Stainland. ID request.

This moth is confusing me. I thought it may be an Agriphila tristella, but I'm really not sure. Could someone ID it please? Thank you.

Agriphila tristella TBC.

Cromwell Pyralid

The ephestia species from August 3rd has been confirmed by Harry as a male False Cacao Moth (E. unicolorella).

A second for the county and VC63 first.

Old Lady found dead on the towpath at Elland

God I'm so funny :-)

Common Thorn Pigmy (Stigmella crataegella) mine at Cromwell along with a few others bits of interest. Found a nice phyllo mine on Crack Willow with a pupa inside - should be out soonish...........

Lee Mount - micro

Any help with this nice looking micro appreciated. Taken on 4th August, I have kept looking at the possibilities thinking " I should be able to i d this one" but still not sure. Nearest I can get is Cochylis sp maybe.

 

Plenty Large Yellow Underwings in the last week or so with a maximum one night of 44 on 7th August.

Probably the best moth in the last few days has been this one in the trap on 12th

Phoenix

Stainland.

A nice range of moths this morning. I'll put the one I'm not sure about first. I think it's a Grey Chi. It does have what I'd call, an elongated X, on its wings. I did think it was an grey shoulder knot. Then realised that it does not have furry legs, among other things. If it is a Chi, it's my first one.

Grey Chi

Grey Chi showing X mark.

This morning, I was thinking that I've not seen any of the what I think of as, Marbled Beauty - Orange-brown form, this year. They come out later than the grey-black and the grey-brown forms. (My terminology, I don't know the correct description). When I looked up, there was one on the door fanlight. It's a nice looking moth.

Marbled Beauty - 

Orange-brown form.

The Small Phoenix below, has been in the wars. It's the first of these I've seen that was black, rather than brown, which fooled me for a while. Unless it's just very worn.

Small Phoenix.

A Garden Carpet now.

Garden Carpet.

The ubiquitous Blastobasis lacticolella:-

Blastobasis lacticolella.

There were two Willow Beauties, a dark and a pale form. The dark one was camera shy and flew off when it saw the lens approaching. This one has had four narrow escapes. They look like bird beak nips. I've seen these on several moths but most were night flying, which seems to rule birds out.  I'm assuming a bat would get a lot more of the wing. How do they get these nips? (Silly question time).

Willow Beauty.

The final moth is puzzling me. I thought it was another Blastobasis lacticolella. On closer examination, it is a lot smaller, shorter and fatter that A Blastobasis l. Any ideas please?

ID needed.

So, seven moths today. Eight counting the one which got away. not a bad total.

Fox Moth

Many thanks to Nigel Kerwin and Bradshaw John for reports of Fox Moth Cats last week. Still never seen one in Calderdale................

In come the Painted Lady's

Mytholm waste ground Hebden Bridge was busy with butterfly's today in the hot sun. 3 Painted Lady , 1 Red Admiral , 2 Peacock , 1 Comma , 3 Small Copper and Small and Large Whites,,,2 Holly Blue and a Small Copper in thge garden at home.

Lee Mount - 9th and 10th August

This moth ahs been here a couple of days now and it's still on the fence this evening. I'm wondering Flounced Rustic - never had one before so not 100% ?

Stainland, Square Spot Rustic.

Only one moth at 3:30 am, it was gone this morning. Moral, always have a camera ready. It was a Square Spot Rustic - Xestia xanthographa. Looking back at my files, I've seen just one of these moths each year, since 2015 and all in August. The first was in Whitby. Considering they are listed as common, widespread and fly to light, I would have expected to see more of them.

Square Spot Rustic.

Northowram today

Lots of Speckled Woods about today but very little else no Browns or Hairstreaks or any large butterfly's at all. Still seems to be plenty whites large and small and still one Holly Blue and Small Coper in the garden .Saw another Holly Blue in Brighouse.

Its hot out there..................

                                                                 Barred Hook- tip

Another fantastic day in the warm sun today , started with this Barred Hook-tip and Small Wainscot in the trap along with Yellow barred brindle , Pine Carpet and Lempke's Gold Spot  , then Holly Blue and  Small Copper in the garden and to top it off 2 Wall Brown near Cold Edge quarry.....(thats 22 species for me so far this year with no Painted lady as yet )

Stainland.

1 x Swallow Tail.
1 x Garden Grass Veneer.
1 x Marbled Beauty, grey/black form.

Ringby Lane

Mid afternoon, still hot and humid with a breeze, cloudy with sunshine.

Walking up Ringby Lane I had 3 possibly fly-by Wall Butterflies. They were too quick and didn't land. They are tricky in flight and couldn't identify them for 100% so let them go. Or it might have been the same one flying around ??
Later on however I did track one down and managed a record shot

Wall

 

Also up there :-

Small Copper x 4

Large White x 4

Small White x 11

Small Heath x 1 (on the top)

 

Moths

Silver Y x 2

Yellow Shell x 1

Fly Flatts

Mid morning. Warm and humid with plenty cloud cover and a stiff  >W breeze probably reduced the chances of butterfly activity.

One Meadow Brown along with a count of 26 Antler Moths all on ragwort flower-heads at the  north end of the reservoir.

News from over the other side of the hills(Lancs).

