Midgley last night

We think two of these are Early Greys but the other one??? A Drab of some kind or a dark Quaker type?

Also had a single Hebrew Character in addition to these.

Last nights moths

i was'nt expecting much with the cold night and clear skies but turned out to be one of my best in March
Pale Pinion x1
Small quaker x1
Early Grey x1
Mottled Grey x1
Common quaker x5
Hebrew Character x 7
Clouded Drab x2
Chestnut x2
satellite x1

Mystery Moth

Hi all, can anyone help me with the id of this one from last summer. I am struggling between Small Square-spot and Ingrailed Clay. If you think you can please say why you have made your choice. Many thanks, Win

Chestnut?

Not a brilliant photo but caught last night along with a single Hebrew Character

1055 Acleris hyemana

.I found this today out by the trap in the back garden and it shows some characteristics of A.hyemana any comments would be appreciated

Field Trip 1 and news from tod

Brian reports finding two 726.Metzneria metzneriella lavae on common knapweed seedheads and 2 larvae on hogweed which he has yet to id(will keep you posted).
Common & Small quakers , Early Greys and Hebrew Characters in trap.
Also planning running the trap at Gorpley Clough on Friday evening if anyone wants to join us.(target Oak Beauty,+ Small brindled Beauty)

Its getting more difficult!

Nothing in the trap last night but found this dead nearby, not sure what this is but think its a Yellow Horned?

This weeks moths in Hebden

9th-15th March inclusive

Pale Brindled Beauty 3
Oak Beauty 9
Small Quaker 1
Common Quaker 9
Yellow Horned 4
Chestnut 4
Agonopterix sp 1
Twin-Spot Quaker 1
Hebrew Character 2
March Moth 2

Winston

Last nights moths

Clouded Drab,a selection of Common Quaker and a couple of Hebrew Character ,Emmelina monodactyla, at Northowram.Early Grey,Common Quaker and Red Sword Grass at Todmordenand 4 Mottled Grey resting on billberry near the trap(BL)

Midgley GMS

Just three moths last night, a Common Quaker, Red Green Carpet (another belter) and Hebrew Character

Last nights moths

5 Common Quaker,3 Hebrew Character,1 March moth and a Clouded Drab.

Lancashire & Cheshire Ent. Soc. Annual Exhibition

Hi all

You might wish to attend this event even though its outside our area. I have been a member of the society for a few years now as many of the moffers I have taken field trips with or advice from are members and attend this event. If you come along you are sure of a warm welcome and will meet people like Ben Smart who brings his vast collection of larval images, Ian Smith, Steve Hinds and Ian Kimber of UK Moths fame. The exhibition is held in a modern hall (unlike the YNU event which is in a draughty old church hall) with plenty of facilities for drinks and food. Its dead easy to get to in Frodsham which is only a good hours drive from Calderdale on the motorway. Sue and I will be running a large well stocked book stal on the day. The blurb below is from another excellant moffer, Shane Farrel, who organises the event each year. Hope to see you all at the event.

The Lancashire & Cheshire Ent. Soc. annual Exhibition is on SATURDAY 4thApril 2009 from 11.00 am until 4.00 pm (Open 10.00 am for exhibitors to setup) at FRODSHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE Fluin Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire WA67QN (01928) 732222, SJ521777.

If you attend please help to make this event successful by bringing along anexhibit for others to enjoy. This can include anything and should hopefully interest others and promote discussion of insects and related orders. Field equipment, photographic apparatus, display boards, computer demonstrations,record files, larval rearing items, livestock, study equipment, books,photographs, videos and specimens, including unidentified species, are some possibilities. Other organisations will be welcome to attend and arrange a display - please contact the organiser. There will be an L&CES table attended throughout the day to assist new and existing members if required or speak with any of the society officials – ask anyone and they will direct you. Entrance is free and all are welcome. Light refreshments will be available all day for a small fee.Our regular book sellers Paul and Sue of Pennine Books will also be attending again and will have a wide range of Natural History books.You are requested to contact Paul or view the catalogue or website and inform him of your requirements before the exhibition if you wish to ensurethe items you want to inspect or buy are brought along.Bryan Formstone will be providing a talk on some of the beetles found in North Wales and continuing the Coleopterous theme, Jeff Clarke will be speaking on the new recording scheme in Cheshire for those attractive beetles, the Ladybirds. Thanks very much to both for agreeing to provide a talk. I will welcome approaches from other speakers willing to providestalks at future events.
We have again hired the large hall and the small hall where the talks will take place. If you exhibited last year, we hope you will do so again thisyear. If you did not, please consider bringing along something. Pleaseencourage interested non-members to come along. It will be greatlyappreciated if you can pre-book a display table but if not come on spec aswe’ll always fit you in!

