Our moth event in Angela’s garden was well attended, but
was rather more sedentary than the usual
Thursday walk. A bin-type Robinson trap was left running overnight. With a 125w
bulb it lured a good variety of moths into the trap, but unlike last year there
were no Hornets. We sat around the tables in the shade where Richard and Mary
talked their way through the moths that had settled on the egg trays that had
lined the inside of the Robinson trap. Some 47 species were noted, and one or
two others might have been missed off the notebooks! Last year we recorded 49 –
so not so different in totals, but this year we noted over 30 species not
previous recorded at the site.
Not all were
little brown jobs as some of their names indicated - Mother of Pearl, Ruby
Tiger, Rosy Footman, Purple Clay and Flame Shoulder. Others with names like
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and Bright-line Brown-eye helped to identify the
species. Some were large and quite spectacular such as Swallow-tailed Moth and
three hawkmoths – Elephant, Poplar and Pine. Those classed as micro-moths were
mostly tiny, but in some cases, such as Oak Longhorn, certainly not little
brown jobs.
Once the trap had been emptied a number of obliging moths were encouraged to pose on logs for those with cameras and these included some species that had been caught at either Milford or Pennington overnight. With the end of the event the moths were returned to their respective home areas.
Richard would
like to thank Mary for her assistance in the morning. Angela and Robert for
hosting the event and of course all the members whose enthusiasm helped make it
a most interesting and enjoyable morning. (RC)
Micro
Moths
|
Scientific name
|
English name
|
|
Agapeta
zoegana
|
|
|
Anania coronata
|
|
|
Ancylis
badiana
|
|
|
Brachmia blandella
|
|
|
Carcina quercana
|
Oak
Longhorn
|
|
Chrysoteuchia
culmella
|
Garden
Grass-veneer
|
|
Ditula angustiorana
|
Red-barred
Tortrix
|
|
Endotricha flammealis
|
|
|
Hofmannophila pseudospretella
|
Brown
House-moth
|
|
Pandemis heparana
|
Dark
Fruit-tree Tortrix
|
|
Pleuroptya
ruralis
|
Mother of
Pearl
|
|
Plutella xylostella
|
Diamond-back
Moth
|
|
Pyrausta purpuralis
|
|
|
Tachystola
acroxantha
|
|
|
Teleiodes vulgella
|
|
|
Udea ferrugalis
|
Rusty-dot
Pearl
|
|
Ypsolopha dentella
|
Honeysuckle
Moth
|
 |
| Oak Longhorn - a micro |
Macro moths
|
Scientific name
|
English name
|
|
Agrotis
exclamationis
|
Heart and Dart
|
|
Apamea monoglypha
|
Dark
Arches
|
|
Cosmia
trapezina
|
Dun-bar
|
|
Crocallis
elinguaria
|
Scalloped Oak
|
|
Cyclophora albipunctata
|
Birch Mocha
|
|
Deilephila
elpenor
|
Elephant
Hawk-moth
|
|
Diarsia brunnea
|
Purple
Clay
|
|
Eilema depressa
|
Buff
Footman
|
|
Eilema lurideola
|
Common
Footman
|
|
Hoplodrina
blanda
|
Rustic
|
|
Hoplodrina
octogenaria
|
Uncertain
|
|
Idaea
biselata
|
Small Fan-footed
Wave
|
|
Idaea dimidiata
|
Single-dotted
Wave
|
|
Laothoe populi
|
Poplar
Hawk-moth
|
|
Lomaspilis marginata
|
Clouded
Border
|
|
Lycophotia porphyrea
|
True
Lover's Knot
|
|
Meganola albula
|
Kent
Black Arches
|
|
Mesapamea
secalis agg.
|
Common Rustic
agg.
|
|
Miltochrista
miniata
|
Rosy Footman
|
|
Mythimna albipuncta
|
White-point
|
|
Mythimna
ferrago
|
Clay
|
|
Mythimna
impura
|
Smoky Wainscot
|
|
Mythimna pallens
|
Common
Wainscot
|
|
Ochropleura plecta
|
Flame
Shoulder
|
|
Ourapteryx sambucaria
|
Swallow-tailed
Moth
|
|
Parascotia fuliginaria
|
Waved
Black
|
|
Phalera bucephala
|
Buff-tip
|
|
Scopula imitaria
|
Small
Blood-vein
|
|
Sphinx pinastri
|
Pine
Hawk-moth
|
 |
| Blood-vein |
 |
| Swallow-tailed Moth |
Photographs © Richard Coomber