Pammene spiniana

In a vain attempt to sweep some Phyllonoryters off a long stretch of roadside elm between Croome and Defford, I was lucky enough, despite the wind to catch one moth late afternoon yesterday. A tiny dark grey tortrix with conspicuous white dorsal blotch came running up the net wall and was almost at the lip when I managed to pot it!

 A superb fresh Pammene spiniana. Exactly two years after the last VC37 record at Dodford and the first for south Worcs. I wonder how many more are lurking in bits of blackthorn and hawthorn by the wayside in rural Worcs. Only one other grass-moth was seen in this session...

Great Doward - 11/08/17

Hi,

A couple from last night that I haven't got id's for yet. A pug, which is maybe Golden-rod? and a Depressaria sp. I think...

Great Doward 11/08. poss. Golden-rod Pug

Great Doward 11/08. poss.. Depressaria sp.

Thanks for any pointers. I've kept both in case they are of interest and need further examination.

John

White-point, Hall Green

White-point, Hall Green. Photo A. Prior

Alan Prior sent me this photograph of a White-point trapped in his Hall Green garden on the 7th August. Not a great specimen so it had to be dissected for a positive I.D.

Patrick Clement

Alder Kitten

This Alder Kitten was in the Robinson trap at Norchard this morning. I usually see one or two in May, the 15th of May this year, but I have never seen one this late. Still a beautiful moth.

Feckenham Wylde Moor, Mon 31st July

I joined Steve Whitehouse and Oliver Wadsworth at Feckenham Wylde Moor last Monday for a last chance to trap before the meadows are cut and the cattle moved in.
Conditions were not great, cool with a slight breeze and intermittent light rain. My 3 traps recorded 63 species with another haul of Agriphila straminella estimated at 250 individuals and a handful of wetland moths such as Small Rufous, Silky Wainscot, Bulrush Wainscot and Gold Spot. Just two micros were photographed below.

Patrick Clement

Calybites phasianipennella

Aethes smeathmanniana

Urban Tiger

Another post on behalf of Alan Prior who has just recorded Garden Tiger for the first time in his Hall Green, Birmingham garden after running a trap there virtually every night for 15 years!
So if you are waiting for a particular moth to show in your own garden, never give up hope ........

Patrick Clement

Garden Tiger, Hall Green.    Photo A. Prior

Bringsty Common

With the car awaiting a new turbo, I've been restricted to home trapping.  But it's been cool, wet and rather windy, so last night was the first night in just under a week that I put a trap out.  It was still cool, windy with showers! The late summer lull seems to be arriving and I've gone from 2 pages per night in my notebook, to fitting them all easily onto one page.  Migrants are the usual fare of Silver Y and Nomophila noctuella.  47 macro-moth species last night and 17 micro-moth species.  I've kept back some likely candidate Lesser CR "Common Rustic aggs" for dissection.  Dotted Clay and yet another Angle-striped Sallow last night.  Poplar Hawk-moth have been continuous this year so I presume the broods overlapped.  Commonest macro-moth was Flame Shoulder with 26 individuals, followed by Large Yellow Underwing with 18, Straw Dot (15) then Common Rustic (agg.) with 14.  Commonest micro-moth was Agriphila straminella with 63 individuals. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Dotted Clay

Bringsty Common: Angle-striped Sallow