White-marked

A White-marked in the garden at Norchard Worcs last night. My first since 2012.

Monkwood NR 25th March

Friday night's effort at Monkwood NR Worcs had a slow start under mostly clear skies. The promised cloud finally arrived about 23:00 when we had nearly finished packing up (had to work Saturday!). 180 moths of 18 species in 4 traps included 3 Early Grey, 7 Twin-spotted Quakers, 2 Shoulder Stripe, 13 March Moth, 2 Engrailed, 20 Yellow Horned, Satellite, 13 Brindled Pug, 2 Early Thorn, 7 D. fagella, the expected Orthosias and the target - a single Blossom Underwing. A extra bonus was 7 Land Caddis.

Blossom Underwing, Monkwood 25th March

Early Grey, Monkwood 25th March

Twin-spotted Quaker, Monkwood 25th March

Eriocrania salopiella

Eriocrania salopiella

I collected a few mines of Eriocrania salopiella from Uffmoor Wood at the end of May last year. They have been outside until a few days ago when I brought them indoors and two adults emerged this morning.

Patrick Clement

The Moth Year so far..

Into double figures for the year last night, garden west of Kidderminster, with a Red green carpet. . Pleasing  is the addition of 2 lifers already, Early Moth and Acleris cristana. My Local Orange Underwings are yet to show. No Spring Satellite since 2012, no Dotted Border March Moth or Pine Beauty this month yet.

In order of appearance
23/1 Pale Brindled Beauty
31/1 Hebrew Character
27/2 Early Moth
10/3 Small Quaker
        Common Quaker
        Yellow Horned
12/3 Acleris cristana
19/3 Early Thorn
        Beautiful Plume
20/3 Red Green Carpet

Sunday 20th March

Only second ever garden Esperia sulphurella at Warndon last night along with Beautiful Plume, 5 Clouded Drab, 7 HC, 27 CQ and a Brindled Pug....cloudy most of week and warmer on Friday we are promised!

Esperia sulphurella, Warndon 20th March

Searching for Psychoides

I spent a wonderful sunny and mild evening searching for early stages around Hallow church to the sound of Blackbirds singing and the sight of Bee-flies sunning in the last rays of evening sunlight. It definitely felt like spring, and had me excited for all the day-flying micros that will no doubt be emerging soon!

Ended up with a good haul of Psychoides verhuella (and a couple of P. filicivora) to rear, collected from Hart's-tongue Fern along one of the footpath that runs down to the Severn from Hallow. I've never seen the adult (or the larvae) before, so would be nice if at least a couple of them emerged successfully.

More Moths

A Shoulder Stripe was the highlight at Warndon garden on Friday night. Last night's actinic effort at Warndon Wood produced an early V-Pug, Small Brindled Beauty and March Moth. 36 moths of 8 common species in garden overnight. 80 minutes in Trench Wood NR, Worcs this afternoon produced a single Orange Underwing, firstly in flight then landing on a medium height birch branch and giving good binocular views of its rich brown upperwing and pale patches as it crept slowly higher before launching back off again! Surprisingly no butterflies though.

Shoulder Stripe, Warndon 11th March

Trench Wood, 13th March

Warndon Thursday 10th

A grey skies and nearly no wind evening saw the arrival of my 4th ever site record of Grey Shoulder-knot plus Diurnea fagella, 2 Clouded Drabs, Hebrew Character, 7 Common Quaker and an Agonopterix heracliana in a spiders web on garage door.

Grey Shoulder-knot, Warndon 10th March

NMRS and Micro-moths

At the National Moth Recorders' Meeting earlier this year BC announced their exciting plans regarding the incorporation of micro-moths into the National Moth Recording Scheme. Thanks to the support of the network of County Moth Recorders and the moth recording community the NMRS has gone from strength to strength.

BC say "The popularity of micro-moth recording is growing and with our existing infrastructure and processes, the collation of micro-moth records in to the NMRS is a logical next step". For further details about this significant development click  here.

Peter Hall

Appeal for outstanding records

Just a quick note to ask for any outstanding VC37 moth records. I will be sending in our annual updates to various recording schemes at the end of the month, so if you want your records included and have yet to submit them, now is the time to do so.
Many thanks to all those who have already sent in records for the past year. They are much appreciated.

Oliver Wadsworth
oliver.wadsworth(at)sky.com

If it's March...

...There must be March moths and one came to the house window this evening, right on cue.

Bringsty Common: March moth

Peter Hall

An early Phoenix

For those with an interest in that angle of moth identification, the recent demise of the Moth Dissection website came as quite a shock, although we were allowed to download the final version of it to carry on using. Behind the scenes a new phoenix has risen from the ashes and with a lot of frantic work from a small group of us, and expertise from Jim Wheeler in website building, it was launched today. You can take a peek here: www.mothdissection.co.uk
Peter Hall