tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12949805427039719022024-03-05T08:19:52.285+00:00Stretton MothsMoths from the edge of the Shropshire Hills, written by moth enthusiasts living in the Strettons.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-90636462328606905102014-06-03T19:16:00.000+01:002014-06-03T19:16:33.487+01:00Flying highI was working from home this morning, so able to set the moth trap on what was looking to be a promising night. I ended up with my best totals of the year, 58 moths of 28 species, which is not bad for my 20w actinic heath. Also a perfect number for going through before work.<div>
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I did not record any new species for the garden, but there were plenty that I have not recorded too often. First of all here is one of two May Highflyers, the fourth and fifth recorded in the garden.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5yDVBNRUJ-Le0SL2wrDn8DBwqWuXKbwoDlaVXZrzVZaZsT68s-iI7E9DJh112Ok8jOGdGnPzpTJHyqTxLejzNXvKwRlLC0qnhhU362K5iXgHSGDPl9v2G3ULU5ShX-1IqNS7t_Ig92E/s1600/1778+May+Highflyer+14_06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5yDVBNRUJ-Le0SL2wrDn8DBwqWuXKbwoDlaVXZrzVZaZsT68s-iI7E9DJh112Ok8jOGdGnPzpTJHyqTxLejzNXvKwRlLC0qnhhU362K5iXgHSGDPl9v2G3ULU5ShX-1IqNS7t_Ig92E/s1600/1778+May+Highflyer+14_06_02.JPG" height="470" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May Highflyer</td></tr>
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Unlike most of the recent traps, there were quite a few micro moths. One of these was the succinctly named Pseudargyrotoza conwagana (that's easy for you to say). This is just the second record for the garden of this distinctive moth, and it is the first time it has appeared on this blog.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQM4fPSiH3gm0-L0j4WZo4WrQYUbIOy-8gzERmXZw2ahqpIZNaIKvVFOy31RdC7oTU0rIWX25-NBxGSRzm821QU0-pNXrn6n_HxJdUlm32XjMrAzVIhVqPyzPsJPaNvKCTsnHrKDu-M0/s1600/1011+Pseudargyrotoza+conwagana+14_06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQM4fPSiH3gm0-L0j4WZo4WrQYUbIOy-8gzERmXZw2ahqpIZNaIKvVFOy31RdC7oTU0rIWX25-NBxGSRzm821QU0-pNXrn6n_HxJdUlm32XjMrAzVIhVqPyzPsJPaNvKCTsnHrKDu-M0/s1600/1011+Pseudargyrotoza+conwagana+14_06_02.JPG" height="640" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pseudargyrotoza conwagana</span></span></td></tr>
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Also from the tortrix family was one of the easiest to identify, Epilblema cynosbatella. As suggested by the second part of the Latin name, this is sometimes given the English name of Yellow-faced Belle. It is easy to see why. Another new one for the blog.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYIZNupMGSO3v9tKyKZM1Yv3H7Tita3FrnmG4RiIqyKez_2xN6D1ukJsFi0WYyqzsW9evxY_I_aRXrCGyMx6QAjUwyl1hMbgWtxn_60wAsyL1ZN7Cbiy9CKkEXop4tp5PoNcsLEP-CbU/s1600/1174+Epiblema+cynosbatella+14_06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYIZNupMGSO3v9tKyKZM1Yv3H7Tita3FrnmG4RiIqyKez_2xN6D1ukJsFi0WYyqzsW9evxY_I_aRXrCGyMx6QAjUwyl1hMbgWtxn_60wAsyL1ZN7Cbiy9CKkEXop4tp5PoNcsLEP-CbU/s1600/1174+Epiblema+cynosbatella+14_06_02.JPG" height="452" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epiblema cynosbatella</td></tr>
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A gradual increase in size to this Middle-barred Minor. The minors are some of the smallest of our macro moths, and can be impossible to identify without 'further determination'. Thankfully the Middle-barred Minor is one the family that can be readily identified, and this is only the second record for my garden.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6z1tkDylnazTx0MfJPR81GwG3kHFp84xKl8iwJcvVkVbwr6yLEa5htBumbwxDxY9wpvys1PCNr1puq-OQW_re8v6LtwAECk1QdgVDQV7LiIOEbzE-qTeRRNZCItzWFhjCoJEEqcekd4/s1600/2340+Middle-barred+Minor+14_06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6z1tkDylnazTx0MfJPR81GwG3kHFp84xKl8iwJcvVkVbwr6yLEa5htBumbwxDxY9wpvys1PCNr1puq-OQW_re8v6LtwAECk1QdgVDQV7LiIOEbzE-qTeRRNZCItzWFhjCoJEEqcekd4/s1600/2340+Middle-barred+Minor+14_06_02.JPG" height="640" width="506" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle-barred Minor</td></tr>
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From the smallest macro moth in the trap to one of the largest. There were two of these Elephant Hawk-moths, always a treat.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eWGmM32Ub0OxpHy7ewnyNLAhnwLDO7gvy7EWo7o-1HV36R2Wy_2Nq-xMqaY0CB9_A8wVxoMQuIqxl0hL1iSe_I6TYt7aJ4RxgjFxoyoTV1Yiq1G5ya3pnhyphenhyphen5Jlh5Cy8WeYPqNEWd9Ag/s1600/1991+Elephant+Hawkmoth+14_06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eWGmM32Ub0OxpHy7ewnyNLAhnwLDO7gvy7EWo7o-1HV36R2Wy_2Nq-xMqaY0CB9_A8wVxoMQuIqxl0hL1iSe_I6TYt7aJ4RxgjFxoyoTV1Yiq1G5ya3pnhyphenhyphen5Jlh5Cy8WeYPqNEWd9Ag/s1600/1991+Elephant+Hawkmoth+14_06_02.JPG" height="442" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Hawk-moth</td></tr>
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The final picture is this Silver-ground Carpet. This is a common moth that I regularly record in the late spring and early summer, and is often seen flying in the day around the garden. This is notable in being the first time I have managed to get a decent picture of one.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNJGELdEmaZdbUvvIsVcb-7Lhlu7T0136EcD_-hWqBfvyHIEpdfPMjaECf-86Rw9SbfwN7qW6dzU72j24JYa9wZDKEzrkiNCr_OzYgZQapz7sNYaFSBfAW2Wna0cSVlGbNZ_Suw2hNE0/s1600/1727+Silver-ground+Carpet+14_06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNJGELdEmaZdbUvvIsVcb-7Lhlu7T0136EcD_-hWqBfvyHIEpdfPMjaECf-86Rw9SbfwN7qW6dzU72j24JYa9wZDKEzrkiNCr_OzYgZQapz7sNYaFSBfAW2Wna0cSVlGbNZ_Suw2hNE0/s1600/1727+Silver-ground+Carpet+14_06_02.JPG" height="452" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver-ground Carpet</td></tr>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-63430051180511673132014-05-21T19:00:00.000+01:002014-05-24T16:03:49.357+01:00Every Cloud...A gap in work commitments, along with promising conditions overnight, meant that Tuesday night was moth trap night. The returns were modest, with 27 moths of 13 species, but this included a new macro species for the garden and two new for the year appearances.<br />
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The crowd-pleasers were this squadron of Poplar Hawk-moths. Having been waiting for my first record of 2014, three arrived at once. All were beautiful fresh-looking individuals, with the lovely lilac sheen on parts of the upper forewing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnVKntfffnC4xJXRgOCYXVDL5RajAhfKbLgGu0Vlj2AmYbS9DIxnVRPq1odvqthX9r3im08m-o17Li0WRmDmE9RIZeWLvbDahKRBJatCm1SoRQR-TPfP4J1RilhIEOgVnIUzGw3-vOk0/s1600/1981+Poplar+Hawk-moth+14_05_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnVKntfffnC4xJXRgOCYXVDL5RajAhfKbLgGu0Vlj2AmYbS9DIxnVRPq1odvqthX9r3im08m-o17Li0WRmDmE9RIZeWLvbDahKRBJatCm1SoRQR-TPfP4J1RilhIEOgVnIUzGw3-vOk0/s1600/1981+Poplar+Hawk-moth+14_05_21.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poplar Hawk-moths (with Brown Rustic)</td></tr>
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The new macro species for the garden was this Clouded-bordered Brindle, and very nice it was too. Not a record that caused much of a surprise, except for why this has taken so long to appear here. This is a common moth species, and the larvae feed on various grasses (which are not in short supply here).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HCGvgPrM85qUM24abRPJvN64_hp4t8Ih7RGhvg7ms8Ufz73Zl18zyrao_zZUouK7luL2IcZU85GN3M87hwwHA1HK1zjMazIkKkhtX7jcsTKQXW5Ku4qe19nrONskn_gQtYR_P4xEtG8/s1600/2326+Cloud-bordered+Brindle+14_05_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HCGvgPrM85qUM24abRPJvN64_hp4t8Ih7RGhvg7ms8Ufz73Zl18zyrao_zZUouK7luL2IcZU85GN3M87hwwHA1HK1zjMazIkKkhtX7jcsTKQXW5Ku4qe19nrONskn_gQtYR_P4xEtG8/s1600/2326+Cloud-bordered+Brindle+14_05_21.jpg" height="640" width="526" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouded-bordered Brindle</td></tr>
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The other new species for the year was the only micro moth amongst the 27, this Teleiopsis diffinis. This is one of the gelechids and though apparently common over much of the country, it does not seem to be recorded particularly frequently in moth traps. It is a species that I have recorded several times, though the number of records for Shropshire is quite small.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbxMby3w_indH6soZIWgP8K42cw7HRmbwHS1lf6CcWJ-iQOenDGaqlvsQmw4eRGY-OwtvB8Itb8BkakZAaqUjUuzPCdNjaZChRHMca35nS2lOTni2KPwR9asNgdkzPl8SnUOFfXSCGxM/s1600/776+Teleiopsis+diffinis+14_05_21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbxMby3w_indH6soZIWgP8K42cw7HRmbwHS1lf6CcWJ-iQOenDGaqlvsQmw4eRGY-OwtvB8Itb8BkakZAaqUjUuzPCdNjaZChRHMca35nS2lOTni2KPwR9asNgdkzPl8SnUOFfXSCGxM/s1600/776+Teleiopsis+diffinis+14_05_21.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teleiopsis diffinis</td></tr>
