Moth Tunnel pt 2

Cometh the hour… Cometh the man, oh yes and the woman… well to be honest my 9 year old daughter, Maisy. We had a spare 3 hours today so launched a small craft from near my mooring and snaked our way towards Fallingroyd tunnel to see if the moths we saw a few days ago, were 1) Still in residence and if so 2) What they were. Both of us tried rowing the small boat and both ended up going round in circles! So Maisy took over and we were soon in the tunnel scanning the corrugated matt black roof for the moths with a powerful torch. 4 moths were found in the darkest section of the tunnel, all (as suspected) 2469The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix. Operation ‘moth tunnel’ was a success due mainly to captain Maisy! We had a dodgy moment when another boat came the other way and was bearing down on us! With this emergency over we managed to collect one of the heralds and take a photo (see above) once safely back on shore as it warmed up for take off.

Win and Maisy

Project tityrella

Found these today in local beech wood they seemed to be everywhere.

News from Todmorden 27 10 09

Hi all,found this micro on juniper today,cant seem to track it down as yet,its slightly over a cm from tip of snout to tip of wing,anyone any ideas,any comments would be appreciated.all the best Bri.ps sorry pics are a bit dingy.

Moth Tunnel

Hi All

Living on a canal boat I sometimes see things from a different angle. Today Iwent on a short cruise through Fallingroyd tunnel (Pictured) (Which transports the canal under the main road in between Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd) Iwas amazed to see quite a few large macro moths. There was a problem however, as the boat lights illuminated the moths only as a distance and not close up, and the situation was not one for hanging around. (A 13 ton wide beam boat in a narrow curved tunnel is a difficult navigational feat). The light was fading and it was very mild today so am not sure if this was a factor as I have gone through the tunnel many times and never seen a moth in there. I would say they could have been Feathered Thorn or Herald. I know these species well and also know their differences but couldn't get close up. Time to deploy the torch and rowing boat! Will report my findings.

Winston

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

A mild night which turned very wet at first light, so I was out at 5am to see what was about and found

Various carpets 4

(Red-Green / com mar )

Chestnut 1

Exapate congelatella 1

This last micro is a very nice looking moth I have never come across before (Pic above)

News from Todmorden 22 10 09

Great night at meadows edge,target species streak,2 red swordgrass,autumn green carpet,feathered thorn,2 blairs shoulder knot,18 red green carpet,6 yellow line quaker,3 silver y,being the pick of 12 species of macros and a phyllo sp.

Streak

Another good night in Northowram despite the torrential rain,the Streak one of my favorite moths at this time of year was joined by 3 Yellow Line Quaker,2 brick,Angle shades,red green,Spruce,autumn green and Common Marbled carpets,Blairs Sh Knot,Silver Y ,Light Brown apple moth,Garden rose tort and acleris sparsana

Bits and Bobbs

A few recent sightings--
Painted lady latest 14th october
Red Admiral...." 19th October
Speckled wood 15th October
Blairs Shoulder Knot 15 on the 15th October(largest local record)
Rosy Rustic 1 on the 19th october (latest local record)
Still recording Black Rustics,Silver Y's ,Common Marbled Carpets,Barred sallow and a Autumn Green carpet last night.

Knott Wood Hebden Bridge 15 10 09

Tried a few hours at sugar and mv,5 chestnut,satellite at sugar.20 chestnut,30 november agg,7 c marbled carpet 5 banded/2 dark,brick,7 red green carpet,flounced chestnut,1062 acleris emargana,465 plutella porrectella.

Guyanan insects

Top - Buckeye Butterfly, Bottom - Tersa sphinx Xylophanes tersa. As An exotic interlude I am includinganother couple of excellent photographs from my friend who is out in Guyana. He is actually from the Mirfield are and is posting a photograph a day on his blog to illustrate his adventure out there. You can see this at http://jmbroscombe.blogspot.com/

I need to say that only a few of his pics are of insects but there are also some amzing shots of birds and the local people and landscape etc.

Last nights moths/Northowram

998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 8
1041 Acleris sparsana 1
1048 Acleris variegana Garden Rose Tortrix 2
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 2
1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 4
1769 Thera britannica Spruce Carpet 3
1795x Epirrita dilutata agg. November Moth agg. 4
2232 Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 3(70 so far this year)
2240 Lithophane leautieri Blair's Shoulder-knot 6
2262 Agrochola circellaris Brick 1
2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 2(2 red line last night)
2272 Xanthia aurago Barred Sallow 1
2361 Hydraecia micacea Rosy Rustic 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 2
2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 1(latest recorded)
An excellent night for october.

