Rishworth - A caterpillar and a possible Mottled Grey in the field opposite the house.

I went over to the field opposite the house that is full of moorland grasses looking for any larvae and lo and behold I found this first instar Caterpillar, we thought it was Anoumalous or Neglected Rustic from the new caterpillar guide.... Found at around 300m....

up for ID it is on its side on these two pics

Also while checking for more larva I found what I think is a mottled grey in the grass

Widdop

Found this on the high moors (430m) near Widdop reservoir today ..looks like Neglected Rustic but not 100% with the state of it......

Lee Mount - 17th March

Clouded Drab x 1 in the trap this morning. Only getting one at a time but no matter. One is better than nothing !

 Clouded Drab

16th March

First Comma and  Small Tortoiseshell today and also Peacocks reported as well. Fox Moth cats have been seen and the next two weeks are perfect for Orange Underwing .......Crags this Friday night again if all goes well....

Rishworth - Orthosia No"2

Moth Trapping Session 14th March 2020
The second Orthosia of the year. A sign of things to come!

List of Species
Small Quaker x1

Small Quaker

My sugar for moths recipe

I just thought because I had nothing else to do I would share my variable sugar recipe for painting on trees etc. To attract moths.

A can of Mackesons Stout or west indies porter.
A 1/4 a bottle of cheap rum
A good amount of  black treacle
A lot of brown sugar

And put on a low heat for half an hour.

Anyone got other recipes?

What species

Seen indoors today. Probably very common but interested to know the species.

Crags 13th March 2020

Yellow Horned x 6
Satellite x 2
Chestnut x 3
March Moth x 1
Oak Beauty x 2
Small Quaker x 5
Common Quaker x 1
Agonopterix sp x 1

Rishworth

Nothing tonight. It was absolutely freezing here compared to the Crags....

Lee Mount - 11th March

Hebrew Character x 1 in the trap - nothing else !

Friday 13th (what could go wrong)

We are planning to run a trap at Hardcastle Craggs Car park on Friday 13th 6.30 - finish...all welcome..in recent year this has proved to be a good time for spring species in the craggs///....

Lee Mount - more from 7th

March Moth x 3 then with the forecast as it was I closed the trap down around 11:30 pm.
Last night - the lower one baffled me for a while (it doesn't take much !)

I'm not very familiar with this top one though I see Edward seems to get them fairly regularly.

 Tortricodes alternella

I puzzled over this one for a while, probably because I wasn't expecting these just yet. I finally came to a conclusion - which I hope is right.

Common Quaker

Rishworth - They are back!

Moth Trapping Session 7th March 2020
Had a Chestnut tonight, they are back!

List of Species
Chestnut x1

Lee Mount - 7th March

Nearly knocked the trap light off last night. Pleased I left it on with a nice surprise when I checked it this morning.
Oak Beauty x 1
I think this is a first for here (will check later) though I have seen them at Ogden.

I'm happy with the phone photo, my others on the camera are no better !

Also a small bee on the flowering Rhodanthemum across lunch time, when the sun was shining, was nice to see and a large Bumble Bee flew by as well.

Rishworth - The first proper Spring species of the year!

Moth Trapping Session 6th March 2020
The first spring species of the year tonight. Trap brought in at 21:00.

List of Species
Hebrew Character x1

Only House Wood , Northowram

2 very worn Dotted Border last night...keep an eye out for the first butterflys ...any day now....

Lee Mount - 1st March

Ah at last - a moth - 2 in fact.
March Moth x 2 - both on the fence by the trap despite the frost.

Rishworth - First Satellite of 2020

Moth Trapping Session 28th January 2020
A couple tonight...

List of Species
Satellite ( orange dot) x1
Tortricodes alternella x1

                                                         Tortricodes alternella

Poor February !!!

Nothing at all since the pale Brindled Beauty on 12th Feb despite the trap light on at home whenever the weather conditions allowed. Getting desperate now...........Brown House Moth at Ogden this morning when I met Chris who spotted one in the classroom.

Fame at last......

Last year I was fortunate enough to be contacted by the Natural History Museum about them using one of my photos in an upcoming publication (pictured below). My complimentary copy arrived a couple of days ago. It contains many photos of moths from every corner of the globe and the text covers all aspects of moths, it's generally quite technical which is good and will take quite a while to read through. It should be a reference book to keep going back to and would make a nice birthday/Christmas present at £17.00.

Who knew there were tear-drinking moths....

And don't even get me started on exotic bagworms...…..

Rishworth - A little random!

I found a march moth in the house this evening....

Cromwell Bottom

Dark Chestnut caught by Barry in January and 6 Satellite last night all on sugar....

Rishworth - A very interesting ID! (EArly Early tooth striped maybe...)

Moth Trapping Session 22nd February 2020
A good night with a very interesting ID.

List of Species
March Moth x1
Tortricodes alternella x1
ID x1

                                                           ID Above

                                                           March Moth Above

                                                        Tortricodes Alternella above

Rishworth - A twenty plume

A twenty plume moth in the house this evening ..

Moth night at Cromwell Bottom

There will be a moth night at Cromwell Bottom. See cromwellbottom.blogspot.com

Grey shoulder knot

Afternoon,

Grey shoulder knot, one to keep an eye out for this comin g few weeks (Andy,Gordon)

Only 2 Calderdale records

Netted Carpet Moth Caterpillar videio.

