Stainland.

Just one moth today. It arrived in time to avoid the rain, which is what I'm doing.
It's a Mottled Umber.

Mottled Umber.

Lee Mount - 25th October

A little better again last night despite the drizzle

Yellow- line Quaker x 2
Feathered Thorn x 2
Light-brown Apple-moth x 1
Brick x 1
Mottled Umber x 1
November Moth agg x 1

 Feathered Thorns

Mottled Umber

Mottled Umber on the 23rd as well but it was in a spiders web with just the wings intact and the body gone !

Rishworth

I spotted a Twenty Plume Moth in the house last night so I popped it outside. Also had a November Moth Agg. At the window.

Lee Mount - 23rd October

Slightly better than recent nights....
Feathered Thorn x 2
Common Marbled Carpet x 3 (all with the orange blaze)
Tachystola acroxantha x 1

Common Marbled Carpet  - all 3 similar to this one

Stainland.

Only one moth today, so I added the only other creature by the door as well, for good measure.

The moth books state that this tortrix flies until September. I don't think the one below knows that, as it's 20th October now. This has to be due to the climate change, warmer temperatures etc. I'm sure we shall see a lot more striking examples of this among all the flora and fauna as time goes by. We already have a spreading of insects from the south of England to the North, and swallows staying a little longer before they start for Africa, as they did here last Autumn.

Garden Rose Tortrix.

The next one can hardly be described as a moth. However, it was near the tortrix. I've never seen a Green Shieldbug in this colouring. They have two winter colours, one is all brown, - the one I've seen. The other livery is the one below. It was a nice discovery for me.

Green Shieldbug in winter colours.

Rishworth- A very good night

Moth Trapping Session Saturday 20th October 2019
A good night with yet more new species for here.
Annoyingly, no  pictures as camera was on low charge. :-(

List of Species
November Moth Agg. x7
Mottled Umber (Obviously Males) x2
Feathered Thorn x4
Red Green Carpet x1 (Finally free from double figured swarms of them every night :-)
Acleris sparsana x1
Brick x2
Yellow Lined Quaker x1
Red Lined Quaker x1
----------------------------------------------------------
Anyone with an idea of Acleris sparsana's status in Calderdale?

Lee Mount - 19th October

Empty trap again this morning
Brick x 1 found in the car this, then it disappeared - it might still be there !
Silver Y x 1 around the garden plants this afternoon briefly.

Brick

Stainland.

Two hardy moths by the door this morning:

1 x  Silver Y.
1 x Autumn Green Carpet.

I seem to remember reading that the Silver Y tends to be a paler brown in the first brood, (Spring) and darker in the second brood, (Autumn). The colour change tends to be linked to temperature, at least in the UK.

Silver Y.

Autumn Green Carpet.

Withens Clough

Car park and reservoir circuit yesterday late morning produced.

Red Admirals x 5 (1 around the car park, the others >W.
Peacock x 2 ( found on walls facing the sunshine)

An interesting news item.

This is not strictly applicable to this group, but is well worth reading. A slime mould that move, east and repairs itself if dissected in about two minutes.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7581559/Blob-organism-no-brain-720-sexes-regenerate-TWO-MINUTES-bisected.html

Lee Mount -17th October

Just 3 moths this morning
Common Marbled Carpet x 1 - looking a bit worn
November Moth agg x 2

Brearley

Comma butterfly this afternoon fluttering around a small garden near the bridge over the River Calder. It was pretty camera shy !

Spot the Comma !

Shibden Head

Wet, wet morning - what shall I do.??.... oh I know - Bare Head Tunnel, it's always a good bet after summer for hibernation. It didn't disappoint either.

Herald Moths x 12 (possibly a couple more, as I lost count in the crevices ...!!)
Peacock x 6
Small Tortoiseshell x 3

 Cluster of 4 Heralds (2 others were within a foot or so - all on the roof space)

Herald with a Small Tortoiseshell (I think)

Lee Mount - 15th October

Comma butterfly today - on the last small spike on the Buddleia.

Nothing in the trap from last night - well it did rain again !!
Silver Y x 1 yesterday
This afternoon I found a Tachystola acroxantha  x 1 on the outside door

Holywell Green to Gosport Clough Field Trip

The Lichen Case-bearers seem to be doing well with this impressive count of 17 cases on one small section of wall.

It was a fantastic day for fungi with six new species for myself including the bizarre and extremely rare Powdercap Strangler - a parasitic species that uses the host mushroom's stem to produce it's own cap and gills.

For full details of the walk see here:

https://calderdale-wildlife.blogspot.com/2019/10/holywell-green-to-gosport-clough-fungi.html

A late post from Edward- Ripponden 8th October

Whilst waiting for a bus back to Rishworth I spotted an Agonopterix Heracliana moth scurrying around on the bus shelter roof...

Stainland, 12th October.

There was an Angle Shades on our doorstep yesterday. I had the opportunity to take some good shots of it.

Angle Shades.

Detail.

Lee Mount - 12th October

Very little from the trap the last few nights especially with all the rain. These two below and a Tachystola acroxantha on the window last night.

 Chestnut

Red-green Carpet

Hoping for some late butterflies today - the sun is shining, but for how long !!
UPDATE - Comma x 1 and Small Tortoiseshell x 1 - both seen on Fuchsia and Erysimum.

November In Focus

November Moth agg British Leps

An aggregate of 4 . A species were appearance alone can not be taken as reliable although some pointers can be useful in narrowing down  ID eg Over all colour Eg melanic or dark especially when some show marked melanism making it difficult to differentiate .  forking of  vein 3 &4 , relation to discal spot if visible , gender etc  can be taken to narrow down on probability but not definitive enough to be absolute. The Small Autumnal poses less of a problem as size habitat Moorland and phenology earlier aid in its id

British and Irish moths: an illustrated guide to selected difficult species

Gen Det agg species


November Moth                    Epirrita dilutata 

Pale November Moth            Epirrita christyi     

Autumnal Moth                     Epirrita autumnata  

Small Autumnal Moth          Epirrita filigrammaria 



November Moth Epirrita dilutata agg

Rishworth

Moth Trapping Session 11th October 2019
A warm night so I gave it a go with the trap out. Less moths due to 95.6% moon..

List of Species
Satellite x1
Feathered Thorn x3 (one netted at 22:00)
November Moth Agg. (I think...) x1
Copper Underwing Agg. x1 (Very Late...)

                                                       Satellite Above &below

                                                    Satellite&  Feathered Thorn

                          November Moth Below????????

 Below...Copper Underwing Agg.
Satellite