Lee Mount - 13th August

 Two new moths for me this morning.

Lime-speck Pug

Barred Rivulet - quite a small moth at just over 10mm wing length

Clay triple Lines

 Another new species for me in the garden this week came in the form of this little beauty........Plenty  Holly Blues , Comma , Purple Hairstreaks , Gatekeepers and Small Coppers about but the highlight was a Wall Brown ....

Lee Mount and Hunter Hill

I thought once over that Large Skippers had finished for the year until this one turned up in the garden, firstly on Phlox then on the blue Lobelia this afternoon. Not always so obliging to stay still for a photo and showing the paler wing panels that help to distinguish this species from the Small Skipper!

Large Skipper

Also nearby were 2 Holly Blue's on Hebe and a Purple Hairstreak around the tops of the Oak tree.

Below, a Gatekeeper from the end of July that ended up resting on New Zealand Flax. It often helps with identification of some species to confirm from upper-wing and the under-wing.

Gatekeeper

Hunter Hill earlier today. A good mix of butterflies in that area including a small colony of Small Heaths (no photos, they wouldn't keep still for long enough) - preferring an area of  short turf and bare earth with a few dried out cow-pats !

Swales Moor

 A good day for butterfly's along the bridleway and around the top field late morning.

1 Painted Lady, 4 Small Copper, 8 Meadow Brown, 4 Small White, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock, 1 Large White, 3 Gatekeepers, 3 Wall, 1 Small Skipper, 1 Green-veined White.

Wall

Small Copper

Painted Lady

Day-flying moths

Shaded Broad-bar x 5, Udea lutealis x 6, Agriphila tristella x 5...and quite a few more disturbed in the grass disappeared unidentified !

Udea lutealis

Hag Lane - 7th August

Track behind the ski-slope at Ploughcroft this afternoon. Didn't expect too much but it turned out well. Found a sheltered spot next to the track, out of the wind, with a bank of flowering heather to a background of big holly's.

At least 4 Holly Blue butterflies seen at the same time but they were on the heather and fluttering around the holly's so there could have been more. Impossible to get a decent photo unfortunately. A few blurred images ! Also at the same spot....

10+ Gatekeepers, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Peacock, 6+ Meadow Brown, 2 Small Copper

Up the track just beyond this spot found 3 Walls, must be second generation this year.

Earlier in the day the moth trap produced two new ones for the year with a Lesser Swallow Prominent and a Six-striped Rustic.

Stainland.

 6th Aug. 2022.

2 x Blastobasis adustella

1 x Common Rustic - brown form

Lee Mount - Micros !!

Just starting on recent micros - don't know how far I will get with them................

Wondering about these two recently. First one looks good for Eudemis profundana. ?

This second one has the similar brown basal collar but the markings are much less obvious.

Also these ones below which look fairly straight-forward ........maybe !!

Epinotia ramella (2nd and 3rd Aug)

Stainland. 4th August 2022.

 The last catch-up.

1 x Blastobasis adustella

1 x Blastobasis lacticolella 

I'm posting the Blastobasis l. as it's by far the best photo of this species I've ever taken. It gives a clear view of it. (Some of the other shots over the years have been quite poor).

Blastobasis lacticolella

At last! I'm up to date. 

  

Stainland. From 1st August 2022.

 From 1st August 2022.

2 x Agriphila tristella TBC

1 x Anania coronata (A first for me. A lovely moth, pity I couldn’t get a better photo.)

1 x V Pug

I'm sorry about the terrible photos, I seem to be taking a lot of them just now. I really have get on top of this.

Anania coronata 

Not certain about the two below, could someone have a go at them please?

Agriphila tristella No.1 TBC

I'm completely stuck with the next one. It really did have the deeply coloured band,

Agriphila tristella No.2 TBC

Stainland. 31 July 2022.

Late post 31 July 2022

During the night it was cold and windy with an occasional light shower., not many moths)

2 x Blastobasis adustella (Decent shot, or I wouldn't bother posting it.)

Blastobasis adustella

Stainland. From 30 July 2022.

Late post from 30 July 2022

3 x Straw Dot

2 x Common Rustic agg. (From yesterday)

2 x Blastobasis lacticolella

1 x Blastobasis adustella

1 x Bird Cherry Ermine

1 x Willow Beauty (Resident for 4 days)

1 Riband Wave - ab. Remutata form

1 x V Pug

Straw Dot

Lee Mount - 3rd and 4th August

One here for checking that didn't look just right for Spectacle......

Maybe Dark Spectacle ?? (not had one previously)

Dark Spectacle confirmed

Stainland. From 29th July.

I'm having exiting time just now. My laptop started acting up. It took me two days to sort it out. Still, it's a lot cheaper than taking it in for repair.

From 29th July

Thanks to David for confirming Common Rustic, in the comments.

3 x Common Rustic (1 pale brown, other 2 Red-ish brown I'm not 100% certain of the IDs)

3 x Eudonia lacustrata

3 x Marbled Beauty

1 x Small Phoenix (possibly from day before)

4 x Blastobasis lacticolella

2 x Blastobasis adustella

Common Rustic agg.

Common Rustic agg.

I still have some more catching up to do....

Shibden Valley

 Holly Blue 1   (4 August: Small Copper 1)

Northern Marble Phiaris palustrana

 Just been confirmed as a first for VC 63 Northern Marble  Phiaris palustrana . Found high up on the moor at Middle Walshaw Dean...14th July 2022

Lower Brockholes

Female Gatekeeper (rather tatty)

Stainland. Catch up from 28 July..