Midgley

We think this is an Oak Beauty? Whatever it is its a cracking moth, came to the actinic overnight.

Last Night in Hebden (11th March)

Best catch of the year last night –

Oak Beauty 1
Pale Brindled Beauty 1
Common Quaker 1 (First for year)
Small Quaker 1 (First for year)
Yellow Horned 1 (First Ever)
Chestnut 3

Agonopterix heracliana 1

Yellow (or orange) Horned was exciting. First one of these for me. I know this micro is prob Agonopterix heracliana but never really looked into this species before. UK Moths mentiones that A. ciliella is similar but has five brownish lines in the cilia. I must confess to not being able to see these in the photos on there so bit confused. Marks at the base of the wing, yes (in both species) but not in the cilia? Can we say my photo is def. Heracliana. Any advice?

Winston

Sugaring at Cromwell Bottom(Sat eve)Cancelled

Due to work I have to cancell this.
Sugaring at Cromwell Bottom(Sat eve)
I am planning a trip to Cromwell Bottom on Sat evening about 6 - 8ish as Ive been sugaring a few trees this week and Sat is the only day I will be able to cheque them.If anyone wants to join me? meet at 6 by the feeding station car park.Weather looks terrible,but hey - ho(remember last time at Gorpley).: )

Calderdale Species List

I have an upto date list of species recorded in Calderdale since 1999,Its Micro,Macro,pyralids and Butterflies.I am sure it is not complete but its pretty comprehensive if anyone would like a copy please leave a comment below.

We seem to have a few Problems.??

Hi all,Blogg seems to be playing up at the moment hopefully sort it out soon.??
Many thanks to everyone who has sent in records recently Paul T, Winston and Nick D we are up to 33,000 records so many thanks again.

Birds nests anyone?

The Calderdale Bird Conservation Group have cleaned out the 40+ nestboxes in Hardcastle Crags today, there was a very high occupancy rate and we have removed all used nests. In the past we passed these on to Paul Talbot for him to study the contents, apparently there are moths that use nests and if I remember correctly some interesting records came from these. Is there anyone currently in the area that might be interested in these nests? I have them all individually bagged up for anyone that wants them.

Last Night in Hebden

Chestnut x 4 (with this particularly rich coloured specimen)

March Moth x 1

Winston (My GMS Night is on Sun Though)

Last nights moths(first night of GMS)

Satellite and Chestnut at Sugar Cromwell Bottom and Hebrew Character,Mottled Grey and Chestnut at light in Todmorden.(BL)What happened to the Eriocrania.??

What is this??

I found this critter in Beechwood Park last week. It was unfortunately dead at the bottom of a recently dug drainage ditch. I'm not sure whether it is a caterpillar or a beetle larva, so thought I would invite opinions.

It was about an inch and a half long and a bit thicker than a pencil. Any info would be gratefully received.

Chris

Confirmation

Confirmation has just come through that Harry has accepted my(CS) P.filicovora record, which is a first for Yorkshire. I went back to the site where I found it and collected several more leaves/plants showing promising signs and will try to rear through anything inside........... Well done to Charlie on this and thanks to Paul for his tips and advice, just goes to show that new species to our area and Yorkshire are continually being found.

Last Night in Hebden (1st March)

Apropriately enough, Just one March Moth. Managed to get a slightly different angle in the photo of this little chap. Winston

Last Night in Hebden

Last night there were three visitors. One Spring Usher, one March Moth and this Satellite (You can just see the orange stigmata in the background).

Midgley last night

Three moths up here last night, I reckon I can ID two of them, Dotted Border and Common Quaker (?) but the top one is puzzling me, can anyone help please? I'm not sure of the best way to approach ID, at the moment we're just flicking through the book hoping to latch onto something that looks right, is there a book that illustrates them in flight season order? just when you think you might have an ID you discover its flight period isn't until October or something!

Get your traps on.

Had the mv light trap on for the first time in Northowram last night and caught this Common Quaker(above).At sugar I had 7 Satellites and 1 Chestnut.

Tuesday Night

Hi all, On tuesday night A very nice Oak beauty came to the Skinner trap. Winston

Psychoides verhuella

Hi all

I just bagged this species (new lifer for me) here on the Llyn Peninsular this week and its probably around now in Calderdale as well.You need to look on Hartstongue fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium ) on the sporangia under the leaves. It makes distinctive cases from the old sporangia and its possible to see the larva feeding head first in the mine it makes. You need to look on the older leaves that have gone brown. Its just a case of truning over leaves until you spot it. If you find it the larva has a black head and anal plate. If the head plate is light brown its a related species called 200 Psychoides filicivora

I seem to remember that there is a large area of this fern on the path up from the main road to Underbank near Jumble Hole clough. Its the track Sue and I took you on last year Andy. It will be a good record as I never really looked for it in Calderdale, so new record awaits someone.

