Something of a purple patch!

In recent weeks I have been fortunate enough to get a few interesting moths in the garden trap. I have also had some success with moths taken as larvae and bred through.

Privet Hawk Moth

Oblique Carpet

In the garden I found Oblique Carpet and Privet Hawk Moth in the trap on the night of the 25th. We are on the edge of Privet Hawk Moth's range but they do seem to be doing well in recent years. After an absence of C50 years they are now being recorded in Southern Worcs. at least once or twice a year.
There are very few records for Oblique carpet in either VC37 or 33.

Gypsonoma minutana

Last year I caught the very smart tortrix Gypsonoma minutana in the trap. It was the first record for VC33. On the preceding night Steve Whitehouse caught one in Worcester which was new for VC37. This year I went out looking for larvae and found some likely looking spun leaves on White poplar on the verge of the Broadway Bypass, just inside VC37. Last week a stunning minutana emerged, the second Worcestershire record, and Steve told me today he has caught it again in his garden trap so this moth is most definitely established in the county.

C.pyrhulipennella

Finally, both heathland Coleophoriid moths I found at Hartlebury in April emerged during the week. C.pyrhulipennella, from the big shiny black cases and C.juncicolella from the elaborate case made from stacked heather leaflets.
This one is tiny - only 4mm long and by far the smallest of its genus.

C.juncicolella

 

Oliver Wadsworth.

Bodenham

Last night was warm if a little breezy. The Bodenham garden trap produced eighty odd species including my 8th Bordered Straw for the year and two nice pyrales. Pempelia formosa (now Rhodophaea formosa) is nearly annual but the Nephopterix angustella was new for the site. Probably a warm weather wanderer though some Spindle is in the hedges around here.


Bodenham: Rhodophaea formosa

 

Bodenham: Nephopterix angustella

Robin Hemming. Bodenham, Herefordshire

An outsider post

A visit chez Hall from Bucks on Thursday night, to view the superb Herefordshire habitat to which he and Claire have escaped, resulted in the inevitable trapping visit to the nearby Brockhampton Estate (NT).  Three MV lights were run there and, as the guest, mine was plonked at the best spot for Blomer's Rivulet, a species last seen in Bucks in 2010 and which I happen to have been targeting this year - unsuccessfully so far.  The moth turned up at all three traps but mine managed 15 of them so needless to say I was quite pleased with that result.  It was also nice to see the tortrix Olindia schumacherana (not common in Bucks) and a tiny plume which needs closer attention but may have been Oxyptilus parvidactylus (for which there is only one Bucks record).  Otherwise the catch was very much as I would have got in woodland at home although it is always pleasing to see moths such as Little Emerald, Beautiful Carpet and Red-necked Footman no matter where you are.  The pictures below were all taken by Peter Hall.

Blomer's Rivulet, Brockhampton 25th June

 

Beautiful Carpet, Brockhampton 25th June

Red-necked Footman, Brockhampton 25th June

Dave Wilton, in far off VC24
 

Red or Large Red

Hi again,
            here is the photo!!
Ian

Red or Large Red?

Hi all,
           Dave Barnett, who lives across the road from me was gardening this morning and came across this clearwing sitting on a low shrub. He photographed it and came quickly to tell me. When I returned it was still there!! I have it safely in a pot. There are tinges of red on the base of the forewing, especially from underneath. Having no experience at all with both of these species, could anyone enlighten me about its identification. I know Large Red Belted is earlier on the wing, but is still out late June. Dave has a large mature garden filled with all types of trees-Birch and one very small crab apple-away from where it was located this morning at about 12.30pm. If anyone wants to view it please get in touch.
Ian Machin

Scallop Shell

This lovely moth was against the garage window, providing quite a nice photo opportunity today. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Scallop Shell

Bringsty Common

Bringsty Common: Figure of Eighty

Recent nights single trap catches have been running between around 40 to 70 macro species per night - depending on the overnight temperatures. Last night it was warmer than of late with a minimum of 12.8 degrees at 3.30am and I have currently 65 macro species (184 moths) with Minors and a few Pugs still to id. Last night also was better for micros with 16 species from 59 moths and a few to id later. I have finally joined the Bordered Straw club with a battered one in the trap last night along with a singleton Rush Veneer. I won't post a picture, there've been more than enough posted recently. Topping the bill last night was Heart & Dart on 28 (I had 52 the night before). 14 Elephant-hawk, 2 Small Elephant-hawk and 2 Poplar-hawk. A couple of Triple-spotted Clay, which have been coming to the trap for the past few days now. A single Figure of Eighty also, one Miller otherwise they are all to be expected. Micros were dominated by Celypha lacunana, but single examples of Teleiodes vulgella and Apotomis capreana were nice to see. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Triple-spotted Clay

Clearwings etc.

