Angle Shades Caterpillar - Phlogophora meticulosa

I opened the front door this morning and found a handsome Angle Shades caterpillar - Phlogophora meticulosa on the path. At least I'm fairly sure it is. I've only seen the dark brown variety in our garden before. As I've mentioned before, I have restricted mobility at the moment, I was unable to bend down, or lay on the path. I had to sit on a buffet and take shots from there. They are all a bit soft focus sorry.

It seemed to be eating the dead leaves. I didn't want to disturb it by removing them and watch it curl up. I could have waited until it uncurled, but wasn't really full awake at the time, so that was an after thought. *sigh*

Angle Shades Caterpillar - 

Phlogophora meticulosa

Showing Claspers 

Showing Head

Lee Mount - 3rd April

Another decent evening with 18 moths which included these below - a Satellite and a Double-striped Pug ?

 Satellite

 

 

 Double-striped Pug

 (I think - very small compared with the Brindled Pugs recently)

Butterflys

A few Commas about see Colins post below and one at Cromwell Bottom , A Brimstone also at Cromwell an annual sight these days down there . Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell in Northowram today .A Holly Blue was seen on Kell lane by good friend of the blogg  Pete Smith(thanks Pete).

Twenty-plume Moth and Early Grey

After not seeing any moths for a long time, just after midnight last night, Anne spotted a moth outside our door. I had to use the zoom lens on my FZ72, as I'm not able to climb ladders yet. The shot isn't great, I had to crop it a lot to get it, but it's OK. It was an Early Grey, and a first for me, I'm very pleased. They seem to be the flavour of the month just now looking at the posts in this blog.

Then I saw a Twenty Plume on the inside of the door, I got a reasonable macro shot. It's only the second time I've seen one I think they are so lovely.

In the bathroom I found an White Shouldered House Moth - Endrosis sarcitrella. By the time I'd got the camera, it had hidden somewhere, I didn't find it. Three moths! I suppose the warmer weather is bringing them out.

Twenty-plume -

 Alucita hexadactyla

Xylocampa areola - Early Grey

I'm looking forward to seeing more new-to-me moths this year.

Early grey

Tried the actinic last night and had 2 Early greys and 2 Hebrew Characters

Comma on the Line

Took of on the Bradford side of RH Beck and landed on the other side in Calderdale !!

Lee Mount - 2nd April

3 micros among the other usual suspects

 Could this be Eriocrania subpurpurella

pretty small c 6mm - can just see some purple spots with difficulty

 

 Common Plume

 

Not sure about this one c12mm - seem to be a few possibilities ?

Lee Mount - 30th March

Hectic with moths last night and there were bound to be  a few to struggle with including one or two which seem a bit early (?) !
Common Quaker x 15+
Small Quaker x 2
Hebrew Character x 1
Twin-spotted Quaker x 1 very pale individual
Early Grey x 2
Clouded Drab x 2
Agonopterix heracliana x 1
2 unidentified micros.....
3 Pugs which I am still having a look at - will probably post later to see what anyone thinks of them !


Also, these below for scrutiny?? -photos below
Diurnea flagella  x 1
Ruby Tiger x 1 (maybe a bit early? and showing signs of injury - wonder if this is from scorching on a MV lamp - if it is then a mesh guard is pending as the last thing I want is injuries to the moths !
Bee Moth (early ?) x 1

 Diurnea flagella ?

 

 Ruby Tiger ?

 

Bee Moth ?

 

 

And the 3 different pugs.....all 3 about 10mm wing length which I guess will be either Brindled.. or Double-striped with the top 2 seem to have different wing shapes ?



Lee Mount - 29th March

Early Thorn x 1 (wings tightly closed)
Common Quaker x 6
Early Grey x 1
Clouded Drab x 2

Early Thorn - lower shot is from above

Lee Mount - 28th March

Despite the mist and light drizzle I tried the Synergetic light last night.
Clouded Drab x 1
Early Grey x 1
Common Quaker x 4
Small Quaker x 1
Hope my identification is correct !

 Clouded Drab - a bit squashed up in the egg box !

 

 Common Quaker

 

Early Grey

Orange tip

Had a visit on Saturday afternoon from an orange tip in the garden at Copley. Good to know that spring is on the way.