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One of the other highlights was this lovely Scalloped Hazel. Before this spring my only record had involved a dead individual found in my porch, however this is the third 'live' individual I have found this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqj0zYKBwJ7TZt-C5YRneNeFJ34RIzUfxELEW03n0NomIxc-KuFLET8Mp6j2kZZSrWLzwusPBxWntQbnz_nnLASPlxeVgkPPafQWQwkl6puGob1p3uubs3K4rIL6afidA5S1Tq0WRiEUQ/s1600/1920+Scalloped+Hazel+14_05_21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqj0zYKBwJ7TZt-C5YRneNeFJ34RIzUfxELEW03n0NomIxc-KuFLET8Mp6j2kZZSrWLzwusPBxWntQbnz_nnLASPlxeVgkPPafQWQwkl6puGob1p3uubs3K4rIL6afidA5S1Tq0WRiEUQ/s1600/1920+Scalloped+Hazel+14_05_21.JPG" height="488" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scalloped Hazel</td></tr>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-87907566420208164962014-05-18T17:01:00.000+01:002014-05-18T17:01:01.474+01:00Picking upNot much activity here for the last few weeks, mainly due to a distinct lack of activity in the moth trap. With the sunny weather though the moths have started arriving, with nearly 30 moths last night, compared to the threes of fours we have been recording.<br />
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I was pleased to record two new species for the garden over the last couple of sessions. One is a species I have been looking out for, the other was a bit of a head-scratcher - by methodically trawling through the UK moths website I finally identified it!<br />
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Here is the first, a Muslin Moth. This is a male, I know this because while the females are white the males are grey-brown. I am more likely to catch males in the trap as whilst the males are nocturnal, the females fly in the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1YPP2ZmokptZGfKatnMZp9vIHxkrjoWtamyRkVelBDqYOgz1pSurd7WfzstwiBUhzNQenZSGa8cXftQ7cSQwKpQM2SQV3OwI0_BaFOCJFRDw-iEPaTBMaUOg0i5RPlS25RGKUAN254U/s1600/DSCN9548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1YPP2ZmokptZGfKatnMZp9vIHxkrjoWtamyRkVelBDqYOgz1pSurd7WfzstwiBUhzNQenZSGa8cXftQ7cSQwKpQM2SQV3OwI0_BaFOCJFRDw-iEPaTBMaUOg0i5RPlS25RGKUAN254U/s1600/DSCN9548.JPG" height="276" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muslin Moth</td></tr>
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The second new moth was a micro, Blastobasis lacticolella. This is not originally a British species, instead it was accidentally introduced. The larvae feed on a wide range of foodstuffs, including stored products, leaf-litter and vegetation. It does not appear to have been commonly recorded in Shropshire, so I am pleased to record it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDscz9dq4VqbBm2Dv1ayOPSNcksmJo7HEnUaWTylGjuFHyP37UbS1vnmj4k_mkEJg5KdEtFWD4JuNZI6tnXsjNjFSGhwvDadz_t1JPWxKSFk1U7cUlWOt6xPpPs3gjY4pUtarMtv_udpg/s1600/DSCN9560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDscz9dq4VqbBm2Dv1ayOPSNcksmJo7HEnUaWTylGjuFHyP37UbS1vnmj4k_mkEJg5KdEtFWD4JuNZI6tnXsjNjFSGhwvDadz_t1JPWxKSFk1U7cUlWOt6xPpPs3gjY4pUtarMtv_udpg/s1600/DSCN9560.JPG" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blastobasis lacticolella</td></tr>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-88982945156564606682014-04-30T13:39:00.002+01:002014-04-30T13:40:30.221+01:00Back to PurpleThere were several nice surprises in the moth trap this morning, with several new moths for the year and one new species for the garden. Probably the best moth was this <b>Purple Thorn</b>, resting in the grass outside the trap.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45jVQBqhBNk8RRCC7KqMHGxUtOpOx0-nR0T6abDTfNGHI2tHokdi53NPntUV3K0J00ExEiCT1MY4G1jMtXF063XBz_YDl78k8K3uVE72V2J6WEHApeIPrU4YBO3FZKsjIuaS31H27H5I/s1600/DSCN9473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45jVQBqhBNk8RRCC7KqMHGxUtOpOx0-nR0T6abDTfNGHI2tHokdi53NPntUV3K0J00ExEiCT1MY4G1jMtXF063XBz_YDl78k8K3uVE72V2J6WEHApeIPrU4YBO3FZKsjIuaS31H27H5I/s1600/DSCN9473.JPG" height="281" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Purple Thorn</td></tr>
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This species rests with its wings held open, an easy was to distinguish it from the similar Early Thorn. This was my second record for the garden, following one seen last summer.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwq9cYhGa3wDQ2V4r5_hXjRE5wzZy-1rz4m_KwBz-_dgVSk0bs4BAMZDPjNbL4cVUkPuxQB15mUkUXZzG4HnxgjzZu452I-IUAHcYJF6eo9eKbuMYIyQIZ6Z4gFplUXfeH3v8tqQs91I/s1600/DSCN9476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwq9cYhGa3wDQ2V4r5_hXjRE5wzZy-1rz4m_KwBz-_dgVSk0bs4BAMZDPjNbL4cVUkPuxQB15mUkUXZzG4HnxgjzZu452I-IUAHcYJF6eo9eKbuMYIyQIZ6Z4gFplUXfeH3v8tqQs91I/s1600/DSCN9476.JPG" height="288" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Purple Thorn</td></tr>
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The new species for the garden was the <b>Waved Umber</b>. In fact I had three of this species in the trap, including this one that was resting on the outside of the trap itself. This is a moth I have been on the look out for, as it was a glaring omission from the garden list. Its curious shape and habit of resting flat with wings fully spread makes this an intriguing moth.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqt0kgXlFNIca6e-nd3GFJuZO8NMGpj4lg-wDmkoHzK0R_7URkwLjEmXV0a381g8l11Lahdix5i-BToecglgikxlPyPIrYFk01X9btyOxjSCiNoClvldvsvpRIOsLZ4-6B5T7YUefVaMo/s1600/DSCN9502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqt0kgXlFNIca6e-nd3GFJuZO8NMGpj4lg-wDmkoHzK0R_7URkwLjEmXV0a381g8l11Lahdix5i-BToecglgikxlPyPIrYFk01X9btyOxjSCiNoClvldvsvpRIOsLZ4-6B5T7YUefVaMo/s1600/DSCN9502.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Waved Umber</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There was also my second record of <b>Water Carpet</b>, though quite a faded individual. Despite the name this moth is not particularly associated with wetland habitats, and can be found in woodland, grassland and scrubby areas.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHHEnNjqOAjA4maKU5WQ9MlqDzwtfn-qZmAUYc5YTY9gev7JzlFc2ARzZ_Xo-oAM87zDS8PrAtWWFnKXktUBIixcN0wxgSOXGyxrsiwlEbFkG1HQ6GONhDH8qL9BnibiXykc0j2xu_Zc/s1600/DSCN9482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHHEnNjqOAjA4maKU5WQ9MlqDzwtfn-qZmAUYc5YTY9gev7JzlFc2ARzZ_Xo-oAM87zDS8PrAtWWFnKXktUBIixcN0wxgSOXGyxrsiwlEbFkG1HQ6GONhDH8qL9BnibiXykc0j2xu_Zc/s1600/DSCN9482.JPG" height="251" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Water Carpet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And finally my first <b>Bright-line Brown-eye</b> of the year. Also in the trap were the years first Small Phoenix and Brown Silver-line, along with a yet to be identified leaf miner.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK7t0pOqgJhYjvYEUvJDEPJ-DHc4-nCl3tzpGx474JYb3GXbBvYSlF4EppdKBLvmnBQluLgcMoV5mYgIK2ruq1PBugHtdFHjjz3uYlT2xe3ToG6HBQzLDz94gsXfo2Lx-umlbnsUWGD4/s1600/DSCN9490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK7t0pOqgJhYjvYEUvJDEPJ-DHc4-nCl3tzpGx474JYb3GXbBvYSlF4EppdKBLvmnBQluLgcMoV5mYgIK2ruq1PBugHtdFHjjz3uYlT2xe3ToG6HBQzLDz94gsXfo2Lx-umlbnsUWGD4/s1600/DSCN9490.JPG" height="400" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bright-line Brown-eye<br />
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</tbody></table>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-77216119419725784812014-04-22T10:13:00.000+01:002014-04-23T10:53:07.958+01:00Here we are againIt has been some time since I last posted anything here, but that does not mean that there has not been any moths about, only that there was nothing worth writing about really.<br />
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In fact there have been lots of moths on the few nights that I have thought it worth putting the trap on, with significant numbers of orthosias (Quakers, etc.), often in the hundreds, but until this week, nothing new or interesting.<br />
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So, taking a step backwards to a post I made in November last year, which showed a cocoon and pupa found at Earls Hill, well, you guessed, it hatched out and was a Scalloped Hazel. This was about 2 weeks early for this species.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb-vCOEg6q3MI9L62fgGa5K3s0AmmZgNHPHFL9zZBPSEp1G4igUXUHqTSvaLckktxCiU4L9Ce-ij37Zy1UPxXh38yljq0S7ZzzLEASWY7wn7IcFdwhhC90-SoEko0dYd6IQK36H7UTeU_/s1600/Scalloped+Hazel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb-vCOEg6q3MI9L62fgGa5K3s0AmmZgNHPHFL9zZBPSEp1G4igUXUHqTSvaLckktxCiU4L9Ce-ij37Zy1UPxXh38yljq0S7ZzzLEASWY7wn7IcFdwhhC90-SoEko0dYd6IQK36H7UTeU_/s1600/Scalloped+Hazel.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scalloped Hazel, pupa and cocoon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So, moving to last night, which was both warm and wet, in the trap there were about 100 moths, of which two were new to me here and have not been recorded for a few years in Shrops. as far as I know.<br />
