Mystery Dart

Mystery Dart

Could this be an Archers Dart  ? which is predominately a coastal species that has been seen in VC 63 not seen since 1989There have been many inland records from the west of VC61 but it has not been reported from there since 2006. No records from VC63 since 1989.

Sterry shows a similar form here  link both have poorly developed orbical stigma or is it  a plain old Heart and Dart or Heart and Club

Stainland.

14 x Marbled Beauties of various size and colour this morning. This is a record number of these for me. They seem to like our door.

It looks like they had a party. Judging by their stillness, I think they have hangovers. Been there, done that.

Uncertain's ?

Two here Colin that I  have down for Uncertain (?) if these shots are any help. I've had a few of these recently but the last day or two the ones in the trap have looked faded so then uncertainty creeps in !

Stainland.

On my way to bed when Anne found the following moth in the bathroom. I'll stick my neck out once again. I think this is a White Shouldered House Moth.

Charlie, you once told me that many moth-ers ignored micros, thinking they were beneath them. I think I have news for you. Many find them so hard to ID they get disillusioned and stay with what they feel safe in. I could be turning into one of those people.

White Shouldered House Moth

 (Dingy Dowd). TBC

Beautiful Hook Tip

one from Luddunden last night ( thanks Martyn )

VC 63 Garden Moths Mon 22nd July 2019

VC 63 Garden Moths   Mon 22nd July 2019

Breezy intermittent strong . Warm 18 -20 o

Method Actinic 20 W Robinson

Other Entomology

Escalating Temps conducive to all manner

Caddis
Carabid
Orange Spot Ladybird
Mirid
Diptera



ABH   49.294  1175  Bramble Shoot Moth

ABH   73.162  2321  Dark Arches Apamea monoglyph   >17

ABH   72.045  2050  Common Footman Eilema lurideola >5

ABH   73.317  2089  Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis >4
ABH    73.342  2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba. > 10

ABH    63.080  1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella

ABH    73.084  2293 Marbled Beauty Bryophila domestica 3

ABH    73.096  2381 The Uncertain Hoplodrina octogenaria TBC

ABH    69.003  1981 Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi. x2
ABH    73.338  2118 True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea x1
ABH  73.267    2160  Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea x1

Wed 24th July 2019

ABH 63.018  1378 Anania coronata

ABH 73.156  2326 Clouded-bordered Brindle Apamea crenata

There are a couple of specimens I'd like a second opinion on . The first I take either to be a Heart and Clubs or just simply an oddly marked Heart and Dart ( collare not deeply marked implying the former ) but poss the H&D


The Second Looks like The Uncertain  or less likely Rustic the links below are useful but  there is a little wear on the transverse lines

Identifying Agrostis

Turnip Moth
Heart & Dart
Heart & Club

Distinguishing

Rustic Versus Uncertain

Stainland.

After Colin's observations, I've corrected the entries I misidentified. 

Thanks Colin.

Several moths last night.  I took these in the small hours, I'd been out of bed for about 6 minutes. For reasons best known to themselves, some of the moths decided to settle at the bottom of the door. I'm still unable to bend my knees far enough to crouch. I certainly would not have been able to lay on the path to take the shots either. So, I'm sorry that some of these photos a soft (blurred!)

Some of these need IDs (if possible) please.

The first one is worn, I couldn't decide what it was.

ID Needed.

Next up is a Eudonia mercurella. There were three of these.

Eudonia mercurella.

I put the next on as it is by far the freshest and most colourful Bee Moth I've seen. It's one of my poor photos, sorry.

1. 

Bee Moth.

I can't guess at an ID for the following. I dread seeing this family of moths, the defeat me.

Chrysoteucha culmella.

These were two of these, as near as I can tell, given my comments above about this family.

Chrysoteucha culmella.

The last moth photo is a new moth to me. I think it's a Single Dotted Wave.

Single Dotted Wave.

Also: 

6 x Marbled Beauties.

3 x Blastobasis lacticolella. 

A busy night, I'm expecting more moths tonight, it should be perfect for them.

Cunnery Wood meadow

Took advantage of the good weather and a site meeting to spend an hour in the meadow above the pond looking for butterflies (then through the woodlands). Not put numbers as there were lots.