Tony and I tried pheromones at Rough Hill Orchard yesterday. The site is an old, somewhat neglected, orchard on the banks of the Avon near Pershore.
We were successful in attracting Red Belted and Red Tipped Clearwings.

Red Tipped Clearwing

Later in the evening I went up to Windmill Hill again to check for Phtheochroa sodaliana, a moth that has recently colonised the small amount of Buckthorn that is in a hedge bordering the reserve.  The year before last, Tony Simpson found the larvae feeding in the berries for the first time after having checked for them, without success, at this site for many years. I missed the larvae last year so I have been hoping to catch an adult at dusk when they can be found flying around the food plant. I was finally successful yesterday at dusk.

Phtheochroa sodaliana

 Oliver Wadsworth.

A Teaser

Bringsty Common: Knot Grass larva

or rather Teasel. The Teasel that I'm growing for Endothenia gentianaeana, is now being eaten up by the rather nice Knot Grass caterpillar. Peter Hall

Obscure Wainscot

    Derrick of Ledbury sent me some photos of moths that he trapped last week in Ledbury. Amongst the Flames, Peppereds, Heart and Darts etc was an Obscure Wainscot which I believe is possibly a first record for VC36. I know they are doing quite well in Worcestershire but Herefordshire lacks some of the nice wetland sites of VC37. Well done Derrick!
Robin Hemming Bodenham, Hereford

Ledbury: Obscure Wainscot

Dodford Garden 15th June

A good night producing 57 species  including a few new to me.

Alder Kitten

I am pretty sure that this is Alder Kitten as opposed to Poplar but a second opinion would be welcome as I have not seen either before.

Poplar Lutestring

Green Arches

A Large impressive Moth

Pete Smith, Dodford

Reward for Mowing the lawn!

      I disturbed a superb Golden Plusia whilst mowing the lawn this afternoon. I see one or two here most years, usually at the trap, nevertheless it is a superb moth and always a pleasure to see.
     I've seen 6 Bordered Straws here in 6 nights, missing one night but doubling up on another. Let's hope they breed and we continue to see them through the year. Well done to Oliver on his Ni Moth and Cypress Carpet....I keep hoping.
Robin Hemming, Bodenham, Herefordshire

Bodenham: Bordered Straws

Bodenham: Golden Plusia

Childswickham 16/6/16

Two good macros from the night of the 16th...

Ni Moth

Cypress Carpet

Oliver Wadsworth.

Bordered Straw at Dodford

Last Night (14th June) had this migrant in my garden trap at Dodford.

Apparently they are normally quite scarce, particularly inland, but from recent reports they are being trapped all over.  Also had Diamond Backed Moth last night. Migrant watchers seem to be predicting a good year.

I will be more than happy if I get a Hummingbird Hawkmoth which I have never seen. I am constantly scanning the Valerian!

Pete Smith Dodford

Migrants at Fernham

Whilst my migrant tally after last night has doubled to Silver Y and now a single Nomophila noctuella, please take a look at Steve Nash's report on the UTB blog. It's astonishing. Peter Hall http://upperthamesmoths.blogspot.co.uk/

Singing in the Rain

My weather station showed me 0.76 inches of rain fell last night and it rained just about all night...and still is this morning as I write. With it being a mild night, I decided to run the trap in the garden (Bringsty Common). I took a quick look around midnight and it was very busy, but as it was raining heavily I didn't hang around. This morning I was pleased with the catch, macros totalled 291 moths of 52 species and micros a disappointing 13 moths of 8 species with a couple to look at later. Migrants here continue to pass me by with again a solitary Silver Y in the trap. I did catch my first Blomer's Rivulet for the site which makes the planting of the Wych Elm in the garden a good move (it's about 2 feet tall at the moment). Topping the show was Heart & Dart on 36, but Elephant-hawk are increasing by the day and last night I counted 18. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: A Gathering of Elephants

More migrants in Childswickham

The night of the 11th was warm but a little breezy so moth numbers were not spectacular here. I did get a handful of migrants however. The best of them being Bordered Straw and another Small Mottled Willow. Diamond Back, Rush Veneer and Silver Y were also present.

Bordered Straw

Rush Veneer

Oliver Wadsworth.

Last Night - June 11th

At last a warm night, although a bit breezy at times. I went off to Haugh Wood for the evening and ran 2 Robinsons up until 1.15am. I have more micro pots to look over than I've had for ages, but Macro-moth totals were 398 moths of 62 species with Small White Wave topping the numbers (56). Never had that moth in such numbers before. Nothing terribly exciting, a surprise was Marbled Brown (late!). 6 Mocha.

