Stainland.

Another first for me this morning. It's one of those "common" ones, so common I've never seen one before. I don't get many Swift moths at all. This one's a female Gost Moth. I thought it was very nicely marked, if battle scarred. However, as the female often flies directly at a male in the lekking display and both fall to the ground, I'm not surprised. I laughed when I read that part, it's very like some of the women in our village, cave woman style. :-)

Appart from 4 Marbled beauties who've taken up a squat here, I had:

1 x Light Brown Apple

1 x Garden carpet.

Ghost Moth (Female)

 Luddenden 6th - 13th June

still a bit quiet here even with the warm nights. not a bad selection though

Ghost Moth 1

Common Swift 3

Pebble Hook-tip 1

Common Pug 16

White-spotted Pug 1

Freyer's Pug 3

Foxglove Pug 4

Toadflax Pug 5

Broken-barred Carpet 1

Small Phoenix 1

Common Marbled Carpet 5

Silver Ground Carpet 6

Garden Carpet 1

Brimstone 2

Flame Carpet 1

Purple Bar 2

Poplar Hawkmoth 5

Scalloped Hazel 1

Pale Tussock 16 

White Ermine 5

Buff Ermine 1

Coxcomb Prominent 1

Ruby Tiger 1

Knot Grass 1

Flame Shoulder 3

Ingrailed Clay  3

Marbled Minor 2

Middle Barred Minor 3

Poplar Grey 1 (3rd record here)

Miller  2

 

Clouded-bordered Brindle 2

Campion 1

Beautiful Golden Y 1

Cromwell Bottom

 Sandy Carpet, Ghost Moth, Peppered Moth, Anclys badiana, green carpets, Silver G carpets, Common Swift, Peach Blossom is just a small selection of moths that had arrived when we left at 1am

Redacre Allotments

14	Hepialus humuli	Ghost Moth	1
994	Clepsis consimilana		2
1076	Celypha lacunana		2
1083	Hedya nubiferana	Marbled Orchard Tortrix	3
1175	Epiblema uddmanniana	Bramble Shoot Moth	1
1293	Chrysoteuchia culmella	Garden Grass-veneer	5
1304	Agriphila straminella		5
1331	Acentria ephemerella	Water Veneer	1
1334	Scoparia ambigualis		1
1376	Eurrhypara hortulata	Small Magpie	15
1378	Phlyctaenia coronata		1
1513	Pterophorus pentadactyla	White Plume Moth	2
1524	Emmelina monodactyla		4
1550	Pieris rapae	Small White	1
1666	Geometra papilionaria	Large Emerald	1
1669	Hemithea aestivaria	Common Emerald	1
1682	Timandra comae	Blood-vein	1
1702	Idaea biselata	Small Fan-footed Wave	2
1708	Idaea dimidiata	Single-dotted Wave	2
1713	Idaea aversata	Riband Wave	6
1728	Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet	1
1738	Epirrhoe alternata	Common Carpet	1
1754	Eulithis prunata	Phoenix	2
1758	Eulithis pyraliata	Barred Straw	1
1776	Colostygia pectinataria	Green Carpet	1
1777	Hydriomena furcata	July Highflyer	2
1802	Perizoma affinitata	Rivulet	1
1817	Eupithecia pulchellata	Foxglove Pug	1
1832	Eupithecia assimilata	Currant Pug	1
1837	Eupithecia subfuscata	Grey Pug	1
1860	Pasiphila rectangulata	Green Pug	1
1931	Biston betularia	Peppered Moth	1
1937	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	2
1941	Alcis repandata	Mottled Beauty	1
1956	Cabera exanthemata	Common Wave	1
1961	Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald	2
1981	Laothoe populi	Poplar Hawk-moth	1
1997	Furcula furcula	Sallow Kitten	1
2089	Agrotis exclamationis	Heart and Dart	5
2098	Axylia putris	Flame	4
2102	Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	10
2118	Lycophotia porphyrea	True Lover's Knot	2
2120	Diarsia mendica	Ingrailed Clay	2
2122	Diarsia brunnea	Purple Clay	1
2160	Lacanobia oleracea	Bright-line Brown-eye	3
2198	Mythimna impura	Smoky Wainscot	1
2199	Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	1
2205	Mythimna comma	Shoulder-striped Wainscot	1
2280	Acronicta leporina	Miller	2
2321	Apamea monoglypha	Dark Arches	3
2326	Apamea crenata	Clouded-bordered Brindle	3
2330	Apamea remissa	Dusky Brocade	2
2337x	Oligia strigilis agg.	Marbled Minor agg.	8
2340	Oligia fasciuncula	Middle-barred Minor	4
2381	Hoplodrina alsines	Uncertain	1
2381	Hoplodrina alsines	Uncertain	1
2434	Diachrysia chrysitis	Burnished Brass	3
2441	Autographa gamma	Silver Y	1
2449	Abrostola triplasia	Dark Spectacle	1
2474	Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	1
2477	Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	20
2489	Zanclognatha tarsipennalis	Fan-foot	2

Update....

