Sunday 31 May 2020

Clearwings again

I only put the VES lure out today here on Bringsty Common, busy with other things and I hung up the trap about 400 yards from my house in some light woodland/scrub out of the wind. After 3 hours when I went to check I was pleased to see a Yellow-legged Clearwing in the trap. Peter Hall
 

Pammene suspectana

Pammene suspectana - Following a confirmed record to funebrana pheromone lure here in Worcestershire last year (Steve Whitehouse), and a couple of records this year in Hertfordshire and Essex, I decide to try my luck here in Halesowen.

The first time I used the lure in a pheromone trap on May 20th resulted in no less than six P. suspectana with a further individual on the 29th May. This species is clearly going unnoticed in some areas, it certainly was in my garden.

Dissection is advisable to separate it from the very similar P. albuginana, also attracted to the funebrana lure.

Patrick Clement

Pammene suspectana, Halesowen, 29th May.

Saturday 30 May 2020

Clearwings

If you have any lures, now is probably the time to use them. Today Rob Hemming put out a VES lure in his garden for Yellow-legged Clearwing and managed to attract an Orange-tailed instead. 5th county record. Me, the only success today was to the CUL lure in the apple orchard where I trapped 4 Red-belted Clearwing. This is one that should be anywhere with apple trees nearby. No luck with my VES lure. Will try again tomorrow. Peter Hall & Robin Hemming
Bodenham: Orange-tailed Clearwing (Rob Hemming)

Bringsty Common: Red-belted Clearwing (Peter Hall)

Bringsty Common: Red-belted Clearwing underside  (Peter Hall)

 

Thursday 28 May 2020

Hereford 27/5 - a migrant!

Pearly Underwing arrived last night completely out of the blue and unaccompanied by any other migrants, not even a Diamond-back. A county first for me.

44 other species came in

A quick summary of catch at <site> on <date> [Hereford - Fiennes Way] [27/5/20]

Taxa
  Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)  10
03.002  Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina)  1
32.036  Parsnip Moth (Depressaria radiella)  1
35.040  a moth (Bryotropha terrella)  1
49.037  Cyclamen Tortrix (Clepsis spectrana)  1
49.039  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  2
49.133  a moth (Cochylis nana)  1
49.166  a moth (Celypha lacunana)  1
49.292  a moth (Notocelia cynosbatella)  1
49.298  a moth (Notocelia trimaculana)  1
62.001  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  2
62.054  a moth (Homoeosoma sinuella)  2
63.025  Small Magpie (Anania hortulata)  5
65.009  Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides)  1
65.010  Figure of Eighty (Tethea ocularis octogesimea)  2
69.001  Lime Hawk-moth (Mimas tiliae)  1
70.029  Blood-Vein (Timandra comae)  1
70.049  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata fluctuata)  1
70.061  Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)  1
70.075  May Highflier (Hydriomena impluviata)  1
70.097  Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)  4
70.100  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  12
70.183  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  2
70.190  Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata)  2
70.192  Treble-bar (Aplocera plagiata)  1
70.258  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  1
70.283  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritaria)  1
71.020  Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina)  1
72.002  Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)  2
72.015  Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)  2
72.019  Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lutea)  3
72.020  White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)  3
73.046  Poplar Grey (Subacronicta megacephala)  3
73.101  Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica)  5
73.159  Small Clouded Brindle (Apamea unanimis)  1
73.267  Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)  1
73.281  Lychnis (Hadena bicruris)  2
73.307  Pearly Underwing (Peridroma saucia)  1
73.317  Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)  20
73.325  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  1
73.328  Flame (Axylia putris)  1
73.329  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  1
73.334  Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi)  1
73.342  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  1
73.359  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  2

Pearly Underwing


Bryotropha basaltinella

On 3rd August 2019 I recorded a confirmed male B. basaltinella in my garden trap at Warndon. I had noticed it appeared visually about
Bryotropha basaltinella (Patrick Clement)
 half way between an affinis and a domestica. On May 18th this year I spotted another similar moth. This second record  is also the 2nd for VC37 and may have a colony in the NE Worcester suburbs. I guess that it occurs elsewhere but like many other species goes pretty well under the radar. Thanks to Gail Hampshire for indirectly alerting me to the existence of the species in late July last year!

