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Number of species:
This month: 49

 

Thursday 30 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear and cool at first becoming milder and overcast, 3°C rising to 8°C by dawn, light wind.

The milder air arrived too late to have too much of an effect but at least there were some moths with which to end the month including a new species, a Garden Apple Slender which, as its name would suggest , is another apple feeder. This has got me wondering how many species we see have originated from the nearby apple trees, I think a little investigation is in order…

I was hoping to get up to the fifty species for the month mark but we just didn’t make it. Let’s hope we beat that number in May, shouldn’t be too much of a problem I hope.

Gracillariidae

• 1 Garden Apple Slender Callisto denticulella Thunb.

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Noctuidae

• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.

 

Wednesday 29 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 0°C minimum, very light winds.

I had decided that there would be little point putting the trap out much earlier in the day but then, at about 8 O’Clock in the evening, I changed my mind, I’m not really sure why…

 

Tuesday 28 April 2009

 

Rain all day Monday and well into tthe evening so I didn’t bother.

 

Monday 27 April 2009

 

Weather: Thickening cloud cover, 9°C, light breeze.

The sky clouded over shortly after sunset last night keeping the temperature well above the recent average. This had the effect of bringing in a fairly good selection of moths, one of which was only our second ever Great Prominent, the second species so far that we saw in 2007 but not at all in ’08 (the other being Early Tooth-striped). We also had the year’s first Swallow Prominent, oh and it’s even more of a guess than usual with regard to the pugs, I’m pretty confident with two but the other two were a bit too worn to be absolutely sure.

Pterophoridae

• 1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 4 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Notodontidae

• 1 Great Prominent Peridea anceps Goeze
• 1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula Cl.

Noctuidae

• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 1 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 3 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Sunday 26 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 2°C minimum, breezy.

After a fairly windy and cool day time any remaining clouds cleared by sundown and the temperature fell sharply. I nearly didn’t bother putting the trap out and rather wished I hadn’t after seeing the catch this morning.

Noctuidae

• 1 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 4 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Saturday 25 April 2009

 

Weather: Overcast, rain at times, 6°C, breezy.

A change in the weather at last though not necessarily for the better - it’s just become more April like really. Another thing changed too, the variety of moths we caught, with what seems like a partial shift from the early spring species, which seem very much on the decline (when was the last time we saw a Small Quaker?) to late spring, even early summer species. The arrival of a couple of Shuttle-shaped Dart as well as a Maiden’s Blush and what I can only assume is a Turnip Moth attest to this shift.

Alucitidae

• 2 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Pterophoridae

• 3 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Maiden’s Blush Cyclophora punctaria Linn.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 4 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Noctuidae

• 1 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum D. & S.
• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta Hb.
• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 5 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Grey Shoulder-knot Lithophane ornitopus ssp. lactipennis Dadd
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Friday 24 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 4°C, breezy.

The run of cold clear nights continues but at least there was some interest to be had in the night’s tiny catch.

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma Fabr.

Noctuidae

• 1 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 2 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Thursday 23 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear, 3°C (approx.), breezy.

The weather seems to be stuck in a bit of a groove at the moment with lovely warm, fine days but clear chilly nights, good for butterflies - I’m sure I’ve seen more Orange Tips and Speckled Woods especially this year than I have for a long time - but not so good for mothing. It does look like a change might be coming by the weekend (though not necessarily for the better).

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.

Noctuidae

• 3 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 6 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.

 

Wednesday 22 April 2009

 

Weather: Mainly clear, 4°C minimum, more or less still.

The number of moths remained low but there was a marked increase in the number of species in the trap this morning. Nothing new but bizarrely there was another (slightly different) Sulphur Tubic. We also had the first Waved Umber of the year (which didn’t hang around to be photographed) and another horrid pug which I believe to be a Grey Pug.

Eriocraniidae

• 3 Common Oak Purple Eriocrania subpurpurella Haw.

Oecophoridae

• 1 Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella Fabr.

Alucitidae

• 1 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 1 Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata Haw.
• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria Thunb.