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The first was a Great Prominent, one of the larger moths with a wing-span of more than 2 inches. The normal resting position, as seen in the photo is with its wings held tight to its body. The larval food-plant, like many other moths is Oak.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzZs15boDaqvm_2xUEMYQO0NdKsdo_n2XL6XAJ63pwxTL0RzyusFrip8aJLlJ0ee48iVo1wgiIfH5eEVK0cN9irc4A3ewipcTqvLNwvafU87Mpw_4rR52KZgDMvsx1fnv_-9x8UpY_k19/s1600/DSCN0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzZs15boDaqvm_2xUEMYQO0NdKsdo_n2XL6XAJ63pwxTL0RzyusFrip8aJLlJ0ee48iVo1wgiIfH5eEVK0cN9irc4A3ewipcTqvLNwvafU87Mpw_4rR52KZgDMvsx1fnv_-9x8UpY_k19/s1600/DSCN0188.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Prominent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another Oak feeding moth larva is that of the Blossom Underwing, which is localised and not common. I was very pleased to catch this one. Some years there is an influx from the continent along the southern coastline.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H1AC4LUdJh1LblL2UvNMv1KO5TRXVvbMLDNAMYUTLcXs5YbXp42TzETz_wrEQBaH_xwGmCTSy3bZ1DxJ1xfElOdnLQwXwL6QwI2-FEJxViDJ_OG-r48prx96N5O2YKkaKszApruDKHnx/s1600/DSCN0189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H1AC4LUdJh1LblL2UvNMv1KO5TRXVvbMLDNAMYUTLcXs5YbXp42TzETz_wrEQBaH_xwGmCTSy3bZ1DxJ1xfElOdnLQwXwL6QwI2-FEJxViDJ_OG-r48prx96N5O2YKkaKszApruDKHnx/s1600/DSCN0189.JPG" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blossom Underwing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-25384684852230918172014-03-30T14:49:00.000+01:002014-03-30T14:49:07.873+01:00Earning my stripesWe are back to warmer nights and back to more moths. There were 51 in the trap last night, the highest count of the year, with 13 species represented. Pick of the bunch were two Shoulder-stripe, a good looking moth and a welcome addition to the garden list. This is quite a common and widespread species, and it was nice to finally record this here in Batch Valley.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaPe4rQKlkqCbotYhGvEzyLi4dtq_-FBw_3Rj_2Kmo782R9yWdNjmAu9KivEQkK_bls490UJ6K1K2O_YKEKs3AyauXzkq0MwJuCt9UcB8565lMXopxNqogf64ckdVVqCmoCxL_8isSe8/s1600/DSCN9364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaPe4rQKlkqCbotYhGvEzyLi4dtq_-FBw_3Rj_2Kmo782R9yWdNjmAu9KivEQkK_bls490UJ6K1K2O_YKEKs3AyauXzkq0MwJuCt9UcB8565lMXopxNqogf64ckdVVqCmoCxL_8isSe8/s1600/DSCN9364.JPG" height="273" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoulder-stripe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Otherwise, there were some welcome reappearances - moths coming to the trap for the first time this year. Best of these was only the second Engrailed for the garden. I nearly missed it as it was not in the trap, but settled nearby on the wall of the house, showing that it pays to search carefully around the trap each morning!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaoxja4TUB-K7EfIjGtM28I4NmpVBvF-D51ORUc5g275ppinYgj9ITHvd0W71hXITjfDrV_3ua60-TRCXyRcn6Wc31rtFWRc1cbWtE2uXFmZ5VQ7MiffmUJdPez06IS5MDShGIiRo8DU/s1600/DSCN9353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaoxja4TUB-K7EfIjGtM28I4NmpVBvF-D51ORUc5g275ppinYgj9ITHvd0W71hXITjfDrV_3ua60-TRCXyRcn6Wc31rtFWRc1cbWtE2uXFmZ5VQ7MiffmUJdPez06IS5MDShGIiRo8DU/s1600/DSCN9353.JPG" height="278" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Engrailed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In the trap itself was an Early Thorn, a regularly occurring species but also a real favourite. This is one species that is always popular when we carry out our moth surveys. This species always rests with its wings closed, the underside of the wing also looking brighter than the upperside.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozkS0lCygROp7izTdDw836jOs9S_Sh-Q8pyFG1BU-N3CPzlwl86GJkBwoiGSrncpeLcLHZHcOzOU-UlB2eEiOIUUdNnigFPD40owQXDDa7yhoLK5xqSihohvYVSmvt3JdsyAqHAZTUTw/s1600/DSCN9356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozkS0lCygROp7izTdDw836jOs9S_Sh-Q8pyFG1BU-N3CPzlwl86GJkBwoiGSrncpeLcLHZHcOzOU-UlB2eEiOIUUdNnigFPD40owQXDDa7yhoLK5xqSihohvYVSmvt3JdsyAqHAZTUTw/s1600/DSCN9356.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Thorn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of the major headaches that moth recorders get is identifying pugs. There are quite a number of pug species, which look very similar and wear very quickly, meaning that many a disparaging word is said against them. When they are freshly emerged, however, they are very attractive little moths. This Brindled Pug was my first pug species this year.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLRqHwmXgp5bHGcnIKACfRskANBTExanLSDJ4qoY8Df5IuUw12W5_WzugDHElNYP0KkLOOMIUq5wqfKLaRPmPVK2HQkhi3HivBhYIfYERjEtcceao903nwSR-knTCKjB8mAc-1jIN8qQ/s1600/DSCN9367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLRqHwmXgp5bHGcnIKACfRskANBTExanLSDJ4qoY8Df5IuUw12W5_WzugDHElNYP0KkLOOMIUq5wqfKLaRPmPVK2HQkhi3HivBhYIfYERjEtcceao903nwSR-knTCKjB8mAc-1jIN8qQ/s1600/DSCN9367.JPG" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brindled Pug</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I will finish off with a Red Chestnut, a speciality for this garden and one of my favourite of the spring moths. I caught this very bright specimen which I thought was deserving of having its photograph taken.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOaDYaBxf8aa-zHgg3PbIGiNxR52poPDTnPJf_ByaaXPQ_Hlq17nLSdHX99iEa6lO_zdWZQZC4ctuETpUhsinpdAqxunJAmS0_LlRFHZPQWgcWDByZzdMKgPfUvGxWs1OQ5s3WcSM0i4/s1600/DSCN9381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOaDYaBxf8aa-zHgg3PbIGiNxR52poPDTnPJf_ByaaXPQ_Hlq17nLSdHX99iEa6lO_zdWZQZC4ctuETpUhsinpdAqxunJAmS0_LlRFHZPQWgcWDByZzdMKgPfUvGxWs1OQ5s3WcSM0i4/s1600/DSCN9381.JPG" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Chestnut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Other moths were very much the usual suspects, with 13 Mottled Greys and 15 Hebrew Characters the most common. I also recorded 6 March Moths, meaning I have now recorded more than ten individuals this year of this moth, which had not appeared in the garden before this year.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-56368543347445185562014-03-17T18:32:00.001+00:002014-03-17T18:32:27.863+00:00Every Cloud...There was certainly a silver lining last night, with the best catch of the year - there were 47 moths of 13 species. Like Graham the other night, there was a Clouded Drab in the trap. A much more attractive moth than the name suggests. This is apparently very variable in appearance, though all those I have caught have been similar looking individuals.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmZYek8ElhuPpO7XcNE1xfN0Rht2uKuv13dXFAxrE6q2NVLRUndajfBxJil9sZHZWR0paS8RVVh2kJuW6FP3kLnUEZgieeXc6ItvwAfN1psjeczTycloQvqamD7_5gF7ojc7LvzIlhtw/s1600/DSCN9320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmZYek8ElhuPpO7XcNE1xfN0Rht2uKuv13dXFAxrE6q2NVLRUndajfBxJil9sZHZWR0paS8RVVh2kJuW6FP3kLnUEZgieeXc6ItvwAfN1psjeczTycloQvqamD7_5gF7ojc7LvzIlhtw/s1600/DSCN9320.JPG" height="293" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouded Drab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Most of the moths were species I have already recorded this year, with Mottled Grey the commonest with 16 individuals. There was one new appearance though, this Diurnea fagella. This is a male, as the female have quite short and stunted wings.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM6Qfaueu0uDJEtSTMZzMj47QoFnMKRafBhAN4OBH8tM7Nb0jRRHgzVb5TJQ16IC8tMDzPAqk10qHsowvYIt-IvawfPIwzel2IFhBSOdNAvo0L5Dg2QSRlAV8tRmcwy5ciojjznHsw3U/s1600/DSCN9326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM6Qfaueu0uDJEtSTMZzMj47QoFnMKRafBhAN4OBH8tM7Nb0jRRHgzVb5TJQ16IC8tMDzPAqk10qHsowvYIt-IvawfPIwzel2IFhBSOdNAvo0L5Dg2QSRlAV8tRmcwy5ciojjznHsw3U/s1600/DSCN9326.JPG" height="295" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diurnea fagella</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-60947316056515382402014-03-17T16:21:00.000+00:002014-03-18T20:13:13.180+00:00MOTHS GALORESunday's weather was glorious with the temperature above 15°C, and what did that imply? Well simply that there ought to be a few more moths about that night. So the trap was switched on and I could not resist a few visits during the late evening to see if there were any moths. It was in fact a bit like being at Heathrow - probably even more busy than there, but off the top of my head I don't know how many plans arrive there overnight.<br />
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So, let's start with a few facts and figures. There were 318 moths in the trap this morning (including those sitting on the walls, etc...). 188 of these were Small Quaker moths, and in total there were 22 species. <br />
Six other species were in double figures, these being Common Quaker 33, Hebrew Character 24, Oak Beauty 15, March Moth 15 and Chestnut 11.<br />
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When I look back to my records for this time last year, I see that I only ran the trap 4 times in March and only caught 26 moths in total and it was not until mid April that I caught large numbers of this species and then only just over 100.<br />
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No new moths for the site, but a fresh Acleris literana was a pleasant surprise.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wit9Avhy9OOoTwN6E4EHapuwsQOqj8MlCyI-Ao4gzhzXS3WDF66yjWMOY1SqtX6ySaY5ayhIlpVzYdChqIfU3LoALSSUy8MP0hDKMXhrefmUpgMwAqrkjzFpS0sDM_lgc7GFTZ14gktt/s1600/Acleris+literana+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wit9Avhy9OOoTwN6E4EHapuwsQOqj8MlCyI-Ao4gzhzXS3WDF66yjWMOY1SqtX6ySaY5ayhIlpVzYdChqIfU3LoALSSUy8MP0hDKMXhrefmUpgMwAqrkjzFpS0sDM_lgc7GFTZ14gktt/s1600/Acleris+literana+1.JPG" height="221" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acleris literana</td></tr>
