New One for the Garden

Had six last night inc Scalloped Hazel ,Garden Carpet , Timothy Tortrix , Common Marbled Carpet , Heart and Dart and the final one new for our garden was Ochreous Pug

Moths at last!

After a very lean spell we were delighted to have a couple of Millers (?), a Spectacle and a Clouded Bordered Brindle (?) last night.

News from Todmorden

Hi all,i dont know how people are supposed to do their work ,when theres moths like this flitting about, elachista argentella,also clouded silver ! all the best Bri.

This emerged from Wood Sage this morning.?

Hi all,this emerged from wood sage this morning,click on pics for a better view,any ideas.?

Ogden beastie

One of the school kids found this today at Ogden, I'm not sure what it is, any help would be appreciated. As it was a Spanish child I have no idea what type of vegetation it was found on.

Coin is a 1p piece by the way.

Links

Hi all

As its getting towards that time of year when just about any vegetation you look over is full of interesting insects as well as moths I thought I would post a few links to "other" orders that should prove useful.

Sawflies
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sawfly/?yguid=354302906

http://www.kean.edu/~symphytos/Photo.html

Bugs
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/hets/?yguid=354302906

http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/index.html

moth night centrevale park todmorden

Hi all,hopefully trying for thurs 25 jun 09,i know its not the best night with people working etc,but there is security concerns for fri/sat,if any one could help out for a few hours i would be grateful,they will put some pics on display,in the centre so people can see over the weekend,Paul,i could maybe do some leaflets for books which could be bought from your Pennine bk company,if thats ok.will finalise the time and date by this thurs evening.all the best bri.

Last nights moths

Ingrailed Clay or Small Square Spot

Gold Spot

Pug 22mm long,caught at light last night in Northowram.?
Sorry to hear your news Paul and Im working all day so just a few from last night.Will be out and about tomorrow.

Cat i d ?

Ros and me found this larva yesterday ,08 06 09,on the underside of turkey oak we think,it was about 13 mm long,at first sight thought sawfly,but it didnt react like all the usual sawfly species,i e curling its body outwards ! any info would be appreciated,all the best bri.

Workshop

Identification and separation of the Pugs via genitalia workshop led by Jon Clifton in Liverpool on 3 oct 2009.If any one fancies going please leave contact below.

Monday morning Northowram

Usual walk in cloudy and cold conditions for 'flaming 'June produced
3 Micropterix aruncella
15 Nemophora degeerella(in display flight)
1 Chimney Sweeper(first for the year and Northowram)
1 Foxglove Pug
1 Silver Ground Carpet
2 speckled wood
3 Crambus lathoniellus
And at last 2 skin Moths from the nesting material gathered by the HxBCC from Hardcastle craggs.

glyphipterix haworthana,06 06 09

Just got g haworthana emerged from cotton grass seed head langfield common on 21 03 09,superb !

cat I d ?

Hi all, Found this larva at ramsden wood clough walsden 05 06 09,in a rocky gorge,its 31 mm long,and was on a grass stem,between patches of woodsage, in daylight,nearest i can find is black rustic on cat i d link,but it still dosnt look quite right,and larval stage is a bit behind for its size,i suppose bad weather in May might have something to do with it,or is it just another colour form of a common moth ! any info would be appreciated.all the best bri.

More from today

Larvae in Sorrel(lep or not?)

1st instar 453 Honey suckle Moth

Tort.? any help will be appreciated

Last few Days in Northowram

Campion

Cat feeding on Sorrel.?
Last few days in Northowram have seen a few new ones in the trap with pale shouldered Brocade,Heart and dart,Campion(above)Buff ermine.Yesterday I had my first 148.Nemophora degeerella,1301 Crambus lathoniells,and 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella(garden grass- veneer)of the year and also this below on Gorse.Which looks a bit like 1255 Cydia succedana.?The cat above was feed in on sorrel.?

Cragg vale

With the wind increasing and rain we moved from Withens Clough to the relative calm of cragg vale for 2 hours trapping.
Silver Ground Carpet 50+
Flame Shoulder 30+
Common White wave 1
Brimstone 4
Pale Tussock 1
Small Phoneix 2
Clouded Bordere Brindle 3
Silver Y 1
Flame Carpet 2
Buff ermine 1
Herald 1
Angle Shades 1
Scalloped Hazel 1
Broom Moth 1
Rustic Shoulder Knot 1

news from todmorden

Hi all,found this caloptilia syringella on a clump of iris in a small pond,there is some lilacs nearby,which i think is one of foodplants,i know they are common,but very striking.all the best bri.

Assembling Trap

Hi all
I mentioned a couple of weeks back about a cheap and easy assembling trap for use in trapping the smaller macros and micros using artificial pheromones or female moths. Ian Smith has very kindly sent me a link to the design and construction made using plastic water bottles. Although primarily used to attract moths you can use it to attract other insects by the placing some suitable bait inside. I am currently using a couple to attract carrion beetles and as we have a resident hedgehog in the garden it keeps the beetles safe from being scoffed before I have chance to ID them ! Please remember if you pass on the tip to mention its been designed by Ian and the actual plan and instructions are copyright of Ian Smith.