Noctuidae

• 1 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 6 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Tuesday 21 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear, cold, 2°C at 06:30, more or less still.

A slight improvement but still only five species. The year’s first Muslin Moth cheered things up a bit though.

STOP PRESS… After a fruitless rummage around the garden this morning in search of something unusual I was later rewarded with the discovery of the Sulphur Tubic (pictured above) on the kitchen window at lunchtime. A species whose larvae feed on dead and rotting wood so fingers crossed it’ll be a product of the log-pile we established a couple of years ago.

Arctiidae

• 1 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica Cl.

Noctuidae

• 1 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 2 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 5 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Monday 20 April 2009

 

Weather: A little thin and wispy cloud cover, 5-6°C, light winds.

Seems the Monday morning blues were universal.

Noctuidae

• 2 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 4 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.

 

Sunday 19 April 2009

 

Weather: Started more or less clear but eventually completely overcast, 6°C, windy.

Saturday was fairly chilly and windy despite the sunshine so the catch wasn’t too surprising given that the temperature fell sharply as night fell.

Eriocraniidae

• 1 Common Oak Purple Eriocrania subpurpurella Haw.

Noctuidae

• 1 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 4 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Saturday 18 April 2009

 

Rain more or less all day Friday - until midnight and probably beyond, cold too and certainly not good weather for moth traps.

Friday 17 April 2009

 

Weather: Overcast, heavy rain just before dawn, mild, 10°C, light wind.

Sorry to bang on about this but I really hate Pugs, I’ve just picked my way through twelve of the little b*****s hoping for something interesting and the best I could manage was what I think is probably the first Common Pug of the year - woohoo!. The year’s other first was a Rush Veneer, not only an encouragingly early migrant but also our first crambid (née pyralid) too. Good to see another Dotted Chestnut as well (two in a year!) and another female Emperor Moth (this time very tatty and not in an egg laying mood), strange how different last night’s catch was from the previous night.

Eriocraniidae

• 1 Common Oak Purple Eriocrania subpurpurella Haw.

Alucitidae

• 3 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Crambidae

• 1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella D. & S.

Saturniidae

• 1 Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata Haw.
• 9 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 2 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.
• 1 Early Tooth-striped Trichopteryx carpinata Borkh.

Noctuidae

• 1 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 18 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 2 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 4 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 5 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.
• 1 Dotted Chestnut Conistra rubiginea D. & S.

 

Thursday 16 April 2009

 

Weather: Overcast, occasional light rain and warm at first, 13°C at 23:30, becoming clearer and cooler 9°C by dawn.

After the warmest day of the year so far, what surely must have been the warmest night. Lots of moths in the trap as a result including some firsts for the year and one entirely new species. The most remarkable thing was the number of Common Oak Purple dotted all over the trap, inside and out, I counted 18 but I’m sure I must have missed some. The new species was a Common Birch Bell but in an attempt to calm it down in the fridge I accidentally killed the poor little thing and consequently haven’t got a decent photo. The two first for the year were a Brimstone Moth and a Spectacle.

Eriocraniidae

• 18 Common Oak Purple Eriocrania subpurpurella Haw.

Yponomeutidae

• 1 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella Linn.

Tortricidae

• 1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana Fischer von Röslerstamm

Alucitidae

• 3 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 4 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 2 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.
• 1 Early Tooth-striped Trichopteryx carpinata Borkh.
• 1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Linn.
• 1 Early Thorn Selenia dentaria Fabr.
• 1 Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria Cl.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lunar Marbled Brown Drymonia ruficornis Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 6 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 15 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 2 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 2 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Chestnut Conistra vaccinii Linn.
• 1 Spectacle Abrostola tripartita Hufn.

 

Wednesday 15 April 2009

 

Weather: Mild and cloudy, light showers 10°C, light wind.

Felt like it should have been a cracking night but ended up being merely so-so.

Pterophoridae

• 1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 2 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 2 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.

Noctuidae

• 4 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 13 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 4 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Tuesday 14 April 2009

 

Weather: Chilly and clear, 6°C, fairly windy.

