Stainland. Three weeks at Gordon's all night moth drop in centre.

Please read Edwards corrections to the post below, in the comments. I'm sure that someone else will correct my other errors. Keep coming back for the updates.

I have been more-or-less absent from this blog in the last three weeks. This was due to a series of unfortunate events, which I won't bore you with. I did keep a record (of sorts) of the moths on the door during that time. I think the best way to present them, is to list the species. I'll put photos of the moths which I had problems ID'ing below. I really struggled with one or two. I had quite a few firsts for me, I'll put those up also. I'm sorry the list isn't a perfect record, as I said there were some problems.

Over the last few days, the moths have become scarce. There is a glut of them below.

Starting at the 7th of Aug up to the 24th Aug. 2020.

I've had varying amounts of Marbled Beauties. At their peak, I had 14 at the same time. Slowly over the last three weeks, they have dropped in number every two or three days. Today, (24th) I have none.

I didn't really record the number of Blastobasis species on a daily level, it was more of a mental note. When they first arrived, they were all Blastobasis lacticolella. Only after about 10 days, did the Blastobasis adustella start to arrive. In about a week, they were the main Blastobasis species. 

 On average, I had three, sometimes four, Blastobasis species at the same time. I did have nine all together on the 11th Aug. - five Blastobasis a. and four Blasobasis l. 

Some nights, certain moths arrived in pairs, (speed dating?) ; Brimstone, Common White Wave, Riband Wave, Eudonia sp. Small Phoenix and Yellow Shell. The two Yellow Shells were quite different, one being very worn. As August drew on, increasing numbers of moths were arriving in very poor condtition.

Now for the list of all the moths in the stated period. (28 species). 

Photos of the moths marked TBC, are below. Some are poor photos, sorry. Please correct any errors in ID which I made.

Blastobasis lacticolella  (See comment above)

Blastobasis adustella (See comment above)

Marbled Beauties (See comment above)

2 x Brimstone (sometimes two on the same day)

2 x Small Phoenix (also two on the same day)

1 x Large Yellow Underwing

3 x Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing (See photo below)

1x Light Brown Apple

1 x V pug

1 x Apple, or Orchard Ermine TBC

1 x Common Lutestring TBC

1 x Lime Specked Pug 

1 x Neglected Rustic TBC

2 x Twenty Plume 

2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 x Antler Moth

1 x Common Garden Carpet

4 x  Willow Beauty

8 x Eudonia sp. (three were Eudonia lacustrata, for certain. I was unable to reach some Eudonia sp.)

1 x Common Marbled Carpet TBC

2 x Common White Wave

3 x Riband Wave (All non banded)

1 x Dark Spectacle TBC (This one is in poor condition, I'm really not sure what it is)

1 x Unknown TBC

1 x Crambus perlella TBC

3 x  Common Footman

1 x Brown House Moth

1 x Square Spot Rustic.

1 x Caterpillar TBC (May not be a moth. It was about 1 inch long)

 

The photographs:

  Apple, or Orchard Ermine TBC

Dark Spectacle TBC

Common Lutestring TBC

Common Marbled Carpet TBC

Crambus perlella TBC

No idea. ID Needed.

 

 

Neglected Rustic TBC

 

 Large Yellow Underwing TBC

 

Finally, some of the moths I was delighted to find.

Antler Moth

Lime Specked Pug

 

Shuttle-shaped Dart 

 

As I got three different examples of the one below, I thought it would be good to show how they change with age.

Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing

 

Square Spot Rustic

 

Last of all a caterpillar. I'm not sure it's a moth, possibly an insect or fly. It was about 1 inch long.

 

ID needed

This was a bigger job than I expected. I hope it will be useful to someone, or at least of interest..

Gordon.