Friday 5th June , Hardcastle Craggs

Running the trap from 9.30 onwards ,next Friday night. All welcome

Craggs Friday 22nd May 2016

Counts and Comments

A very interesting night at the crags , first of all the predominant species was Brown Silver lines and the cold light N/W wind kept it pretty quiet for the time of year. The highlight was a  Devon Carpet and  a handful of Pugs which were all very worn and mainly end of season Brindled Pugs . 2 or 3 interesting ones were taken home for a closer look. One turned out to be  an Ochreous Pug which has not been recorded locally before and the other a Larch Pug which is only known from 1 other site in Calderdale. Its a great place ......looking forward to the next session.... Species recorded , Brown Silver lines 16 .Common Swift 1, Brindled Pug 6 , Devon Carpet 1 , Small Phoenix , Flame Carpet 3 ,Scalloped Hazel 4 , Rivulet 1 , Ochreous Pug 1 , Larch Pug 1 ,
Common Quaker 1 ,Engrailed 2 ,Longhorn 3.



Weather Moon quarter phase  Temp 9-12 dropping as evening progress . Wind light N/W . No Rain . Preceding days intermittingly warm  cold with NE winds cool

Other Entomology

There was a large number of Cock Chafers AKA May Bug Melolontha melolontha  actually a Beetle ,  est 30 periodically dropping in some flight shots are shot below. Followed bt a Dor Beetle , A limonid cranefly, TBC and also the larger Tipula  extensa easily recognised by its patterned wings . Ground beetles and Weevils Polydrusus and Phyllobius where evident as well as other smaller species Cantharids Soldier beetles Cantharis pellucida also dropped in with a Sawfly (Symphyta TBC)

Thanks to Andy Brian and Dave

1751  The Devon Carpet

Wingspan 27-30 mm.

A relatively scarce species, found mainly in the south and south-west of England and south Wales

.The caterpillars are brown with paler buff markings, and feed on common marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre) and possibly also fen bedstraw (Galium uliginosum)

1759 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata

The main larval foodplants are willowherbs (Epilobium spp.).

Profile showing Upright Tuft 

0017 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

Feeding on the roots of grasses and small plants, the larvae live underground.

1802 The Rivulet Perizoma affinitata

Red campion (Silene dioica) is the preferred foodplant, the caterpillars living inside the seed capsules, eating the seeds.

1902 Brown Silver-line Petrophora chlorosata

It flies in a single generation during May and June, and occupies woodland and upland areas where its foodplant grows in profusion.Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is the foodplant of the caterpillars, which occur from July to September.

1844 Ochreous Pug Eupithecia indigata

it is a species of coniferous woodland, and flies early in the year, during April and May. The caterpillars feed on the young shoots or buds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) or larch (Larix).

Wingspan 15-18 mm.

Image (C) 2015 Andy Cockroft

One last one before the lcamera went to bed.... A White Shouldered House Moth

0648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

Lapping up the soapy surface on washing machine !!

Other Finds of the Night Common Chafer Melolontha melolontha

Tipula extensa - Cranefly

A Sawfly TBC (Symphyta)

0293 Common Slender Caloptilia syringella / 0140 Nematopogon swammerdamella

0293 Common Slender Caloptilia syringella TBC Mating on or around Privet

0140  Nematopogon swammerdamella

Friday 22nd

Running the trap at Hardcastle crags on Friday 22 May , target species will be an early Devon Carpet. All welcome

Eriocrania Sangii

Found 4 larvae today on Silver Birch at Mythomroyd..Spagetti frass and grey larvae the give away for this species. Until a few years ago this was thought to be a rare moth in Yorkshire , but it is now recorded as regular. http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=3370

Regal Piercer - 1234 Pammene regiana

This one AKA Regal piercer found in vicinity of Sycamore in a mixed wooded grass area a cousin  of Pammene aurata seen during the summer on Hogweed slightly later in the season  

Butterflies 8th May

Had my first Speckled Wood at Northowram today , along with Orange Tip , Green veined and Small Whites, Peacock  , Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. Green Hairstreaks have been reported this week and next week should be good for all the early summer species.

The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix a Willow Feeder

Found CB nr Weir 04.05.2015 on Hawthorn Daytime, This specimen had a marked  glossy silver legs not apparent from the image This moth underpins the importance of Willow accross the LNR The larvae feed on willow (Salix) and poplar (Populus)

1851 Golden-Rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata Query

1851 Golden-Rod Pug  Eupithecia virgaureata  Cromwell Bottom LNR