Swales Moor - Ringby Lane

A couple more from 3rd June

 Nettle-taps - Anthophila fabriciana on nettles

 

Timothy Tortrix - Aphelia paleana

 

Stainland, White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda.

Anne found a White Ermine sheltering behind a rose bush this morning. The markings are quite variable on these moths. I'd love to find a striated form. The markings on this one are different to the other two I found. It's quite a nice photo, considering the difficulty in getting close enough to take it, so here it is.

White Ermine - Spilosoma lubricipeda

Stainland, Unknown Moth for ID

Hi

I'd assumed I would not get another moth before I went into dry dock on Wed. I was wrong. The moth is a little over 1cm from tip to tail. The only one I found that was a little like it is the Broom Moth. Could someone ID it for me please thanks.

By the Way, I've replied to all your very nice comments in my last post. Thank you all

Broom Moth TBC

Copley meadow on a sunny afternoon

Andy and myself went searching for more Marsh Pugs in amongst the Common Mouse-ear which grows commonly here. No luck with those but surprisingly we did find this pug on the wing - maybe too worn for an ID?

The Common Blues looked in fantastic condition as they posed in the warm sunshine.

Well done Andy for spotting this Small Yellow Underwing - it looked a lot more striking in flight. A first for me.

Latticed Heaths are always a pleasure to find. Never seen them here before.

Micropterix aruncellas were around, as tiny and inconspicuous as ever - I'm sure they're getting smaller :-)

An Epiblema cirsiana type looked unusual as it had it's wings spread apparently sunbathing but eventually posed in normal fashion.

Butterfly update 2018

.

(Copley 04.06.18)

A great start to the year has seen us record 18 species so far. So we now need to keep a look out for the following over the next couple of months ,,,,Small Skipper , Gatekeeper , Ringlet , Purple and White letter Hairstreaks , Dark green Fritillary and if its a good year a Clouded yellow and Dingy Skipper. A great team effort  (if we get to 25 species this must be a record)

Copley garden 3.6.18

Tried the trap for the first time this year and got some nice results including....
656 Tachystola acroxantha
1362 Pyrusta purpuralis
1376 Small magpie
1738 Common carpet
1759 Small phoenix
1762 Dark marbled carpet
1764 Common marbled carpet
1648 Pebble hook tip
1906 Brimstone moth
1931 Peppered moth x3

2061 Buff Ermine
2069 Cinnaber
2089 Heart & Dart x11
2098 Flame x 2
2441 Silver Y

And a few more I am still pondering over.

Lee Mount - 3rd June

2 from this morning. Need some help please !

 Rustic Shoulder Knot ?

 

 

 2 shots of the same moth - think maybe a dark form of Clouded-bordered Brindle ?

Stainland, Foxglove Pug.

I found this over the door today and just got round to photographing it. It's only the second Foxglove Pug I've seen.

Foxglove Pug

It seems unlikely that I will be posting again for some time. I'm going into hospital for the first of two operations on my legs, on Wed., this week. The recovery time is three months, or longer. I should be able to go to town after about 4 weeks, but ladder climbing etc., is out. The next op will be on 23rd Sept. Just nicely timed so I'll be walking reasonably well, before I have to start all over again. I'm going to miss the best part of the moth season. Ho Hum. I think I shall take up knitting.

Swales Moor -Ringby Lane

2 sighting of Wall butterflies this afternoon at different times though it might just have been one individual.  Just up the lane 100 yds opposite the ski slope. Unfortunately it did not stay still long enough to get a photo but still very nice to see all the same.
Also 1 Large Skipper briefly
1 Small Heath on the top
1 G V White
Plenty micros disturbed in the long grass but need to work hard to get anywhere near identification even if the photos are good enough. Quite a challenge !!

Common Blue

Had a quick dash down to Copley to have a look for Marsh Pug  no luck with the Pug , but a great hour in the sun...Common Blue (4+) Large Skipper (1) Small Copper (1) orange Tip(2) and a few whites , a couple of Small Yellow Underwing , 1 latticed heath , Timmy Tortrix , Silver Y , Silver Ground Carpet , a Pug and many micros to follow..............

1 . News from Pete Smith today , that good numbers of Chimney Sweepers are on the wing in hay meadows full of Pignut near the Craggs and a tree stripped bare by Ermine moths ...thanks Pete

2 The moth night at Cromwell sounded great with Green silver lines and Eyed Hawkmoth a couple of highlights...thanks Charlie and FOCB

First Migrants

Had my first Silver Y's and Diamond backed Moths last night and we could be in for a large influx as there were large numbers last week in Cornwall.