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During the day, I spotted a hairy caterpillar sunning itself on a Periwinkle leaf and took the following photo. It is clearly one of the "Tiger" moths larvae, but so far I have not been able to identify it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsyu0AIwyFuoT1OyGK6QT_-C-Kp5LAd2MCrKo_U44CVYxqGrk6_uPytWnUa4qj7rWHbUIYWmDyusRZqUUh0GbofbYXqLULUtYBtrEzuO_ZUAbNrpOIGw6OtVCcE2fqNsfFJ0LjmdKSM4c/s1600/DSCN0022+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsyu0AIwyFuoT1OyGK6QT_-C-Kp5LAd2MCrKo_U44CVYxqGrk6_uPytWnUa4qj7rWHbUIYWmDyusRZqUUh0GbofbYXqLULUtYBtrEzuO_ZUAbNrpOIGw6OtVCcE2fqNsfFJ0LjmdKSM4c/s1600/DSCN0022+(2).JPG" height="261" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larva to I.D.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-72657531221358713402014-03-15T21:29:00.001+00:002014-03-15T21:29:45.169+00:00March(ing) onThe trap has been on only 4 times in March, based generally on the supposed overnight temperature.<br />
<br />
The month is progressing and the numbers of moths gradually increasing, but no new species for the site so far.<br />
<br />
On Thursday 6th there were only 8 moths, of 7 species, but on Saturday 8th this increased to 23 moths of 8 species, one of them being an over-wintering Ypsolopha ustella. However, the disappointment of this catch spurred me on to try again on Sunday night (9th) and the catch was much improved.<br />
There were 47 moths of 10 species, including a fairly early Shoulder Stripe - only my second one here - and all the usual suspects of the early part of the year, including a Clouded Drab, not a nice name for a quite variable moth - one that has not been featured here before, well, that I discover by chance is not true - but it does not appear on the label list.<br />
<br />
So, on Friday night, with the promise of 8° overnight (which I think was actually only 6) the trap went on and there were 48 moths (8 species) this morning. 35 of these were Small Quaker and there was a Pale Pinion, Twin-spot Quaker and an Early Grey. Unlike Mike, I rarely get Mottled Grey here, due mainly to habitat difference.<br />
<br />
So, no photos from me today, as everything in the trap has already featured here, but you can find a picture of a Clouded Drab by clicking on Pale Pinion on the list and seeing it on the same page!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-32530922640472977442014-03-10T14:45:00.002+00:002014-03-10T14:50:43.169+00:00Fresh arrivalsThe warmest day of the year bought Peacock, Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell onto the wing in Batch Valley. This was followed by a cloudy warm night, the perfect time to put out the mothtrap. I was not to be disappointed, with 25 moths of 12 species, easily the best catch of the year.<br />
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The commonest moth was the Mottled Grey, a species I caught in quite large numbers in spring last year.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqUmKEeQkqoopJfvxqfIYHpKbFdwet_UhiZ7Hc5n97F6NxieAWlk5MgBk0B2sxBpjhgphFY0snE-shb7kxRk-tLRxvnF4ffTT4weVHfMgdQcWbTfYKbQbzp42fdXNVL2D15YIfZNLlYo/s1600/DSCN9289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqUmKEeQkqoopJfvxqfIYHpKbFdwet_UhiZ7Hc5n97F6NxieAWlk5MgBk0B2sxBpjhgphFY0snE-shb7kxRk-tLRxvnF4ffTT4weVHfMgdQcWbTfYKbQbzp42fdXNVL2D15YIfZNLlYo/s1600/DSCN9289.JPG" height="317" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mottled Grey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Half of the species were making their first appearance this year, though most were expected. This included some wonderfully fresh Hebrew Characters, a real crowd-pleaser.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1Zql-AUdhfYpyugR3fFzDdsbCdPm6ULmjP0t1hDymNM49dw8eImLBulRFBeXwGOgYiOXeFYtLZhfw2xMXURY7D-stpqwHQImzOhXKw7f6PlQC1M4X3BYcJJOHuzIBvP8egHN1CLDhkY/s1600/DSCN9295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1Zql-AUdhfYpyugR3fFzDdsbCdPm6ULmjP0t1hDymNM49dw8eImLBulRFBeXwGOgYiOXeFYtLZhfw2xMXURY7D-stpqwHQImzOhXKw7f6PlQC1M4X3BYcJJOHuzIBvP8egHN1CLDhkY/s1600/DSCN9295.JPG" height="311" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hebrew Character</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I also recorded single Common Plume, Small Quaker and Clouded Drab, the first records of this year. The other new species for the year was Early Grey, with three of these beautiful moths.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTumtScIrRSgm0t82niMP41jiX5Q-ENVS2OIbAOKwojvGIb9jA0vXp3DloZhzBth3w11MP5uDYi7Rtr_QZaioVNyRy_TY6kRFj9cVaen74SnNPHrEqb0DyFJ07y7BrurW8g0mRErUXDA/s1600/DSCN9291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTumtScIrRSgm0t82niMP41jiX5Q-ENVS2OIbAOKwojvGIb9jA0vXp3DloZhzBth3w11MP5uDYi7Rtr_QZaioVNyRy_TY6kRFj9cVaen74SnNPHrEqb0DyFJ07y7BrurW8g0mRErUXDA/s1600/DSCN9291.JPG" height="312" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Grey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There were still some 'hangers on', species I have been recording for the last couple of weeks. There were two Red Chestnuts, a moth I record here in good numbers, along with single examples of The Satellite, Chestnut, March Moth and Dotted Border. The last of these is a species I record occasionally in the late winter, but I had not until now secured a reasonable photograph of.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOmzZKeMV2XwKZO9GEvWGiP6qpyj2E6WiRBi9gF6O8-uTIvid1LAAdNLtahrOKtNjMjvHik0VKkq5NihvW6NsOC_SK2aMULpfjycnAzRVcTkHwkmCE3wm4HDXgdi6PhdE4kJEdPCTsjY/s1600/DSCN9298-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOmzZKeMV2XwKZO9GEvWGiP6qpyj2E6WiRBi9gF6O8-uTIvid1LAAdNLtahrOKtNjMjvHik0VKkq5NihvW6NsOC_SK2aMULpfjycnAzRVcTkHwkmCE3wm4HDXgdi6PhdE4kJEdPCTsjY/s1600/DSCN9298-001.JPG" height="282" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dotted Border</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-39391910812816742472014-02-25T17:04:00.000+00:002014-03-02T10:39:16.514+00:00Two BeautiesPut the trap on last night for the first time in February - and only the second time in 2014. Well, it was the most promising night with a reasonable temperature forecast.<br />
<br />
But there were only 4 moths on the trap this morning, 2 x Pale Brindled Beauty and 2 x Oak Beauty.<br />
<br />
And on the porch door early this evening an Agonopterix heracliana, a common micro-moth which has featured here before, but the photo was not very good, so here is a better one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuPBKNA877ybTeu1wgXO6A227a8XEESogGXw-y2JZagJgDw1LzdmZ6WctxdXkBRCx8SMMT8JEOh9t1e57wCtZstjCJeZCjo7JJv3d2GiZvT3hoViBGQcyKDTrS1QkJPY2rjBXnmA-LFmF/s1600/DSCN0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuPBKNA877ybTeu1wgXO6A227a8XEESogGXw-y2JZagJgDw1LzdmZ6WctxdXkBRCx8SMMT8JEOh9t1e57wCtZstjCJeZCjo7JJv3d2GiZvT3hoViBGQcyKDTrS1QkJPY2rjBXnmA-LFmF/s1600/DSCN0031.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agonopterix heracliana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In total I have only seen 9 moths this year and the forecast for the next few nights is low temperatures.<br />
<br />
Last year, in January and February I saw 92 moths before the end of February, having run the trap on 6 occasions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-56032541912385539072014-02-19T16:38:00.000+00:002014-02-19T16:38:18.527+00:00A few moreThere were a few more moths in the trap last night. Four of these were macro moths, with another Chestnut, along with the first Dotted Border and Pale Brindled Beautys of the year. There were also four micro moths, - Tortricodes alternella, the commonest micro here at this time of year.<br />
<br />
Pale Brindled Beautys can be quite variable moths, as these two individuals show.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF-WIW9JcF-hWcJ1z02Rgu7NBmZZK6CJM-2JFp-3dYxWvzfPpc0GHclQcmX-TS8c6PNg9HwHtp1FjNyRnxjhuw_21jNBJxasdnt_yLt1QJavCdfTbjs1c7EjJqm7cqQyTDHeZ_tQR4VE/s1600/1926+Pale+Brindled+Beauty+14_02_19(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF-WIW9JcF-hWcJ1z02Rgu7NBmZZK6CJM-2JFp-3dYxWvzfPpc0GHclQcmX-TS8c6PNg9HwHtp1FjNyRnxjhuw_21jNBJxasdnt_yLt1QJavCdfTbjs1c7EjJqm7cqQyTDHeZ_tQR4VE/s1600/1926+Pale+Brindled+Beauty+14_02_19(1).JPG" height="291" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pale Brindled Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK9LWVHNEaUIM2G7kcBB2epXIwNvVCR7xkBuj7dBTW6T3IRYqFBYWchZY1R6n3JnYjnMBC-Eofued6Y2DYua3omYn6i6XO288KQO4w5KGAaQi_AwJgdTxzfohTA6__po_z104gTg3lc4/s1600/1926+Pale+Brindled+Beauty+14_02_19(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK9LWVHNEaUIM2G7kcBB2epXIwNvVCR7xkBuj7dBTW6T3IRYqFBYWchZY1R6n3JnYjnMBC-Eofued6Y2DYua3omYn6i6XO288KQO4w5KGAaQi_AwJgdTxzfohTA6__po_z104gTg3lc4/s1600/1926+Pale+Brindled+Beauty+14_02_19(2).JPG" height="295" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pale Brindled Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-90676791931995684962014-02-16T17:00:00.000+00:002014-02-18T14:12:48.598+00:00Ruby, ruby, ruby, rubyRelentless storms, horizontal rain, gale-force winds and ice cold nights. It is enough to make you want to stay inside and curl up in front of the fire. Plenty of creatures do not have that choice of course, braving out the winter, and it may surprise you to learn that this includes caterpillars no bigger than your little finger.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksdJCxR64-JZp4iht0do1FYCsqevjUKpwh5eEV0m9LIGOOx1KUX853Rwndtny1vDNJfj4t10RCYSVIADbAQUFHP8DbQU8i28TWHhL_falZXAyxMyu893Z3O79pGJ_XMVFH8pVLneqY8Y/s1600/2064+Ruby+Tiger+larva_14.02.16(b).