Nothing too fantastic in the trap at the moment but 6 Elephant Hawkmoths was interesting (5 pictured)...Plenty of Peppered Moths , Bright line Brown eyes , CBB , Poplar Hawks Freyer's Pug Spectacle , Flame , Heart and Dart (a very good year) Beautiful Golden Y .. ..Plenty Silver Y and a few Diamond backed Moths...

Ghost Moth Lek last night saw up to 30 males  displaying

A Wood Tiger reported today at Cragg Vale (thanks Winston)

Has any one seen a COMMA or Holly Blue  in June...
So far there were more butterflies in MAy than June.!!!!
Ringlets , Gatekeeper , Small Skippers , Purple and White letter Hairstreaks  should all be out soon....

Red Admirals have been seen in good numbers this week.........

Ghost Moth

The first displaying Ghost Moths at Northowram , about 10 males and 2 females were observed at 22.14 ....
On the 6th at 22.15 there were 21 males and 1 female..

Lee Mount - 9th July

Sycamore again. I found it resting on the house pebble dashing mid afternoon but it had gone this morning.
Not sure if it's the same moth as earlier in the month on 2nd/3rd though I have photos to compare when I can get around to it.

Also a long list of moths on 9th, including......
Ghost Moth female x 1
Northern Spinach x 1
Poplar Grey x 1
July Highflyer x1
Phoenix x 1
Small Fan-footed Wave x 2
Ysolopha sequella x 1

MId Summer Widdop Reservoir Fri 22 June 2018

Weather Daytime Warm 18 - 20o with rapid drop in temp after sunset coupled with North Westerly breeze blowing down the Valley cool to chilly later in the evening Open Skies and Mid Summer Long Day. 3 Present AC CD CS

Habitat   Widdop Reservoir is less than 10 miles to the north west of Hebden Bridge in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. Nestled in Widdop Valley and surrounded by dramatic rocky crags and exposed open moorland

Counts

As always Andy endeavoured to quantify the nights counts and has added the numbers as follows

Snout x 2
Clouded bordered brindle x 6
Flame Shoulder x 10
Green Carpet x 3
Buff Ermine x 2
Middle barred Minor x 2
True lover knot x 3
Angle Shades x 2
Lempkes / gold Spot x1
Silver Y x 1
Beautiful Golden Y x 2
Ghost Moth x 1 (female)
Silver ground Carpet x 1
Purple Bar x 1
Dusky brocade x 3

Sunset 22 June 2018

Other Entomology Hoverfly Larvae on Nettle Epistrophe sp



Ammend suggestion by RB Hebrew Character /  Grey Chi

Predominant species Flame Shoulder . Images to follow

2442 Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina ABH 73.016






0014 Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli ABH 3.005

1294 Inlaid Grass Veneer  Crambus pascuella ABH 63.081

 TBC  1338 Eudonia ( lacustria)   ABH 63.067 below




Snout x 2
Clouded bordered brindle x 6
Flame Shoulder x 10
Green Carpet x 3
Buff Ermine x 2
Middle barred Minor x 2
True lover knot x 3
Angle Shades x 2
Lempkes / gold Spot x1
Silver Y x 1
Beautiful Golden Y x 2
Ghost Moth x 1 (female)
Silver ground Carpet x 1
Purple Bar x 1
Dusky brocade x 3

Lee Mount - 7th and 8th July

4 photos from the trap this morning plus another from 7th.
Not had time to go through all the notes and photos yet but these are the 'special ones' -  for me anyway !

