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.

Usual suspects plus cat for ID...

A new month but on the moth front it is decidedly business as usual.  Of note was the record total of 7 Dotted Border for the garden trap.

Back Garden trap results 1st March 2012

Tortricodes alternella
Emmelina monodactyla 3
Dotted Border 7

Hebrew Character 9
Early Moth 2
Satellite
Chestnut 2
Pale Brindled Beauty

Plus on the night time dog walk:

Female Early Moth
Angle Shades caterpillar
Three as yet unidentified caterpillars (ca. 17mm long), browsing on Blackthorn buds (comments welcomed) Edit: Thanks to Douglas over on Back Garden Moths - these look like Lesser Y U cats.

Dave

Catch report 28/2/12

Exceptionally mild yet again, another new for year - Early Grey

Garden trap catch report 28/2/12

Emmelina monodactlya

Agonopterix alstromeriana

A. heracliana

Tortricodes alternella - 2

Early Grey (nfy)

Chestnut

Satellite

Common Quaker

Pale Brindled Beauty

plus another female Early Moth (and 2 males) on the dusking foray.

Dave

A much improved night

Last night actually delivered a good cast of the usual early spring suspects to the garden trap:

Tortricodes alternella (2)
Agonopterix heracliana 
A. alstromeriana

Early Moth
Chestnut
Satellite (2, both with white markings this time)

Common Quaker

Dave

Another new for year and a vestigial winged female (updated with pics)

Well it was mild, as promised, last night, but rather blustery.

However, had two moths in the trap:  Tortricodes alternella (new for year) and Agonopteix heracliana.

Perhaps the highlight was finding a female Early Moth (Theria primaria), on the blackthorn bushes just over the garden hedge.  Spend hours of searching for these each winter while out walking the dog and usually only turn up two or three, so pleased to find this one last night.  Always fascinated by these vestigial-winged beauties.

Dave

Trapping report: 16th February 2012

MV trap on again in the back garden last night and looks like one more night tonight before a return to colder temperarures:

Early Moth (Theria primaria)
3 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)

Dave