Siege Wood

Whilst my trapping permits are on hold due to my risk of passing on Covid-19 whilst trapping in woods after dark on my own, I decided to run 2 Robinsons at Siege Wood, Woolhope. This is a scrubby, part wooded part reverted limestone grassland site. To date 90 species recorded (I think) and about another 10 micros still to id, so at around100 species for a 3 hour session, not too bad. It wasn't busy, but a slow but steady stream of moths arrived. Highest count for a species was Marbled White-spot at 58. Peter Hall

SpeciesName
OtherName
Common Swift
Korscheltellus lupulina
Coptotriche marginea

Euspilapteryx auroguttella

Alabonia geoffrella

Blastobasis lacticolella

Cochylis nana

Pandemis cerasana
Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix
Zelotherses paleana
Timothy tortrix
Ptycholoma lecheana

Celypha lacunana

Apotomis turbidana

Epinotia bilunana

Notocelia cynosbatella

Notocelia uddmanniana
Bramble Shoot
Notocelia trimaculana

Lathronympha strigana

Crambus lathoniellus

Scoparia ambigualis

Anania lancealis

Udea olivalis

Aphomia sociella
Bee
Peach Blossom
Thyatira batis
Figure of Eighty
Tethea ocularis
Riband Wave
Idaea aversata
Silver-ground Carpet
Xanthorhoe montanata
Common Carpet
Epirrhoe alternata
Purple Bar
Cosmorhoe ocellata
Small Phoenix
Ecliptopera silaceata
Common Marbled Carpet
Dysstroma truncata
Spruce Carpet
Thera britannica
Broken-barred Carpet
Electrophaes corylata
Green Carpet
Colostygia pectinataria
Fern
Horisme tersata
Pretty Chalk Carpet
Melanthia procellata
Foxglove Pug
Eupithecia pulchellata
Mottled Pug
Eupithecia exiguata
Common Pug
Eupithecia vulgata
Dwarf Pug
Eupithecia tantillaria
Treble-bar
Aplocera plagiata
Small Yellow Wave
Hydrelia flammeolaria
Clouded Border
Lomaspilis marginata
Scorched Carpet
Ligdia adustata
Brown Silver-line
Petrophora chlorosata
Scorched Wing
Plagodis dolabraria
Brimstone Moth
Opisthograptis luteolata
Peppered
Biston betularia
Mottled Beauty
Alcis repandata
Common White Wave
Cabera pusaria
Common Wave
Cabera exanthemata
White-pinion Spotted
Lomographa bimaculata
Clouded Silver
Lomographa temerata
Light Emerald
Campaea margaritaria
Poplar Hawk
Laothoe populi
Elephant Hawk
Deilephila elpenor
Lobster
Stauropus fagi
Iron Prominent
Notodonta dromedarius
Pebble Prominent
Notodonta ziczac
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Pheosia gnoma
Pale Prominent
Pterostoma palpina
Pale Tussock
Calliteara pudibunda
Orange Footman
Eilema sororcula
White Ermine
Spilosoma lubricipeda
Buff Ermine
Spilosoma lutea
Heart & Dart
Agrotis exclamationis
Flame
Axylia putris
Flame Shoulder
Ochropleura plecta
Large Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba
Ingrailed Clay
Diarsia mendica
Small Square-spot
Diarsia rubi
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Xestia c-nigrum
Grey Arches
Polia nebulosa
Shoulder-striped Wainscot
Leucania comma
Poplar Grey
Subacronicta megacephala
Coronet
Craniophora ligustri
Brown Rustic
Rusina ferruginea
Small Angle Shades
Euplexia lucipara
Rustic Shoulder-knot
Apamea sordens
Middle-barred Minor
Oligia fasciuncula
Treble Lines
Charanyca trigrammica
Mottled Rustic
Caradrina morpheus
Marbled White Spot
Deltote pygarga
Green Silver-lines
Pseudoips prasinana
Nut-tree Tussock
Colocasia coryli
Gold Spot
Plusia festucae
Beautiful Golden Y
Autographa pulchrina
Spectacle
Abrostola tripartita
Beautiful Hook-tip
Laspeyria flexula
Straw Dot
Rivula sericealis
Snout
Hypena proboscidalis

Siege Wood: Fern

Siege Wood: Figure of 80

Siege Wood: Lobster

Siege Wood: Riband Wave

Siege Wood: Shoulder-striped Wainscot