Micro for Id

Any one got any ideas about this one .Taken in Hebden in July

New Species for Calderdale ?

Whilst walking Norland Moor this morning between 8am and 9.30am Sue and I spotted several small moths flying around the heather in the sunshine. I caught one of these and potted it up to check the species when I got home. Turns out to be a new species for me and perhaps Calderdale in being Philedonides lunana, a member of the Tortricinae. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in that the males and females are completely different looking. The only moths we saw were males as shown in the photo (borrowed from Ian Kimbers website). The moth is common in Yorkshire in the right habitat (heather) so it might be worth checking out heather moorland near you when the sun reappears again later in the week. I think we were rather lucky this morning in that it was very still and sunny an unusual combination in February in Calderdale ! I am still surprised I have never recorded it before as its flight period is supposed to be from March to May.

Scallop Shell

Keep a look out for one of these in 2008,this was recorded in Todmorden on the 27th July 2007,(BL)

First Butterfly today

picture not taken today


I Peacock near Todmorden (BL)

News from hebden and Tod

Brian leesey has been recording satellites ,The Chesnut,Pale Brindled beauty at his wine rope and MV125 and Winston reports the following -
Last night looked good for moths, Cloudy and mild.
Trap was on as light faded and I went inside to eat curry! poped out to see if anything had arived and saw that characteristic shadow on the wall of the skinner trap!
My first Pale Brindled Beauty and first moth of the year.
On closer inspection 6 (Six) had arrived in a short time just after dark. Only 2 in the trap, the rest on walls etc. One of these was also A dark Form of the species.

Its certainly better in the lowlands as i have still recorded nothing up in Northowram.

First Hoverfly of the Year

Not Lepidoptera but I hope we can accept the odd "other" invertebrate report ? Two individuals of Episyrphus balteatus seen hovering around flowering Dwarf Narcissi in my front garden in Elland this afternoon. By far my earliest ever Hoverfly.

Sunday 27th

Brian leesey ,recorded 8 saterlite and 3 Chestnut tonight at his wine rope situated in a small wood in Todmorden.

898 Limnaecia phragmitella

Occupying fens and marshes, this species is fairly generally distributed over a large part of the British Isles. The larvae feed inside the seed heads of bulrush (Typha spp.) throughout the winter. They can often be detected by the presence of quantities of protruding down from the Seed heads.

Another regular winter tip but useful repeating it for those who have not found it before. On my morning walk at Cromwell Bottom on Friday I snapped off a few seed heads with obvious signs of the white down protruding and broke them open and each one contained numerous larvae of this species. They are very easy to rear through to the adult stage. Simply keep the seed heads in a plastic container and wait for the adults to emerge in June/July. It pays to cover the container with some very tight fitting mesh (pop socks) or the larvae escape when getting ready to pupate. It’s amazing how small a gap they can get through, so unless you want a container of typha seed heads without adult moths keep the container firmly lidded.

Jan 23rd

Brian leesey recorded 17 Saterlite(of both forms, pictured above)and a Chestnut tonight at his wine rope in todmorden.

Lasts year in July

This was the first time I had recorded a White letter Hairstreak in Calderdale ,I netted it on the 19th July behind Only House Wood Northowram it was nectaring on Thistle.I also recorded The Ringlet and Purple Hairstreak at this site

Todmorden so far this Year

Brian L has recorded a Spring Usher on the 19th at his 125 MV,before the rain drowned him out.He has also recorded The Satellite at wine rope

Testing

The Vestal 2006