Frosted Orange, Blair's Should Knot & Pale Mottled Willow

As we had a nice dry night on Friday, I was able to put out the moth trap. I caught nine species, including this trio - all of them fairly typical for the time of year. Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) flies during Aug-Sept, it’s larvae live inside the stems of thistle plants. Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri) is found around Cypress trees and flies a bit later - Oct-Nov. It is a non-native species first recorded in UK in 1951, but now widespread in gardens across most of England. Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis) flies from July-September; its larvae are found on grain of cereal crops, including those that have been harvested.

#909 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago)

#970 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri)

#688 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis)

Blunderwings

Out of 38 moths this morning, 19 were Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) - fairly typical for the season. These are common Autumn moths, colloquially known as “blunderwings” as they fly off clumsily when disturbed from their daytime resting spots. The sandy-coloured Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) is a similar size also with a yellow hind-wing, but this time with a broader black band around the margin. Of the other moths in and around the moth trap nine were Setaceous Hebrew Character  (Xestia c-nigrum).

Moth trapping: End of August

These are from last weekend - it’s been a busy week. Quite a varied catch of fairly typical late summer moths. Elbow-striped Grass Veneer or Chevron Grass-moth as it seems to be called too, is a grassland species I don’t catch every year. A shiny Burnished Brass and a couple of Nutmegs were nice seasonal catches.

#336 Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer (Agriphila geniculea)

#286 Common Grass Veneer (Agriphila tristella)

#788 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)

#625 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura)

#682 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

#688 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis)

#223 Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda)

#671 Nutmeg (Anarta trifolii)

Moth Trapping 19 July pt 2

Here’s a mixed bag of other moths and insects caught last week. At this time there is a large variety of creatures on the wing at night.

#132 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)

#292 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)

#733 Black Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus humator)

#767 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)

#781 Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria)

#796 Dusky Sallow (Eremobia ochroleuca)

#804 Least Carpet (Idaea rusticata)

#882 Maple Button (Acleris forsskaleana)

#950 V-Pug (Chloroclystis v-ata)

Moth Trapping 19 July

I’m still catching new species in my moth trap; here’s three from 19 July which I’ve just finally got time to post. Leptocerus tineiformis is a small caddisfly with very long antennae that is found around ponds. Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina) is usually rather greener than this individual; it flies in June-July and its food-plants are bilberry, honeysuckle and knot grass. Brown Moss Moth (Bryotropha terrella) is also single-brooded frequenting grassy areas and flying throughout the summer.

#1009 Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina)

#1010 Brown Moss Moth (Bryotropha terrella)

#1011 Leptocerus tineiformis

Friday's Stars

Three exotic-looking moths from the other day… it’s always a thrill to find beautiful creatures like these when you check the light trap in the morning.

#690 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)

#767 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)

#872 Privet Hawkmoth (Sphinx ligustri)

1000 Species: Large Emerald (Geometra papilionaria)

This morning I achieved my “1000 species” goal from when I started this project back on 1st June 2018, with a brace of new moths. The first of these was a Large Emerald, which with a wingspan of 50-60 mm is our biggest UK all-green Emerald moth. It is a woodland species associated with birch and hazel with a single flight period peaking in July.

#1000 Large Emerald (Geometra papilionaria)

Midsummer Moths

Here’s a few more moths from the other night: my first Riband Waves of the season and this nicely green Green Pug. There are more micros now too, including my first grass moths and these two fruit tree species: Bramble Shoot Moth and Codling Moth - the former as you might guess eats bramble leaves, while the larvae of the latter grow inside the cores of apples and other hard fruit like quinces & pears.

#132 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)

#782 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata)

#609 Bramble Shoot Moth (Notocelia uddmanniana)

#633 Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella)

#999 Green Oak Tortrix (Tortrix viridana)

This pretty, pea-green moth is a fairly common woodland species flying in May-July. With a preference for Oaks, though it will also lay eggs in other deciduous trees, its caterpillars feed from within a rolled up leaf. It can be a pest, sometimes completely defoliating trees. A new species for my garden it brings my total to 999.

Small Magpie, Buff Ermine, Vine's Rustic

A dry and still night, but too cold for many moths unfortunately. These three are species I didn’t post previously. The two Small Magpies I caught were the first of the season for this macro-sized micro moth. Small Magpie has a long flight season through to September, its food-plants are nettled & woundwort. Buff Ermine is another common moth (four in the trap this morning) flying from May-July; food-plant nettles, but also a variety of other herbaceous plants including birch & honeysuckle. Vine’s Rustic has 2 generations, one now and a larger one in the late summer when it is for a period one of the most numerous macros. It’s caterpillars eat plantains and docks.

