Good and bad

A great night last night from the trap, With Elephant and Poplar hawkmoth,Buff,White Ermine ,cinnabar ,foxglove Pug, Brimstone  ,Beautiful golden Y  , clouded silver /Border,
Ingrailed clay , Dark Arches , and top pic Bordered White a scarce moth for me in Northowram...1 weeks to go after a two year wait and mold has set in....that is the way it goes.....

CockHill Moor Field Observations

Took an interesting trip onto the moors today and found the following
1) This 2064 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa with a damaged forewing just sitting on a rock by the path,
2) There were 100's of these 1162 Rhopobota myrtillana (can anyone confirm this id, seems to be under recorded on UK moths?) all on bilberry.
3) Here is a mystery relatively plain tortrix looking specimen again on bilberry but amongst heather and grasses. Again id sought.
An interesting hour under the whalesong of curlews and lapwings.

 

 

Spectacle outside the shop at Ogden this morning.

More Nettle-tap

Following on from Chris's Nettle-taps in the previous post. I dug out my pic of the same. It revealed a mystery object (bottom left of frame) any ideas, insect related? No idea what the plant is I'm afraid.

Recent sightings

The sunny weather a week or so ago ment lots of butterfly activity on the nature reserves around Halifax. Highlight was a Small Copper at Shibden Park on Friday 7th. Also had an Orange Tip laying eggs on the garlic mustard in the garden, and further investigation found tiny little caterpillars as well. I did come across these 2 micro moths mating in the garden (above). Anyone any idea which species they are?

P. conwagana

What a lovely way to start the morning by finding this, 1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana at my back door. Despite being a common species I have never come across it and its food plant (Ash) overhangs the area where it was discovered hovering above a neighbours head. It has such fantastic colours, like a canary yellow bank note threaded through with a metallic silver strip.

I think this spring is the most fun I have ever had finding moths and all without using the light trap.

Moth wing for id...

Found in littlebrough.

Diplodoma laichartingella Update 10 06 13

This Diplodoma laichartingella Adult Emerged early this morning from Larval Case collected on 17 03 13 from Callis Wood found at the base of Mature Beech in South Facing hollow.Bri.PS another emerged today 11 06 13 also early this Morning.

Moths about............

Few moths about at last
Northowram..
Clouded Bordered Brindle
Poplar hawkmoth
Foxglove and Common Pugs
Scalloped Hazels
Flame Shoulder
Spruce Carpet
Knot Grass
Campion

Elephant hawkmoth at heath road thanks Sean

from Luddenden..thanks Martyn
Poplars almost everynight
Coxcomb Prominent
Small Elephant Hawkmoth
Brown Silver-line
Buff (1) and quite a few White Ermine
Common Pugs (I think)
Flame, Common & Garden Carpets
Scalloped Hazels
Knot Grass
Herald

Phyllonorycter rajella 04 06 13

Just got this Phyllonorycter rajella Emerge from a Mine on Grey Alder gathered last autumn,amazin anything emerged,as the Leaf was very dry and Shrivelled up !

Blue Help

When I first took this thought it was brown Argus now I reckon this may be a female Common Blue,,,but has a few bits of Brown Argus/Northern B in it.Taken in South Yorkshire.. Anyone give us a few tips,This is the only photo I got........................

Thinking of getting a trap

Hi guys,

Thinking of getting a trap, just wondered if you guys could offer some advice and also by chance is anyone looking to sell one?

Questions I have are along the lines of, how often do the bulbs need replacing? Do the neighbours complain about bright lights being on during the early hours?

Any advice/opinions very much appreciated.

Green hairstreaks

Plenty Green Hairstreaks about today, up to 20 at the back of fly flats along the bilberry paths...

Grizzled Skipper

This one was seen in Oxfordshire   at Ardley quarry ,a carpet of wildflowers and plenty butterflies.
Well worth a visit...http://www.bbowt.org.uk/reserves/ardley-quarry

Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages

Before viewers get too excited, this was not found in Calderdale. A trip to Warton Crag near Carnforth (on my way to work in Edinburgh) revealed a nice Dingy Skipper amongst the usual butterfly species. I would recommend a visit to this reserve. Good for walking butterflies and birds.

moths

First moths last night included a Cinnabar, Buff ermine , Flame Carpet and 3 early Greys...not much but a nice start..................

Historical Note

Last night the 25th May and 28th May  2013,I put the trap on at 9 .55and ran it overnight ,
 I emptied the trap at 5.30 this morning the 26th and 29th May 2013 ,,not one moth................


Ghost Moth update

 

Eggs collected from pair in cop 7th june 2011,started to pupate 15th May 2013.

Curse of the Organised event ..strikes again

1 Early Thorn
1 Red  Chestnut
30 people  
+ rain and wind
Thanks to Bri and Nabil

Watch Out For Wood Tiger Moths

Anyone out and about on the Moors watch out for the Spectacular Wood Tiger Moth,.Its about the time to see the Partlially Grown Larvae as they like to Bask in the Sunshine,they never seem so Common,ive only found 2 in 10 years or so,hopefully just Underrecorded ! theres some pics on this blog from last Year of Larva and Moth.Bri.

Emperor Moths, Saturnia Pavonia 5th May, Whiteholme Reservoir

Coming back from a trip to the Llyn peninsular yesterday I decided to stop off at Whiteholme Reservoir just in case Emperors were on the wing. As soon as I got out of the car the sun went in. Very windy too so wasn’t very hopeful as I set off with my net. Nearly 2 hrs later, still no sun and little more to show for my ramble in the heather than a few Philedonides lunana which keep you on your toes (thx Bri’ for the id tip off). Walking home I saw something, or did I? You know those times when something caught your eye but as soon as you noticed you were past it. Retraced a few steps expecting it to be bird droppings or a piece of litter or like the money in the street that turns out to be a smarty tube bottom. Instead it was a female Emperor, Jackpot! I have been walking the moors for 8 years around Calderdale and this is my first sighting of a female. Very fresh and newly emerged it seemed as the hind wings were still showing a few undulations. Next I noticed it was only 6 inches from its cocoon woven into the tops of the heather. There has been a lot of burning on that moor and the cocoon survived in a little 2ft diameter area of unburned heather when all around it was charred stalks. The caterpillar had chosen well. Having taken some photos and whilst packing up my things I became luckier still. From nowhere a male appeared (the only sighting of the day). Landed about 6 inches below the female and climbed up to join her. I was surprised to see them mate as earlier I saw (what I thought) were eggs. Round pale yellow/white spheres dropping into the heather. Maybe they were something else? Taking some final photographs I left them in peace. By this time on the Riponden side of Turvin road the whole moor was ablaze. Driving back down you could feel the heat of the fire inside the car and it made me think how resilient the Emperor pupae must be to be surrounded by fire and still provide me with so much entertainment.