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

Pheremone trapping in Whitchurch

 I've put out a few pheremone lures occasionally in the Whitchurch garden over the last few weeks. Not exactly been inundated with moths but the first garden record of Pammene giganteana came in on 23/3 and possibly Pammene suspectana on 17/4 (retained for Peter to examine). These both were attracted to the versatile MOL lure. A few Phyllonorycter sp. have also come to the NIG lure, also retained for examination.

 Gasworks Wood, Bridstow 4th April

A mild and overcast forecast prompted me to secrete the battery operated actinic Skinner in a small local wood at Bridstow. The woodland has several old oaks, holly, hazel and silver birch. I sat with the trap for between 8pm and 9pm with only a single March Moth and Hebrew Character coming in. By morning a modest catch of 45 individuals of 10 species including 2 Dotted Chestnuts, 1 Frosted Green (NFY), 2 Brindled Pugs (I believe, awaiting PH's confirmation)), 1 Clouded Drab, 16 Common Quaker, 1 Dotted Border, 1 Early Grey, 16 Hebrew Character, 3 March Moths and 2 Small Quakers.

Upper Thames Moth Atlas

 This became visible on-line a couple of days ago. Still just macro-moths, they hope micros will follow fairly soon. You'll see the similarity to our West Midlands site, in fact they were so impressed with our atlas, they wanted one. Well worth a look and you can also help them by uploading some nice quality images too. I'll add it ot the useful links part on our blog opening page. https://upperthamesmoths.co.uk/index.php Peter Hall

Pammene giganteana

 4 individuals of Pammene giganteana to Grapholita funebrana pheromone lure here in my Halesowen garden, over the last 48 hours. All rather sombre looking specimens with a less distinct dorsal 'horse shoe' compared to some examples I have seen.

Patrick Clement

P.S.    Typically, as soon as I say all the specimens here are poorly marked, I take a brighter one.

Norchard Moths

Moths have been up and down with and like the weather so far this year in my garden at Norchard, Worcs. Some highlights have been Oak Nycteoline 1/2, Acleris logiana 8/2 the sixth county record for this spreading species, and Small Brindled Beauty 15/2 by no means annual here. Mild nights have produced numbers of Spring Ushers and Pale Brindled Beauties etc. and the Orthosias are now emerging.