Marbled Green and Marbled Beauty are both moths whose larvae eat lichens. I catch the former quite frequently during their flight period in the summer, as they are common on house walls. Marbled Green is a new species for the garden, but it also can be found on limestone dry-stone and house walls with lichens. This one took me a while to identify as is it not the typical green colour usually seen.
It seems unfair to have christened this the “Plain” Golden Y, just because it has a prettier close relative in the Beautiful Golden Y. A first for my moth trap, with its pinkish colouration and golden spots I think it’s quite a fine-looking moth, even if this one is a bit worn. Flying in June-August, its caterpillars eat nettles.
#953 Plain Golden Y (Autographa jota)
These stripey Cinnabar Moth caterpillars were on a Ragwort by the roadside just near my house. The moths are a bold red & black colour, but the caterpillars, which are often found like here in large groups, come in yellow & black stripes.
Ragwort contains toxic alkaloids which are unappetising (and in high doses even potentially dangerous) to grazing animals, however the moth caterpillars are able to sequester these toxins which affords them protection from insectivores. Black ants were also present, which are often associated with aphids, a few of which were also present. The ants can attack the caterpillars, presumably when they are small, to protect the plant for the aphids, which they then farm.
Ermine moths are common summer moths, so I thought it would be nice to look at three of them I caught at the weekend.
Often a pest on fruit trees their caterpillars are protected by a cocoon like a silken web around the leaves of the tree - in this case apple or bird-cherry. The Apple Ermine is pretty much identical in appearance to the Orchard Ermine (found on blackthorn, hawthorn or cherry) and the Spindle Ermine (Spindle tree). I put them down as Apple Ermines as I definitely have this species caterpillars on my apple tree. Bird-cherry Ermine does look a little different with neat lines of black spots. The third species is a Thistle Ermine, which is a bit bigger and actually though it looks similar, not from the same family - as the name suggests its caterpillars are found on thistles, but not in the same kind of silk web.
I managed to unpack the moth trap before the rain started this morning and picked up a couple of new moths. The V-Pug is a fairly common species, with two generations in spring and then summer. It gets its name from the black “v”s on the wings. Dusky Pearl is a one-generation June/July micro with a preference for blackthorns
This Leopard Moth was hiding somewhere in a bunch of stuff I’d put outside to take to the tip. Leopard Moths are a one-generation summer moth, its caterpillars feed on leaves of a variety of different trees & bushes. I’m not sure if this one got a bit squashed when I was moving the rubbish around, or if was just playing dead.
#949 Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina)
Less moths this weekend, probably as there was a bit of a breeze, but there were a couple of smart new June/July flying species, as well as the Privet Hawk-moth posted previously.
The first of these, is a Varied Coronet (Hadena compta, #947). This is a relatively new species to the UK, unknown here until the 1940’s since when it has expanded its range across Southern England, but it is still not very common in Gloucestershire. Its caterpillars eat the seeds of Sweet William and Bladder Campion flowers.
The second new species is the Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella,948), which is a more frequently trapped species. Its larval food-plants include blackthorn, hawthorn and apple.
Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) and Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) are both species which hide in plain sight during the day looking a bit like a bird dropping, to hopefully avoid being eaten.
This weekend’s spectacular hawkmoth is this very fine Privet Hawkmoth. The UK’s largest resident hawkmoth, it flies in June/July. It’s caterpillars feed on Privet, Lilac, Holly or Ash.
#872 Privet Hawkmoth (Sphinx ligustri)
Four new moths in and around the trap on Sunday morning out of a total of 40 species, showing that there’s still plenty of new ones to catch - especially at this time of the year. All of these fly in a single generation in the summer.
Maiden’s Blush is a species favouring Oak woodlands, while Small Emerald is quite restricted in range on the chalk/limestone areas of southern England where its larval food-plant is Traveller’s Joy (Clematis vitalba). Blue-bordered Carpet and Common Groundling are fairly common and widespread in England, food-plants are Hawthorn & Blackthorn.