Small tortoiseshell

Comma

Meadow brown

Skippers (small)

Ringlet

Burnet moth

Green veined white

Speckled wood

Gatekeeper

Small heath.

 

Possible purple hairstreaks on one of the oaks.

 

Battle of the Hairstreaks

On the 19th July 2008 , I found my first White letter Hairstreak in my local wood at Northowram , there is only one Elm surrounded by lots of Oak....for the last 10 years I have looked and looked on the elm for another and i have not seen one.....Until today that is....it was a great day for butterflys one of those days you think of in the depths of winter...5 Commas , 30 + Small Tortoiseshell , 10 Small White , Small and Large Skippers  1 Gatekeeper , Large Whites , Ringlets and Meadow browns in the grass and my first 6 Purple Hairstreaks flitting about in the tops of Oaks. As I got to the said Elm i noticed Hair streaks flitting about. I stopped and started to watch very closely what was going on.
  As the Purple Hairstreaks flew over the Elm the White letters flew up and moved the Purples on , (I had obviously forgotten my camera ) , I reckon there were at least 5 White Letter Hairstreaks and 10 Purples flying in the baking hot sunshine along the side of the wood......................

WLH update 17.18

                                             Spot the Hairstreak

                                              Always turning to the sun

                                                           Bingo

Headed back to try and get a photo and anyone who has tried to photo hairstreaks knows its not an easy job ......unless they are feeding on thistles .......

White - letter Hairstreaks   x 8
Purple Hairstreaks x 12
Red Admiral x 1
Gatekeeper x 1
Holly Blue x 1
Comma x 5
Small Tortoiseshell x 50 +
Small White  x 11
Large White x 10
Meadow Brown x 30 +
Ringlet x 20 +
Small Skipper x 1
Large Skipper x 2
Speckled Wood x 3
Silver Y x 1

Byron Edge

Small tortoiseshell 71
Meadow brown 5
Small heath 1
Ringlet 1
Large skipper 8

Recent news

                                                             Minor sp

                                                            Light Arches (thanks Aziza Mills)

                                                   Varied Coronet (thanks Martyn H)

A light Arches in Hebden Bridge over the weekend and this fantastic Varied Coronet from Ludunden Village...The top one has been puzzling me for a while but is going down as Minor Sp....

Stainland.

Just one today. A Riband Wave - Non Banded. It was brave enough to face the strong wind up here last night.

Riband Wave - Non Banded.

I really posted this moth as it was at eye height, giving me a good chance to get a close-up showing it's markings.

Riband Wave detail.

Stainland.

I have corrected the name of what I accidental called a Eudora Lacustrata, to  Eudonia lacustrata. Thanks to Charlie for correcting me.

Colin posted a Eudonia with a certain amount of doubt. I have a similar situation.  I'm fairly certain the first moth below is correctly ID'd. The second one is the problem. I simply cannot decide if it's the same species as the one above or not. I'm open to correction.

I only discovered this morning, on Norfolk Moths, that the Eudonia lacustrata has a common name; Little Grey. I think that's rather sweet.

Eudonia lacustrata - Little Grey.
(Thanks for the correction Charlie).

So, here is the one I'm not sure of.  Norfolk Moths shows that Eudonia lacustrata has a brown version as well as the grey. On the other hand, I can't decide if the markings of it are the same as the Eudonia lacustrata or not. Help please?

Eudonia lacustrata. (TBC).

Blastobasis lacticolella.

I'm putting this next, well-posted-already moth, to draw attention to an observation. For the four or so years that I've been recording moths, the grey/black/white variety of Marbled Beauty, has always appeared before the brown/orange variety and in far greater numbers.

This year, I got one or two grey ones, then suddenly and arriving earlier than before, I had a lot of the orange ones. These have out-numbered the grey, for me at least. The poor weather will have reduced the amount of moths flying, but doesn't explain the whole picture. I suppose we shall never know what happens in these situations.

Marbled Beauty.

Another Eudonia sp

Open to correction

Not a definitive but an opinion to best practice all naturalists will have there own

Scops Often put to the back of the pile or ignored in the Field . I have thrown this post together as a holding page for various specimens as found .

General principles

Scopariinae are a difficult group to identify. Best to document fresh specimens when found as opposed to worn if an option on a catch. Worn moths if there is any uncertainty  might best be reflected as Eudonia sp. Mines Rearing and Gen det are other routes to certainty.. Not applicable on Calderdale Moths but it is suprising how many experts sometimes dont validate there own observations.

