Gem

Female Gem to the garden at Norchard last night. Plus another Small Mottled Willow, 2 Silver Y, and 4 Diamond-backs down as migrants. A Dark Spectacle was also caught. Mike Southall

Small Mottled Willow

Two here at Norchard Worcs,

last night, making seven for the season so far. A Rush Veneer was the only other migrant. Mike Southall

Lunar Hornets



Last August I spotted an old established Sallow on a nearby Worcester housing estate which appeared to have some ancient-looking black holes near the base. Two weeks ago it looked the same but yesterday a quick visit immediately revealed a mating pair of Lunar Hornet Clearwings in cop about a metre up the main trunk. I 'rescued' them from potential danger - being a busy pathway and watched them on a stick in a jar for over two hours before they separated naturally. Kept them cool and calm overnight and returned them today once the rain stopped. A closer inspection of the tree found loads of fresh frass on one side about 10 inches above the ground, some complete exuvia cases and many more fragmented ones proving several adults had already emerged this summer. A few years ago a well known sallow at Weston-Super Mare, which had produced many LHM over a long period was found to have been petro-torched by some ignorant soles believing they were wasps or hornets............so I will try not to draw too much attention to this Worcester colony as there are still many idiots amongst us who have no respect whatsoever for nature!





Worcester: Female Lunar Hornet Clearwing

Worcester: Sallow tree base

Worcester: Lunar Hornet Clearwings
 



Hurcott, Wed 1st July

An interesting night at Hurcott where the temperature was still 19.5° at 2.00 a.m. We were plagued by flies, unsurprisingly, the closer to the water the worse it was, but a very good haul of micros - can't make my mind up if that was due to the excellent weather conditions or the site, maybe both. Just a taste below.

A visit by four police officers, following reports of 'bright lights and strange goings on' was added interest, my third such 'brush with the law' when out moth-ing. Aren't they young these days, thought they were school kids on works experience. I'm not getting old am I?   Patrick Clement

Bucculatrix cidarella

Pammene regiana

Monopis obviella

Box Worm in Childswickham

The night of the 29th broke all my garden records - I am on C130 sp. with a few still to determine.
The main excitement was this fine moth - 1409a Cydalima perspectalis - the Asian Box Worm moth. A shame it is such a pest of Box trees.
New to Britain in 2008 but it is now turning up more regularly. Mine is, I think, the 4th for Gloucestershire. It has not yet been seen in Worcestershire.

Oliver Wadsworth.

Bringsty Common update

Bringsty Common: Sycamore

I ran 3 mv lights in the garden last night for a change and lit up the common. Well I think the moon may have done that anyway. I'm sure it reduced the catch considerably. I ran it like I was out and about, monitoring continuously then going through and packing up around 01.30 rather than leave running all night. Mainly for the purpose of catching more of the micros, which have usually flown off come morning-time (at least by the time I get up). By the time I finished packing up it was starting to get light in the East anyway.

I can't believe I'm still counting (thanks Mister Wilton), but the tally came to 1075 moths, of 150 species split 54 micros and 96 macros, with some Pugs still to id and a range of micros, mainly Coleophorids and Cnephasia's. Despite the good numbers, nothing to excite much, but it was good to see a Sycamore for the second night running. Triple-spotted Clays continue to do well and a rarity - a Small Dusty Wave at the mv light rather than the house window. Peter Hall

Busy, busy at Haugh Wood

I think we've all been excited about this brief warm spell and with temperatures forecast to drop no lower than 20, and with Robin elsewhere, I ran 2 mv lights at Haugh last night. I chose a slightly different location to where we've been trapping this season mainly due to the moon and breeze. When I began packing up at 01.30, it was still 18, so warm enough to get most things that can fly, to get airborne. 87 species of macro (with Pugs and Minors to add on later), with Light Emerald topping the frequency at 86 individuals, of varying sizes and colour, closely followed by Small Yellow Wave at 79. It was busy and micros in abundance for a nice change, currently at 36 species but with quite a lot to id later in the year. Of particular interest for me at least was a single Poplar Lutestring, Rosy Footman just beginning to emerge (3) and the most Red-necked Footman moths in a single night at 5...busy wandering around aimlessly as they do. Peter Hall

Haugh Wood: Alabonia geoffrella

Haugh Wood: Rosy Footman

Haugh Wood: Tortrix viridana