moth of Kent or Kentish Moth?

Just a play on the age old conundrum for those born in the Garden of England that is, are you a Man (or Maiden) of Kent or a Kentish Man (or Maiden).

These two just lend themselves to this wordplay and they're good looking moths to boot: the first is Kent Black Arches and the second is a Black Arches from Kent...

Moths of the Lot 2013: part I

A return trip to mothing heaven at Las Descargues in the Lot region of SW France yielded so many more amazing moths...many new for me an some new to the site too.




Euchromius bellus



Spurge Hawk-moth and Plum Lappet

Many more to follow...

Cast or kettle?

In the English tradition of collective nouns, a group of hawks (yes, applied to birds but I've extrapolated) can be a kettle or a cast. It is safe to say I have certainly had a cast of Hawk-moths in the garden this year, with many nights with multiples of several species in the trap.

Just Peachy

What's not to love about this moth - Peach Blossom - quite a few turning up at the garden trap this week.

Ruddy, L

Another two from the garden in recent days: Ruddy Carpet and L-album Wainscot. Both are annual visitors to the garden but always great to see...


Ruddy Carpet (Catarhoe rubidata)


L-album Wainscot (Mythimna l-album)

How did it get its name???

Whilst many of the vernacular names in the moth world can leave one bemused as to their origins, this one certainly fits into the 'no-brainer' category...such a beauty.  I had two in the garden trap on 15th July, nominate form and f. corylaria.

To adorn with decorations...

... or in other words, Festoon.



 The diminutive moth that goes by this name has been turning up on the garden over recent nights, always a treat...if it wasn't for the scientist in me, I might use the word cute here, but I'd better not...