Ermine.

Is any wonder white ermines are about in this temperature! 2 degrees last night, it will be a while before this White Ermine turns back into a Stoat!

White Ermine

Taxa
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1 NFY
0663 Diurnea fagella 1
0672 Parsnip Moth (Depressaria heraclei) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 1 NFY My first last year was on 16th May. The earliest in the county was on 25th April...
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 1
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 4
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 9

18 Moths of 7 sp.

Taking the Puss...

4 Degrees at dawn, cloudy and clear spells. I see that Mr Fairclough, at Swarland, about 8 miles away caught a Puss Moth last night. I would like to think there's one out there with my name on it...Anyway, back to the job in hand -

Taxa
0663 Diurnea fagella 1
0672 Parsnip Moth (Depressaria heraclei) 1
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 1
0697 Agonopterix arenella 1
1746 Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata) 2
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 1
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 1 NFY The previous earliest county record was 05/05/95.
2179 Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 4
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 4
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 22
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 31

72 Moths of 15 sp

Heart and Dart

Heaths and Streaks...

Some rain, down to 5 degrees at dawn, overcast. A nice variety last night in the garden....

Taxa
0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1
0663 Diurnea fagella 1
0697 Agonopterix arenella 1
1747 Streamer (Anticlea derivata) 1
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 10, a good count.
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 2
1853 Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata) 2
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 1
2078 Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) 2
2139 Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa) 1
2158 Pale-shouldered Brocade (Lacanobia thalassina) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 13
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 3
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 9
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 15
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1

66 moths of 18 sp


Further afield, up on Alnwick Moor, JWR and myself found 40+ Common Heath moths including a mating pair and, better still, a small colony of Green Hairstreaks. 3+ Individuals were on territory...

Common Heath female.

Green Hairstreak

A bit better...

Still cool down to 6 degrees but less fog.

Taxa
0697 Agonopterix arenella 2 NFY
1747 Streamer (Anticlea derivata) 1
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 2
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 1
2006 Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma) 1 NFY
2091 Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 5
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 1
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 26

41 of 10 sp.

I was pleased with an early Lesser Swallow Prominent...

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Agonopterix arenella

Baltic...

A cool 6 degrees with a pea-souper last night didnt bode well for the moths...

Taxa
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 2
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 2
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 13

17 moths of 3 species, the slowest catch since 5th March.

While those south of the Humber are getting species from mid summer, it looks like I'll just have to wait it out...Maybe tonight will be a bit better. It feels milder.

Early Bird....

Just a short update. Yesterday's Rush Veneer IS 8 weeks earlier than the earliest county record, and the Pale shouldered Brocade was only 2 days later than the earliest for that species. In Northumberland many early records are being shattered this year...But that Mullein, 16 of the 17 Northumberland records are from my drive! 15 cats and 1 adult that is, the other adult was taken at Allerwash in 1997...

Happy Days....

Better late than never...

In summer 2009 I had 15 caterpillars of the Mullein on some verbascum plants self set on our drive. See here. At the time these were the 2nd - 16th records for Northumberland. Only one adult had ever been caught. In 2010 I was keen to see if I would trap one, and checked eagerly each morning to see if the Mullein Shark had appeared, but it never did.

Until today.

This pristine Mullein was waiting for me this morning, not in the trap, but perched on the cable! Best catch of the year by a mile and it will take a lot of beating....

And for the rest...

Cool 5 degrees and clear last night. Must have come in misty in the early hours.

Taxa
1398 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1 NFY
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 2
2158 Pale-shouldered Brocade (Lacanobia thalassina) 1 NFY
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 9
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 4
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 11
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 40
2221 Mullein (Shargacucullia verbasci) 1 NEW ADULT

Total 67 moths of 7 species.

Pale shouldered Brocade seems very early and the Rush Veneer? I usually get them in the autumn...

Rush Veneer

Pale shouldered Brocade

Pinion...

A cool night here at the coast, down to 4 degrees with a bright full moon lighting the landscape. It was with surprise this morning that I found my second ever Oak Tree Pug and only my third Pale Pinion in the trap. It just shows that it can be worth trapping whatever the conditions...

