Butterfly Conservation E moth newsletter

The latest issue of E-moth from Butterfly Conservation is available here.  It includes details of the annual Moth Conference in Birmingham on 25th January 2020 Peter Hall

Crocidosema plebejana

Allan Nolan emailed me some images of an unidentified Tortrix taken at light in his Stourbridge garden (VC39) on Saturday 23rd November 2019. My best guess from the mobile phone images was Crocidosema plebejana but I needed to see the moth 'in the flesh' to be sure so I visited Allan  and he kindly allowed me to take the specimen to photograph. Sadly, the moth had died by the time I returned home but was photographed anyway and dissected for confirmation.

A reasonably common moth in the south, it is still scarce in the Midlands with  single records for VC37 and VC39 prior to this individual, not sure about VC36?
Patrick Clement

Bringsty Common November 1st

Dusking recorded a Pale November, Mottled Umber, Snout and Blastobasis lacticolella. I ran a Robinson in the garden despite the rain and wind early and late. Feathered Thorn (4), Sprawler (1), Red-green Carpet (3), Yellow-line Quaker (3), Red-line Quaker (1), Chestnut (1), Green-brindled Crescent (2), Common Marbled Carpet (1), Lesser Yellow Underwing (2), Setaceous Hebrew Character (1), Pale November (4), November (1) and Autumnal (1). All "Novemnals" had their octavals examined.

Not too much left to record now. I did finally record Stigmella tityrella and hemargyrella on my new beech hedge after a number of years of looking Peter Hall

Bringsrt Common: Sprawler

Bringsty Common: Stigmella tityrella mine on Beech

 

Bringsty Common October 24th

The dog gets a final walk along the track usually around 11.30pm and I carry my head torch to look out for the "Novemnals" in flight. Best night so far was the coldest when my weather station showed just 3 degrees. Mostly Pale November and November, but last night my first Autumnal was caught. In all cases I look at the octavals and spine (or lack of) on the valva under a low power microscope. Last night I also ran a Robinson in the garden, the first time in just over a week hoping for Sprawler which should be coming out about now. No luck, but not too bad for the time of year...again in no particular order: Merveille du Jour (3), Green Brindled Crescent (5), Yellow-line Quaker (2), Red-line Quaker (1), Figure of Eight (2), Mottled Umber (1), Beaded Chestnut (3), Red-green Carpet (1), Chestnut (1), Black Rustic (1), Grey Shoulder-knot (1), Pale November (2), November (2), both these last 2 gen checked. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Mottled Umber

Bringsty Common: Figure of Eight

 

Bringsty Common October 15th

Nice to see Clifden Nonpareils still arriving (see Mike's post).  Last night the temperature was due to stay in double digits (just) with a rain band crossing. As per usual it had dipped to 7 degrees just after dusk, but did return to double digits by 2am. Not a lot of rain, 1.8mm. Anyway I ran 1 trap in the garden and pleased I didn't go farther afield. 17 species recorded and listed in no particular order (as they say on Strictly CD): Common Marbled Carpet (2), Feathered Thorn (2), Red-green Carpet (2), Red-line Quaker (1), Merveille du Jour (1), Dark Chestnut (1), Lunar Underwing (1), Sallow (2), Green Brindled Crescent (7), Chestnut (1), Beaded Chestnut (1), Figure of 8 (1), Black Rustic (1), Yellow-line Quaker (1), Snout (1), Grey Shoulder-knot (1) and November (1) - octavals etc inspected. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Grey Shoulder-knot

Bringsty Common: Feathered Thorn

Bringsty Common: Merveille du Jour

Bringsty Common: Figure of 8

Bringsty Common: Dark Chestnut

Bringsty Common: Red-line Quaker

 

Clifden Nonpareil

My first Clifden Nonpareil arrived in my garden at Norchard, Worcs at 8.30pm this evening. The other moths shown, Scarce Bordered Straw, and second generations Beautiful Hook-tip and Heart and Dart were recorded over the last weekend.