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

Epiritta sp 3

Feathered Thorn (Female) 1

The thorn was spotted this morning floundering in the canal. I rescued it with a very long stick and took this pic after it had dried out. Nice to have both the male (take note of his magnificent feathered antanae) and female on consecutive nights.

Win

Sugaring

Hi all,keep the sugaring going,now is the time for merville du jours,got 2 in cloden clough 2006,including this 1 ,allthe best Bri.

Project Tityrella

In response to Charlie's links to Dereks 'Project Tityrella' on Yorkshire moths, I have been out looking and (for once) have been successful in finding what I was looking for. A nice pic of the leaf mine and its occupant below. Does the cat drop to earth to pupate through the winter or stay in the leaf? Also saw many 100's of mines in privet leaves, what are these (see top)

Cunnery Wood

Sugared the trees in Cunnery Wood about 5pm, returned between 6.45pm & 7.30pm. Had 2 chestnuts on the large sycamore, nothing on anything else.

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

Featherd Thorn (male) 1 :-)
Light-brown Apple Moth 1
Epiritta sp 1
Winston
And in Northowram -


2 spruce,1 red Green and 2Common Marbled carpets,2 Epiritta sp,1 chestnut and a Black rustic.

soil hill caterpillars

yesterday whilst walking up to soil hill i found about four of these wolly bear caterpillars climbing on the road. i find this quite worrying becuase, will they survive the winter and crysalis in time??

large white predation,10 10 09

Working near allotments tuther day,5 out of 8 cabbage whites were parasitised by apanteles wasps,with 1 unfortunate cat had 20 sulpher yellow cocoons attached to it,not for the faint hearted this lepidoptera ist it !!! ,ps im glad i didnt have camera with me !

Whiteholme drain,10 10 09

Hi all,no sign of fox cats ,but saw this late haworths minor,and northern eggar cocoon,Bri.

Another foxy pic ...

Here's another pic of fox moth cat - I'm pretty sure that's what they are. They're as long as Elephant Hawks, but not as broad - the scat is similar sized though !!

Last nights moths/Northowram

Still plenty of moths about last night and my second Dark sword Grass of the year.
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1
2258 Conistra vaccinii Chestnut 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 2
2232 Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 2
1761 Chloroclysta miata Autumn Green Carpet 1
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 1
2240 Lithophane leautieri Blair's Shoulder-knot 4
1795 Epirrita dilutata November Moth 1
998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 2
1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 1

Cunnery wood ..sugar

Had my first try of the year at sugar this evening in Cunnery wood.... produced 1 Chestnut and 2 Brick.

Fox Moth cats

Been seeing lots of these over the last few days on the tops. They don't seem at all shy !!

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

Hi All

A clear cool but dry night resulted in 1 Mottled Umber and 3 Epiritta sp. To try and confirm or otherwise a November Moth I have tried to get a pic of the abdominal detail (with poor results im afraid) doesnt seem to relate to the pics in W &T however? Could this be a female therefore?

Last nights moths/Northowram

Its was raining hard when I put the lamp on last night and as I went to bed the sky was clear and there were plenty stars to be seen.I was amazed to find this lot in the trap this morning... 40 moths ,12 species
12 light brown apple moth
9 Blairs shoulder knot
4 Common Marbled carpet
4 November Moths
2 Angle Shades
2 Silver Y
1 Black rustic
1 Barred sallow
1 Green Brindled cresent
1 Copper Underwing
1 Grey pine Carpet
1 Rosy Rustic
1 Acleris sparsarana
Also in the field today -
5 Small tortoiseshell
1 painted lady
3 red admiral
1 comma
1 speckled wood
No Clouded yellow but there must be one in calderdale somewhere.????

October butterflies and Moths

2 Red Admiral,1 Painted lady and a speckled wood in the garden today.In the trap the last few days were Mottled umber,black rustic,angle shades,Grey Pine,spruce ,Autumn green,Red Green snd common marbled carpets,Rosy rustic silver y,Brick and Blairs Shoulder Knot.

Short Moth Film

Hi All, Brian has inspired me to get all artistic and I have put together a trial film of this Silver Y which arrived the other night in the Skinner trap. I know this is a common species but now I have the technology I just need something more exciting to come along.

Hope you like the results

Win