Lee Mount - 23rd May

Just a Pale Tussock. Turned up last night in the wind and the rain. Nothing else other than the 4 Heart and Dart that turned up again this morning (24th).

Pale Tussock

Mixenden plantation etc

I went through there this morning, and on the return, checked quite a number of the older Scots Pines for signs of any moths camouflaged on the fissured bark.

Nothing doing at all other than a good number of large flies hiding there in the blustery cool wind, first thing.

No moths.... then a Treecreeper passed me and shinned up one of the nearby pines. It caught a moth, maybe slightly larger than a Heart and Dart. Scoffed it in one just as the moth opened it's wings and the bird downed the lot, wings and all. No time for identification... it was gone !!!

-----------------------

When I got home I found a couple of insects that I first thought were micros. Turned out they were bugs, later found in  ''Insects of Britain and Ireland'. A species found on Oak, May to June. I suspect they got blown off the nearby oaks in the direction of the house during the strong wind the last couple of days.
I'm pretty sure I have the correct identification - but it's quite a mouthful !

Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus

Stainland.

Two moths thos morning.


1 x Brown House Moth. (Found in the hall). Quite a different colour to last year's find.
1 x Bee Moth.

Brown House Moth. TBC.

 

Bee Moth.

Also, in Robber Dodge yesterday, (22nd May):

In spite of a windy day, several butterflies were about. It's quite shelted in some parts, I assume that's what brought them out. I saw:

11 x White butterflies. 4 large and the rest small. No ID, for a change.
5  x Orange Tip.
3 x Small Tortoisehell.
2 x Speckled Wood.
1 x Holly Blue.

It was the highlight of my day. I was on my way home, when I caught sight of a light, powdery blue flash to my side. I stood very still, it flew round me twice, about 18 inches away. There was no chance of a photo. It's a shame, I've never seen a Holly Blue in Robber Dodge, in all the 36 years I've been walking there. In fact it's only the third time in my life I've ever seen one. Once on the Chiltern Hills, near Aylesbury and once at Cromwell Btm. I hope I get to see more there, and maybe a photo of the summer brood.

Rishworth - CF Update! (Updated twice!)

Hello all,

The Bird Dropping Tortricid from 19th has been confirmed by CF as Notocelia Trimaculana what is the status of this species in Calderdale?

Update 15:05PM:

I forgot to put FW 7.5 mm

          Update 15:20PM: I sent forewing to CF he said : Spot-on for Trimaculana. 

Lee Mount - 22nd May

Just two moths in the evening - very windy conditions yesterday that continued through the night.

Knot Grass x 1 (earliest record  here. Previously in last few years 8 records in June, 5 in July, 2 in August)
Flame Shoulder x 1 (looked badly battered in the wind)

Knot Grass

This morning 23rd May

Heart and Dart x 4 (I think maybe these are the same four that have been turning up each morning in the trap since the 19th despite me moving them further away after each catch). One looked badly battered from yesterdays winds.

Esperia sulphurella

Found, photo , and identified by Phil Dyson at Norland yesterday ..Thanks Phil

Ogden classroom light

Had to open up Ogden today after almost 9 weeks of lockdown - lots of wildlife around in those 9 weeks, but there has been very little if anything at the light on the classroom. However today 4 moths!

1759 Small Phoenix x2

1920 Scalloped Hazel

2060 White Ermine

Ogden golf course - 21st May

Mid-late evening
Not a sign of any Fox Moths in the areas I checked. Perfect conditions and I checked the areas where I have found cat's in autumn. Plenty areas around the area still worth checking.

I found a few interesting micro's but not my strong point...any ideas ?

Nematopogon species - possibly swammerdamella or maybe schwarziellus

Several of these on billberry mainly and some grasses

Also these two - I can only think Crambus lathoniellus ?

Two pictures below of a darker individual

 Loads of these on Common Nettles - all over the place

Peacock butterfly cat's  - I think

21st May.Northowram

Gold Spot x 1
Glaucous Shears x 1
Poplar Hawkmoth x 1
White Ermine x1
Brimstone x 1
Small Magpie x1
Common Pug x 1
Heart and Dart x 1
Yellow Faced Bell x 2
Spruce Carpet x 1

Rishworth - A present!

An exceptionally good night last night here in Rishworth with plenty of stuff to look at. I will put pictures apart from Fox Moth eggs on later.


Moth Trap 21st May 2020:
Fox Moth x1 [different individual to previous one]
Common White Wave x1 [NFG]
Elephant Hawk Moth x2 [NFG]
Poplar Hawk Moth x2
Brown Silver Lines x3
Angle Shades x1
Rustic Shoulder Knot x2
Crambus Lathoniellus x3
Monopis Weaverella x1
Coxcomb Prominent x1
Iron Prominent x1
Lesser Swallow Prominent x1
White Ermine x1




Now for the bit relating to the title of this post. The Fox Moth left a present. It laid between 10 and 15 eggs on an eggbox. Since these are safe from arasitic wasps I shall decide whether to rear some or all or see what the reaction on the comments section is.