Colwall last night

At last! Put out the trap in hope last night. And it appeared with just a very boring collection of a dozen Lunar Underwings and a Black Rustic. What is there about wet evenings? Phyl King

Colwall Clifden Nonpareil

Bringsty Common October 5th

When a couple of people told me the best night during National Moth Night was the rainy one, I decided to run the trap last night as it was due to be wet but mild. Half an inch of rain produced 21 species in all and I'm delighted to say I have now joined the Clifden Nonpareil club and I have a candidate for the tattiest ever specimen. It was very active around the wet trap at 10.30pm and I think it may have lost a lot of its wings flying into the sodden grass and then up again into the nearby Buddleia. Anyway a photo attached.
List for last night (and it was ok in the heavy rain too) in no particular order: Light Emerald (1), Clifden Nonpareil (1), Red-green Carpet (1), Setaceous Hebrew Character (5), Yellow-line Quaker (5), Figure of 8 (2), Lesser Yellow Underwing (2), Large Yellow Underwing (2), Black Rustic (9), Beaded Chestnut (4), Sallow (6), Pink-barred Sallow (2), Brown-spot Pinion (4), Lunar Underwing (3), Autumnal Rustic (2), Chestnut (1), Broad -bordered Yellow Underwing (1), Green-brindled Crescent (1), Common Marbled Carpet (1), Eudonia angustella (1) and Hypsopygia costalis (1).

I'm also pleased to announce that I have identified (yesterday) a Scarce Light Plume moth Oxyptilus laetus captured this Summer in the garden and is a county first. It will be immortalised on the Moth Dissection website soon. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Clifden Nonpareil

Bringsty Common: Figure of 8

Bringsty Common: Gold Triangle

Dewick's Plusia

Another interesting moth from Alan Prior's Hall Green garden trap last night.........

Dewick's Plusia, Hall Green, 4th October 2019.

Dorstone again turns blue...again

Ray Birchenough was lucky enough to trap his second Cliden Nonpareil of the season last night.

Delicate

Although Saturday was the wettest of the National Moth Night nights, it proved to be the most successful moth wise, with over 200 moths of 31 species to one Robinson light. This included the Delicate a migrant moth, of which another had been recorded at nearby Stourport the previous night. Other migrants included 2 Rush Veneer, and 5 Silver Y, with Rusty-dot Pearl and Dark Sword-grass seen on different nights.
The Vapourer, Beautiful Hook-tip, Pine Carpet, and Dioryctria abietella also added variety over the weekend here at Norchard, Worcestershire.

Vestal, Hall Green.

Alan Prior's Hall Green garden in the north east corner of VC37 recorded a Vestal last night, his first there for 6 years.

Bringsty Common and National Moth Night

One of the guarantees of any public moth event including NMN, is that the weather is likely to be sub-optimal. So I have run a moth trap in the garden for the past 2 nights and will pack it away now as this evening looks wet and windy. Last night was poor. The 2 nights accumulated 22 species and the only moment of excitement, apart from removing hornets, was when I saw a huge moth resting on the side of the house as I went outside to investigate what turned out ot be Agonopterix heracliana on my study window. Hoping to join the Clifden Nonpareil group, I potted it up to take a closer look, but it was a Red Underwing. Still a nice sight. House walls are a good place to look for these during the daytime as well. In no particular order: Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow, Barred Sallow, Snout, Lunar Underwing, Red Underwing, Large Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Deep-brown Dart, Rosy Rustic, Black Rustic, Brown-spot Pinion, Green Brindled Crescent, Light Emerald, Common Marbled Carpet, Burnished Brass, Grey Shoulder-knot, Frosted Orange, Acleris laterana, Agonopterix heracliana, Epiphyas postvittana and Acleris variegana. Not a Clifen Nonpareil in sight (as expected). Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Red Underwing

Bringsty Common:Sallow and Green Brindled Crescent

Bringsty Common:Deep-brown Dart

Bringsty Common:One of the many Lunar Underwing variations

 

The Doward turns Blue

Following on from a Clifden Nonpareil being trapped in Dorstone by Ray Birchenough a couple of days ago, Ian Draycott managed to get 2 in one night last night on the Doward by his home. Well done! We now have 3 people in the county who have caught 2. Peter Hall

Clifden Nonpareil: White Rocks

 

Bringsty Common update

Catches of late have been hovering around the 25-30 species a night level with very little to excite apart from hornet numbers. Last nights catch did provide a single Dark Sword-grass and Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) otherwise it was all the expected fayre. I remember Rob H saying he had to pack up recently due to hornet numbers and probably last night in the garden I should have done the same as I had upward of 20 in the trap, the majority I removed around midnight, but others came in afterwards and the moth and general invertebrate catch looked like it had been through a blender this morning. I'll try and different spot tonight, otherwise Nationl Moth Night will be abandoned here. On the lid, and safe from chomping mouths, was a third generation Willow Beauty, about half normal size. Peter Hall

