GMS Wk 2

No trapping for a week due to cool breezy weather.

Pale brindled Beauty melanistic form.

Common Quaker

Not a bad night, last night, but there was a very bright moon and a breeze. 6 degree min.

Taxa
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 2
1663 March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) 2
1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 1 melanistic form.
2139 Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa) 1
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 1 NFY
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 15
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 1
2256 Satellite (Eupsilia transversa) 1
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1

25 moths of 9 sp.

A breezy but mild early evening, wind dropping later. 9 degree min.

Like buses, you get something new one day and the next day more follow!A proper catch last night.

Taxa
0461 Ypsolopha ustella 1
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 3
1025 Tortricodes alternella 2
1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 1 NFY
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 6
2256 Satellite (Eupsilia transversa) 1
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1 NFY

15 moths of 7 sp

Pale brindled Beauty

Chestnut

Hebrew Character

Let the Survey commence...

Last night was the first 2011 Garden Moth Survey. It takes place each Friday from now until November right across Britain. Last year started with a blank session so I was pleased that, despite the cold, I caught three moths...

An almost empty trap...

Above and below - Below is Agonopterix heracliana, but what about the one above? The spotting is different. Could it be ciliella? I haven't recorded it yet as I'm not sure of the identity...

Above - The two usual suspects at this time, Pale Brindled Beauty and Hebrew Character.

It would be great to get through the whole lot without an empty session. 

Taxa

0688 Agonopterix heracliana 1

1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 1

2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 1

3 moths of 3 sp.

Another new species....

Trap on last night from 5.30pm - 11.30pm. Calm overcast down to 5 degrees.

Taxa
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 2 NFY
1055 Acleris hyemana 1 NEW
1799 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) 1
1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 5
1932 Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia) 1 my second this year.
1960 Early Moth (Theria primaria) 2
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 4

Total 16 moths of 7 species.

A great catch for Feb here. Last year I only caught one moth all month!

A.hyemana feeds on heather and bilberry so what it is doing in Howick is beyond me. A new species for the garden.

Acleris hyemana

Agonopterix heracliana

Chestnut

Pale brindled Beauty. 2 light, 1 darker.

Winter Moth

Early Moth

Spring Usher

Early moths...

Another mild night last night, so time to make the most of it. Trap on from 5pm - 10.45pm.

10 degrees, breezy.

1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 1 NFY
1960 Early Moth (Theria primaria) 1 NFY

Neither were inside the trap. the PBB was on the collar and the Early Moth flew from the cable as I took it inside. That's what happens with these lightweight moths...

Pale Brindled Beauty

Early Moth

Garden Moths 2011 - 4

Out with JWR to do a WeBs survey, we stopped at a phone box on the outskirts of Alnwick to see if any moths were inside. I didn't hold out much hope, but John soon gave the thumbs up and another Early Moth was recorded. So remember check out any light source in darker rural places, you can get a suprising number of moths attracted...

Early Moth