Had a great chat today with friend of the blogg Terry Lally (hope that is spelt right), He has had some great moths this year including Beautiful Snout , Devon Carpet and many others , he also has recorded MAIDENS BLUSH ........so keep an eye out for this beautiful species it will be a first for us here..........Many Thanks for the call Terry .....

Cromwell Bottom Moth Night

A brief round up of last Friday's moths:


https://cromwellbottom.blogspot.com/2018/08/fridat-night-open-day-morning-moths.html

Clouded Yellow

Martyn and Carol Hayes reported one Clouded Yellow feeding on thistles at Fly Flatts today...Well Done indeed

Castle Carr Road (near Wainstalls)

This afternoon we walked the full length of the road as well as covering the lower dam at Cold Edge.
For butterflies we had plenty unidentified 'whites' across the moor.
Wall x 1 but looking very worn on a thistle head. A first for along the road there.
Antler Moths x 3 on a ragwort flower-head
Silver Y x 2
Small Copper x 4 on thistles, though lots of them are going to seed now
Small Tortoiseshell x 2
Green-veined White x 1

Ragged looking Wall along Castle Carr Road

Lee Mount - 5th August

Think this is another new one for here if my identification is correct ? On the fence by the trap this morning thinking at first it was a July Highflyer but on reflection I think not.

Yellow-barred Brindle

Lee Mount - 4th August

Two new ones for me in the trap this morning.
I'm sure I had the correct i d - but please correct if I'm in error !!

 Oak Hook-tip

 

Chevron

Lee Mount

Much duller today and fewer butterfly's around but still very warm and humid.
Painted Lady x 1 - still on the Buddleia most of the day, 3rd day running.
Small White x 3
Comma x 1
Purple Hairstreak x 3 around the oak at the back of the house late afternoon

Lee Mount - 3rd August

A couple of queries....

 Wondering about Apotomis sp. with the red/brown tuft - is that a clue to i d or is it to confuse i d ?

Square-spot Rustic ?

Stainland. Late afternoon.

Anne was in the garden this afternoon and disturbed a moth. She saw where it landed and I grabbed my macro system camera. I got three good shots before it flew off. It was a Pale Straw Pearl - Udea lutealis. It's only the third time I've seen this moth, the first was in Whibty about four years ago. The other two were in our garden.

Udea lutealis.

Also, I spotted one Marbled Beauty, grey/black form.

VC63 Garden Moths 1st August 2018

Wednesday  1st  August 2018

Weather : Still Light Occ Breeze . Warm Circa 17o

MV125 W

70.235 BF1914  Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria  TBC

73.342 BF2107  Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

73.216 BF2318  The Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina

73.169 BF2343  Common Rustic Mesapamea secalis agg
73.162 BF2321  Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha
73.063 BF2298  Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra berbera TBC
73.348 BF2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua janthe

The palps are not pale throughout but at the tips in the absence of gen det this would point to Svenssons

73.063 BF2298  Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra berbera   LINK

For Compaision a possible Copper Underwing Palps predominately white

In passing the larvae of noth species sshow differentials

( credit Attribution: ©entomart  )

Comparison of caterpillars of A. pyramidea (top) and A. berbera (bottom)

Amphipyra berbera - red arrows points out a difference

Amphipyra pyramidea - A red arrow points out a difference

70.235 BF1914  Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria









73.216 BF2318  The Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina



One For Comment  Cydia

49.341 BF1260   Cydia splendana or possibly Cydia ulicetana Gorse Piercer ?(perhaps more metallic purple than the image reveals)

Lee Mount

A little duller today but still warm and a few butterflies about in and around the garden. Mainly interested in the Buddleia and Verbena bonariensis
Painted Lady today and yesterday
Holly Blue in our neighbours garden this afternoon
Comma x 1
Large White x 5...
Small White x 7..
Purple Hairstreak x 1 mid afternoon in and among the oak tree in the park from our back garden

Lee Mount

One from 31st July with my Grand-daughter assisting me with checking the trap first thing - and showing a keen interest at 6 years old. I was impressed and she took this photo of 'the swift'

 Map-winged Swift - CORRECTION it's an Orange Swift

 

One from this morning 1st August TBC - an orange one, looks like an Angle-striped Sallow but not sure given it's status ?

Eaten alive :-(

I think it's fair to say I won't be getting a adult from my Sallow Kitten larva.

 

The grubs just kept appearing out of every orifice.

 

Instead of dispersing to spin up they all kept close to their "mummy". She's kept alive for two more days as protection from potential predators. She kept waving those pincers at me each time I approached.

 

I suppose that's what you get for feeding openly on the upperside of the leaf.

Stainland. Updated post.

1st of August, Yorkshire Day!
I had one moth this morning.  I thought it was a Willow Beauty, but I've only seen the dark form before. Researching it, I find the Willow Beauty is listed as 20mm. Anne and I think this moth was more like 30mm, so please correct me if I'm wrong here.

Willow Beauty. (TBC)

Also, three days ago, I found the moth below by the door. I got quite excited, not having seen this before. We have had to move all the furniture in the front room (again!). Will we ever get our house back together? Sigh. Our plumber discovered that whoever put the gas pipe in for the front room fire, did an illegal job. It wasn't insulated from water and is corroding. It is of course, under the asphalt floor, it's a big job. I've lost access to my moth books, so didn't get an ID for it. This morning, I realised it must be a carpet moth. It's a Common Marbled Carpet. 

Common Marbled Carpet.