Ghost Moth..............................

Had a few leking males and a few females at Northowram last night , but it was cool and windy. Tonight in Bradford we saw between 750 and 1000 males a beautiful sight. 10 to 15 pairs in cop and the first time Ive seen a female choose a male in a lek....if any one fancies seeing this site there is a public event there next Saturday night.....

Craggs XCld tonight ..sorry all

Brace yourselves!

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=5062

Day Flyers circa 10th June 2015

The Following where found or Noted recently

2474 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis Cromwell Bottom 12th June 2015

150 Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella

Golden Banded longhorn ( Wellholme Park ) No Image


1738 Common Carpet  Epirrhoe alternata  Cromwell Bottom 11th June 15

Grassland Moth Below TBC  Maybe one of the Epiblema ??????????

Query Moth..........??

Out and About - Mother Shipton

Andy found the following Daying Flying Moths and Finds circa 9th June 2015

Found 3 differnet Mother SHipton this week on near the Kemp Stone in Todmorden ,1 at Soil Hill and one on the bank of Mixenden res, I kicked one up and as if flew a Swift caught it in flight .. Images Andy Cockroft (C) 2015

129 Incurvaria pectinea mines and larvae found on Silver Birch near Ramsden clough reservoir.The small larvae can be seen in the round clear mines,

GLAPTHORN COW PASTURE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

I am planning to go here on Sat 27th June to look for Black Hairstreak and Wood White butterflys.If anyone fancies joining me there should be 3 spaces in the car......... weather permitting and will return same day...Cheers

Moth in Todmorden

I saw this moth early afternoon today at Sunnybank Todmorden. It was flying around and came to rest on an Oak leaf.

Am I right in thinking it is a Garden Tiger--Arctia caja? It was very striking to look at and I don't think I've seen one before. Is the yellow stripe on wing edges part of the underwing?

Craggs Friday 5th June 2015

Weather. Preceding days warm 12 -17 degrees . On the evening breezy but sheltered at Craggs turning cooler with open sky about 7-9 degrees pm . Moon just passed Full ,

Other Entomology . Nicrophorus humator (sexton Beetle) Nebria Canatharids Soldier beetle Cantharis pellucida Cantharis

Thanks To andy , Brian Dave and Lynford with help on photography

0018 Map-winged Swift Korscheltellus fusconebulosa








Wingspan 30-35 mm.The larvae live underground and feed on the roots of Bracken. The adults fly in June and July.


1769 Spruce Carpet Thera britannica









Wingspan 18-25 mm.The larvae feed on spruce (Picea spp.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).2 broods, flying from May to July, and then in September and October.

1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata

Feeds on a number of deciduous as well as coniferous trees.

1947 The Engrailed Ectropis crepuscularia

Wingspan 30-40 mm.2 generations, flying in March and April, and then in July and August, but in the north of  range it is single-brooded, flying in April and May.

1992 Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus








The larvae, which are similar to those of D. elpenor, feed mostly on bedstraw (Galium).


2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda

 2102 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta

The nocturnal caterpillars live on low plants such as dock (Rumex) and plantain (Plantago)

2061   Buff Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda 

 

2450 The Spectacle Abrostola tripartita

Other Creatures of the Night

Andy examines incoming Brian Examine incoming finds

Brian keeps a macro record



Lynford throws some light

Hardcastle Craggs 5,June

Again the skies were clear and the wind got up making it feel  cold for the time of year.
Highlight again was an Ochreous Pug and our first Small Elephant Hawkmoth at this site.
Map winged Swift    x 2
Common Swift        x 1
Flame Shoulder       x 3
Common Pug          x 5
Ochreous Pug         x  1
Pale Tussock          x   3
Silver Ground Carpet  x 6
Brown Silver Lines      x 8
Spectacle                      x 2
Small Elephant hawkmoth  x 1
Buff Ermine                    x 1
White Ermine                  x 1
Spruce Carpet                 x 1
Engrailed                        x 2
Flame Carpet                  x 1
Scalloped Hazel             x  3

Lee Mount

We planted these pots up earlier this week, nothing out of the ordinary but they turned up a gem this afternoon with a Humming-bird Hawk-moth for around a minute.

