Anomalies

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.

The Anomalous

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!

September Thorn

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.

Pale Eggar

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.

Rosy Rustic

Quality, not quantity

My last couple of trapping sessions have been a bit of a disappointment, with only two species recorded. So expectations were low when I put trap on last night, and this morning there were only six moths in the trap. However, of these six were three new species for me in Batch Valley.

First out was a Lunar Underwing, I have now caught nine of these in the last few weeks. Following this was a new insect in this lovely Feathered Thorn, this one is a male with the feathery antennae. This is a distinctive moth and at this time of year there is nothing else like it on the wing.

Feathered Thorn

I also had three carpet moths. One was a Common Marbled Carpet, quite a regular feature in the trap. The other two were different and new for me. It took a bit of investigation before I identified these as Spruce Carpets, another new species. Very attractive moths and a species that Graham has recorded recently.

Spruce Carpet

This final moth was  a real mystery. It was quite worn and also an unusual shape, being long and thin but obviously one of the noctuids. I was at a bit of a loss until I remembered that Graham had caught two Anomalous moths, and this is what it proved to be.

The Anomalous

New beginnings

My first 4 weeks in The Strettons has been inspiring. The garden has been in full bloom and has attracted 15 species of butterflies, notably a Purple Hairstreak and several Graylings - not really known as garden butterflys.


Oblique Carpet

In terms of moths, the highlights have been an Oblique Carpet and an Anomalous, 2 macro-moths completely new to me, and an Oak Nycteoline (f. notata).









                                                                                   

Anomalous

Oak Nycteoline



Lime Hawkmoth larva

This is the season for finding lots of larvae (caterpillars) and I was delighted to find one of the spectacular Lime Hawkmoth larvae on the pavement in Ludlow Road.















Also around are several "Leaf miners".
Have a look at your pyracantha bushes
and see if you can find one.                   

                                                                 Firethorn leaf mine