 28th July

10 x Blastobasis lacticolella
  2 x Marbled Beauty
  2 x Small Phoenix
  1 x Willow Beauty
  1 x Riband Wave 
  1 x Common Footman
  1 x Eudonia lacticolella
  2 x Lozotaenia forsterana 

Lozotaenia forsterana 

Stainland. Another catch-up.

Since 25th July, 

I've had a lot of things on my hands. Having to dismantle 4 dining chairs, repair and rebuild them being the most trying, I'm not a great DIY person. I have spent countless hours pouring over moth books and the internet to hoping for IDs, and sometimes failing. It's very frustrating, I'd much rather have them all named before I post them. I get attacks of brain fog and uncontrollable yawning, Sigh. However. I have a few days of moth counts to post, starting with the 27th July.

27 July

3 x Willow Beauty

1 x July Highflier (First this year)

1 x Brimstone

1 x Blastobasis adustella

1 x Blastobasis lacticolella

1 x Currant Pug

1 x Marbled Beauty

Also, two moths that need an ID. I'm not proud of these to shots. They are the best I could do at the time..

I'm not confident about the first one but it's my best try..

Ypsolopha vittela TBC

It seems that every time I find a dark, black or dark grey moth, I have problems with them. They should be distinctive but...

ID Needed

More updates to follow.

 Another Chocolate Tip

Following Dave's excellent first record of Chocolate Tip in 2020 another turned up in Luddenden last night

other goodies the last 2 days were

Beautiful Hook-tip - 9th record this year

Engrailed

Scallop Shell - third record this year

also 3 Purple Thorn last night, my first ever multiple record also 39 Dingy Footmen so far this year

Stainland. Brown moth with white head. Mystery solved?

I was lucky enough to have a second moth of the same species of a brown moth with white head, yesterday afternoon. It was in a spot where I could take nine photos from different angles. I had to crop some photos to get a good look at it. It's not something I care to do as a rule.

There is not as much white on the second moth. However, I got enough photos to show in detail what is happening.

Studying them, I came to three conclusions:

1) It's a Udea prunalis.

2) Both moths have the same features, (white head and same body).

3) The structure and appearance of the white parts, suggests a fungal infection. They exhibit a soft, fluffy appearance.

The 5 photos below, show the details:

1) A shot of the whole moth. Note that the white part is visible on the right leg. The white area here, can clearly be seen to be fluffy on the original photo.

Udea prunalis TBC

2) The white area seems to be spreading round the eyes and to the roots of the antennae.

Spreading round the eyes

3) Showing the white areas spreading across it's face. The next two photos are a little soft focus. I wasn't able to keep the camera in exactly the same place, due to me shaking a little. (An after effect of the health issue.)

White areas spreading across it's face.

4) Showing the white area spreading to it's legs.

White area spreading to it's front legs.

5) Out of interest, I added another whole moth shot, from a different angle. In this image, you can't

see much of the white, just a little on the leading edge of it's left wing. Also, some white shows where it seems to be spreading around the outside edges of it's eyes.

Same moth, different angle

So, it's open to discussion, it it fungal or not? 

If yes, they does this need to be reported officially, in the way the British ladybirds fungal infection has been? I'm very happy to provide high quality photos if asked,

Stainland. Up to date.

By the end of this post I will have caught up. Some of you may wonder why I didn't add them to one big post, as before.  I did try, however, it seems that my concentration has not recovered yet. I got my records of the last few days in quite a mess, by trying to combine them in one post. I started again, it worked. Hey ho! Never  mind, here they are.

Post updated 27th July. Thanks to David for an ID of three moths

25th July 2022 

3 x Marbled Beauties 

3 x Blastobasis lacticolella 

2 x Common Footman 

2 x Marbled Beauties 

1 x Twenty Plume 

1 x Garden Grass Veneer

1 x Grey Dagger (I’m not sure if I’ve seen this one before, or not Nice moth though)

1 x Willow Beauty 

1 x Grey Dagger (I’m not sure if I’ve seen this one before, or not. Nice moth though)

1 x  Eudonia Sp. Unknown ID Needed

1 x Willow Beauty (I think) Very badly Worn 

1 x Unspecified Needs an ID (Poor photo)

This last one has taken me a very long time to complete. I had to re-do it three times and became very irate with myself. I really need help with the IDs here. 

I'm off for a lie down now, I'm am so trashed.

Dark Dagger/Grey Dagger

IDs needed for the below, thank you

Agapeta hamana 

Garden Pebble

Stainland. Catch up.

 20h July 2022

16 moths today, not bad for me, nothing compared to others of course.

7 x Marbled Beauties
3 x Swallowtails
3 x Riband Wave (One Banded)
1 x Eudonia lacustrata
1 x Brimstone
1 x V Pug (Not the same one as yesterday, this is in better condition)

V Pug (Accidentally knocked the ISO 
to 1000, without realising! Poor photo)

Stainland.

 19th July 2022 

Not a bad collection.

3 x Marbled Beauties (One brownish colour, first this season)

2 x Riband Wave

1 x Brimstone
1 x Eudonia lacustrata

1 x Bird Cherry Ermine

1 x Light Emerald (Not seen one for a few years)
1 x V Pug (Nice to see but very worn)

Light Emerald