Taxa
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 3
1853 Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata) 1 NFY
2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 3
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 13
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 18
2236 Pale Pinion (Lithophane hepatica) 1 NFY

40 Moths of 7 species.

Pale Pinion

Oak tree Pug

Depressaria daucella I think.

Purple Thorn

Dark Sword Grass

A dull calm night 8 degrees.

Taxa
0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 2
0663 Diurnea fagella 2
0670 Depressaria daucella 1 NEW The 2 unidentified micros from yesterday were also this species.
0672 Parsnip Moth (Depressaria heraclei) 1
1055 Acleris hyemana 3 Strange to catch 3 of these in one night here?
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 5
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 1
1919 Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria) 1 NFY
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 1
2091 Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon) 1 NFY
2139 Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa) 1
2179 Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea) 1
2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 4
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 3
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 5
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda) 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 20

54 Moths of 18 sp.

Some unusual species in there. 670 daucella is similar to 671 ultimella, but the foodplant of daucella is very common here and it looks the most like it on UK Moths...

Puggish...

Brindled Pug

Common Pug

Muslin Moth

Least Black Arches

Umbellana? worn maybe? I need to check, any comments welcome. 

Mild last night and overcast.

Taxa

0663 Diurnea fagella 2

0672 Parsnip Moth (Depressaria heraclei) 1

0688 Agonopterix heracliana 2

1746 Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata) 2

1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 5

1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1 NFY ( Might need to check this one)

1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1 NFY

1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 3

2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 1 NFY

2078 Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) 1 NFY

2139 Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa) 1

2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) 5

2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 9

2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 6

2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 7

2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 36

2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 2

2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 2

Plus a micro to be id'd...

89 moths of 19 sp. The best species count this year so far...

13/04/11...Delayed.

Delayed post due to broadband issues...

Taxa
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 3
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
2139 Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa) 1
2179 Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 5
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 12
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 6
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 20
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1

50 moths of 9 sp

Water Carpet, the first 'normal' one this year.

Moths Update 2011

This is the moth trapping history of my garden so far this year...

Code	Taxon	Vernacular	Records	Individuals
464	Plutella xylostella	Diamond-back Moth	3	4
648	Endrosis sarcitrella	White-shouldered House Moth	1	3
663	Diurnea fagella		9	15
672	Depressaria heraclei	Parsnip Moth	1	1
688	Agonopterix heracliana		15	50
705	Agonopterix umbellana		1	1
1055	Acleris hyemana		1	1
1663	Alsophila aescularia	March Moth	12	36
1746	Anticlea badiata	Shoulder Stripe	3	3
1747	Anticlea derivata	Streamer	1	1
1750	Lampropteryx suffumata	Water Carpet	3	5
1775	Colostygia multistrigaria	Mottled Grey	3	4
1799	Operophtera brumata	Winter Moth	4	4
1862	Gymnoscelis rufifasciata	Double-striped Pug	3	3
1917	Selenia dentaria	Early Thorn	6	10
1926	Phigalia pilosaria	Pale Brindled Beauty	10	18
1930	Biston strataria	Oak Beauty	3	4
1932	Agriopis leucophaearia	Spring Usher	2	2
1934	Agriopis marginaria	Dotted Border	4	7
1935	Erannis defoliaria	Mottled Umber	1	1
1947	Ectropis bistortata	Engrailed	1	1
1960	Theria primaria	Early Moth	2	3
2139	Cerastis rubricosa	Red Chestnut	17	55
2179	Panolis flammea	Pine Beauty	11	22
2182	Orthosia cruda	Small Quaker	12	23
2186	Orthosia gracilis	Powdered Quaker	7	34
2187	Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	17	260
2188	Orthosia incerta	Clouded Drab	15	163
2189	Orthosia munda	Twin-spotted Quaker	3	6
2190	Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	20	562
2241	Xylena vetusta	Red Sword-grass	1	1
2243	Xylocampa areola	Early Grey	3	4
2256	Eupsilia transversa	Satellite	5	5
2258	Conistra vaccinii	Chestnut	14	27
			Total	1339

Most species have shown an increase compared to 2010 over a similar period. For example, only 9 Pine Beauty and 33 Red Chestnut were taken in the whole of last year...The species in red are new for the garden / were not recorded in 2010.