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksdJCxR64-JZp4iht0do1FYCsqevjUKpwh5eEV0m9LIGOOx1KUX853Rwndtny1vDNJfj4t10RCYSVIADbAQUFHP8DbQU8i28TWHhL_falZXAyxMyu893Z3O79pGJ_XMVFH8pVLneqY8Y/s1600/2064+Ruby+Tiger+larva_14.02.16(b).JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby Tiger larva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This Ruby Tiger larva was crawling up my wall today, seemingly brought out by the sunshine. It is one of a small number of moths which overwinter in their larval stage. How do they do it without turning to ice? It seems that moths use strategies to survive. One is having their own form of antifreeze, which enable them to survive freezing temperatures, with the larva rolling into tight furry balls when temperatures are below freezing. Ruby Tiger larva are also polyphagous, meaning they literally eat many things, so when they feed they have a wider choice of herbaceous plants.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0W4koYXqrelef27JpfxLOkNyRRCpGPwI6s0fbbP3vwig3lvSp2uxY4tKUUnHuRpakoinOJ37AUC8c648mHXqCa6IlvkHNuWsTxesYFwT8q3TJFfsZ89zXrpCStdUQHHjSCdBvTme2to/s1600/2064+Ruby+Tiger+larva_14.02.16(a).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0W4koYXqrelef27JpfxLOkNyRRCpGPwI6s0fbbP3vwig3lvSp2uxY4tKUUnHuRpakoinOJ37AUC8c648mHXqCa6IlvkHNuWsTxesYFwT8q3TJFfsZ89zXrpCStdUQHHjSCdBvTme2to/s1600/2064+Ruby+Tiger+larva_14.02.16(a).JPG" height="296" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby Tiger larva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I left the caterpillar to slowly continue on its way, pleased with another addition to the garden moth list.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-65517637033592366122014-02-03T22:00:00.000+00:002014-02-04T17:01:45.563+00:00That old ChestnutA happy new year from Batch Valley also. After a hiatus of a couple of months the moth trap was out again. The endless bad weather brightened a little, with a stiller night and less rain.<br />
<br />
Proof that moths were surviving the winter was provided as four made their way to the trap. Three of those were Spring Ushers, the same moth found by Graham a few days ago.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlZJdlf2tNNLj0X7ckrCeToxjrmvSEiEJgExUvsUGc1NTNlSjW-UUR54k7Jp3qWmYY2zHup8jM-w_UWq1ID0z8OHYV7dHuJTGvYua1hx6pMSAYwrdsMuqJV0sEXZU3Onzd-wRAVwUUno/s1600/DSCN9214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlZJdlf2tNNLj0X7ckrCeToxjrmvSEiEJgExUvsUGc1NTNlSjW-UUR54k7Jp3qWmYY2zHup8jM-w_UWq1ID0z8OHYV7dHuJTGvYua1hx6pMSAYwrdsMuqJV0sEXZU3Onzd-wRAVwUUno/s1600/DSCN9214.JPG" height="322" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Usher - a paler example</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The other was a Chestnut, a case of the old familiar. This is one of several moths that can be found right throughout the winter, and is always a contender if the trap is out between autumn and spring.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqbBDHnweDFDEXkEkM9gPOyh3kxNikTEikYSgy9Wtvk1fawvF3HqZUc36Xq8e1OIL_1AysS5YyTiw-bZaNmlK-HLUEPnacVx8WmRlSPDqvn8zyXRlu0avnCNZQybrJumlfboMoVM453Y/s1600/DSCN9211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqbBDHnweDFDEXkEkM9gPOyh3kxNikTEikYSgy9Wtvk1fawvF3HqZUc36Xq8e1OIL_1AysS5YyTiw-bZaNmlK-HLUEPnacVx8WmRlSPDqvn8zyXRlu0avnCNZQybrJumlfboMoVM453Y/s1600/DSCN9211.JPG" height="400" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These moths made a cameo performance at today's Strettons Community Area Wildlife Group AGM. We have several new people signed up for this years Moths in YOUR Garden surveys, so we have new places to visit once the moths start to play.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-38302911609765134012014-01-27T20:58:00.000+00:002014-02-17T21:42:00.599+00:00CatkinsThe trees are alive with catkins, on Alder, Hazel and more to come soon. So, it being a reasonable day we had a visit to Gogbatch - well, that's what we call it!<br />
<br />
The Alder trees were covered in catkins so a few went in a pot for inspection at home.<br />
With a x10 or better lens, it is easy to see if there any small holes in the catkins - and if there are it generally means there is a caterpillar inside. Later you can see frass on the catkin - (frass = caterpillar poo).<br />
<br />
Here is a photo showing exactly that, and if you are lucky you may also see the caterpillar come out to have a look at the rest of the world. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXIdnMtmBYJtNQWX1cis0SvH4QRVRKLn-63w2-bR8jwzZwjwB3VuLcEmkKzStMLxSx40w_XocllX5xanzXUybQSHIaheTUMIYYwURkaFLsWcSr4j-4mKda61wxXZnXZA2FSD_6wPO-vNy/s1600/DSCN0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXIdnMtmBYJtNQWX1cis0SvH4QRVRKLn-63w2-bR8jwzZwjwB3VuLcEmkKzStMLxSx40w_XocllX5xanzXUybQSHIaheTUMIYYwURkaFLsWcSr4j-4mKda61wxXZnXZA2FSD_6wPO-vNy/s1600/DSCN0011.JPG" height="189" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alder catkin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And yes, luck was in.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtNVUNnf21GCArNOKpGxZXtFfoPW-8FkB_3AhBg0iHDjcUi3Z-Fze60pI4UfHB21ysX9IW3F2UiscGneR2q8zp-F0OCx7cVpMrXclJkKXASCTxxbMLdDxbz24WfJLrOajt5tZCqAFOSb5/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtNVUNnf21GCArNOKpGxZXtFfoPW-8FkB_3AhBg0iHDjcUi3Z-Fze60pI4UfHB21ysX9IW3F2UiscGneR2q8zp-F0OCx7cVpMrXclJkKXASCTxxbMLdDxbz24WfJLrOajt5tZCqAFOSb5/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG" height="272" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larvae from above catkin</td></tr>
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The problem now is to try and identify the moth species of this caterpillar and of course there is a choice. The easiest choice is to wait until it turns into a moth, but there is always the chance that it will not survive. At the moment, there is still the chance as it has pupated. All I have to do now is ensure that it does not go mouldy!<br />
And the guess at the moment is Argyresthia goedartella, but it may be brockeella.<br />
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Although I have collected several Hazel catkins, I have yet to find a larva.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-1087023201132309132014-01-27T12:47:00.002+00:002014-01-27T12:52:19.426+00:002014 is here and .....A belated HNY to anyone looking. <br />
Not a lot of nights when it looked worth putting the trap on, but January the 5th seemed a possibility.<br />
However the wind was very strong and turned the trap over quite early on. Nevertheless I re-set it and in the morning there were 2 Mottled Umbers.<br />
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Have not tried again since then and with the promise of cold nights it just did not seem to be worth the effort.<br />
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So it was a pleasant surprise to find a Spring Usher on the house wall last night when the outside light was left on for an hour or two. The fact that it snowed shows what brave (or stupid?) things moths are.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RIRe5C64hNKe4ScaS7yjRTUux_TsnxxqxGTmbPP8LqlutlO-gn5W0gob1FLvb9dx9LHuxwmJB9FJRYz6_lSOURlubahpewhqv8OUQBHW7iXXhHHmRifE_Icbq2nJ3tZUxk7DUXs-0mv1/s1600/1932+Spring+Usher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RIRe5C64hNKe4ScaS7yjRTUux_TsnxxqxGTmbPP8LqlutlO-gn5W0gob1FLvb9dx9LHuxwmJB9FJRYz6_lSOURlubahpewhqv8OUQBHW7iXXhHHmRifE_Icbq2nJ3tZUxk7DUXs-0mv1/s1600/1932+Spring+Usher.JPG" height="223" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Usher</td></tr>
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Photo of a Spring Usher just to liven up the blog a little, but not the one from last night! These are quite pretty moths and very variable, as can be seen by looking at the photo from last year (click on its name in the list).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-70611032354272193642013-11-28T17:05:00.000+00:002013-12-20T17:30:59.891+00:00The weatherman said ....That it was going to be warm last night, and he was right!<br />
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One of the best nights mothing for weeks!<br />
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There were more than 100 moths, of 10 species. OK, 77 of them were Mottled Umbers and 15 were Winter Moths, but so what.<br />
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The two above named species have something in common (along with a few others) and that is that the female moths are wingless, or virtually so. These female moths hatch out and sit around waiting for a male, mate, lay eggs on the same tree and, well you can guess the rest.<br />
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This means of course that these females never arrive in your trap and up to this week I had never seen one.<br />