Lee Mount

Another one from this morning. Pretty small, just short of 10mm.
This might be a long shot but wondered about Tischeria ekebladella ?

VC 63 Garden Moths 31 May 2018

Garden Moths  Thurs 31 May 2018

Warm 18 o Still. occ light breeze. Humid Moderate

MV 120

Busy pm lots flying including Caddis , Midges . The brims are back en mase

70.226 BF1906  Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x19

49.039 BF 0998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x2

70.252 BF1931  Peppered Moth Biston betularia  x1
63.025 BF1376  Small Magpie Anania hortulata  x3
70.049 BF1728  Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata (day Flying)
72.020 BF2060  White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda  x2

72.015 BF2028   Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda  x1
69.016 BF1991   Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor x1

70.053 BF1722   Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata  x3

72.024 BF2064   Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa  x3
70.240 BF1920   Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata x1
63.086 BF1301   Hook Streaked Veneer Crambus lathoniellus x1
70.094 BF1759   Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata
70.054 BF1727   Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
65.010 BF1654   Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis

Pug TBC

72.015 BF2028   Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda

69.016 BF1991   Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor








72.020 BF2060  White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda











70.053 BF1722   Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata



70.094 BF1759   Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata





70.226 BF1906  Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolat



70.054 BF1727   Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata



65.010 BF1654   Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis

Stainland, Poplar Hawk Moth.

A neighbour brought me a (live) Poplar Hawk Moth to photograph, an hour ago. It had been in his office at work, about one mile from me. It's the first one I've ever seen, I was so pleased.

When I took the box he'd brought it in back, I said it had been very nice with a little Tabasco and some coriander leaves.

Poplar Hawk Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth Detail

Recent bits

                                                   The lackey

                                                    yellow Tail

A couple of cats form a recent trip to Cornwall.....Cracking night for moth trappers last night and for the week ahead every night looks very good...Gordon leave that outside light on..................I Apologise for not doing any moth nights so far this year , but i have been too busy with other projects and work. But if all goes well we should be able to get something sorted for this weekend. We have recorded 16 species of butterfly so far so keep those sightings coming in , a great effort from everyone so far. I have got a bit to finish off for the report but have got the printers sorted. We all need to get together for the final photo to finish off the back cover...

Lee Mount

A couple from this morning including Buff Ermine - a new one for me here

 Not sure about this one - maybe Bright-line Brown-eye - but not sure as the markings look stronger than the book illustrations show for that species and wondered about Pale-shouldered Brocade (but I didn't get the shoulder !) (?)

Buff Ermine

Rudd Clough and Withens Clough Reservoir

I had quite a few of these day flying similar looking moths today - mostly on the long heather on the road up to the reservoir around 09:30. Could I get to grips with them - No ! Neither could I get a decent photo other than this rubbish one. They looked dark brown in flight, then slightly paler as they landed. Was wondering about one of the 'Heaths'. I just couldn't do better unfortunately. I came down the road later and nothing was about at all.

I did better with this butterfly - a Wall - was I chuffed with this one - though it gave me the run-around for over an hour trying to get a photo with wings open. Not to be as it always landed on the wrong side of the wall,  but I did get enough to clinch identification. I suspected one here last year but gave up on it in the end as I remember, I couldn't get enough on it.

Wall

 

Also present were 3 Small Heath's and numerous 'whites'. Those I was able to identify were all Green-veined Whites

 

Hunting over the pond at the top end of the reservoir was what I thought was a massive Bee by it's colouration but it was 'flying rapid'. No chance of  a photo but it looked like a very fat bodied large dragonfly. Worth checking that pond if anyone goes up there on a hot sunny day.

Marsh Pug colony???

Out and about at Copley this morning I noticed this day-flying pug - I think it's the first I've ever seen on the wing - I thought it was a mint moth type at first. When I saw it was a pug I tried to capture it with camera and pot but to no avail. However, 10 minutes later it or another reappeared a few yards away and I managed just one shot with the camera. I was struck by the concave leading edge and rather pointed wings. I fancifully considered Marsh Pug, and when I read that it flies by day especially around it's foodplant it got me wondering which plant it was nectaring on. Now I'm no botanist but that looks rather like Field Mouse-ear to me...........

One for Colin to ID is this humongous beetle type - I suspect it's one of the longhorns?

The main target of the trip was to find Micropterix calthellas on buttercups but the best I could manage was this M.aruncella male. Also on buttercups were one of the plain-winged female types and c10 Cock'sfoot Moths.

 

This Bactra lancealana was at Hollas Lane Nature Reserve.

Not too great on female type swifts - any ideas. Also from  Hollas Lane Nature Reserve.