Heatwave wanderers

July has been the month which keeps on giving. The first half of the month had very good numbers yet the second half saw a noticable decrease. Species wise I trapped 166 sp of macros which is the second best total since 2007. A feature of the hot weather has been the unexpected wanderers-all new for the garden: Small Seraphim, Silky Wainscot, Beautiful Yellow Underwing, Twin spotted Wainscot, Brown veined Wainscot and Cream bordered Green Pea. What will drop in next?

Evesham

During the nights of the 21st and 22nd of July an increase in nighttime temperatures to 15 and 18 degrees respectively resulted in an overall increase in moth numbers. This is my first year of trapping but the night of the 22nd resulted in record breaking numbers to my urban garden 20W heath trap.

Overall 238 moths were caught totally 82 species highlights included gold spot, 2 oak eggar, tissue, july highflyer, magpie, single-dotted wave and a rather worn sitochroa palealis.

Autumn Approaches

Running the trap on the 14th here on Bringsty Common I caught 2 Canary-shouldered Thorn and 1 Dusky Thorn.  I think that's the earliest record for Dusky Thorn for vc-36? It will be Square-spot Rustic next up...Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Canary-shouldered Thorn

Bringsty Common: Dusky Thorn

Mansell Gamage 03/06/18

Going back through my records I should have asked your view on this one. I think it's a White-spotted Pug. Would you agree? Thanks in advance.

Mansell Gamage 04/07/18

A challenging trapping in my Skinner trap. Some 100 moths, quite a few new to me and which have taken some time to identify. The trap included Black Arches and Fern both of which are new to me.

Black Arches

Fern

Could I have confirmation for the following three please.

Scarce Silver Y?

Is this Orthotaenia undulana?

Not sure what this is??

Old Country Farm

The WBRC 'Finding Rare Species in the Malverns' public event mentioned in an earlier post was very successful with a good number of visitors either running traps or 'spectating' on the Monday evening with some returning with some new faces for the ID session on the Tuesday morning.
6 traps of various types were set up around the site which was mostly old established orchard.
Being on the extreme western edge of VC37 Worcestershire it is an area that is relatively under recorded.

Another warm night with a little breeze meant traps were busy but not overwhelmingly so. The species list will be well over 100 for the night.

Highlights for me were The Olive, Waved Black and Slender Brindle, but probably the most notable species found was the micro Dichomeris alacella. Classified as nationally scarce B, in VC37 we have had only 3 prior records, the first in 2011. All these were singletons. I saw at least 5 individuals over the evening, so it is fairly safe to say that there is a nice colony of these moths at the site. The old orchard would be perfect habitat for the lichen feeding larvae. It is a moth that appears to be on the rise, since it has been recorded more frequently in recent years including some records from the Herefordshire side of the border.

73.213 BF2312
The Olive Ipimorpha subtusa

35.025 BF851 Dichomeris alacella   

Oliver Wadsworth.

Cinnabar

Not the most exciting moth ever, but I am delighted to finally see larvae on my clumps of Ragwort in the garden here on Bringsty Common.  I do get occasioanl visits by adults at the trap. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Cinnabar larva

 

Grapholita

I swept this micro from a Apple tree in an orchard at Wofferwood Common today. I am fairly sure it is a Grapholita sp. and it seems to match with pictures & descriptions of G. lobarzewskii but I would appreciate any other opinions on it. It is 7mm long. 

Chrysoclista linneella

A photo from Alan Prior who recorded Chrysoclista linneella for the second time in his Hall Green garden last Sunday night. Once would be nice methinks!
Patrick Clement

Bringsty Common July 9th

Quite a good night last night for moths in the end, although when I last looked at the 2 traps running around midnight, it was fairly quiet.  129 species recorded.  Another Angle-striped Sallow and a couple of Waved Black.  Still getting numbers of Triple-spotted Clay.  The stars of the show were 4 Garden Tiger.  Only ever had singletons here in the past, so this was a pleasant surprise - and all from one trap.  Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Garden Tigers

 

Tiddesley Wood 6/7/2018

A last minute trip to Tiddesley Wood last Friday night was predictably busy. The temperature got no lower than 18c and the traps were quite hard work to be near with so many small flies and caddis, not to mention the hordes of moths.
Myself and Jason Wayne ran three Skinner traps and recorded at least 176 species by 2am when we left the site.

Highlights were:

7 Pine Hawk moths - presumably now resident here. They have been recorded in singles from Defford in recent years, only a couple of miles away.

Waved Black

Ethmia dodecea - recorded of and on at Abberton, but still a rare moth in the county.

Endotricha flammealis - Spreading, but still seldom recorded.

Ethmia dodecea

Bordered Beauty Epione repandaria

Oliver Wadsworth.