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But, in the summer I had collected several larvae from trees and bushes around here and kept them fed and watered. Several hatched out this week. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoBv5YW8xWnZJJijQbWblfqQRP9TTaP4Eaqv_Q0uyqwnmSM3LAAN6fx8ZDb-reNBqfz1ii6fIXb23B3TQKV7ADFMrRClkmE-kzvW_IXc2lS3XIU3QTi9JVVn6cG_2Ad_iInhfvAsicQdo/s1600/1799+Winter+Moth+%2528f%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoBv5YW8xWnZJJijQbWblfqQRP9TTaP4Eaqv_Q0uyqwnmSM3LAAN6fx8ZDb-reNBqfz1ii6fIXb23B3TQKV7ADFMrRClkmE-kzvW_IXc2lS3XIU3QTi9JVVn6cG_2Ad_iInhfvAsicQdo/s320/1799+Winter+Moth+%2528f%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Moth (f)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEjd1EDdrDkQkmD1W10kXiIzMFvbN5mUaigEPUX8evTgYY3-J1QwL0W1lYL8K4phqHricov1blFMQ2rAiFtPNRR37kp0Qz87g6kKSh_NjLT2JjaaQ2s4xYhegOcerSYvDr52FaAqZQdS6/s1600/1799+Winter+Moth+%2528m%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEjd1EDdrDkQkmD1W10kXiIzMFvbN5mUaigEPUX8evTgYY3-J1QwL0W1lYL8K4phqHricov1blFMQ2rAiFtPNRR37kp0Qz87g6kKSh_NjLT2JjaaQ2s4xYhegOcerSYvDr52FaAqZQdS6/s320/1799+Winter+Moth+%2528m%2529.JPG" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Moth (m)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXBJsrQ6l43MyVPI1xyzcAvRle5_RtvH1KhIySUdMPLuiuhEb1mQ2aIAX2S-qEOusFqR9tPuD6ypUYb127J1UrL17QAseQ4AhOYFa5BdyhDXoaHaQfxnn298KDmFhrJgwARSxwXKuACuq/s1600/1935+Mottled+Umber+%2528f%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXBJsrQ6l43MyVPI1xyzcAvRle5_RtvH1KhIySUdMPLuiuhEb1mQ2aIAX2S-qEOusFqR9tPuD6ypUYb127J1UrL17QAseQ4AhOYFa5BdyhDXoaHaQfxnn298KDmFhrJgwARSxwXKuACuq/s320/1935+Mottled+Umber+%2528f%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mottled Umber (f)</td></tr>
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Mottle Umber (m)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-11458969461480445202013-11-18T16:39:00.000+00:002013-12-20T17:04:20.223+00:00Out and aboutPut the trap on last night as the temperature was supposed to stay reasonable, but the catch was a bit disappointing to compared to the week before. There were however 22 moths of 4 species.<br />
<br />
Undaunted we went for a walk up the path opposite the house and found some leaf miners on wild raspberry. Was able to get reasonable photos from my Iphone - a first for me.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bo9P4c6KIs36XIQ874QsiI1QcrwahLzJmXFYsychfjekA1ZoCJJulO3K-VvyyhaO73BW4GimUx6SuwrHcRozj1gmCEn1HUkYTCFymzoO4c5BIeKNQqODdrKoEmwzESCmlWAqtrvLMaTd/s1600/Raspberry+mine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bo9P4c6KIs36XIQ874QsiI1QcrwahLzJmXFYsychfjekA1ZoCJJulO3K-VvyyhaO73BW4GimUx6SuwrHcRozj1gmCEn1HUkYTCFymzoO4c5BIeKNQqODdrKoEmwzESCmlWAqtrvLMaTd/s320/Raspberry+mine.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stigmella aurella on Raspberry</td></tr>
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We took a trip to Earls Hill a couple of days later and I found a leaf miner on a Rowan leaf. This turns out to be Phyllonorycter sorbi, another first for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS5mvci9AXKIkwq83InoQ9bWQKNyCwI-x4p8X0riNI3MoxLlGao5-KKceOmeWE-Zqu-H-JSI0g7-O2lsx_Jb0n-kgSzaki3aZS7_sl-VdgORXBLZIBdMxhPbODxfUN9Sh4HCRyZhoD0us/s1600/324+Phyllonorycter+sorbi+on+Rowan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS5mvci9AXKIkwq83InoQ9bWQKNyCwI-x4p8X0riNI3MoxLlGao5-KKceOmeWE-Zqu-H-JSI0g7-O2lsx_Jb0n-kgSzaki3aZS7_sl-VdgORXBLZIBdMxhPbODxfUN9Sh4HCRyZhoD0us/s320/324+Phyllonorycter+sorbi+on+Rowan.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phyllonorycter sorbi on Rowan</td></tr>
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By chance I also found a pupa in a silken sheath covered in bits of dry old dead wood on an Oak stump. I wonder when it will hatch out and what it will be. Watch this space!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bSeh92j-_N7-F9bNZskFCV02S8xRQVxLLhIhYsmI2dFth1bosCgLkxjLSOUpuANp8ohvfVBUxcNUS3jJxQA3hTf8R96qmM4SthfsRiEYUDNJVxGrQa7JlrD4rDdxKTyiEZDSOEqNjJba/s1600/DSCN2176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bSeh92j-_N7-F9bNZskFCV02S8xRQVxLLhIhYsmI2dFth1bosCgLkxjLSOUpuANp8ohvfVBUxcNUS3jJxQA3hTf8R96qmM4SthfsRiEYUDNJVxGrQa7JlrD4rDdxKTyiEZDSOEqNjJba/s320/DSCN2176.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown pupal case</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK240ScdGA46mD-6fGmegCWo27n3ylmSSvw3DPH0p5dyoyOVQTRoMpnmxV_JHVqAk932i-ue7lKjXDZra-odcPYtg0V1ZbltKJNSjxR_BkorwhfOxJnk7FIuoXo9jbUPRCiXhHRIDxatFD/s1600/DSCN2178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK240ScdGA46mD-6fGmegCWo27n3ylmSSvw3DPH0p5dyoyOVQTRoMpnmxV_JHVqAk932i-ue7lKjXDZra-odcPYtg0V1ZbltKJNSjxR_BkorwhfOxJnk7FIuoXo9jbUPRCiXhHRIDxatFD/s320/DSCN2178.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown pupa</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-71654934103989142432013-11-12T16:30:00.000+00:002013-11-12T18:44:16.803+00:00Mines, mines and mines!There are literally thousands of leaf mines around at the moment giving a great chance to add a few more species to the growing list of moths found in and around the Strettons.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of accompanying the County Micro-moth Recorder on a tour round Rectory Wood, (in spite of the fact that it rained all the time) where we collected dozens of leaves from a range of trees.<br />
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First analysis reveals a list of 26 different moths, quite a number of which were new to me and some of them were certainly firsts for the Strettons and the 4th only records for Shropshire. Thanks Godfrey! The one shown is quite common, but was new for me. The larva first made a blotch mine (where it fed and then moved to the leaf edge, folded it over, stuck it down and munched in there until it pupated.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrLK_JKupgqzGdaNULycpzdklCaSpnVP4A7Uo3vH4JezPXLpbP5RRl9wwmQaC7jOLKzLr7I5aCoGOLk-Mxa3jDZ0yAxtIQDfdC5GBw7SdHqDgAREn4IvqkP4J9xydrb-7PJkDa3az3Cgv/s1600/Devoniella+on+corylus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrLK_JKupgqzGdaNULycpzdklCaSpnVP4A7Uo3vH4JezPXLpbP5RRl9wwmQaC7jOLKzLr7I5aCoGOLk-Mxa3jDZ0yAxtIQDfdC5GBw7SdHqDgAREn4IvqkP4J9xydrb-7PJkDa3az3Cgv/s320/Devoniella+on+corylus.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phyllonorycter devoniella</td></tr>
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On Friday I returned to Rectory Field to inspect the Evergreen oak and the Turkey oak near the entrance and to collect mines. If truth were told, that was our objective on Wednesday but we "did" the woods and missed the oaks. This was also a successful visit.<br />
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And so, on Saturday, profiting from the sunshine, I went up the hill behind Stokesay Castle and did more collecting. One interesting find was the larva of a Brimstone moth. Quite a common moth, but its larva can be of two structurally different forms and it is said to have a life cycle which produces 3 broods in 2 years. This means they either pupate in the autumn and over-winter like that, or (like this one) will live over winter as a larva. It is feeding on hawthorn, which will lose most of its leaves over winter!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yKFIuFI30bBYGlcy4tYgd6H0MqCBh7uDRz-8re9oeXzMd6pUq_iJOUVihXCcWaJMY8CdunxLNMTL-9wHcIzilLVqeDBip01QHbCpZ9VG-8_EAICQ11COzQVSOyYeSx1pQkAO_krdIwjZ/s1600/IMGP7648+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yKFIuFI30bBYGlcy4tYgd6H0MqCBh7uDRz-8re9oeXzMd6pUq_iJOUVihXCcWaJMY8CdunxLNMTL-9wHcIzilLVqeDBip01QHbCpZ9VG-8_EAICQ11COzQVSOyYeSx1pQkAO_krdIwjZ/s320/IMGP7648+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brimstone Moth (l)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And so to last night where the temperature stayed up above 10°C and the trap was switched on. There were 42 Mottled Umber Moths in and around the trap and another 41 moths of 12 different species. Well worth the effort.<br />
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It is unlikely that there will be more nights like that for some time, but....<br />
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In the meantime there are lots of leafmines around, so hope you are out there looking!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-30167154488205508642013-10-22T17:00:00.000+01:002013-10-23T17:11:37.870+01:00Let it rain!On Monday we came back from a long weekend in Aderdovey where it had either been lovely sunshine or absolutely chucking it down. And it was chucking it down here too, so clearly not the night to put the trap on. <br />
Well, actually, NO, it promised to be a very good night for mothing for 2 reasons. Firstly that moths are fairly waterproof (unless they get stuck in a puddle) and the weathermen promised an overnight low of around 14°C.<br />
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So, the trap was switched on in the pouring rain! And on Tuesday morning, still with the high temperature there were more than 50 moths in the trap.<br />
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The trap had been on on the 12th and 15th of October, these nights having catches of 40+ and nearly 60 moths.<br />
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All the usual suspects for this time of year are appearing but it was nice to get my first Streak here, and this moth has apparently not been recorded in Shropshire for 5 years or more. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTaRgTXzFP4BZu-M3ChOq0K1vE9EMRKBjfUdzhVxwTxsMKJl1YILa5GqkCjkVE3jMb_d2bSVkKAxjY_CD8smYDxpCVGWJl_CSFcoRx3-FML5R-1bs_S69Vup7e5xF3MPjnLsTFXRUC5pI/s1600/1864+Streak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTaRgTXzFP4BZu-M3ChOq0K1vE9EMRKBjfUdzhVxwTxsMKJl1YILa5GqkCjkVE3jMb_d2bSVkKAxjY_CD8smYDxpCVGWJl_CSFcoRx3-FML5R-1bs_S69Vup7e5xF3MPjnLsTFXRUC5pI/s320/1864+Streak.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streak</td></tr>
