Green Hairstreaks

pretty pale looking Green Hairstreaks today up near buck stones...and an empty cocoon..We should be getting the first Speckled Woods any time now and Small Coppers seem to be becoming scarce but should also be on the wing now , with another warm week ahead its a good time for these two species.....

Common Heath

Its a funny old game ,,went looking for Green Hairstreak and found plenty of these................

Ovenden Moor

After some searching late morning I managed to find just one of these resting on bilberry bushes in among the heather. We have managed to find this species here before when it's been warm, still and sunny . They are easily missed even then !

Green Hairstreak

 

There were also plenty of Common Heath's on some areas of the long heather, but trying to get even a half-decent photo was a struggle - they just take off as you creep just that bit closer !

Red striped Blackthorn cats

15mm. This one looked quite spiffy before a parasitic wasp grub did its business, I think it was a Geometrid, Green Pug maybe- any ideas?

13mm. This one's not looking too great either :-(  Any ideas?

A micro - I'm hoping it's the Pyralid Acrobasis advenella  but not 100%

I'm also hoping it won't get eaten from within :-)

Lee Mount - 7th May

First night with the MV 125 and it drew in the pugs !
14 pugs photographed to check later - mostly looked like Brindled Pugs and including 2 Double-striped Pugs.
1 Early Grey
1 Bee Moth
1 Beautiful Plume
1 Clouded Drab
3 Common Quaker
Loads of Dyseriocrania subpurpurella including a tight group in the trap of around 40, maybe 60 or so all told with many still in the trap this morning.

Last Night moths Northowram

Early grey x 5
Hebrew Character x 10
Early Thorn x 3
Clouded Drab x 2
Common Quaker x 5
White Pinion Spotted x 1
Oak Nycteoline ( f .ramosana ) x 1
Falme Carpet x 1
Garden carpet x 1
Double -striped Pug x 6
Brindled Pug x 8
Light Brown Apple Moth x 2

Orange tip

Many thanks for all the Orange tip records a great year for this species. records from Todmorden , Hebden Bridge , Sowerby Bridge , Copley , Cromwell Bottom and Cooper Bridge shows it is now a common species along the whole of the length of the River Calder. Records also from Northowram , and Shibden Valley , Ogden , Jay House lane also ( any more ??)   . I had one Green Hairstreak at Widdop last Thursday and Brian saw one at Walshaw on Monday also good to see a few records of Holly Blue a resident species but tricky to pin down to a regular location.
  Green veined whites should be about now  so please post as many sites as poss, many thanks Andy

VC63 - Garden Moths 6th May 2018

Sunday 6th May 2018

Weather -Warm 17 - 20 - Still - preceding dayime 2 days Hot

Main Activity circa 1 am

Other Entomology

Midges Numerous
Crean Spot Ladybird
Stonefly

MV 125 W

73.045 BF2289   Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis
73.249 BF2190   Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica
72.001 BF2469   The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix +
70.239 BF1919   Purple Thorn Selenia tetralunaria
70.182 BF1832   Currant Pug Eupithecia assimilata

70.156 BF1852   Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata

+  The presence of the Herald is possibly aided by 20 or 30 up ended flagstones at bottom of garden making suitable habitat to  overwinter


Two Pugs for Comment

70.182 BF1832   Currant Pug Eupithecia assimilata




70.156 BF1852   Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata

Pug2

Lee Mount

After Colin's Herald on 5th and having commented that I'd never had one here low and behold a Herald turned up last night on the fence next to the trap. Unfortunately it was in a very difficult spot to get a decent photo so won't post the poor shot I did get. A special moth for me.
It had gone this morning with just the following in the trap
3 Common Quaker's
1 Clouded Drab
5+ Dyseriocrania subpurpurella

Jay House Lane

One from John Marsh today with a Holly Blue and a good number of Orange Tip butterflies

Angle Shades Caterpillar.

A fine Angle Shades caterpillar was on the garden wall today. For the last few years, I've had just one caterpillar in the garden, (that I saw anyway.) I've twice seen the dark brown version as well. I'm watching for that one now.

Angle Shades Cat. 

Angle Shades Cat. 

VC 63 - Garden Moths 3rd May 2018 - The Herald

Thurs 03 May 2018

MV 125

Weather - Moderate , 10o , Wind Still

Low returns given the duration . however 3 species flying

72.001 BF2469 The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix

Two Micros TBC

Images To Follow

I think one is

2.001 BF6    Dyseriocrania subpurpurella

Orange Tip

1 Male Orange tip at Christ Church School, Sowerby Bridge this morning.

Buccalatrix cidarella

This emerged today from a mine found on Common Alder on the Hebble Trail last September. It's been 7 weeks since I brought the cocoon indoors so I was beginning to wonder if it was still alive or not.

It's the first time I've seen a Bucculatrix moth in the flesh so it's made my day :-)

Mine above and larva grazing below from last year.

orange tip

2 make Orange tip in Long Wood, Skircoat today

Brimstone

late news of a Brimstone at Cromwell Bottom the the 18th and 19th April  (John Marsh) . This weekend and next week look good for the first Green Hairstreaks on a billberry patch near you................. and Orange Tips along the canal towpaths  and river banks..

Toxic caterpillars of the Oak Processionary Moths,

An infestation of caterpillars that can trigger asthma attacks, vomiting and skin rashes has appeared in south-east England....

...Hairs on the moths contain toxins that cause severe dizziness, fever and eye and throat irritations, health officials have warned. The caterpillars - which feed off oak trees - have distinctive extremely hairy bodies and should not be touched. Sightings should be reported to the Forestry Commission....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/health-warning-as-toxic-hairy-caterpillars-take-over-woodlands/ar-AAwtK4g?li=BBoPWjQ&OCID=ansmsnnews11

Sorry it's a long link, copy and past into your browser.

Shibden head , Cats on Heather

                                                         Neglected Rustic

                                                             Heath Rustic

Went to Bare Head tunnel today and found 4 Heralds , and these two cats were found on heather opposite the entrance.

Test

Just a test sending email direct to blog.

Sent from my iPhone

Ogden

I managed my first Oak Beauty this morning thanks to Chris for pointing one out on the workshop room opposite the refreshment room. I didn't managed a photo in the rain but many thanks for that Chris. Hoping to get one at home one of these days !