The Last Few days

Who needs sleep?

It's been a busy time with the moth traps. 134 species in the garden, here on Bringsty Common, on the 5th.  Nice to see Leopard, Sycamore, Garden Tiger, Suspected.  In fact Garden Tiger has put in an appearance every night since the 5th.  Similar species until the 8th when the first Angle-striped Sallow put in an appearance.  On the 7th a very battered Pine Hawk arrived, which I believe is a second county record after Phyl's in 2015. Out on the road a visit to Paradise Wood on the Brockhampton Estate on the 4th produced 132 species including a nice Waved Black.  Then a session in a garden and adjoining wild flower meadow near Pembridge on the 6th produced 123 species including Blackneck, Cloaked Carpet, Olive, Double Lobed, Round-winged Muslin and good numbers of Muslin Footman.  A Garden Tiger too.  Haugh Wood on the 7th produced 142 species including good numbers of White-line Snout, another Blackneck.  Numbers of Chrysoteuchia culmella were impressive (just under 300 recorded).  Then on the 8th it was Wigmore Rolls.  First moth in was a Beautiful Carpet and 138 species later it included Cloaked Carpet, Clouded Magpie, Satin Lutestring, Beautiful Snout and nice to see good numbers of Pandemis cinnamomeana.  Nearly 100 Buff Footman appeared.

Tonight it is sleep time. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common July 7th: Pine Hawk

Pembridge July 6th: Olive

Pembridge July 6th: Cloaked Carpet

Wigmore Rolls July 8th: Beautfiul Carpet (checking I've recorded it)

Wigmore rolls July 8th: Clouded Magpie

Wigmore rolls July 8th: Pandemis cinnamomeana (note white head)

Bringsty Common July 8th: Angle-striped Sallow

Wigmore rolls July 8th: Beautiful Snout

Another Hummer

This Hummingbird Hawk-moth was enjoying the 30 C degrees heat at  midday today. The moth traps were busy last night also . Second brood moths, and late July species were also evident. Dusky Thorn, Straw Underwing, Dusky Sallow, and Ear moth were all first for year here.

Metalampra italica

This Metalampra italica came to my busy garden trap at Norchard, Worcestershire last night. I believe it could be a first county record for this spreading species.

Recent moths from Whitchurch, Herefords

Hi All,

There's been a flurry of interesting and new species in the garden the last few days. Brown-tails arrived on Saturday and have been around since. They seem to have quietly colonized. I'm not sure they weren't here last year as well, wasn't paying attention! Silky Wainscot wandered in from somewhere on Monday night and so did European Corn-borer on Tuesday. White Satin was also new Tuesday and Round-winged Muslins, (first seen last year), appear to have consolidated their presence with multiple individuals per night.
Cypress Carpet was from the 17th June.Maybe a new one for the county?

John

Brown-tail in defensive posture. Whitchurch 30/6

Cypress Carpet Whitchurch 17/6

European Corn-borer Whitchurch 3/7

Round-winged Muslin 2/7

Silky Wainscot 2/7

Public event on Herefordshire / Worcestershire border, Nr Mathon

This coming Monday and Tuesday, 9th and 10th July WBRC are running a moth /  bat event Nr. Mathon. On the Herefordshire side of the Malvern Hills but still just inside VC37 Worcestershire.
Details below:

Dear All,

                                                                

Many thanks for expressing an interest in being involved with our ‘Finding Rare Species in the Malverns’ project.

Well summer has most definitely arrived, and we are planning on making the most of this good weather! I am pleased to announce our next events:

‘Moth and Bat Night’ on Monday 9^th July, 9pm-late  

&

A ‘Morning of Moths’ on Tuesday 10^th July, 8am-10am

at

Old Country Farm, Mathon, Malvern, WR13 5PS

On the Monday evening we will be setting up moth traps (which use light to attract moths), providing the opportunity to learn about the different types of trap and their set up, as well as undertaking some identification by torchlight. During this evening we will also hope to have the chance to undertake some bat detecting.

The following Tuesday morning we will be checking the traps and undertaking identification and recording.

These events are a perfect opportunity to start/progress your moth identification skills and assist with data collection for the project. It’s well worth coming along just to marvel at the beauty of some of our native moths!

Hot drinks and biscuits will be provided, but feel free to bring a flask!

So we have an idea on numbers booking is essential. You are very welcome to attend both the evening and morning event, or just one of them. To book a place please just send a reply to this email. Once your place has been confirmed I will send on further details for the day.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Lucy

Lucy Grove

Project Officer

Finding Rare Species in the Malverns

(Part time Mon, Wed, Fri)

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre

Lower Smite Farm

Hindlip

Worcester WR3 8SZ

Office: 01905 759759

Mobile: 07508966478