 Craggs 26th  March 2017


Weather: Warm Spring Sunshine during the day 16-17 o  Still . Sky Dark MV 120 W Robinson
imaging with standard 18 -58 Kit lens
see counts / comments  from Andy Below

4 present.  Thanks to Andy Brian Natalie


Here is some of the imaging

ABH 70.251 BF1930   Oak Beauty Biston strataria
ABH 73.250 BF2189  Twin-spotted Quaker Anorthoa munda
ABH 73.242 BF2188   Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta
ABH 73.249 BF2190   Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica

ABH 70.270 BF1947   The Engrailed Ectropis crepusculari

ABH 65.016 BF1659   Yellow Horned Achlya flavicornis

ABH 73.244 BF2187   Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi
ABH 70.245 BF1663   March Moth Alsophila aesculariaABH          
                      BF 0283x Caloptilia sp   betulicola/elongella
ABH 70.156 BF1852   Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata
ABH 73.250 BF2189   Twin-spotted Quaker Anorthoa munda

ABH 70.251 BF1930   Oak Beauty Biston strataria

ABH 65.016 BF1659   Yellow Horned Achlya flavicornis

ABH 73.244 BF2187   Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

73.249 BF2190  Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica

ABH 70.270 BF1947   The Engrailed Ectropis crepusculari

ABH 70.156 BF1852  Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata

BF 0283 Caloptilia sp  ( betulicola/elongella?)

Notes this specimen has likely overwintered.exact species should be identified from larval food plant and rearing Caution on mixed habitat were gen det may be needed to be absolute

Its a cracker

A good start to the year , with a visit to Hardcastle Craggs ,Many thanks to Bri , Colin and Natalie
Oak Beauty x 5
Yellow horned x 3
March moth   x 1
Chestnut x 4
Common Quaker x 16
Small Quaker x 2
Twin Spot Quaker x 1
Clouded Drab x 11
Engrailed x 1
Brindled Pug x 2
Hebrew Character x 2
Agonoptrix heracliana  x 4
Caloptilia sp  x 1

First Comma

Just seen the first comma in my garden

First Small Tortoiseshell (x2) in the garden at northowram today...

Hardcastle Craggs

Gonna run the MV 125 at hardcastle crass this Sat night,,meet at 6.30 - 7.00..all welcome and any one want a lift just text or leave a message below....

Lee Mount - 19th March

Common Quaker x 2
Clouded Drab x 1
Unidentified micro which I think might be 17.011 Ypsolopha ustella  (c10mm max) if anyone can help with this one these are the best I could get of the same moth below. Oak trees nearby !

Ypsolopha ustella  - maybe ?

Lee Mount - 15th March

Didn't expect a lot last night with it being cool and breezy at the back and the moon showing.
Didn't do too badly though..
Clouded Drab x 2 - well I'm pretty sure that's what they were !
Common Quaker x 5
Twin-spotted Quaker x 2

 Clouded Drab

 

 (one quite pale and a slightly darker one) Twin-spotted Quakers

Lee Mount - 14th March

Common Quaker x 3
March Moth x 1
Agonopterix heracliana x 1

 Agonopterix heracliana

 

 Common Quaker (1 of 3)

 

March Moth

Lee Mount

Jennifer found this moth in the kitchen this morning and I managed with difficulty, as it kept hiding in the blinds, to get a couple of photos'
We think it's probably a Common Plume - but not 100% sure ?
Forewing length c12mm and the App by Chris Manley says the spurs on the hind leg of this species are of unequal length. One photo seems to confirm this but not sure if that also applies to other 'plumes'.

Lee Mount

Just managed 5 moths last week with the light on in the con...every night till 11 ish.

9th March   -  March Moth x 1

10th March  -  March Moth x 2
                        Chestnut x 2

Bag Season and Footman Cat

I had a quick round on Royds Hall Lane stopping en route to look at tree bases for Bagworms
I restricted looking to South facing stone but nothing evident

Lichens were not abundant  on southern Faces and in particular the usual section were I think wall had been repointed and anti foul paint applied . I did however find one Caterpillar circa 0.8 - 1.1. cm. Unfortunately my usual lens is shot so the imaging on the G6 is not good

It looks like the caterpillar of The Common Footman Double Click Image Link ( ???)  and Link 2  which would make sense being found at the base of Lichen Covered Wall . The second image below is lightened and trimmed and you can see (i) the  8 extended orange segments and (ii) the white bristles on each segment The larvae feed on various species of lichens found on trees and fence posts. It overwinters as a larva.

First March Moths

Ran the Actinic last night and got 3 moths , Common Quaker , Dotted border and  Hebrew Character

Ogden Water

First butterfly of the year today with a red admiral floating around the Woodlands below the Giant's Tooth.