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.

A strange case of 50 not out

Having been very active in searching for early stages (mines, larvae, cases etc) I reached the total of 50 species for the year yesterday afternoon whilst searching lichen-covered headstones in a churchyard!

There were dozens of Luffia ferchaultella cases wherever there was lichen - I counted 45 on one headstone alone.




And in the trap last night, nothing new just an increase in some of the numbers:

Ypsolopha mucronella
Diurnea fagella 4
Epiphyas postvittana
Clouded Drab 10
Hebrew Character 12
Small Quaker 4
Early Grey 3
Twin-spotted Quaker 3
Common Quaker
March Moth
Oak Beauty

Dave

Weekend catch-up

Another good few days at the garden trap over the weekend:

Shoulder-stripe (NFY)


Twin-spotted Quaker (nfy)


Diurnea fagella
Ypsolopha mucronella
Agonopterix heracliana
A. alstromeriana
Epiphyas postvittana
Emmelina monodactyla
Pale Brindled Beauty
Common Quaker
Hebrew Character
Early Grey
Dotted Border
Satellite

A good weekend

Added several species to the year list over the last few days with a combination of the garden trap, nearby dusking and visit to ancient woodland at Kings Wood, Challock.

Garden trapping 25-27 February

Ypsolopha mucronella

Agonopterix alstromeriana 

A. heracliana
Tortricodes alternella
Emmelina monodactyla 

Dotted Border

March Moth
Early Moth
Pale Brindled Beauty
Hebrew Character
Chestnut
Satellite

Dusking adjacent to garden:

Dark Chestnut
Early Moth
E. monodactyla
A. heracliana
Angle Shades cat.

Kings Wood - daytime obs

Taleporia tubulosa - cases, all on Beech

Agonopterix assimilella - larvae on Broom

T. alternella
Stigmella aurella - mines on Bramble

All in all a very productive weekend for late February.

Dave