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Hopefully a few more warmer nights to come will bring something interesting.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-10811956328381889732013-10-07T11:42:00.001+01:002013-10-07T11:42:53.111+01:00Poor excuses!Holidays, busy social life, laziness, all just excuses for not posting on here for far too long.<br />
Worse is the fact that there have been lots of moths about, several new to me here.<br />
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First of all I should thank Chris for our super evening in Lydbury North (6th September) where we went, with our traps, to join members of their Community Wildlife Group and passed a super evening, in spite of the fact there were not a lot of moths, there was a Brown-spot Pinion, a first for the year.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbzBX2YBcWBxTxXk2Zxa7b5I2TtVRbt6aArLT6L1-4L96NXu5YWvNhmS6qnDtGJxNtFmAjD3b1f-thf6cdKmgBoOCx0RuyM9XLUbUVMTUq-bTK8baWzh-VzFfq94wF9yusK770CCb7pO0/s1600/2266+Brown-spot+pinion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbzBX2YBcWBxTxXk2Zxa7b5I2TtVRbt6aArLT6L1-4L96NXu5YWvNhmS6qnDtGJxNtFmAjD3b1f-thf6cdKmgBoOCx0RuyM9XLUbUVMTUq-bTK8baWzh-VzFfq94wF9yusK770CCb7pO0/s320/2266+Brown-spot+pinion.JPG" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown-spot Pinion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have run my trap 10 times since then and on 4 of the first 5 nights there were very small catches, however, on the 19th, with only 7 species present, one was a Dark Sword-grass. This is an immigrant moth, with an unconfirmed possibility that spring arrivals breed in the UK.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoc1RCB1yAXF9DbLQVBDEHfaGGiaGxh-GSeX5IfxJ2qXZD4SKGHBo53kppo_UVZkaV75x1vOjKUrwKntEF-Cq1MZUoJ0XiQ-lBi69_DUBu3De1gz2KSokH0CkqPvVSliLkaXXQsJMp-pI/s1600/2091+Dark+Sword-grass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoc1RCB1yAXF9DbLQVBDEHfaGGiaGxh-GSeX5IfxJ2qXZD4SKGHBo53kppo_UVZkaV75x1vOjKUrwKntEF-Cq1MZUoJ0XiQ-lBi69_DUBu3De1gz2KSokH0CkqPvVSliLkaXXQsJMp-pI/s320/2091+Dark+Sword-grass.JPG" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark Sword-grass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Lots of caterpillars around and several micro-moths flying in the garden, 2 of which have been new to me here, and the A alstromeriana not having been recorded in Shropshire since 2006, the other being Acleris Rhombana.<br />
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Agonopterix alstromeriana</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Zimp6iiTxAVnwYmdddX3QzJURLJ-UMRhNJwqddWQgmk5rnvNzsZEROmGch9k_YQYWz5BrK9yLz6Bh6sl0jvYtjYbLsdh9Y_llmkKWAeTYon49jkKQp3akIjm9QjAcBklg-OJlABHGaHD/s1600/1042+Acleris+rhombana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Zimp6iiTxAVnwYmdddX3QzJURLJ-UMRhNJwqddWQgmk5rnvNzsZEROmGch9k_YQYWz5BrK9yLz6Bh6sl0jvYtjYbLsdh9Y_llmkKWAeTYon49jkKQp3akIjm9QjAcBklg-OJlABHGaHD/s320/1042+Acleris+rhombana.JPG" width="304" /></a></div>
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Acleris rhombana</div>
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The usual autumn moths, like Green-brindled Crescent and Beaded Chestnut have started to appear, but catches will gradually decline as winter approaches. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMM0ERrF019nw5PdUZCvJYzE_eutFWep60Bx4ETimlonokZqcsUFhFJ57SPwnw21Z3_DYA_i9bkJWjcMVuCpdadQjROmhXTqI1qZv3EzKVgRPbYlx1cRBy3-c8zddLsuebJBtw88FSE-qz/s1600/2267+Beaded+Chestnut.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMM0ERrF019nw5PdUZCvJYzE_eutFWep60Bx4ETimlonokZqcsUFhFJ57SPwnw21Z3_DYA_i9bkJWjcMVuCpdadQjROmhXTqI1qZv3EzKVgRPbYlx1cRBy3-c8zddLsuebJBtw88FSE-qz/s320/2267+Beaded+Chestnut.JPG" width="247" /></a></div>
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Beaded Chestnut</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-34626748944815295382013-09-17T20:39:00.000+01:002013-09-17T20:39:22.762+01:00Going for goldThe weather may have turned cold and rainy, but last week there was still some warmth and moth activity. I ran the trap on Monday night and was pleased to record three new species, along with a couple of 'NFY' (new for the year) moths. Undoubted highlight was this Gold Spot, a moth which is typically found in damp habitats.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EluZTmeAII8B2-Ml6ZOANyhdyMg0OTvQ7-ju9wrkNYn18EdOnZahVYpTPzr-tAXBuOy51uq8LijmvoV_Wodq1_ebXHHSEhpF53Irl6OsrkadycAogNyUX4QJSFzEIS4v1wZnWSNs6gM/s1600/2439+Gold+Spot+13_09_09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EluZTmeAII8B2-Ml6ZOANyhdyMg0OTvQ7-ju9wrkNYn18EdOnZahVYpTPzr-tAXBuOy51uq8LijmvoV_Wodq1_ebXHHSEhpF53Irl6OsrkadycAogNyUX4QJSFzEIS4v1wZnWSNs6gM/s400/2439+Gold+Spot+13_09_09.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold Spot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Unlike this rather handsome moth, the other new two species had seen far better days. In fact one of them took me quite a while to identify. The first had suffered from a bit of battering, this Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. Despite having much of it's wings missing, the markings were still clear.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybe3wmYuKFjUrij72iS9prEi8Hd5idjzQ1aaBRr3sF7eccZfvJZ8TlaDgP8-__8Rcwv3habthRFH_eS5wV8wx7r-sbZuVHp6n4s4vXfE1uTi9Sfa8_bZIUHKmcF5j92SsfxXvOWnqtpU/s1600/DSCN8253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybe3wmYuKFjUrij72iS9prEi8Hd5idjzQ1aaBRr3sF7eccZfvJZ8TlaDgP8-__8Rcwv3habthRFH_eS5wV8wx7r-sbZuVHp6n4s4vXfE1uTi9Sfa8_bZIUHKmcF5j92SsfxXvOWnqtpU/s400/DSCN8253.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The other new moth was a different proposition. Moths belong to Lepidoptera, and the literal translation of this is (lepis) scale (pteron) wing. The reason is that the wings of moths are covered with a huge number of tiny scales, which give the patterns and colours. As moths age so do these scales age, fade and disappear. This means that moths become'worn', which leads to much head-scratching when trying to identify them. This Chevron moth is great example, when fresh these are beautiful yellow and orange moths. In this instance I caught two of these grey looking insects!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wyRyjKB3RZRyAzkp4HzY9JcfdmqfchvjpJRap3-_g_JBeB_h8f2OvKWfMA3xsZFgbpXjuwpWiIhzeJcN65ucFqcIceWPY9st_252FUn9rmQ-UU82waf2M2kkhsnipUDDYl8JnOvEnaY/s1600/DSCN8318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wyRyjKB3RZRyAzkp4HzY9JcfdmqfchvjpJRap3-_g_JBeB_h8f2OvKWfMA3xsZFgbpXjuwpWiIhzeJcN65ucFqcIceWPY9st_252FUn9rmQ-UU82waf2M2kkhsnipUDDYl8JnOvEnaY/s400/DSCN8318.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chevron</td></tr>
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My two 'NFY' moths were in much better shape. It was a welcome return for the Hedge Rustic, an attractive moth of dark hues which is quite common here in the autumn.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynOF0V_K4xMrSSj28wmw8neVXw_Bdqgi5-fatzFP24LU3n8Zd7HlCvCu904boJklBzjElxfeB-rhAdZ2wo9bhgq0QB3CXA19kdGC5SGY5Ev7HRT2x5TZRfTwf6jAHcVjModh7L2kiEY4/s1600/2177+Hedge+Rustic+13_09_09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynOF0V_K4xMrSSj28wmw8neVXw_Bdqgi5-fatzFP24LU3n8Zd7HlCvCu904boJklBzjElxfeB-rhAdZ2wo9bhgq0QB3CXA19kdGC5SGY5Ev7HRT2x5TZRfTwf6jAHcVjModh7L2kiEY4/s400/2177+Hedge+Rustic+13_09_09.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hedge Rustic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I also had this November Moth 'agg.' This is one of a group of moths which are virtually indistinguishable from each other, without resorting to some drastic measures of dissection.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ_SGp6oSVcSsVJMuIae_xgfqR5uuc14USt6-wPt6wJEVp-Z_61sNmfEVpSsgxjxCZ7L-0Zf44PThhKQw0IPAV31ALSvhmKm_DZhHJ_yr7anLkuGcWjyjiGRXtfCiC4OFqvSX1AIxfGk/s1600/Epirrita+sp..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ_SGp6oSVcSsVJMuIae_xgfqR5uuc14USt6-wPt6wJEVp-Z_61sNmfEVpSsgxjxCZ7L-0Zf44PThhKQw0IPAV31ALSvhmKm_DZhHJ_yr7anLkuGcWjyjiGRXtfCiC4OFqvSX1AIxfGk/s400/Epirrita+sp..JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November Moth agg.</td></tr>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-38393957979419995512013-09-07T18:21:00.004+01:002013-09-07T18:24:25.351+01:00When I'm cleaning windowsHousehold chores took on an unexpected twist today. With friends visiting I was tasked with cleaning the downstairs front room windows, and I took this on with gusto. The end result was not too bad, as I hope you will agree (though I did not earn an honest bob).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yfyAgmsX34Wv9ahIQB-uROJcqz-1zi_zcJ2NkPUZ6Z771odf2NQHX6Bn4TFQY2pGRterACUgXrxPi0eCy0yvG51u0zk6prYYvY6aquY2jjp66sj9Vp3KgPEjwq8WAwOlFbipyaiP-4w/s1600/DSCN8248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yfyAgmsX34Wv9ahIQB-uROJcqz-1zi_zcJ2NkPUZ6Z771odf2NQHX6Bn4TFQY2pGRterACUgXrxPi0eCy0yvG51u0zk6prYYvY6aquY2jjp66sj9Vp3KgPEjwq8WAwOlFbipyaiP-4w/s400/DSCN8248.JPG" width="288" /></a></div>