Mystery Micro

Hi all, is this little moth a rather rolled up Tortricodes alternella?

Winston

False Dawn

After last weeks excitement the last three nights have produced zero moths! However there is a March moth near the trap tonight, photos to follow hopefully.

Actually not such a false dawn after all, 1 Chestnut, 1 Pale brindled beauty and 1 more March moth arrived!

Winston

Grass Tip for Charly

391 Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella

I searched the old last years flowering stems of cock's foot (Dactylis glomerata), up the lane from the caravan today and found several showing the chracteristic holes in the stem (see photo) which is made by the larva before it pupates to facilitate its emergence as an adult later in the year. I find the holes are usually between 4 and 12 inches from the top of the stem. If you are not sure of the grass; its the big clumps you see with large dead stems emerging from the center, see top photo. I found this species in Calderdale but usually in a sheltered spot, not if the plant was in an exposed situation. If you want to rear them through; just stick some occupied stalks (they should all be pupa by now) into some florists dry oasis and pop them into a plastic jar (Dobsons sweet shop in Elland will give you as many as you want) and pop some old tights or pop sock over the top and the adults should emerge around May/June.

Ivy Tip

1002 Lozotaenia forsterana
I found a couple of occupied leaves on Ivy (Hedera) this morning here in N.Wales containing larva of this species. Its a species I have looked for in the past in Yorkshire in its larval stage but never found until today here in Wales. Lots of the older leaves on the plants I searched had old feeding signs so I assume the larva moves from leaf to leaf whilst feeding. The only occupied leaves I found were on the newer green growth. I also found some spun together leaves which I think have E.postvittana larva in them. Much more detail of L.forsterana can be seen on Ian Kimbers UK Moths website at http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=489 Lots of detailed images by Ben Smart appear showing the full larval stages and the adult.

PHOTO Curtesy of Ben Smart

Is it too early?

to start running the Actinic trap?

Spring ushers in !

My First Ever Spring ushers arrived last night. One dark specimen and one light together with 3 Pale Brindled beauties.

Ivy Blisters

found these blisters on ivy plants in Hebden, are these leaf mines and if so can the miner be identified? or are they a caused by something else?

Winston

Bradford Botany Group

For those of you of a botanical nature, I’ve attached the summer programme of the Bradford Botany Group. They are a great bunch and although very learned they are very friendly. They are visiting a couple of places in Calderdale this year (Crow Nest quarry, Hipperholme (with Halifax Scientific Society) and Clifton Lagoons) and some close by. It’s a good way to see visit interesting reserves and see rare and unusual plants with a nice bunch of people. So do come along if you can. No previous experience required.... great if you are a beginner like me!eddie Jolly(BAP co-ordinator)
CROW NEST QUARRY, HALIFAX Sun, 14th June2:00 pm
Joint visit with the Halifax Scientific Society. The in-filled quarry has a variety of soil types and a diverse flora including good numbers of bee orchid. We aim to produce a complete species list for the site, since it is under threat from development.Leaders: Edie Jolley and Andrew Kafel
SE 132 248From Hipperholme crossroads (SE 124 255), take the A644 SE towards Brighouse. After 1.5 km, turn left just after the Dusty Miller pub, then left again into Spout House Lane. After 400m, the road bends left and turns into St Giles Lane. Take the small lane on the right leading to the football ground car park Wed,
QUEENSBURY TRIANGLE ,15th July 6:45 pm Partly landscaped former railway station and goods yard. Several local and interesting species including wood vetch, northern dock and possibly dittander. Easy walking.Leader: Jesse Tregale SE 107 309 Take the A647 out of Bradford towards Queensbury. About 100 metres before the main crossroads turn right into Station Road at SE104 303. This is a tarmac road, but very rough in places. Park at the end (approx. 500m) by the roadside at the above GR. Wed, 29th July6:45 pm

CLIFTON LAGOONThis area forms part of the Calder flood plain and incorporates a small lake. Plants of interest include pepper-saxifrage, rough hawkbit and, reputedly, lesser bulrush. There are many planted trees on the periphery of the site.Leader: Andrew Kafel
SE 167 221 From M62 junction 25 (Clifton, M62/A644), take the A644 east towards Mirfield and, after just 200 metres, park in the lay-by on either side of the road. The entrance to the site is on the south side of the road.

Guyanan interlude

Hi all, A friend of mine has gone to live on the edge of a rainforest in Guyana for a few years! He lived in Hebden and Calderdale for some time and has sent back this pic taken last week just to make us jealous of the tropical conditions out there. I believe it is a Female Monarch. Roll on summer, Winston

Excellent Book

I can highly recomend this book on British and Irish Butterflies,packed full of information on where to see all the British species of butterfly.

