November In Focus

November Moth agg British Leps

An aggregate of 4 . A species were appearance alone can not be taken as reliable although some pointers can be useful in narrowing down  ID eg Over all colour Eg melanic or dark especially when some show marked melanism making it difficult to differentiate .  forking of  vein 3 &4 , relation to discal spot if visible , gender etc  can be taken to narrow down on probability but not definitive enough to be absolute. The Small Autumnal poses less of a problem as size habitat Moorland and phenology earlier aid in its id

British and Irish moths: an illustrated guide to selected difficult species

Gen Det agg species


November Moth                    Epirrita dilutata 

Pale November Moth            Epirrita christyi     

Autumnal Moth                     Epirrita autumnata  

Small Autumnal Moth          Epirrita filigrammaria 



November Moth Epirrita dilutata agg

Rishworth

Moth Trapping Session 11th October 2019
A warm night so I gave it a go with the trap out. Less moths due to 95.6% moon..

List of Species
Satellite x1
Feathered Thorn x3 (one netted at 22:00)
November Moth Agg. (I think...) x1
Copper Underwing Agg. x1 (Very Late...)

                                                       Satellite Above &below

                                                    Satellite&  Feathered Thorn

                          November Moth Below????????

 Below...Copper Underwing Agg.
Satellite

Stainland.

1 x Garden Rose Tortrix.
1 x Angle Shades.

Invite to a Field Trip This Saturday

There's a Halifax Scientific Society walk this Saturday (Oct.12th) in the Stainland area. There will be one or two fungi experts present so given the recent weather conditions there should be plenty to look at with waxcaps, clubs and corals being the main targets. I'll be there and I usually focus most of my efforts on searching for leaf mines, bagworms, moths etc. but I do have a keen interest in fungi as well.


It's a pretty laid back affair with no previous experience required, just lots of friendly, like-minded people.


Meet Peechysteve at Station Road car park at Holywell Green at 10.30am. HX4 9AP. Bring good walking boots and a packed lunch, the walk finishes approximately 2.30pm. Approx 3 miles.


More info here: http://calderdale-wildlife.blogspot.com/p/walks-and-surveys.html


Everyone welcome.

When moths and fungi meet: The Scarlet Caterpillar Club has been found in previous years on this walk. It feeds on subterranean moth larvae.

Rishworth caterpillars

Rishworth 8th October 2019
Swept a Ruby Tiger larva last night, not taken for rearing though..

Stainland.

Poor weather for moths, but I had two this morning:

1 x November Moth agg.
1 x Light Brown Apple.

Hollas Lane - Yesterday

Butterflies down to just four Red Admirals trying to eke out some nectar in the breezy, showery conditions.

It was nice to find some Yarrow Case-bearers on a different food plant, pictured above are two cases on the seedheads of Sneezewort which is in the same genus as Yarrow. It's a very common moth here with multiple cases on many seedheads of both plants.

Apart from leaf miners the only other thing of note was a Ruby Tiger larva dashing along at speed as they always seem to do.

Rishworth- Quality not Quantity

Moth Trapping Session 7th October 2019
Not too many compared to Sunday but good species came.

List of Species
Merveille du Jour x1
November Moth Agg. x1
Red Green Carpet x3
Black Rustic x1
Chestnut x1
Angle Shades x1
Red-Lined Quaker x1
Silver Y x1                                                

                                           Merveille du Jour Above            Chestnut Below 

Shibden

1 Comma
1 Small tortoiseshell
2 Red admiral

Rishworth- A busy Night in the trap.

Moth Trapping Session 6th October 2019
A lot of moths in and on the umbrella over the trap despite the rain.


List of Species AFter pictures

                    Satellite above                                                           Feathered Thorn Below

                   Angle Shades Above                   November Moth Below

                                                           Red -Line Quaker Below

List of Species
November Moths Agg. x13
Feathered Thorn x1
Satellite x1
Red Green Carpet x6
Yellow-Lined Quaker x6
Red-Lined Quaker x1
Angle Shades x1

Lee Mount - 6th October

One each - Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood across lunchtime with a half-hour of sunshine - then it rained, again !!

Lee Mount - 4th and 5th October

Blair's Shoulder-knot x 1
Silver Y x 1
November Moth agg x 1
Common Marbled Carpet x 1
Light-brown Apple-moth x 1

Blair's Shoulder-knot

Red Admiral at Wainstalls this afternoon

Rishworth: ID's,Butterflies and Obviously Moths

Moth Trapping Session 4th October 2019
A good night leading to some new species for here.

List of Species
Yellow-Lined Quaker x3
Red-Lined Quaker x2 
Not Sure but Barred Sallow x1
Red Green Carpet x12

                                                         Also above Barred Sallow?

                                                     Above Barred Sallow??

                                                         ID Same moth above and below

                                  Butterflies Hibernating
Small Tortoiseshell x1

Lee Mount - 3rd October

Just two moths this morning.
Red-line Quaker x 1
Red-green Carpet x 1

Rishworth

Moth Trapping Session 2nd October 2019
A chilly night only trapped for November Moths

List of Species
November Moth Agg.  x2

October Butterflies

Northowram...
Comma x 1
Peacock x 1
Red Admiral x 2
Small Tortoiseshell x 1
Large White x 1
Small Copper x 1 ( looked freshly emerged today)
Silver Y x 1
Light Brown Apple Moth x 1

Lee Mount

Still just a few butterflies about today in the short breaks of sunshine - mostly on Verbena bonariensis
Comma x 1
Red Admiral x 2
Speckled Wood x 2
Small Tortoiseshell x 1

Rishworth Sugaring.

Sugaring Session 29th September 2019

List of Species

Silver Y Nectaring on the Garden Buddleia x1

Angle Shades feeding on the Sugar mixture x1

Common Wainscot also nectaring on the Garden Buddleia x1

30th 09 2019

Northowram today
Painted Lady x 2
Red Admiral x 1
Small White x 1
Comma x 1
Small Tortoiseshell x 1

Blackstone Edge Reservoir (PJWS)
Red Admiral and Small White

Lee Mount - 30th September

Just one moth this morning - and another new one for this site.
A bit of a puzzler at first then I got it with the loaded crossbow description !

Green-brindled Crescent (dark brown form)