mothing on tuesday night

mothing on tuesday night with my dads new home-made moth trap! to say it was only out for about two hours but it still came out with some good results

antler moth, a local speciality! we even had one fly into the bathroom

sadly the rest are all a mystery to me. please could anybody help!

Micro ID

Found on a chestnut leaf, with numerous blotch mines, but this may be coincidental. Hampshire. Anyone know what this is ?

Langfield Common sat night

Meeting with Bri at the pub car park near langfield Common and running trap under cliffs at langfield edge on saturday night meet about 8.30 all welcome.

Wall Brown

There were two Wall browns in the garden today,along with 2 Small whites and 1 Meadow brown.They seem pretty scarce these days has any one else seen them this year.?

Anomalous Update 17 08 10

Brought both pots indoors on 14 08 10.Today 17 08 10 pot a the green larva, 1 male and 1 female emerged and non from pot b the brown larva as yet.but at least we can say that the 2 colour forms do not represent each sex ! obviously there must be some other reasons to explain why for example in a batch of eggs laid by the same female, some of the larva are green and some brown,and green larva can change to brown, when both are feeding on the exact same plant ! and its not a case of green when small changing to brown as they approach full size,as both colour forms reached fullsize before pupating. Bri.

Eggar question

As Northern Eggars have a two year life-cycle, does that mean you only see them on the wing in alternate years?

They were on the wing during the Twite survey on Midgely Moor last year (May/June?).
All postings on the blog this year relate to cats, with postings relating to adults all being from June 09.
I haven't seen any this year, but I haven't always been around suitable habitat.

Tag Loop Today & Help Wanted

A visit to Tag Loop today helped fill in some missing pieces. I was able to get much closer to the Small Coppers here than at Jay House Lane as I could lie down and stalk them with a close-up lens. Being so small and so flighty, it is quite difficult to get close enough to fill the frame with a standard lens, or even a long telephoto.
Whilst many at Jay House Lane colony were on the Creeping Thistle, the thistles at Tag Loop only yielded Meadow Browns, one with odd pale patches on the fore-wings.
The Small Coppers favoured a patch of White Clover along the desire line that leads through some trees towards the weir. They were also nectaring on another plant, amongst the clover,  that looks superficially like heather. A type of Milkweed maybe??? Can anyone put a name to this? Sorry, I don't have a stills camera..so no photo.
There were one or two Green-veined Whites kicking about, and one Peacock, with several Gatekeepers along the path, and the ubiquitous Speckled Woods near the trees.

I'm fairly sure that the plant that was crawling with insects yesterday at Jay House Lane was Black Knapweed, which is also present at the edge of Tag Loop, albeit with nothing on it today.

My next question is....anyone got a good site for Purple Hairstreak? I believe there is a spot at Park Wood, Exely,  but I don't know the details re access etc.

Midgley

Got the new Skinner trap working with an MBT lamp, had one of our best catches last night, 131 moths of 20 species as follows

Brimstone 1

Smoky Wainscot 3

Mother of Pearl 2

Antler Moth 4

Large Yellow Underwing 81

Lesser Yellow Underwing 2

Lesser broad bordered Yellow Underwing 4

Small fan footed Wave 1

Rosy Minor 2

Middle barred Minor 1

Dark Arches 9

Common Rustic agg 14

Burnished Brass 1

Dunbar 1

Six striped Rustic 1

Straw Dot 1

Square Spot Rustic 1

Plain Golden Y 1

Carpet sp? (see photo)

Heavily worn unknown (see top photo)

Any help with these last two greatly appreciated!

Other highlight of the night was the sudden appearance of 5 escaped Saddleback Pigs round the trap, quite a thing this new trap!!

I Have the Worlds Biggest Moth Trap!!

Well probably not but it got your attention, it's actually the Bus stop I visit each morning and below are photo's of some of the moths I have found there over the last few months and taken on my mobile. I know one is a Large Emerald but id help with the others is welcome (Yellow shell, as well?)

Terrific butterfly site

The fishing pond belonging to the Farm Shop at the top of Clifton has masses of thistles around it. Although it has gone mostly to seed, there are fresh flowers opening, mostly on the creeping thistle.
Today the thistle nectar was being used by many of the 9 species of butterfly there.
Most numerous were gatekeepers (which I have only seen as singles before) and small coppers.
There were 6 peacocks in view at the same time. Others were:
Small Tortoiseshell
Green Veined white
Large White
Small skipper
Meadow Brown
Speckled Wood (in Jay House Lane.)
I'm afraid I climb over 2 barbed wire fences, entering from Jay House Lane. The proper entrance will be up at the farm. There has never been any anglers, but I go mid-day, weekdays.
The other main interest here is the only known tree sparrow colony in Calderdale.

ElephantHawkMoth?

Just found this fellow in the garden. Thought it was elephant hawk moth.If anyone would like it or could advice what to do with it i would be grateful for response

Mick Sharpe

Cat and pups

My Eggar cats just started to become lethargic and two have already pupated in the heather.
Andy's Fox Moth cats are still munching their way through the heather.
Hopefully, I might get the chance to film some of these pupating.....the Eggars started (and finished) whilst my back was turned.
I collected a couple of cocoons from Tag Loop that looked like the 5-spot Burnets that I filmed earlier this year. As all the Tufted Vetch flowers have now died back, I was wondering if these are likely to be 6-spot Burnets. Any ideas?
I'm also trying to find good sites to film Small Coppers and Purple Hairstreaks.....if the weather allows. Both should (hopefully) be still on the wing over the next couple of weeks, so any suggestions welcome. Cheers.