 Ghost Moth (1 of 2 females)

 Gothic

 

 Varied Coronete (c13mm)

I'm pretty sure that's what it is after my first here last year on 27th June 2016 and later confirmed by CF

 

 Smoky Wainscot I think though I'm not all that familiar with this group

 

 

From 7th July - July Highflyer

Dance of the Ghost Moth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZpVDBbYmOo&t=31s

Lee Mount - Monday 1st August

13c, light cloud and no wind and 2 new ones to confirm
Single-dotted Wave x 1
White Satin Moth x 1
Common Rustic agg - photo to check
Knot Grass x 1 - photo to check
Phoenix x 1
Large Yellow Underwing x 14
Swallowtail x 1
Dark Arches x 2
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x 1
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x 1
Willow Beauty x 3
Dunbar x 4
Brimstone Moth x 1
Least Yellow Underwing x 1
Mother of Pearl x 1
Riband Wave x 3
Shuttle-shaped Dart x 1
Bird-cherry Ermine x 2
unidentified Pug x 1
Marbled Minor agg x 1
Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix x 4

 unidentified Pug

 

 Common Rustic agg ?? - maybe

 

 

 Knot Grass ?? thought at first Marbled Beauty but it was larger

 

 

 Phoenix

 

 

 Single-dotted Wave (I think - a new one !)

 

 

 White Satin

White Satin

Thought at first I was looking at a Ghost Moth as never seen one of these before - a fantastic looking moth which was a real surprise !

Ghost Moths on the BBC

Well done to Steve Cummings last night one of the stars of the One show  .You can skip to the Ghost Moth bit about half way through...






http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b068z9xs/the-one-show-10092015

More Help !!

Ghost Moth (female)

This was a special moth for me last night, just a shame I couldn't get it fully in focus

 Northern Spinach ?

Upturned abdomen but it doesn't seem to quite fit the book description !

Dont know what these 2 are ?

Ghost Moth..............................

Had a few leking males and a few females at Northowram last night , but it was cool and windy. Tonight in Bradford we saw between 750 and 1000 males a beautiful sight. 10 to 15 pairs in cop and the first time Ive seen a female choose a male in a lek....if any one fancies seeing this site there is a public event there next Saturday night.....

RFI Ghost Moth records

Hi guys, I am trying to collate any info regarding local (West Yorks.) Ghost Moth populations and would welcome any info regarding dates, locations and numbers. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Last two nights.

Been out with a head torch and net for the last couple of nights and can recommend any one giving it a go.Head torch's are about £9.00 and a net £10..
Cromwell Bottom
Gothic   1
Blue Bordered carpet 1
Yellow Shell                 12
Ghost Moth (female)    1
Shaded Broad Bar       30 +
Straw dot                      13
Slender brindle             1
Purple clay                    1
Swallow Tailed moth    1
Common Wainscot       15
Smoky Wainscot            5

Northowram
Orange Swift                        1
V - pug                                 2
Pinion streaked snout          1
Snout                                      3
Mother of Pearl                      2
Single dotted Wave                   1
Gonna try langfield/Moorland site next week if anyone fancies joining me............

Recent sightings

A few recent sightings from yesterday Ogden Water LNR Opened the outer door to the classroom to a plethera of moths. 8 Barred straw 1 Antler Moth 1 Ghost moth - male 1 Riband Wave 1 Common Footman Coley Churchyard 4.30pm Small Tortoiseshell Six spot burnet moth Meadow Brown Large White Small Skipper Common red damselfly Cinnabar caterpillars

Historical Note

Last night the 25th May and 28th May  2013,I put the trap on at 9 .55and ran it overnight ,
 I emptied the trap at 5.30 this morning the 26th and 29th May 2013 ,,not one moth................


Ghost Moth update

 

Eggs collected from pair in cop 7th june 2011,started to pupate 15th May 2013.

Heralds

 

14 still present in Bare Head tunnel today..Also the Ghost moth larvae has made it through its second winter , it has been feeding throughout feb and is now back to sam size as in autumn...

 

 

Ghost moth update

It looks like 40mm+ to me,?? most books and  web sites quote 'when fully grown 28 - 32mm.I wonder if this is a female .?
1.Eggs collected from pair in cop 7th june 2011
2.When laid the eggs were white and turned black within 24 hours
3.4th- 21st  Julyeggs hatched
4.larvae start off clear with pale heads soon turning to white with orange heads after 10 days.
5 After 10- 12 days larvae are about 8/10mm
6.larve feed on the roots of young dandilion
7.By late September only 4 larvae left at 20mm
8.The four soon became 2 as we approached late September
9.the 2 stayed deep in the soil until April 2012( still 20mm) when they were observed feeding in new growth dandilion roots
10.21st august 2012 one larvae left at 40mm and feeding well...