#219 Small Magpie Moth (Anania hortulata)

#593 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lutea)

#604 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)

Sunday Moths

Here’s a selection of other moths caught on Sunday morning. Poplar Hawk-moth was the first hawk-moth of the year; the others also firsts for the year as spring moves into summer.

#596 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)

#598 Olive Pearl (Udea olivalis)

#645 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)

#663 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)

#757 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)

#762 Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata)

Three New Moths

A varied selection of moths this morning, with surprisingly three new species. All three of these moths fly only for one season, during May/June. The Lychnis is named after the latin name of its food plant, Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria). Campions are also the food-plant of Sandy Carpet, while the larvae of Rustic Shoulder-knot feed on grasses.

#993 Lychnis (Hadena bicruris)

#994 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)

#995 Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata)

300 Moths

I’m getting quite close to my 1000 species target, but on the way recorded my 300th moth this weekend, adding May Highflyer, Grass Rivulet and Oak Knot-horn.

Grass Rivulet is a species of open grassland, it’s larval food-plant being Yellow Rattle. I do have that in my mini wildflower meadow; which as it’s only about 2 square metres maybe shows that every little really does help! Oak Knot-horn is a micro usually associated with Oak trees; it’s a common enough species, but usually flies in June-July.

#742 Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria)

#987 Grass Rivulet (Perizoma albulata)

#989 Oak Knot-horn (Phycita roborella)

#606 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

#607 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)

#688 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis)

Flying Carpet Moths

Lots of carpet moths on Sunday morning, including different forms of Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata) and one new species, May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata, #988). May Highflyer has one generation flying from May-June and is usually around Alders - a tree I do not have nearby, to my knowledge. The white bar across the centre of the wings helps identify this species from other carpet moths.

#988 May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata)

#816 Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)

#236 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)

#358 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)

#358 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)

#358 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)

Big Beetles

Big beetles were flying the other night, with two each of these coming to the moth trap. Cockchaffers are an annual thing at this time of the year, but it’s always a thrill to catch one. Carrion feeding Black Sexton beetles are the most impressive black beetles that I’ve found so far - maybe one day I’ll get a Stag Beetle!

#526 Common Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha)

#733 Black Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus humator)

Chocolate Tip (Clostera curtula, #986)

As a new species for the garden, Chocolate Tip moth (Clostera curtula) was the highlight, but there were also some other beautiful moths in and around the trap this morning. With some warmer weather we were up to 20 types of moth today. In England, Chocolate Tip has two generations, one now and another in Aug/Sept; it is a woodland species preferring Poplar, Aspen & Sallows. It’s not rare, but seems less frequently encountered than the other moths caught today.

#986 Chocolate Tip (Clostera curtula)

#592 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)

#740 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)

#756 Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria)

#608 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)

#857 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)

#985 Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli)

The small collection of moths in the moth trap this morning, included this Nut-tree Tussock Moth, which is a new species for my list. This moth’s food-plants are trees such as hazel and beech. It flies in 2 generations, in April-June and July-September.

Other moths included four Sliver Cloud moths, which are a local speciality with a small range in UK centred on the Severn & Wye valleys, and a few other typical Spring fliers.

#985 Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli)

#855 Silver Cloud (Egira conspicillaris)

#659 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)

#741 Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria)

#725 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)

#745 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica)

Leylandii: What is it Good For?

Well, it turns out that my neighbour’s not very attractive (IMO) non-native Thuja hedge is good for these two non-native Mediterranean moths! Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri, #763) was first observed in UK in 1951 and is now established over most of lowland UK. It flies in one generation Sept-Nov; this being the first one I’ve recorded. Cypress Carpet (Thera cupressata) arrived in 1984 and so far its main range in UK only extends as far North as Birmingham. If has two generations, one in May-June and another in August-September.

#970 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri)

#763 Cypress Carpet (Thera cupressata)

Old Lady (Mormo maura, #960)

I caught a couple of these in the moth trap at the weekend. Old Lady moths don’t often come to light, but were probably attracted by rotting figs and grapes courtesy of my neighbours’ fruit trees, and found the moth trap a comfortable place to hide up for the day. These are quite big moths, around 6 cm wingspan, that fly for one generation in July-August.

#960 Old Lady (Mormo maura)

Cote d'Azur Bugs

I’m currently on holiday in France, so here are some garden insects from the Var. I brought my moth trap, but failed to catch anything more than a handful of micros. The largest insect that was attracted to the light was a largish lacewing fly, Chrysope italienne. Meanwhile a local jumping spider, Menemerus semilimbatus, was eating one of the few mall moths that came. Ameles spallanzani is a small species of praying mantis. All of the above are largely Mediterranean species.

Ameles spallanzani

Chrysope italienne

Menemerus semilimbatus