I was rather hoping for better weather on our return, having been looking enviously at the weather forecasts for round here over the weekend a clear and not particularly warm night which only resulted in a meagre selection of moths came as a bit of a disappointment. On the bright side, we did get our first Powdered Quaker of the year and a Grey Shoulder-knot.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.

Noctuidae

• 2 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 1 Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis D. & S.
• 2 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 2 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Grey Shoulder-knot Lithophane ornitopus ssp. lactipennis Dadd

 

Thursday 09 - Monday 13 April 2009

While everyone in this part of the world was enjoying lovely damp, mild and cloudy weather, we were having to suffer day after day of unbroken warm sunshine in Devon and almost no moth action. The photos above are all we managed, the (what I think is) Early Tooth-striped was found struggling in a puddle high on Dartmoor and the White-shouldered House-moth was captured in my mother’s living room.

 

Thursday 09 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear at first showers later, 6°C, windy.

Well, it was better than last night.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 1 Early Tooth-striped Trichopteryx carpinata Borkh.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lunar Marbled Brown Drymonia ruficornis Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 3 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 5 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.

 

Wednesday 08 April 2009

 

Weather: Partly cloudy at first, heavy rain after midnight, 7°C, very windy.

I have two theories to explain last night’s catch, the first is the rain got into the trap’s electrics and caused the lamp to go off for part of the night (it was on when I went to bed and when I got up) or the heavy rain disturbed the moths in the trap to such an extent they managed to escape (which would make me question the (so called) trap’s moth retention capacity). Either way, when I looked in the trap this morning there were somewhat fewer moths in there than I saw when I had a look at what was going on before going to bed. Then, it was pretty busy despite the wind with one possibly two Early Tooth-striped, Common Plumes and plenty of Quakers too. Hmmm…

Noctuidae

• 3 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.

 

Tuesday 07 April 2009

 

Weather: Cloudy one or two light showers later on, 9°C, windy.

It would have been hard to miss the star in this morning’s catch, that’s right, an Oak Nycteoline, we don’t get too many of them… oh, and there was a great big, spectacular, female Emperor Moth too. I am intrigued to know whether it is the offspring of any that we released last year or whether it arrived here independently.

We have a new species to add to the list too, not in the trap but snaffled on a quick trip to Sainsbury’s this morning, a Maple Slender, it flew into the car and ended up coming home with us.

Pterophoridae

• 4 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Saturniidae

• 1 Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 2 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.
• 1 Engrailed Ectropis bistortata Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 11 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 8 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda D. & S.
• 6 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 4 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.
• 1 Chestnut Conistra vaccinii Linn.
• 1 Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana Scop.

 

Monday 06 April 2009

Weather: Partly cloudy and a light breeze, 8°C.

Another pretty good night with two notable species turning up, the first was an Early Tooth-striped which in a way I had earmarked as a "target species" for this year as we didn’t see it all last year. The other notable was the first (and our earliest record - again) Flame Shoulder, a species that we will, of course, see many more but really gives the impression that summer’s coming.

Oecophoridae

• 1 March Tubic Diurnea fagella D. & S.

Pterophoridae

• 4 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Early Tooth-striped Trichopteryx carpinata Borkh.
• 1 Engrailed Ectropis bistortata Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 1 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Linn.
• 12 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 1 Blossom Underwing Orthosia miniosa D. & S.
• 5 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda D. & S.
• 7 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 2 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Sunday 05 April 2009

Weather: Clear skies and a light breeze, 6°C.

Not ideal conditions but at least it didn’t get particularly cold. We had bit of a reduction in numbers but that was adequately made up for by the presence of our first Engrailed of the year.

Over the course of the weekend we also had some interesting catches during the day too, Lucas spotted and potted an Apple Leaf Skeletonizer and, continuing the apple theme, I netted what appears to be a dark form of Apple Leaf Miner and also a pair of Light Brown Apple Moth one of which was really quite strikingly marked. I think the one photographed was "assembling" as the other I spotted flying erratically around in the vicinity of the first and it wasn’t until after I had netted it that I noticed the other one on the net of the trampoline.

