Atropos journals

 I am having a major clear-out. Would anyone like copies of Atropos dating back to 2010? Collect from Colwall. Phyl King

Unusual Wainscot

 L-album Wainscot in my Welland garden moth trap on 24th September - second record of this species in my garden (had one in 2019). A nice record for Worcestershire I think

Norchard Update

Great Brocade

Since returning from a holiday in Devon in late August, it has been interesting mothing at Norchard, Worcs, Noteable migrants have included a Great Brocade 29/8/22, Convolvulus Hawkmoth 3/9/22 Porter's Rustic and Loxostege sticticalis 4/9/22. The Porter's Rustic appears to be a new record for the West Midlands. More regular migrants have included Rush Veneer with nine on 27/8/22. Scarce Bordered Straw 28/8/22, Dark Sword-grass, and Pearly Underwing 29/8/22 and fairly regular Hummingbird Hawkmoths, Vestals, Rusty-dot Pearls and Silver Y's

Loxostege sticticalis

Porter's Rustic

Dotted Rustic on 11/9/22 was a new site record
 

A nice suprise this morning in the moth trap - a Dewick's Plusia in my garden in Welland

Ancylosis oblitella

 Ancylosis oblitella or Saltmarsh Knot-horn has been confirmed as a correct id. The first West Midlands record, it arrived with a range of other possible migrants on the 14th of August at Norchard, Worcs. They included Bordered Straw, Small Mottled Willow, White Point, Rush Veneer, Rusty-dot Pearl, 8 Diamond-backs, 3 Silver Ys, and a Beet moth.

beautiful Acleris literana variation

this smart tortrix came to light last Saturday night here in Warndon along with 9 Beet Moths which are part of a huge movement from the east or southeast of England

Recent Doward findings

 In the last few week moths have been a useful distraction from the global and national state of affairs providing at times some quantity as well as quality to my small patch of land.

Macros like Scarce Silver Lines, Bordered Beauty, Oak, Barred and Pebble Hooktips, Great Oak Beauty and 5 species of Thorn have been joined up here for the first time by Four-spotted Footman, Oak Eggar and Sharp-angled Carpet. On 25th July I had a moment of panic when this honorary macro appeared. I had no mental search image for the dark morph of Box-tree Moth with its purple iridescence.

Amongst the many micros were Acompsia schmidtiellus and A cinerella arriving on cue in the last week of July. Migrant Diamond-back Moth and Rush Veneer were around most nights the light trap was out.

Also (subject to confirmation by PH)  were Ancyclis achatana and Aethes francillana and several other new ones awaiting a frozen trip to Scotland.

 

 

On my land a Field Scabious plant had a Nemophora metallica sitting on the same flower for at least three days at the end of July! It was pleasing to re-confirm its presence on the Doward.

The last day of July also surprised me with a Six-belted Clearwing flying into my porch and offering itself for biological recording. Who needs pheromone lures!

Migrants at Warndon, Worcester 29th July

A few migrants in the garden Robbo in Warndon, Worcester on Friday night; 3 Silver Y, one Rusty-dot Pearl, a Diamond-back and this Scarce Bordered Straw. 90 species all in.

Dewick's Plusia

 My first Dewick's Plusia arrived at light last night at Norchard, Worcs. I had been hoping for migrants but it appears that this is a species which is now increasing its range within the UK. People are now recording this species to Ni and Silver Y lures. A few Rush Veneer and Diamondbacks made up the recognised migrant species.

Dymock Woods 23/6

 A few more from the group trapping effort at Dymock.

Orange Moth

Green Silver-lines

Brindled White Spot

Dingy Shell

Blotched Emerald

Minor Shoulder-knot

Apotomis capreana

Orthotaenia undulana

Dymock Forest June 23rd

Having travelled south on Monday I spent 2 days and nights moth trapping successfully in Bucks before migrating over to Herefordshire for another 2 nights of moth trapping plus a moth breakfast with Robin Hemming. I was in a sleep deprived haze at the cold and windy moth breakfast. Dymock Forest proved to be a warm and still night but moth numbers actually fell below expectations. It's too early to suggest accurate total species numbers between the various 7 traps in use, but typical catches were plus/minus 100 species, so maybe combined after all the micros have been identified, we'll be between 150 and 200 species, I suspect. The target was Orange moth and in total 5 were seen, 4 at one pair of traps and 1 and another location. A nice bonus was 6 Great Oal Beauty which arrived at one pair of traps but not elsewhere. The following night I went to Mowley Wood but it had turned wet then cold so nothing really to report from that spot, although the bottle of beer was nice and cold and Mars bar not soggy. Peter Hall