Validation can include vouchers for Gen Det , Shared Imaging for Confirmation by Experience , Never give an  officer a map share the route and get there without hitch . A second opinion never goes amiss , respect others on the journey. The use of Keys see below is usually a good way of whittling down the options but even the best keys sometimes yield ambiguity

Identification in the loose sense can be express to  family , genus or species.  It can vary with confidence  from Certain, to Likely at various levels based on a number of factors including similars , markings , size , foodplants , etc  and of course in some moths dimorphism ( male / female differences )

Best to use taxonnomic keys. These links are good pointers to serious Scoppers

Guide to Scoporiinae  Keys
General       Link


In respect of ground colour there is a great deal of natural variation amongst moths least alone images and it is not alone necessarily a reliable indicator  I defer again to the statement Rearing or Gen Det to be absolutely certain
Scopariinae are a difficult group to identify. In some cases it is just not possible from a look or photograph to identify

This one Looks to me to be one of the more discernible of the Scopariinae, ... Eudonia lacustrata. There are probably 3 when studied can yield a high confidence to ID  visually another  63.069 BF1342 Eudonia angustea with its narrow wings and markings being relatively distinctive

ABH 63.067 BF1338 Eudonia lacustrata

Refs

Naturespot
UK Moths

cf

63.074 Eudonia mercurella 

Tortrix Moths.

I've just found a good page for IDing Tortrix moths. Some images show the differences between male and female moths, (sexual dimorphism).

I thought this may help some other members here. For me, any help with micro ID is a good thing.

http://www.bettonyb.co.uk/tortrix1.html

Actually the site, is helpful for IDing moths in general. Go to the Home Page (Link below) for the family groups. There is a search box at the top right, in case you are looking for a particular moth.

http://www.bettonyb.co.uk/picture_lists.html

News about Painted Ladies.

Hi

Many of you will have noticed there are a lot more Painted Ladies this year. Chris Packham has been on the media talking about it, and the big Butterfly Count.:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/chris-packham-urges-public-to-track-once-in-a-decade-uk-painted-lady-butterfly-invasion/ar-AAEwYx9?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Lee Mount - 19th July

First Buff Arches of the year - with two smart looking individuals
A brown looking Marbled Beauty along with six other typical ones
A green looking Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
An Angle-striped Sallow
2 x Uncertain (I think)
+ a few others...

 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

 Buff Arches

 Marbled Beauty

 Angle-striped Sallow - oops nearly had it down for and Orange Sallow !!

Uncertain

And another dark moth c18 mm that had me baffled for a while and which I can only conclude is a Turnip Moth (TBC) (they always throw me a bit).
It shows quite a large elongated oval and one one shot I have the kidney mark looks double lobed.
The underside shows a nice clear silver-white under-wing which I also saw from above when it opened its wings. Dark streaks on the abdomen also show nicely though I have not found any other photos of Turnip Moth underside as yet.

Lee Mount - micro ?

Any help with this one appreciated.
I go through them with a tooth-comb, that's if I can get a decent picture in the first place. Not easy, then I give it up - then come back to it.......then most of them I give up on - but I keep trying.
It's so easy to go down the wrong path !!!
Any tips on getting photo's that don't go 'shiny' and distort the colour ?

Many thanks
Dave

Blackstone Edge

Small Heath 2
Meadow Brown 2

WHITEHOLME
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Ringlet 2

Lee Mount - 18th July

This one had me puzzled for a while when it landed on top of the trap soon after dusk last night. It had gone this morning but I think I've sorted it now !?

 Small Dotted Buff - 12mm

Only ever had one before, on 10th July 2018 - the unexpected is always a bit special.

Stainland.

I found the moth below in our kitchen and caught it in a sample pot. I was confused as to what it could be, (a rather worn Red-Barred Tortrix) as Manley's states it at 12-18 mm. There is no way the moth was that big. However, looking on line, most sites give it as 6-8 mm, except one, which stated 6-8 mm.

I hope the size error in Manley's was caused by whoever set the text for printing. It would be a shame to think it was Manley. Anyway, I will now always cross reference data about finds. I'm eagerly waiting someone to point out I got the ID wrong, (again).

Red-Barred Tortrix.