Heath Royd past few evenings

Not sure what first moth is, thought Small Quaker but more than likely incorrect. Any ideas? Followed by Barred Hook-tip, Antler Moth, Copper Underwing and Early Thorn. Thanks Andy C. for the useful tips/ images on blog aiding identification of Copper and Svensson's Copper Underwing. Huge numbers of Yellow Underwings giving off a drumming sound in the trap each morning! Also Pyrausta aurata and Carcina quercana micros in the trap this morning along with Clouded Border a new garden moth for me.

Cinnabar Comeback 2010

Found over 80 Cinnabar Larva in the Todmorden area this year 2010.08 didnt find a single 1,09 just 1 larva,it is no help when most of the Ragwort and vegetation has been strimmed or pulled out along the canal towpath as it as been in the Gauxholme area especially this year ! as anyone else found any caterpillars in their areas ?

Mothing in Luddenden

I've now been in Luddenden five weeks but have only just got back online, the Mothing is pretty good, highlights include


Scarce Silver Y
Blackneck
Large Emerald
Canary-shouldered Thorn
Single Dotted Wave
Small Dotted Buff
Lempke's Gold Spot (lots) among many other goodies





last night 3rd August

Small Rivulet
Brimstone
Small Fan-footed Wave
Common Carpet
Phoenix
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 5
Small Dotted Buff
Dunbar 4
Large Yelow Underwing 151
Antler Moth
Marbled Minor
Scalloped Oak 3
Common Rustic 22
Dark Arches 8
Marbled Beaty 3
Clay
Dotted Clay 2
Common Footman 3 (hundreds of these this year)
The Sallow

also have a few caterpillars growing including this one below that span a cocoon the next day, is it Emperor Moth ?




























Northern Eggar












Knot Grass (from egg - Pellon)












Small Angle Shades 4 weeks old ( from egg - Pellon)












Buff Ermine 6 weeks old (from egg - Pelllon)












Fox Moth now 8 weeks old ( from egg - Pellon)












Fox Moth - shedded Skin












Beautiful Yellow Underwing












Angle Shades 4 week old ( from egg Pellon)












Angle Shades 4 week old ( from egg Pellon from same egg batch as above )

Sourhalls Pond,02 08 10

Although windy with heavy showers the sun did show for a while,45 blue tailed,25 emerald,2 azure damsels,2 common hawker,1 brown hawker dragonflies also 7 brown china mark moths and a broom moth larva on yellow flag iris leaf possibly basking as the sun shone briefly.pic of emerald damsel,regards Bri.

Halifax Scientific Society Meeting - insects

All are welcome to the next meeting on Tues 10th August at 7.00 for 7.30 downstairs at Halifax Central Library.

Roy Crossley, a well respected member of the Y.N.U. and former Halifax man now living in York, is giving us a talk "Aspects of Entomology".

Our local recorder of Lepidoptera, Brian Cain, will also be there.

Local moth enthusiasts and experts are welcome to attend. Perhaps they will find it a convenient rendezvous to put "faces to names" as well as swapping info on the internet.

Steve Blacksmith (President, H.S.S.)

Southern Wainscot,31 07 10

Heres another pic of Southern Wainscot,Bri.showing the faint dots and pointy apex of wing.

Cromwell Bottom (Wainscot Night)

Bottom pic is 1155 E.brunnichana is top pic E.nisella.??

15 Hepialus sylvina Orange Swift 3
937 Agapeta hamana 2
1138 Epinotia nisella 1
1155 Epinotia brunnichana 2
1175 Epiblema uddmanniana Bramble Shoot Moth 2
1405 Pleuroptya ruralis Mother of Pearl 25
1645 Falcaria lacertinaria Scalloped Hook-tip 1
1666 Geometra papilionaria Large Emerald 2
1708 Idaea dimidiata Single-dotted Wave 10
1713 Idaea aversata Riband Wave 4
1722 Xanthorhoe designata Flame Carpet 1
1725 Xanthorhoe ferrugata Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 3
1732 Scotopteryx chenopodiata Shaded Broad-bar 8
1754 Eulithis prunata Phoenix 1
1759 Ecliptopera silaceata Small Phoenix 4
1777 Hydriomena furcata July Highflyer 4
1811 Eupithecia tenuiata Slender Pug 4
1830 Eupithecia absinthiata Wormwood Pug 1
Common Pug 1
1887 Lomaspilis marginata Clouded Border 12
1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 2
1956 Cabera exanthemata Common Wave 5
2006 Pheosia gnoma Lesser Swallow Prominent 5
2050 Eilema lurideola Common Footman 2
2092 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 2
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 14
2111 Noctua janthe Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 7
2130 Xestia baja Dotted Clay 2
2136 Naenia typica Gothic 1
2176 Cerapteryx graminis Antler Moth 1
2197 Mythimna straminea Southern Wainscot 1
2198 Mythimna impura Smoky Wainscot 6
2199 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 7
2268 Parastichtis suspecta Suspected 2
2318 Cosmia trapezina Dun-bar 24
2321 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 6
2335 Apamea scolopacina Slender Brindle 2
2336 Apamea ophiogramma Double Lobed 1
2391 Chilodes maritimus Silky Wainscot 2
2434 Diachrysia chrysitis Burnished Brass 2
2450 Abrostola tripartita Spectacle 1
2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 3

SvennsonnsCopper Underwing.Brimstone
Common Rustic agg. Rustic/uncertain

Cromwell Bottom,31 07 10

Brilliant night,main target species Southern Wainscot also 2 Silky Wainscots.regards Andy/Bri/Nick D,Steve.