Another tunnel,another herald

Barkisland today with SteveB ,an old mine shaft aprox 75m long.Only found one Hearald but a closer look may produce more.

RE..Tissue and heralds

Herald moths go into caves, tunnels, old mines and old buildings to hibernate and only in exceptional cases i.e. very cold snaps, will they move further into the cave. Tissues on the other hand do not hibernate but go into periods of torpor for a week or two but are active all winter. Heralds in a way are similar to bats and often are covered in condensation droplets; this will stop the body from dehydrating. I have been working on these two species for 10 years now and have picked up all sorts of things and am trying to write it all up so will keep you in touch. You ask if the Tissues feed and am currently working on this by analysing the condensation water in caves looking for carbon in the form of sugars and also the bacteria on the cave walls but it is a very slow job. If you send me an address I will send you a paper I did for a field day a couple of years ago if you like. I also think food plants may be other species as well as what is written in books, I have yet to find a caterpillar. Best wishes David. .....................
Many thanks to David hodson for this info

Bare head tunnel

Had another look in Bare Head tunnel today with Steve B and Charlie but no Tissue could be found.There were at least 14 heralds and i will be having another look over the weekend. The best thing about this record is it shows species recorded 100 years ago are still around if you look hard enough.There is still hope of finding Northern rustic and Brindled Ochre

First moth of the year a Tissue....(no I havnt got a cold)

Brilliant a first for calderdale since the early part of last century and a rare resident of Yorkshire.ive been looking for once since 2010 when i found the Heralds in Bare Head Tunnel.I found 12 Heralds today and a Tissue.If you click on the pics and view it gives a lot better quality.Well chuffed with this find ,The Tissue over winters as an adult in caves and tunnels ,and in some parts of the dales upto 200 can be found in caves,but this is the first local record that i know of for a long time...

227 Monopis laevigella,Skin Moth 12 01 13

I collected about 8 Owl Pellets last October which were kept in cold cellar,and on 12 01 13 at least 25 of these Skin Moths emerged,which usually emerge from March,maybe the mild temperatures have brought them on a bit ! Bri. Heres a pic of Pupal Case after Moths emergance.regards Bri.

Another Skin Moth emerged 22 01 13,thats 26 from 8 Owl Pellets,il keep the Pellets see if anything else emerges later on .Bri

Monday Night in Hebden Bridge

Had the Skinner trap on for a few nights during the milder spell which sadly seems to have passed. Tuesday 7th saw two visitors. 1) The Satellite Eupsilia transversa and 2) Pale Brindled Beauty (male) Phigalia pilosaria , this one being the melanic form f. monacharia

Moth Whispering

Viewers of the Lord of The Rings trillogy of films and the recent Hobbit, may have seen the amazing 'moth whispering' abilities of the wizard, Gandalf. He uses his powers to send a message of help to the eagles via a moth. I have been trying to id this moth and a strong contender is the Emperor Gum Moth Opodipthera eucalypti . A New Zealand species (Where the filming was done). See pics of the moth on Gandalf's hand and the Gum Moth. Happy new year and Happy hunting in this mild spell (nothing here yet) Winston (Hebden Bridge)

Angle shades

Found this on the outside wall this morning,looking very fresh.
Happy new year to all blogg readers..................

christmas trapping

Have a great christmas everyone on this site. Had the trap out on 2 mild and dry nights during the last week. total visitors - 1 x winter moth :-( Looking forward to getting out in the spring. Winston x

Window Winter Moth

This appeared at the window last night,along with a white Shouldered House moth.

A Beaut on the window

Found this little beauty on the window last night...

Cold as ice

Found this on a pub windowsill at cragg vale on friday  temp was - 1 degrees.

Management plans

I am currently updating and writing the management plans for a number of sites around central, north & eastern Calderdale. As part of this I need to put the species lists in. If anyone has any lists of species seen in any of the following sites then I would really appreciate them emailing to me. chris.sutcliffe@calderdale.gov.uk Site I need records for are:- Ogden Water Cunnary Wood/Beacon Hill Shelf Hall Woods/Sun Woods Beechwood Park Scarr & Long Woods Brackenbeds/Snake Hill Cheers Chris

Scarlet Caterpillarclub

Cordyceps militaris from the Calderdale Fungi blog. I found it at Saville Park in a private garden this week and Michael Sykes of Halifax Scientific Society identified it.

          It grows on the body of a dead larva or pupa, the mycelium replacing the insides of the insect.

Heralds

Had a look in Bare Head Tunnel today and found 7 roosting Heralds,camera and torch were out of power as soon as I got there(dohh)so this is an old photo.Could have been more so will be going back with a decent light again soon,had 4 Spruce Carpets around the outside light last week .Anyone fancy a look give me a bell....

North Yorkshire

My appologies for posting something outside Calderdale here but took a trip to Stape over the weekend on the North Yorkshire Moors. Friday night brought the following to a kitchen window 2 x December Moth (see pic) 1 x Agonopterix arenella 2 x Winter Moth 1 x Mottled Umber (see pic of moth with v dark cross bands) Winston

Sexton Beetle

Hi All, Found this Nicrophorus investigator up on a reservoir wall up above Haworth yesterday. Winston

call for records

Any records for this year will be put into mapmate and sent to the YNU etc.
Thanks Andy

On the allotment.