Lepidoptera Apprentice /job anyone.?

BTCV Natural Talent Lepidoptera Apprentice
Organisation: BTCV Scotland
Salary: £12,568
Location: Edinburgh and RSPB Insh Marshes
Position Type: Paid/Fixed Term Contract
Part/Full Time: Full Time
Closing Date: 09 Feb 09
Website: www.btcv.org/naturaltalent
Contact: Tricia Burden
Contact Telephone: 01786 479697
Contact Email: Scotland@btcv.org.uk


Details:
The Lepidoptera apprenticeship will cover the ecology, distribution and conservation of Moths. The apprentice will gain skills in identifying and recording Moths as well as techniques used for surveying and sampling. They will also learn preservation and curation techniques, working closely with Museums throughout Scotland on storage of historical material and voucher specimens.

As part of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will work alongside other Moth experts and with Conservation organisations such as RSPB and Butterfly Conservation to survey for and record LBAP and UKBAP species.
The apprentice will have the opportunity to work with other major collections of Lepidoptera in Scotland culminating in the writing of a report on an aspect of Lepidoptera conservation.

The Apprenticeship comes with a salary of £12,568 per annum, a training budget, equipment budget and travel budget. Anyone can apply for this post. You don’t need qualifications to apply, there are no age restrictions either; all we ask is that you have a passion for conserving our Natural Heritage and the drive, commitment and determination to complete this apprenticeship to a very high standard.

RECORDS

Many thanks to everyone who has sent in records,I now have filed 24,000 records of moths in Calderdale from 1999 to present If anyone has any records past or present still to send in please do.Cheers and lets hope for a warm and long spring/summer and autumn.

1st Caterpillar 2009

Found an Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar while digging out pathways at Beechwood Park. It could be a good site to try some moth trapping on later in the year.

First Arrival of 2009

After a few no shows with the Skinner trap so far in 2009, This fine Pale Brindled Beauty (melanic form) arrived overnight. The game's afoot. Winston

Hints and Tips

Hi all
As some of you know I run the UK micros yahoo forum and I used to post a regular feature called Moth of the Moment (MOM) every week or so giving hints and tips on topical species people may wish to look for. Most of the tips are sent into me by others and I simply pass them on as and when its a topical species. Last year with my house move etc I dropped this as I simply did not have the time. I am now starting this up again on UK Micros so if you want a few hints and tips, mainly on larvea hunting and mainly micros look on the UK micromoths forum or if Andy wishes I could cut and paste them here as well ?

Larvae hunting

Brian Leesey found 7 Anomalous and 6 Autumnal Rustic larvae at langfield edge last night before the bad weather forced him off the moor.

YNU Lepidoptera Group Meeting

Sunday 8th March 2009
YNU Lepidoptera Group Meeting
Bramham Village Hall
Grid Ref: SE427430
Event Contact: Terry Crawford
10:30 for 11:00 meeting will close by 16:00
The annual meeting of the YNU Lepidoptera Group,If any body fancys going please leave a commont below

No Show

Hi all, Had the trap out last night and night before but nothing I'm afraid for 2009 as yet
Winston

Brown House Moth...Hofmannophila pseudospretella

This was flying round the kitchen today.

Leaf Mines

Hi all
Rob Edmunds has just let me know that himself, Willelm Nellis and with help from Brian Pitkin are about to write an Aidgap key to leafmines. Some prelims will be sent out to field test before the final draft. Anyone interested in taking part in this ?

We have a thaw underway here in Edern after 15 days or so frozen solid. I might try out the MV in the garden tonight if the thaw continues.

New Book

The new book on Moths and Butterflies by Manley is superb. You not only get all the macro moths and butterflies photographed, you also get a load of micros and caterpillars. I only wish the book had been around when I first started.

Why not in Yorkshire ?

Hi all
Just thought I would send you this link which helps moffers here in North wales. It would be nice if you guys eventually got something similar for Yorkshire. Look out for my few records appearing later this year I hope.

http://www.trawsgoed.com/

First Moth today

1 Mompha subbistrigella found resting on a dead oak tree in the local wood .It was very small indeed and difficult to photo.

Caterpillar ID

Hi Chris
As Derek suggested the larva is likely to be Brimstone moth. I was not 100% sure as I have never seen this species in the larval form before. I sent your image to Reg Fry and he comfirms it is indeed likely to be Brimstone. Try to rear through if you can and then Andy will have confirmed breeding at CB. I have always assumed it did breed at CB but its nice to have confirmation.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda from Sue and Paul

Happy New year

Minus 5 and Snow in Northowram last night,,,,,no Moths ...but a Happy New Year to you all.