Cranefly

Just in case anyone is interested, there is a photo of a Cranefly emerging from it's Larval case on my blog:

http://gordonartphotoand3dsci-fi.blogspot.co.uk/

Lee Mount - 1st October

Just 3 moths last night in the very cool conditions with a >NE wind and clear sky
Common Marbled Carpet looking quite worn x 1
Silver Y x 1 was probably the same moth as the previous evening
1 Red-green Carpet

Lee Mount - 30th September

Struggled with 3 of the 4 moths found - especially the top two though I think I got there with the Spruce Carpet (?) and November Moth agg but the Brick/Chestnut type  - still can't be sure - it did have a bit of glossy sheen to it !

 Spruce Carpet

 

 Struggling with this one between Chestnut  and Brick c14mm wing length and initially leaning towards Dark Chestnut after comparison with Chestnut/Brick and the other Chestnuts....then advice from MH and DIC et al suggesting Chestnut is more likely mainly due to the shape of the wing which in Dark Chestnut would normally be much straighter and sharp pointed rather than slightly rounded as in this one. Just shows how tricky some species can be !.

 

 

 November Moth agg

 

Silver Y

30.Sept .2016

Small White and Red Admiral in the garden today...

Common Marbled Carpet

I have one Common Marbled Carpet by the door today. It's the orange blaze form and VERY worn. I didn't think it worth putting a photo on here because of that. This year, the orange blaze been the most common I've had at the house.

It must have been cold this last three nights as I've had the Feathered Ranunculus by the door in the same position all the time. I wish I could sleep like that.

Lee Mount - 27th September

Windy last night so got light to the windows - glad I did..
Common Marbled Carpet x 12 (8 of which were the orange blaze type)
Light-brown Apple-moth x 4
Blair's Shoulder-knot x 1 (photo below just to check I got identification correct !?)

Blair's Shoulder-knot

October....

October can be a great time for trapping '''''well worth keeping it going into November
http://calderdalemoths.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/last-nights-moths-and-blast-from-past.html

Lee Mount - 26th September

Despite the heavy rain during the evening, 2 moths appeared on the window. A Silver Y fluttered about for a while and a Copper Underwing agg looking a bit worn.

Lee Mount - 25th September

Just one moth - a Red-green Carpet and that was it, but very nice anyway.

Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini

 Dont Panic

One has NOT arrived just curious to know if one of these Blue Underwings have ever been recorded in Calderdale  ?

They are mainly a continental migrant at Southerly latitudes so I would have thought not Nowadays, only a handful per year are recorded, mainly in the south and south-east of England, September being the most likely month once a favorite with Victorian collectors

2nd Feathered Ranunculus, Polymixis lichenea.

I have another Feathered Ranunculus today. I thought I'd post it as a record. Also, this specimen is in far better condition than the last one. The markings and the green colour show better on this one.

I'm puzzled as to why it's called "Ranunculus", which is the buttercup plant family. And also why,  "lichenea".  The larval food plants don't seem to feature any of the Ranunculus family. Nor do they seem to eat lichens. Does anyone know about this? I know there are large and small Ranunculus moths as well, so it's a family name, but why?

Feathered Ranunculus, 

Polymixis lichenea.

I also have Caddisfly and two different Craneflies, as yet no ID. This blog isn't the place for them though.

More photos of green moth needing ID

Hi Andy.

I assume (hope) you meant more photos of the green moth. So here they are. If you didn't mean that let me know.

I've had a look at quite a few web sites showing the Feathered Rannunclus. There is quite a lot of the Biting stonecrop food plant round the village. Searching has certainly made me dizzy and my eyes are watering now, but worth it, as it does look like that moth to my untrained eye. It would be quite something to find it here in non limestone country.

I suppose it could have migrated from Derbyshire, which is quite close, in a straight line, if it IS that moth. Then again...

Silver Y, Autographa gamma. Plus one other.

Hi,

A strange thing. I read Colin's post on the Silver Y and next morning, one was clinging to our door. If the photos look odd, it's because the moth was right by the seal above the door. As soon as we opened it, the moth put half its legs on the inside of the seal. It must have been more comfortable. I took a few photos, but it didn't like the flash. Very kindly, it opened it's wings, I've never seen one with wings open. It started to vibrate, I knew it was ready for take off and took one more shot before it flew. To make the images look better I've rotated them 180 degrees. Purists shudder!

There was another moth by the door. For some reason, my vision has been blurred for two days. I'm having trouble looking through books, the Net and typing. Could anyone give me an ID on the green moth please? Thanks.

Silver Y. Autographa gamma

?

Forms of The Silver - Y

Silver - Y Autographa gamma  

There are several different forms with varying colours depending on the climate in which the larvae grow

f. nigricans

F, palida The pale form f. pallida, is considered to have developed in warmer climates before migrating to the cooler Uk.

f. gammina is smaller and can be found in most year and thought to be a result of starved caterpillar although this is in dispute

ab. bipartita
ab  gartneri

I cant find much descriptive detail on the forms of Silver Y but it would be interesting to review what forms have been recorded in Calderdale historically over the quiet months

There are many different forms of this species. The most common is grey, but some are brown, or purple tinged. If the moth is very pale, this is due to a hot climate (form pallida). There is also a small form (form gammina) which is probably due to little feeding as a larva. There is also a black form (form nigricans), though the Y mark is still prescent. There are two rare forms which affect the Y mark; Form gartneri has the Y mark greatly enlarged, and the form bipartita has the Y mark seperated, quite similar to that of the Ni Moth.

The form f. gammina can be up to half the size of other forms

I'll update the post with anything relevant

Shibden Head

We took a look in Bare Head this afternoon not really expecting anything.....
16 Heralds - including a cluster of six - with 2 more within a few inches and other odd ones scattered around. There were probably more hidden away.

Herald Moths

Lee Mount 19th and 20th

Hardly anything this week - last night (19th) produced just 4 moths - wonder if a full-ish clear moon has anything to do with it as the weather was calm though perhaps it's just because it was 12c cool !!
Large Yellow Underwing x  1
Common Marbled Carpet x 1
Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

Today the Painted Lady and a single Speckled Wood were still feeding in the garden Sedum

Fly Flats - 19th September

Fly Flats - checked the far end and the embankment this morning but still no sign of Haworth's Minor - no Ragwort and no thistles is not good news - all cut down on the embankment. Also checked several clumps of heather still just about in flower but nothing doing and very little else in flower.
Black Darter x 4 (all males I think) around the far end puddles and pools but not easy to photograph !

Black Darter

Lee Mount

Angle Shades with open wings from 17th

Angle Shades

 

Not much last night - 18th September

Common Marbled Carpet x 4

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

Silver Y x 1

Copper Underwing agg x 2

September Garden Butterflys

Comma  , Red Admiral , Speckled Wood , Small White , Small Tortoiseshell  and Peacock in the garden today

Lee Mount - 16th September

Very quiet on a rather cool evening but  a nice Angle Shades turned up.

Angle Shades

 

Also....

Large Yellow Underwing x 2

Autumnal Rustic x 1

Common Marbled Carpet x 3

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2