 

I dashed inside for the camera but I couldn't get a shot of it - it was just flying around too quickly from one flower to the other then off it went, I couldn't follow it. It's not turned up since but will be checking regularly in the next few days.

This follows on from one we had in the garden last year on 16th September 2014 feeding on Erysimum flowers. The previous one to that in the garden was in autumn 1974 on an Aster 'Michaelmas Daisy'

 



Warm Sun...at last

It was good to be out and about today, managed to see my first Large White , Small Heath and Small Copper today along with Peacock , Small Tortoiseshell , Orange Tip , Green veined and Small White .Also Small Yellow Underwing at Lightcliffe Quarries.

Grass Veneer 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella

The ubiquitous 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella appeared today in force on grassland  this gold like moth often appears to the eye large in flight...untill...it settles on grass The larvae feed on the stems of various types of grasses, usually at the base.distinguished with its one or two angled cross-lines and metallic golden fringe to the forewings.

Also Around Plenty of GV Whites

Friday 5th June , Hardcastle Craggs

Running the trap from 9.30 onwards ,next Friday night. All welcome

Craggs Friday 22nd May 2016

Counts and Comments

A very interesting night at the crags , first of all the predominant species was Brown Silver lines and the cold light N/W wind kept it pretty quiet for the time of year. The highlight was a  Devon Carpet and  a handful of Pugs which were all very worn and mainly end of season Brindled Pugs . 2 or 3 interesting ones were taken home for a closer look. One turned out to be  an Ochreous Pug which has not been recorded locally before and the other a Larch Pug which is only known from 1 other site in Calderdale. Its a great place ......looking forward to the next session.... Species recorded , Brown Silver lines 16 .Common Swift 1, Brindled Pug 6 , Devon Carpet 1 , Small Phoenix , Flame Carpet 3 ,Scalloped Hazel 4 , Rivulet 1 , Ochreous Pug 1 , Larch Pug 1 ,
Common Quaker 1 ,Engrailed 2 ,Longhorn 3.



Weather Moon quarter phase  Temp 9-12 dropping as evening progress . Wind light N/W . No Rain . Preceding days intermittingly warm  cold with NE winds cool

Other Entomology

There was a large number of Cock Chafers AKA May Bug Melolontha melolontha  actually a Beetle ,  est 30 periodically dropping in some flight shots are shot below. Followed bt a Dor Beetle , A limonid cranefly, TBC and also the larger Tipula  extensa easily recognised by its patterned wings . Ground beetles and Weevils Polydrusus and Phyllobius where evident as well as other smaller species Cantharids Soldier beetles Cantharis pellucida also dropped in with a Sawfly (Symphyta TBC)

Thanks to Andy Brian and Dave

1751  The Devon Carpet

Wingspan 27-30 mm.

A relatively scarce species, found mainly in the south and south-west of England and south Wales

.The caterpillars are brown with paler buff markings, and feed on common marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre) and possibly also fen bedstraw (Galium uliginosum)

1759 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata

The main larval foodplants are willowherbs (Epilobium spp.).

Profile showing Upright Tuft 

0017 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

Feeding on the roots of grasses and small plants, the larvae live underground.

1802 The Rivulet Perizoma affinitata

Red campion (Silene dioica) is the preferred foodplant, the caterpillars living inside the seed capsules, eating the seeds.

1902 Brown Silver-line Petrophora chlorosata

It flies in a single generation during May and June, and occupies woodland and upland areas where its foodplant grows in profusion.Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is the foodplant of the caterpillars, which occur from July to September.

1844 Ochreous Pug Eupithecia indigata

it is a species of coniferous woodland, and flies early in the year, during April and May. The caterpillars feed on the young shoots or buds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) or larch (Larix).

Wingspan 15-18 mm.

Image (C) 2015 Andy Cockroft

One last one before the lcamera went to bed.... A White Shouldered House Moth

0648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

Lapping up the soapy surface on washing machine !!

Other Finds of the Night Common Chafer Melolontha melolontha

Tipula extensa - Cranefly

A Sawfly TBC (Symphyta)

0293 Common Slender Caloptilia syringella / 0140 Nematopogon swammerdamella

0293 Common Slender Caloptilia syringella TBC Mating on or around Privet

0140  Nematopogon swammerdamella