 

At barely 4mm long this Firethorn Leaf Miner just fitted in to my camera’s field of view as used with the microscope at 20x. It was a awaiting its fate in a spider's web and resembled a small grass seed husk to the naked eye. 

Friday ,19,Oct.2012

A male Common Darter was a good find for up here today along with 3 Small tortoiseshell nectaring on lavendar and a Winter moth type flying in the sunshine .In the trap last night 1 Mottled Umber ,3 Blairs Shoulder Knot,2 Common Marbled Carpet,1 Black rustic,1 November Moth agg,Light Brown Apple Moth,White shouldered House Moth , Spruce and Red green Carpet.

last of the Butterflies

This may well be the last of the butterflies this year, 2 red Admiral,2 small Tortosieshell and a Specled wood in the garden on Sunday,the moths have been hard to find but 2 silver Y's nectaring on lavendar,1 Red Green carpet behind the greenhouse,1 Blairs shoulder Knot to the back light and 2 White shouldered House moth in the garage.The last of the Large yellow Underwings,Lunar Underwing and Light Brown Apple moth in the trap.

Mouth watering stuff!

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3460

How the other half live!

Epermenia chaerophyllella.

I had a couple of these emerge today from larvae found feeding on the underside of a Hogweed leaf in North Dean last month. Nice to see a leaf miner from a different family once in a while.

Broom Moth Larva on Hard Fern

Found this Broom Moth Larva feeding on Hard Fern Blechnum spicant. and though a common Moth species, and its Larva are found feeding on various plants,this ones  the first i have seen feeding on Hard Fern.

Rain

It started raining in Northowram on Sunday 23rd at 18.30 GMT on Wednesday 26th at 18.00 GMT its still raining ,it has'nt stopped at all in  that time.For the last 5 years Ive run my trap every night in september so this rain was'nt going to stop me so I have put it in the greenhouse with all the doors and windaws open for the last 3 nights.(pic above)
amazingly there have been moths out there...
Pink Barred sallow  5
Light Brown apple Moth  1
Black rustic   5
Silver Y  1
Large Yellow Underwing  1
Angle Shades     1
Common Marbled Marpet  3
The Silver Y was most unexpected....,,....

Spider prey

Sunday Night Craggs

Meeting on sunday night at 7 ish top car park.Weather permitting,all welcome..Bri and Andy

Phyllonorycter platanoidella Mines 20 09 2012

Found 3 Phyllonorycter platanoidella Mines on a smallish Norway Maple Tree at Todmorden station,underside of mine top, upperside lower pics,same trees ive noticed them before and where previously this Adult emerged from the above Mine,regards Bri.

More Caterpillars

Noticed this Green Silver-lines  Larva ,top,on a Elder Tree it wasnt feeding probably looking for a place to Pupate,while this Elephant Hawk Larva was feeding in earnest on Rosebay Willowherb nearby.

More Copper Underwing agg

Hardcastle Craggs

Meeting tonight at 8ish all welcome......
Great to see Marion and Cheryl and the weather was not bad for us.
Common marbled Carpetr  17
Dark Marbled Carpet            2
Dark arches                           2
Copper underwing agg          2
Spruce carpet                         2
Large YU                              7
Common Carpet                    1
Autumnal   Rustic                 3
Dunbar                                   3
Pine Carpet                             3
Devon carpet                           1
Straw Dot                                1
Lesser YU..                              3
BBYunderwing                       1
Eudonia   mer                         15
The Highlights were 3 Pine Carpets and a freshly emerged Devon Carpet.also not seen Dunbar this late before,next time we should be getting some November aggs to sort through.
Bri and andy

Copper Underwing agg ??

Still struggle with these two......

Pine carpet

Another cracking night last night,with this pine Carpet the pic of the bunch.Only the 4 th local record and the first away from its stronghold in hardcastle Craggs.A beautiful Red underwing also.

Early September

A real start to September with sun and a couple of cloudy nights.Has produced 50 species in the garden,Nettle Tap , Udea lutealis,brown and White shouldered house moth,Garden carpet,agriphila tristella,marbled Beauty and Acleris literana have been netted around the house.
 ,Orange Sallow,Orange Swift, Centre Barred Sallow(pics above) Sallow, Canary Shouldered Thorn,Black Rustic,Autumnal Rustic and Rosy Rustic  have given the week an autumnal feeling .Yellow shell,Campion, Small Phoneix, Brimstone and riband waves are the last of the summer moths.
  The new micro book has been an excellent aid in identifying the micros especially  Epinotia nisella ,ramella and  Gracillaria syringella. (caloptilia).

Well worth a look......

http://charlielepidopteraofcalderdale.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/adult-micros.html

White-letter Hairstreak

A quite ragged looking White-letter Hairstreak spotted on the canal towpath in Hebden Bridge Today, Never seen one in Hebden before. Alas no camera. Win

Iron Prominent Pupating

Found this Iron Prominent Larva, making its silken cocoon on the underside of an Alder leaf,quite a spectacular Caterpillar,the swirling gale force wind made it difficult to get a decent image,regards Bri.

Acleris literana

Netted this in the garden last night an Acleris literana quite a under recorded moth in yorkshire.The photo has'nt picked up the colour which is like a fresh V-pug,green and black.38 species so far in the trap and 3 species netted around the house .Holly Blue,speckled wood,Large white and Red Admiral seen yesterday in Northowram.