Pterophoridae

• 2 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Engrailed Ectropis bistortata Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 5 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 10 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda D. & S.
• 9 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Saturday 04 April 2009

Weather: Overcast, misty, damp and still, 7°C.

A fairly unpleasant night in human terms but it must have been just fine for moths. Not only did we have two Early Thorn but also what I’m pretty sure is a Blossom Underwing, the markings on the forewings are right and (when I can persuade the moth to reveal them) the hindwings have a slight pinky tinge, more noticeable towards the edges.

Oecophoridae

• 1 March Tubic Diurnea fagella D. & S.

Tortricidae

• 1 Sallow Button Acleris hastiana Linn.

Pterophoridae

• 2 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 2 Early Thorn Selenia dentaria Fabr.
• 1 Oak Beauty Biston strataria Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 17 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 1 Blossom Underwing Orthosia miniosa D. & S.
• 21 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 8 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 3 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.
• 1 Chestnut Conistra vaccinii Linn.

 

Friday 03 April 2009

 

Weather: Clear at first, becoming damp, overcast and misty, 6°C minimum, light wind.

That vague sinking feeling came over me at the moment I spotted the Pug that wasn’t a nice easy to identify Double-striped Pug (there was one of those too). It is brought on by the realisation that most mornings over the next few months well be spent on Pug differentiation - a miserable task by any standard. This Pug is, I’m reasonably confident (after about an hour of consulting various media - and this species is described as "easy to identify"), our first Brindled Pug of the year. Good. Today’s other first for the year was a Lunar Marbled Brown which, like yesterday’s Streamer, was somewhat earlier than we have recorded this species before but unlike yesterday’s Streamer which was in mint condition, our Lunar Marbled Brown was in somewhat less than tip-top condition looking more like an end of season specimen that had been around the houses a few times.

Incidentally, I have now added a "previous species / next species" function to the records page - it seems to be what all the best sites have so I wanted one too, and it works very nicely. It does, though, have the enormous disadvantage of allowing all my misidentifications to be spotted much more easily!

Oecophoridae

• 1 March Tubic Diurnea fagella D. & S.

Pterophoridae

• 3 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata Steph.
• 1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Haw.
• 1 Oak Beauty Biston strataria Hufn.

Notodontidae

• 1 Lunar Marbled Brown Drymonia ruficornis Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 8 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 17 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda D. & S.
• 6 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 2 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Thursday 02 April 2009

 

Weather: Cool, clear at first, becoming overcast by dawn, 2°C, windy.

I think there might have been a frost if it hadn’t been for the strength of the wind, either way, numbers were down. The first Streamer of the year was good to see (nearly three weeks earlier than last year’s first record) but the highlight of the morning was being indignantly twittered at by a small mob of Siskins above my head in the apple tree all impatiently waiting for the opportunity to come down to the nearby feeders.

Oecophoridae

• 1 March Tubic Diurnea fagella D. & S.

Pterophoridae

• 2 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Streamer Anticlea derivata D. & S.
• 1 Oak Beauty Biston strataria Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 24 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 7 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 3 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 1 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.

 

Wednesday 01 April 2009

 

Weather: Mild and overcast early on, clearing with a slight ground frost by dawn temperature falling to 1°C, still.

I really did think that last night would end up being a classic, within about 30 minutes of nightfall the trap was buzzing with activity, the air was mild and all seemed set fair. About an hour later the clouds disappeared and the temperature fell rapidly and judging by the contents of the trap this morning little else happened all night. The catch was pretty good considering, and included what in all probability is another flavour of Sallow Button (see above).

Oecophoridae

• 1 March Tubic Diurnea fagella D. & S.

Tortricidae

• 1 Sallow Button Acleris hastiana Linn.

Alucitidae

• 1 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla Linn.

Pterophoridae

• 2 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla Linn.

Geometridae

• 1 Oak Beauty Biston strataria Hufn.

Noctuidae

• 22 Small Quaker Orthosia cruda D. & S.
• 10 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi D. & S.
• 1 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta D. & S.
• 4 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Linn.
• 3 Early Grey Xylocampa areola Esp.