A lot of moths today, 95 individuals of 35 species, including lots of waves, pugs, grass moths and other micros to sort out (which took me a while). Amongst it all, three new species taking my garden count to 936.
Dark Arches is one of the commonest moths in the moth trap during the summer, but its light-coloured relative is less common and its believed less attracted to light. As such, this Light Arches moth, with its very fine mohawk, was a new garden species (#930). Both are grassland species, their caterpillars living on grass stems and roots.
Blood-vein (Timandra comae, #929) was a new species for the list; a pretty moth with a red line and pink border to the wing, its larval food-plants are docks & sorrel. Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) is a regular summertime looking like a snapped-off birch twig. Narrow-winged Grey (Eudonia angustea) is normally an autumn flier, but a few, like this one, emerge earlier. Small Magpie moth (Anania hortulata) is a common moth in June/July too, especially around nettles.
A beautiful hawk moth in the trap this morning; my first this year. This one is an Eyed Hawk-moth, which is not a species I’ve caught before in the moth-trap. My previous garden record was one that was caught, and mostly shredded, by the cat back in 2020. This moth is not especially rare, though it’s not the commonest hawk moth here. Its caterpillars are found in sallows, apple and crab apple trees.
Another cold night, another lean morning in the moth trap. Only 9 moths of 8 different species, compared with 24 moths of 15 species on the same date last year (3 June). This Peppered Moth was not something I catch that often. The species has a pale form (like this), one with darker grey markings and one that is nearly black. In polluted areas where the trees are blackened by soot, etc, the darker forms predominate - but no issues with air quality here, just currently with night-time air temperature.
Not much flying last night too, as the nights remain cold. This Pale Tussock was the most interesting catch; a very fine moth with very freaky looking caterpillars later in the year.
#740 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)
It’s always nice to catch cockchafer beetles; two in the moth trap this morning. Not a big catch of moths again, but several species caught for the fist time this year, as the season moves on.
A few more moths this weekend, but not yet a big catch. Puss Moth is always a welcome visitor, and this is only my second Silver Cloud, which is a local specialty only really found along the Severn Valley in UK, for some reason. Female Muslin Moths are white and often found flying in the daytime, while the males and dark like this one and strictly nocturnal. Meanwhile the last moth is a rather beaten-up looking Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata), actually my first of this springtime species.
A dry, calm night over the weekend was not enough to get the moths flying. Only 10 moths of 7 species caught, including these two favourites. Getting impatient, but it’s still early in the season, especially this year where Spring is quite cool.
This Least Black Arches moth turned up in my son’s bedroom. It’s a fairly common, small moth in UK, Its caterpillars feed on lime and evergreen oak trees, while the adults fly in May-June.
#917 Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis)
After a wet March and being away over Easter, I finally put the moth trap out for the first time this year. Catches included my first Satellite (Eupsilia transversa, #915). This moth over-winters as an adult and can be caught right through the winter when the weather is mild, up until April. Sometimes the spot on the wing is white, rather than orange like in this case. Apart from Common & Small Quakers and several Clouded Drabs, the more interesting catches were a handsome Streamer, a (rather early) Scorched Carpet and this fine Black Sexton Beetle.
Passionate about nature, based in Gloucestershire UK; this site is about creating a wildlife friendly family garden and exploring the diversity of animal & plant species that share it with us.
As a nature lover and wildlife gardener I started wondering about the biodiversity in my backyard and just how many species from plants to insects to birds to mammals might live in or visit it.
Much of the wildlife in my small, village garden has been present right under my nose for years without my really appreciating it, so on the way I am learning a lot about different species and how to make a wildlife-friendly environment for them; also getting engaged more in conservation activities around Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.
My garden species tally started from zero on June 1st 2018, the target was 1000 species, which I eventually hit in June 2024. But there’s still plenty to see and learn about.
I'm very interested in your comments & advice: whether it's about the blog, some help with identification or just how to make my own little Eden better for wildlife. So please leave a comment or drop me a line if you feel like it!
Graham Tompsett
microedenproject@gmail.com
Powered by Squarespace.