The well sized green spider called Micrommata virescens (thanks to Martin Albertini for the id) was busy along with the wood ants in chasing the moths around the sheet.

Back home I ran one Robinson and managed 195 macro-moths of 57 species with far fewer micros to look over than Haugh. A solitary Silver Y was the token migrant. Bromyard Downs keep intercepting my Striped Hawk-moth. Again nothing unusual in the trap with Heart & Dart topping the count with 27. 2 pristine Green Arches turned up, the image doesn't to justice and was my fault for photographing it in the sunshine in the greenhouse. Now if only todays thunderstorms miss us...Peter Hall

Haugh Wood: Micrommata virescens

Bringsty Common: Small Angle Shades

Bringsty Common: Green Arches

ID Help required - Map Winged Swift ?

I got this very worn moth in the trap overnight in Dodford.

Not too much to go on but anyone have any ideas? My best guess is possibly Map Winged Swift but I have never seen one and there are a LOT of scales missing!

Pete Smith, Dodford

This and that

Alabonia geofrella

An hour at Hurcott yesterday, spent in the wet woodland, SSSI part of the reserve, produced little but Silver-ground Carpet and Nettle-tap. It was only when I left the special habitat and entered the 'boring' oak woodland that my first sweep of the net captured a nice consolation in the form of Alabonia geofrella.

Grass Rivulet

Despite the cold nights Grass Rivulet was a new moth for the garden here in Halesowen last Saturday.

Patrick Clement

Wyre revisited

Elachista gangabella

Following the Wyre Forest light trapping on Thursday 4th June I returned my Little Thorn to the trap site and took the opportunity to do some netting while I was there recording another Little Thorn on the Bilberry, while along 'Garry's ride' there were huge numbers of Glyphipterix forsterella, quite a surprise after the single record from Lodge Hill area a few days before.
Also of interest were two Pseudatemelia subochreella and an Elachista gangabella.

Patrick Clement

New Member

Hello,
I'm a new member living in Bewdley. This is my second year of trapping using a homemade trap & 80wMV lamp in the garden.
best wishes,
Mary (Singleton)

Burnet Companion

At least two present at Norchard this afternoon. Regards Mike

I'm seeing Red

A Scarlet Tiger flying in the morning sunshine here in the garden today (Bringsty Common). Peter Hall

Migrant in Bewdley

On Friday morning I returned from the Wyre trapping session and counted up the garden trap before retiring for a well earned sleep. Perched on the upper perspex was my first garden record of Bordered Straw. The last one in our vicinity was a single at Dave Barnett's house, just across the road from us in September 2006. I am going to pass it to Steve this evening so he can take it to show the trappers at Chaddesley. It is not the best specimen, but very welcome nonetheless. Also in the garden recently I recorded Lychnis, Eyed Hawk (still waiting for a Striped), and the pale elachista Argentella.
Ian Machin

Migrants reach North Gloucestershire

An amazingly fresh looking Striped Hawk moth appeared in my garden trap on the Gloucestershire / Worcestershire border on the night of the 4th. It was accompanied by a very tatty Small Mottled Willow, but no other obvious migrants. I have seen no Silver Y's or Diamond backs here this year so far.

Striped Hawk Moth

Small Mottled Willow

Oliver Wadsworth.

Wyre Forest, Thursday 4th June

Little Thorn

Inspired by Ian's post about netting micros in Wyre I met up with Steve W. at Lodge Hill Farm and we spent an enjoyable and productive 90 minutes netting along the railway line and in the meadows, recording over 20 species. All those recorded below by Ian, bar Ancylis obtusana, plus Cauchus fibulella, Monopis weaverella with large numbers of Elachista albifrontella and 9 Micropterix aureatella.

We then moved on to our trapping site and a group of 6 had a great evening with temperatures just about remaining in double figures. We were not overrun with huge quantities but the majority of moths looked very fresh including Common Fan-foot, Square-spot, Devon Carpet, Alder Kitten, Beautiful Snout and three Little Thorns. A good sprinkling of micros included Pseudatemelia flavifrontella, Bucculatrix demaryella and an 'interesting looking' Gelechid, still to be determined.
Patrick Clement

Elachista albifrontella

Elachista atricomella

Bucculatrix demaryella (Gen Det male)

Eggs of Waved Umber

Eggs of Waved Umber

A friend of mine in Halesowen had a female Waved Umber in a pot with a split lid and the moth proceeded to oviposit through the split onto the outside of the lid. Presumably they normally choose a crevice in bark etc. and the split lid resembled such a site, or at least was the nearest thing available.
Initially the eggs are a beautiful duck egg blue but soon darken to reddish brown as they develop.  Patrick Clement