Unusually late Dotted Clay

A Dotted Clay was caught in my moth trap, in my Hereford garden, on Sunday September 22nd and I decided to get a second opinion of it because of its lateness. Both Peter Hall and Martin Townsend confirmed the record. Apparently there are about 150 records in the Herefordshire database and of those, all but 2 are from July and August. There is one dated September 5th 1998 by John Dodd from Bringsty Common and another from Mike Harper at his home dated September 7th 1972. So this is the latest record by some distance. Robbie Ledlie

The Holy Grail

I have been waiting for this moment for 60 years. A rather battered Clifden Non-Pareil on the outside of the trap this morning here in Longtown, Herefordshire (Sunday 22nd September). And the day before, a Vestal flopping its way across a field nearby. Clearly the warm weather has encouraged some migration. Paddy Matthews

 

Dotted Rustic - Hereford

This turned up last night in my Hereford garden, apparently the first for the county since 1987!

regards, John

You don't have to rare to be good looking...

Very quiet since our exciting find on Tuesday...just this very smart Autumnal Rustic on the windowsill this morning....

Another Clifden Nonpareil !

Delighted to find this moth near Pershore last night - seemingly spreading north and west quite fast now...

In West Malvern this morning - Clifden Nonpareil...found and photographed by Steve Avery - very exciting for our first post...

Recent Migrants

A few recent migrants to my Worcs garden have included Palpita vitrealis, 2 Scarce Bordered Straws, and 2 Small Mottled Willows.  6 Rusty-dot Pearls arrived on Friday night and a Rush Veneer.

These past few days

It's definitely the late Summer lull period now and my traps have been dominated by Large Yellow Underwing and Square-spot Rustic. And catches each day slowly diminish in species numbers. Going back to the garden (Bringsty Common) on the 24th, another Angle-striped Sallow. Then on the 25th, amazingly, my very first Agriphila geniculea. I have no idea why this common moth has avoided Bringsty Common for so long. Bringsty is not known for its migrant activity, but 2 Dark-sword Grass on the 25th. A 3 hour session at Wigmore Rolls on the 24th was good for Barred Chestnut and this is probably the only known site in Herefordshire (I have to re-check some records in the database). 37 came to my 2 Robinsons. Nothing else unusual. Haugh Wood last night (26th) produced about a dozen Oak Lutestring and what may turn out to be the first county record of Cypress Pug. Udea ferrugalis appeared at Haugh and also at home on the same night along with a singleton Nomophila noctuella. There was also the latest ever Elephant Hawk-moth on the 24th (Bringsty), I don't think it is a second brooder as it was very tatty. A first second brood Poplar Hawk-moth last night. Peter Hall
 

Wigmore Rolls: Barred Chestnut

Haugh Wood: Oak Lutestring

Haugh Wood: Cypress Pug

Haugh Wood: Centre-barred Sallow

Haugh Wood: Barred Hook-tip

Dodford moths

The seasonal lull is upon us and the traps seem to be full of brown stuff and grass moths and nothing much new so it was nice to get a few new species for the garden over the last few weeks.

Duponchelia fovealis

An Adventive / possible migrant. Probably imported on plants to garden centres. A bit worn but fortunately pictured in Manley because I hadn't got a clue what it was apart from a Pyralid.

Hemp Agrimony Plume

I have been establishing some Hemp Agrimony plants for the last 3 Years or so and I was aware that there was a Hemp Agrimony Plume so it was something I was hopeful of getting eventually. What was most surprising was how small it was. All the plumes I have ever seen are roughly the size of Common Plume. This was tiny in comparison.

Mocha

Another new moth for me. The larval foodplant is Field Maple and I have 9 or 10 Mature Field Maple so is it a possible resident or has it blown in from somewhere? I've been here 5 years and trapped very regularly over that period but who knows. I'll certainly be keeping a look out for more, especially as I very nearly overlooked it in the trap amongst a whole load of Riband Wave, Mother of Pearl, Brimstone and Yellow Shell. I know, they are nothing like but it was very early and at a funny angle...yeah maybe I need to go to specsavers.

Pete Smith

Dodford