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As I was packing away I noticed this Red Underwing lurking by the window frame. Somehow I had failed to notice this (lets face it, quite large) insect in the previous 20 or so minutes! I was obviously concentrating hard on getting a nice gleaming finish.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDQ8fwGTmiLj-Gk9jmxwatwNYujtb79si8u4o0IxpNArH9o6BPA12jCQB69JpSrMHjyYh6YjyREv8gVcnEDnsW3zvtjMfrUhkDRKkcaDOH70b3diYRkQa-fufXVjLPKDu5VU9lrtPcuM/s1600/DSCN8246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDQ8fwGTmiLj-Gk9jmxwatwNYujtb79si8u4o0IxpNArH9o6BPA12jCQB69JpSrMHjyYh6YjyREv8gVcnEDnsW3zvtjMfrUhkDRKkcaDOH70b3diYRkQa-fufXVjLPKDu5VU9lrtPcuM/s400/DSCN8246.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Underwing</td></tr>
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If you can see what I can see...<br />
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-51480770517686334972013-09-04T21:02:00.002+01:002013-10-23T17:13:19.952+01:00Yellow feverTis a couple of weeks since my last post and the above title refers to the fact that for most of the nights when the trap has been on (8 times) there has been around a 100 "Yellow Underwings" in it.<br />
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The majority have been the Large variety, with the Lesser Broad-bordered close behind and increasing numbers of Lesser. Large Yellow Underwings tend to blunder round in the trap and often cause the smaller moths to be damaged - sometimes called LY Blunderwings!<br />
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However, I have been out and about, finding lots of interesting moths and their larvae (caterpillars). You may recall an Elephant Hawkmoth larva on the blog recently, well, at the same site (Nutbatch) I recently found another, but this one was a younger version - see how they change as they grow up!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkSUgPLATaEFZW9AXK_9OtPkc6yxLdSRbZDRgZQUsaztJhyphenhyphenZCZx7L_gLyVyZaU5Iz5hQ7ybH7pGbeYHo5amOZge9XG2qFXDQi1nL2ou-fk8ayCpkpEPmHac1KrkM69l-FHQr0LQc-cYHL/s1600/1991+Elephant+Hawkmoth,+Nutbatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkSUgPLATaEFZW9AXK_9OtPkc6yxLdSRbZDRgZQUsaztJhyphenhyphenZCZx7L_gLyVyZaU5Iz5hQ7ybH7pGbeYHo5amOZge9XG2qFXDQi1nL2ou-fk8ayCpkpEPmHac1KrkM69l-FHQr0LQc-cYHL/s320/1991+Elephant+Hawkmoth,+Nutbatch.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Hawkmoth (l)</td></tr>
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I was happy to catch this moth near Edgton (Ridgeway) on the afternoon of the 15th. Looked at from above, it appears like a "Playboy" bunny, but viewed from the side, certainly not!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvO5Hm25vVq3lZ8S0BAKpuOAxFJMnQVDM559iV30v4DsNwgwmF0W_braLUhm2tBRjmkU94RkE9aXI5d_mXO3-_3D4v1HX7t_5GAvRdXlPAYNnl0T0xUMdVXa77PhNFukjCrPJvlbeHDDp/s1600/462+Ypsolopha+sequella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvO5Hm25vVq3lZ8S0BAKpuOAxFJMnQVDM559iV30v4DsNwgwmF0W_braLUhm2tBRjmkU94RkE9aXI5d_mXO3-_3D4v1HX7t_5GAvRdXlPAYNnl0T0xUMdVXa77PhNFukjCrPJvlbeHDDp/s320/462+Ypsolopha+sequella.JPG" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ypsolopha sequella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo1qgI5vyzAaeQZ7O5nAemcaKKOu09pxbhMKrIFfuU7YvUOQmixvWuYSd67PhDlzNFnzFFBiUZEBlAuKb4qm37hMhFRjAZZUBkMIIlZB4hSTd8dGkDeHefncXnVkaBKOhlVQcB8ro2KUv/s1600/462+Ypsolopha+sequella+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo1qgI5vyzAaeQZ7O5nAemcaKKOu09pxbhMKrIFfuU7YvUOQmixvWuYSd67PhDlzNFnzFFBiUZEBlAuKb4qm37hMhFRjAZZUBkMIIlZB4hSTd8dGkDeHefncXnVkaBKOhlVQcB8ro2KUv/s320/462+Ypsolopha+sequella+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ypsolopha sequella </td></tr>
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On the 27th, in the trap was another micro-moth new to me, this was a Gelechid (duly reported to the recording scheme) called Hypatima rhomboidella, but I think it is mis-named. What to you think?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d4SOE6qQENNPVn-qriEHrDf92uNVnKXbP1YJJDJhn90eeqPVqmFNjW_TsqGPaTZ0c44_WN8FknM6K2gYbnWBx45mhkEPqPTb-31enMUlZSdfyHPG9e9EY0OEf7x8LnVSPW2ECOBcLBDi/s1600/858+Hypatima+rhomboidella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d4SOE6qQENNPVn-qriEHrDf92uNVnKXbP1YJJDJhn90eeqPVqmFNjW_TsqGPaTZ0c44_WN8FknM6K2gYbnWBx45mhkEPqPTb-31enMUlZSdfyHPG9e9EY0OEf7x8LnVSPW2ECOBcLBDi/s320/858+Hypatima+rhomboidella.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hypatima rhomboidella</td></tr>
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Today we went for a wander up Carding Mill Valley and I was looking to find Coleophorid larval cases and indeed found lots of them on Juncus. All I have to do now is identify them. I also found one on a Silver Birch leaf, and have the same problem. Watch this space.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzj6FT0ie2AmbbRCjBM1DNWP_DESwbcE3DZKMJyxi33eWZV-f5qS0Z3jeD3f3PzIT70t6Qu-VfyDbgu9Dl98rxo0eN4FDvvPrXW6WfsN97yp60V_JHXkN3T3Jt0QEKBATluicLEZmy3KP/s1600/DSCN1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzj6FT0ie2AmbbRCjBM1DNWP_DESwbcE3DZKMJyxi33eWZV-f5qS0Z3jeD3f3PzIT70t6Qu-VfyDbgu9Dl98rxo0eN4FDvvPrXW6WfsN97yp60V_JHXkN3T3Jt0QEKBATluicLEZmy3KP/s320/DSCN1724.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coleophorid case (Juncus)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINdOqpYj7J8AvIkkhprlk7_ubzXmP2MrSquVKfIUFE7fdqJYoT10HlnaOHhsUcy8-vkbBjEot7iwcsohtTnxtIoBZUkwLTayl-44P5pGzSF9eWapxGqrmKD-5ZyuCsBdEIIRLP9HpCfiX/s1600/DSCN1730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINdOqpYj7J8AvIkkhprlk7_ubzXmP2MrSquVKfIUFE7fdqJYoT10HlnaOHhsUcy8-vkbBjEot7iwcsohtTnxtIoBZUkwLTayl-44P5pGzSF9eWapxGqrmKD-5ZyuCsBdEIIRLP9HpCfiX/s320/DSCN1730.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coleophorid case (Birch)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14083310191192406279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294980542703971902.post-84183627258880141422013-08-30T11:21:00.000+01:002013-09-08T11:24:00.004+01:00Anomalies<br />
There were some anomalies in and around the moth trap this morning. Or, to be more, accurate there were three Anomalous. These subtly beautiful grey moths are mainly a moorland species, commoner in the north and west than in the south and east. My position on the edge of the Long Mynd means that I get a handful of these open country species, which are not commonly found in many gardens.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JylEO_y4jkvIejZC-vSy4ZqRFnVDWTsgIkfXEr8D0t-gtahG27e_pc4px-vkfGXSmwkamHp2C71Vcl1JSmUnbEHAx4SipMq2QZS8FCuOBcPE-lOqagdlEiBNiM22FIkwZLBpUIl9rKE/s1600/2394+the+Anomalous+13_08_29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JylEO_y4jkvIejZC-vSy4ZqRFnVDWTsgIkfXEr8D0t-gtahG27e_pc4px-vkfGXSmwkamHp2C71Vcl1JSmUnbEHAx4SipMq2QZS8FCuOBcPE-lOqagdlEiBNiM22FIkwZLBpUIl9rKE/s400/2394+the+Anomalous+13_08_29.JPG" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Anomalous</td></tr>
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<br />
Another apparent anomaly was a September Thorn, perhaps an unusual sight in August. Was it early? Well it was in fact quite late, as this species emerges in July. There is a very similar moth called an August Thorn (which does fly in August), but not all thorns that fly in August are August Thorns! A warning to new moth trappers to not rely too much on a name!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZ92PfnKq7VKZnqSbYp9JlAAeQZARlan8DhUnIA8H1aHpr_3LhN9OhWcT9ILrCuDdf3ONbGySSyjlUdgkmnLvkv4Wid6khWAksC2qqHc6efkVTZ7A2E11n1CSCgiOv4ZrtYgATEx2SjM/s1600/1915+September+Thorn+13_08_29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZ92PfnKq7VKZnqSbYp9JlAAeQZARlan8DhUnIA8H1aHpr_3LhN9OhWcT9ILrCuDdf3ONbGySSyjlUdgkmnLvkv4Wid6khWAksC2qqHc6efkVTZ7A2E11n1CSCgiOv4ZrtYgATEx2SjM/s400/1915+September+Thorn+13_08_29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September Thorn</td></tr>
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I had a couple of welcome new species as well. The first was this wonderfully furry Pale Eggar. The smallest member of the Lasiocampidae family, it likes heathland and woodland edges.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoonJ173facxgAE3vL5Fb67YCRuhHPM67r71fRDcl8QTtSgCn7hhECsBDXu4LL4URoIV2JJmy2day6g5r-k64FtY6hJ4beW3Ykjsj2tVzX4B7Llkj3BpBvgdfiOPKqiWCogaPbDpME43U/s1600/1632+Pale+Eggar+13_08_29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoonJ173facxgAE3vL5Fb67YCRuhHPM67r71fRDcl8QTtSgCn7hhECsBDXu4LL4URoIV2JJmy2day6g5r-k64FtY6hJ4beW3Ykjsj2tVzX4B7Llkj3BpBvgdfiOPKqiWCogaPbDpME43U/s400/1632+Pale+Eggar+13_08_29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pale Eggar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The second new moth was Rosy Rustic, with two in the trap. The main food plant for this moth is dock (Rumex spp.) and with plenty of this in and around my garden it is surprising it has taken me this long to get one.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lvCB7ZW2wK051QA9_egLxFyXg4BkX2SNlKrRMF9MJqa2otyUcyGbIMGuSJW-FolsCL5SXxGi_FjyrzOnonqi6fwQZN22m3I3zI2VzDoIgIeBbHl7HKaZpMoO6cv8jVh6DeZscTaNTv0/s1600/2361+Rosy+Rustic+13_08_29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lvCB7ZW2wK051QA9_egLxFyXg4BkX2SNlKrRMF9MJqa2otyUcyGbIMGuSJW-FolsCL5SXxGi_FjyrzOnonqi6fwQZN22m3I3zI2VzDoIgIeBbHl7HKaZpMoO6cv8jVh6DeZscTaNTv0/s400/2361+Rosy+Rustic+13_08_29.JPG" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosy Rustic</td></tr>
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171609378261024701noreply@blogger.com0