                                                 Fox Moth Eggs

Wednesday...21st

Clouded Bordered Brindle x 1
Common Pug x 7
Double Striped Pug x 1
Pug sp x 2
Twenty plume moth x 1
Knot Grass x 1
Scalloped Hazel x 2
Phoenix x 1
Small Phoenix x 1
Silver Ground Carpet x 1
Spruce Carpet x 3
Grey Pine Carpet x 1
Shuttle Shaped Dart x 2
Bright line Brown eye x 1
Minor sp x 1
Small Magpie x 2
Light brown Apple Moth x 2
Yellow Faced Bell x 1
Brown House moth x 2

2 Fox Moths today at Widdop

Wall Brown x 1 Ringby lane
Brimstone male Hollas Bridge
Orange tip still about at Hollas Bridge.

Also this micro Holly Tortrix 9thanks Charlie) at 6mm flying round gorse and bilberry yesterday  ..?
20 + flying in bright evening sunshine west facing slope..??

Rishworth - Larva update, 2 Catch Reports, 5 New for Gardens!

A packed post from the last two days of 'moffing'. Hope some find it interesting, I shall do the Larva update first and then the catch reports after.


Larva Update:
I found a Clouded Drab larva as I mentioned in my previous post but I went out again that night and found a further 3 Clouded Drab larva and 1 November Moth. None of the Drabs were taken apart from the one I already had, the November Moth was taken for rearing though. Both larva are feeding well on the same foodplant they were found on (Wych Elm) and luckily it is the easiest to access tree here!


Moth Trap 19th May 2020
Hebrew Character x2
Rustic Shoulder Knot x1
Lesser Swallow Prominent x1
Clouded Border x1 [NFG]
Brindled Pug x1
ID Micros x2 Pictures attached


Moth Trap 20th May 2020
Poplar Hawk Moth x1 [NFG]
Buff Tip x1 [NFG]
Fox Moth x1 [NFG]
Bee Moth x1 [NFG]
Brown Silver Lines x2
Buff Ermine x1
Bright-Line Brown-Eye x1
Hebrew Character x`

                                                  November Moth

                                                    Clouded Drab

                                                 Bee Moth

                                             Poplar Hawk

                                              Fox Moth

Poplar Hawk

Clouded Border

                                               Micro for ID

 Micro for ID

Buff tip

Soil Hill - Fox Moths

Evening visit with Andy - perfect conditions and plenty of activity with these low flying erratic missiles. 45+ was our guesstimate with an excellent male caught by Andy. Don't know how he managed that, but he did !
It settled down after a while and we got some shots on the wall. Fantastic moths.

 Fox Moth (male)

Lee Mount - 20th May

Holly Blue mid-morning landed on Cotoneaster horizontalis. Grabbed a quick shot before it was off and not seen again. Not much else.

Holly Blue

Rishworth - Witch!

A Mother Shipton just flew through the garden here in Rishworth.. saw the camera and it was off!!

Agonopterix ....?

Any thoughts on this one from 17th. ? There seem to be a few candidates but can't be sure with the pale shoulder, the black markings and the small white dot just showing at two/thirds.

Possibilities --- heracliana, aranella, subpropinquinella, and the less likely yeatiana

Agonopterix species

Lee Mount - 20th May

Still a bit of a smoky atmosphere here, someone nearby with a wood burner I guess. Probably effecting the moths - keeping out of the way. Slight improvement on previous week or two.
Small Phoenix x 1
Common Swift x 1
Bee Moth x 1
Garden Carpet x 1
Light-brown apple-moth x 1
Heart and Dart x 1
Shuttle-shaped dart x 1
Common Pug x 1
Brindled Pug x 1
Tachystola acroxantha x 1

Common Marbled Carpet  x 1 (from the 19th)

 Common Marbled Carpet

Common Swift

Also my Lesser Swallow Prominent eggs have hatched - 12 on 14th May (the ones she laid in an egg carton).

I found two more yesterday on the fence where she had laid some more. Just emerged from the outside location. Seem to be feeding ok on Silver Birch, see what happens next !

Soil Hill 19th - May

Late evening visit in the same mind as AC.
Narrow-winged Pug x 1 on Hawthorn
Fox Moth x 14 - great to watch in the twilight charging about low over the terrain. Failed to get a picture unfortunately !

Rishworth - Updates from the day.

I went out on a walk today purposely for lepidoptera and I was rewarded with several Cocksfoot Moths. Then I found a Clouded Drab Larva on Wych Elm, an extremely common tree round here, I intend to rear it. Any comments welcome.

Pug for ID

FW 11mm, flying around the garden at dusk. I think I know it but 2nd opinions never hurt.