Dymock Forest: Beautiful Snout

Dymock Forest: Great Oak Beauty

Dymock Forest: Great Oak Beauty

Dymock Forest: Orange moth

 

More pheromoning by-catch Results in Warndon

Having read posts about API (Six-belted Clearwing Lure) on Facebook attracting various 'clothes moths' I hung out my 9 year old lure on my large garden birch tree at the end of May, in more vague hope than expectancy! On the evening of the 8th June I noticed a small tineid moth had been caught. Having potted and fridged it I got a record shot in the pot next day.

I was pretty sure this was Nemapogon variatella and Jon Newman kindly added a thumbs up. He had already had several confirmed from same capture method at Peterborough, Cambs. My moth was very white indeed compare to Cork Moth, Corn Moth but unfortunately had a mis-formed wing angle. A week later another moth, this time in much better condition was spotted in trap mid-evening.

(photo Patrick Clement) This moth was later confirmed as a male N. variatella by PC - so these 2 now bring the county total to four. Am now trying the VES (Yellow-legged Clearwing Lure) in the same spot, evening and night only in the hope of another species!

Clearwings in Hereford

 2 species have showed up in my Hereford garden so far this month, out of the 4 total known from here. I've been hanging out lures for 4 others but to no avail so far. Lunar Hornet Moth was very nice to see, fantastic mimicry.  Currant Clearwing is in the first pic.

John

Triaxomasia caprimulgella to LUN lure

 I put out the LUN lure today to attract Lunar Hornet Moth.

No luck so far but at about 17:15 when I was checking it a micro moth began circling the trap and and then went in.

Turned out to be Triaxomasia caprimulgella which is thought to feed on dead wood.

I suspect there are very few Worcestershire records but it is known to be attracted to the LUN lure and we are likely to get more records with increasing use of pheremone lures.

Triaxomasia caprimulgella

Triaxomasia caprimulgella

Pete Smith

Dodford

Worcestershire

First Moths in Old Colwall

I moved to Old Colwall over the Jubilee weekend and have been impressed with the moths compared to my Evesham garden.

I've had 3 Lifers and 3 firsts for my garden (across all gardens I've had)

Nematopogon metaxella was the first and there appears to be plenty which I see flying at dusk

Second was Argyresthia curvella

Then this evening I found a Lesser Wax Moth on the house wall, no photo yet as it's a wriggler

New garden records consist of Broken-barred Carpet, Brindled Plume which I'd only seen previously at FSC Slapton Ley and Dog's Tooth with my only other records being from France

Lee

Nematopogon metaxella

Argyresthia curvella

Broken-barred Carpet

Brindled Plume

Dog's Tooth

Very happy to find Lobster Moth in the trap

Alder Kitten

Coleophora mayrella 

Another garden White-point

Was very happy to find this nice White-point in the garden trap this morning, it was found in my new KULA (Cooler) trap, created by a Warks moth-er Robert Cox.  It was designed to keepoths calm during the day if pushed for time. It's a cool box with cold plates placed in the lid.  I have a Robinson style where Bob has one that can be used as a Skinner or Robinson 

This weeks highlights

 A couple of nice species in the last week. Firstly on the 14/5 I trapped 55 species in Whitchurch, lower Wye Valley, the highlight of which was a Lead Belle. I have found this before in May, in the Forest of Dean, which is nextdoor, but a site first nonetheless. Last night 19/5 Bordered Straw to actinic in Hereford. Also a couple of examples of what looks like Platyedra subcinerea, which I recorded in Hereford last May (gen det). If there is a colony here it's a long way from any others, distribution is mainly south counties and the SE.

John

Lead Belle

Bordered Straw

Platyedra subcinerea

Buttoned Snout

Was surprised on the evening of 2nd May to find a Buttoned Snout in my Evesham trap, took my a few minutes to workout what it was through the perspex, larger than I expected

Nice moth to get before I move to Colwall, Malvern at the end of the month