Link to the plan
http://www.angleps.com/Assembling_Trap_by_Ian_Smith.pdf

I would be good if anyone who tries the trap for various insect orders could post their results on the blog

White Pinion Spotted

Apologies for the poor quality photo but it was nearly dark and the moth was in a tube. We netted this at the junction of Cragg Vale and Withens Clough not far from the Hinchliffe Arms last night whilst trying to refind the possible Blood Vein we had further up the valley earlier in the week, Brian tells us its a good 'un!

broad bodied chaser elland gp

2 male and 4 female broad bodied chaser's at elland gp this afternoon.all were very active also the first blue tailed damselfy of the year

broad bodied chaser
male

female

blue tailed damselfly

A few bits and bobs

Jerusalem Farm (yesterday)

Lots of white and a few orange tips about, also found this little caterpillar (bottom) on a wood fern (it was in the woods under oak and rowan). I've tried to identify it but without success, anyone else wanting a go is welcome.

Garden - Hipperholme

Lots of whites and orange tips around, also had a white ermine and the top photo of a moth I found on the door the other night, again my ID skills are letting me down, any ideas?

Chris

Spectacle

Anyone seen my glasses?

anyone else having lots of Clouded Bordered Brindle, I had 21 last night


also had six of these little brown jobs in the trap last night


and one of these big grey jobs, luvly

Painted Ladies

Hi all
Just to let you know you may have another influx of Painted Ladies on the way. I did the same cycle route again today where we had possible thousands of them on the route. Today maybe 20 in the whole route so they must have dispersed, hopefully in your direction or some of them at least. On the Cotoneaster bush which had at least 29 counted at anyone time on Saturday today held none. Silver Y still around here though.

It might be worth checking thistles later in the summer if the Painted Lady influx continues has they have bred in Calderdale on the odd occasion but if I remember correctly these records were passed to me by members of the UK moths forum and I am not sure if they were noted down by anyone in Calderdale though I did pass them onto the HSS recorder at the time.

news from todmorden,02 06 09.

Hi all,saw an amazing site today,a swarm of argyresthia trifasciata,must have been 150 plus,on one smallish juniper bush in todmorden area,Andy i seem to remember you saw them also.ps dont know if i can make thurs at w clough,will let you know,all the best bri.

Recent Midgley Moths

Poplar Hawk
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Small square Spot
Clouded bordered Brindle
Rustic Shoulder Knot
Flame Shoulder
Common Carpet
Scalloped Hazel
Common White Wave
White Ermine
Buff Ermine
Flame Carpet
Small Phoenix

Mainly singles of each.

Was in woodland in Cragg Vale this evening and had what we are pretty sure was a Blood Vein.

Monday morning

What a difference a week makes with plenty of sun around there was plenty about.
4 painted Ladys(must have missed the main movment last friday)
10 Small Heath
2 Small White
1 Large White
1 Epiblema cynosbatella
1 Mompha epilobiella
1 Micropix aruncella
15 Crambus lathoniellus
10 + Coleophora albicosta ??(flying round Gorse)
50 + Nettle Tap .
Thursday night Withens Clough if any one is up for it.??

salterhebble to cooper bridge

a long sunny walk today from salterhebble to cooper bridge and back!
lots more dragonfly activity today with

4 banded demoiselle at bradley hall farm(all males)
15 azure damselflies at both elland gp and bradley hall farm
300+ common blue damselflies around elland gp
34 large red damselflies at elland gp
1 broad bodied chaser at elland gp

large red damselfly

common blue damselfly

banded demoiselle

azure damselfly

Stanally Stones,30 05 09

Hi all,had a walk on calderdale way at stanally stones today,7 green hairstreak,small copper,2 wall,3 small heath,10 painted ladies,7 ancylis myrtillana,pic included,13 common heath,20 cocksfoot moth,silver y nectaring on red clover

damselflies elland gp

well the weather has paid off with a great visit to elland gp today,though a bit too early for any dragons it was ideal for damsel's.
upto 150 common blue damselflies along the river bank,30+ large red damselflies and best of all 3 azure damselflies. not sure on the latters status in calderdale but still a nice one to find.

large red damselfly

azure damselfly

also a painted lady this morning by the nestle factory

Langfield Edge,28 05 09

Hi all,looked like a perfect mothing night for a change,i e cloudy warm and a light breeze,12 brown silver lines,dark brocade,glaucous shears,angleshades,garden carpet,foxglove pug,and 2 broom and 3 of those tricky rush feeding coleophora sp,another pic of glaucous shears included.all the best bri.

Hipperholme et al

Just spent a few days in Northumberland, and in response to Nick's post, there were lots of painted ladies along the hedgerows and fields around Bamburgh along with lots of Wall Browns.

Back in Hipperholme, yesterday afternoon lots of orange tips and large whites around the garden

I ran my trap last night, lots of flies, caddis flies and 2 moths.

1 Peppered moth

1 Flame shoulder (above)

Also ran the trap last Saturday night and got 1 pale tussock

Chris

Painted Ladies on the way

See http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1645 and http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1649

First Hawkmoth

OK so we know its the commonest hawkmoth (?) and have seen one before but its our first up here in Midgley and we're dead chuffed!