I've just found a nice video of the Netted Carpet moth cat, feeding on Touch-me-not seedheads. After watching it, I think I know why they are decreasing un numbers. The photohgragrapy is stunning.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ5dQ_Pdfac

Rishworth

Moth Trapping Session 17th February 2020
Another March Moth, a much darker individual this time.

List of Species
March Moth x1

Rishworth - It is not March!

Moth Trapping Session 14th February 2020
A march moth, its not march! Trap brought in at 21;00.

List of Species
March Moth x1

Pale Brindled Beauty and Moth Report update

This was on Daves door today when i popped round........
Many thanks for all the emails and letters received about the moth report it has been selling well and i have now broken even on the sales with 10 copy ' s left ....this money will go to Butterfly Conservation. Many thanks to Dave for all his help.....If anyone still needs a copy please get in contact asap...thanks again Andy

Rishworth

Nothing last night

Lee Mount - 31st January

Nothing since my last post on 25th Jan. Last night - one moth, a dark form of Pale Brindled Beauty.

Rishworth - First micro of the year

Moth Trapping Session 31st January 2020
A good night with the first record of Tortricodes alternella for the garden .

List of Species
Tortricodes alternella x2
Chestnut x2

                                                        Tortricodes alternella

Chestnut

Moth Night at CB

See cromwellbottom.blogspot.com

The Butterflies and Moths of Calderdale is now ready to order......

Copies are £7.50 + £2.00 for post and packing......they can be obtained from -
1 ) e-mail andrewcockroft@talktalk.net
2) Collect from 9 Hedge top lane Northowram HX3 7ER (correct money please)
3) Hebden Bridge birders meeting at Fox and Goose 7o 'clock Tuesday 4th Feb
4) DJS has 10 copies and will be at the HXSS meeting on 11th Feb ( Askam Bog talk) or speak with Dave and collect...

Lee Mount - 25th January

All still a bit slow yet with the weather still pretty cool - but it could be a lot colder !!!.
2 Pale Brindled Beauty on and off this week - think they are just hanging about.

A new species for the year this morning on the fence by the trap was very welcome ! With another darker individual turning up on the pebble-dashing this evening.

Spring Usher

Rishworth - A hiding one!

Moth Trapping Session 24th January 2020
A Chestnut hiding next to a rock on a tarpaulin covering wood!

List of Species;

Chestnut x1

Least Carpet Yorkshire records

One to keep an eye out for in the Summer ................

Rishworth - 2 More!

Moth Trapping Session 23rd January 2020
I had nothing in the trap last night but got 2 Chestnuts tonight.

List of Species
Chestnut x2







Seperately a melanistic Pale Brindled Beauty just flew in the house.

                                                          Chestnut

Pale Brindled Beauty F. Monacharia

Add caption

Bare Head Tunnel

I could only find 8 Heralds yesterday and no Butterflies in the tunnel..?/ they are probably flying around in this glorious weather...!!!!!

The Butterflies and Moths of Calderdale

This will be available as from next week the price will be £7.50 its just short of 200 pages , after i have paid for all the costs , any monies left will be donated to the Yorkshire branch of  Butterfly Conservation....Many thanks to Charlie Streets , DJS , Brian Leesey , Martyn Hayes , Colin Duke , Annie H and Charlie Fletcher  for much help over the years........ Lets go moffing.........

Rishworth - First Moths of the year!

Moth Trapping Session 21st January 2020
A good night with the first moths of the year. V. pleased. trapping session ended at 8;30 as no point carrying on.

List of Species
Chestnut x2
Pale Brindled Beauty x3 ------- Normal x2
                                                   F. Monacharia x1

                                                           Chestnut Above

                                                    Pale Brindled beauty f.monacharia Above

                                                Pale Brindled Beauty Above

Lee Mount - 21st January

A good start tonight with this Common Plume that arrived soon after sunset.

Emmelina monodactyla

Lee Mount - 20th January

Persisting with the light trap paid off at last with 2 moths.
First was a Dotted Border, it came into the conservatory when I opened the door and I managed to catch it in a plastic cup - hence the hazed photo.
I checked the trap and in the slots on the fence was this melanistic individual - Pale Brindled Beauty. Thought.... I need to careful with identification with this form. I guess the pink on the abdomen is a help so I'm thankful the photo just shows this feature which was impossible to see otherwise.

 Dotted Border

Pale Brindled Beauty

Anomalous in the Rishworth Area

Afternoon,

I am planning to go to the green withens area or baitings area one night next month searching for Anomalous larva.

2 Questions :

Are there any records for the Rishworth Area?

And..

Are there tips that may help me other than searching on wavy hair grass and tufted hair grass ?

Edward

Stainland. First Caterpiller this year

I've seen my first moth caterpillar of the year the year, just now. It's an Angle Shades. It's sheltering on the pointing right, by the door. It has it's head tucked into where two strips of pointing meet. All the moths I've had here, put their heads into any small depression with a slight overhang, in wild weather. They're protecting their brain, obviously.

 Angle Shades.

Detail, showing the red-brown side marks

and the whiteish markings on it's back.