I was too fatigued yesterday evening to do an `away from home` trap, although I`d originally planned to do so, therefore I contented myself to just trapping at home with three traps set out - a strong 40W actinic on the roof, an MV on a garden bench and another reasonably strong actinic at the very bottom of the garden, perched atop my compost heap! I resolved to try to see how many moths this array of traps could lure.
I also regularly inspected the traps at intervals up to c 11.30 when tiredness, aided by a couple of cans of Felinfoel `Double Dragon`, sent me to bed (where I did n`t sleep well due to the heat!). After about five hours `half-sleep`, I was up early this morning.
I spent a good hour going through the traps this morning, recording 76 macro species and 15+ micros. There were some species that I only saw whilst checking the moths last night, such as silver y and diamond-backed moths (and it was n`t due to the `Double Dragon`!) and there was a very marked activity of arrivals which was n`t reflected in the numbers etc in the traps this morning. As we all know, to get the maximum number of species recorded, it is best to stay with the traps - which is n`t always practical, especially when bed beckons! I`m sure that a lot of moths were attracted to the traps but only to `move on`. A downside of the numbers of moths and the warm conditions was that many moths were rather active in the traps and consequently worn by this morning.
I had another four-spotted footman - indeed the footmen group were well represented, with scarce footman, buff footman, dingy footman, rosy footman and the related round-winged muslin, the latter a wanderer from close-by wetland habitat. Some wetland pyralids were also well represented too, with brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, water veneer Accentria ephemerella and Chilo phragmitella.
Above: brown China-mark.
I also had a silky wainscot, together with some southern wainscots, small wainscots and small rufous. A couple of pinion-streaked snouts again sent me on a `micro-moth wild goose chase` before` the penny dropped` as to what they really were!
Above: the tortricid Lozotaeniodes formosana (associated with pines).
Above: four-spotted footman (male).
Above: scarce footman, a very slender member of this group.
Above: buff footman.
Above: oak hook-tip, to compare with Barry`s recent Glynhir barred hook-tip.
Above: southern wainscot - note pointed wings.
Above: the southern wainscot `head-on`. Note banding on forehead: Jon Baker told me of this i/d tip.
Above: marbled green, well-camouflaged against the stone background.
Above: I think this is a currant pug.
Above: Phycita roborella, a common pyralid.
Above: finally, a really poor photo from the Ministry of Lousy Photos - I think that this is the birch-feeding Argyresthia goedartella?
I hope to leave my mobile actinics out somewhere tonight to take advantage of the great trapping weather. I still have some micros to look at from last night, as well as from earlier this week.
Yes that's goedartella.
ReplyDeleteYour pine feeder is actually Lozotaeniodes formosanus, but you probably know that - I think you just got the wrong name.
The Currant Pug looks a bit long in the wing to me - could it be Wormwood?
Nice to see the Southern Wainscot ID features, well worth highlighting.
Yes re no 1, the `crossed wires scenario` of a tired brain (I`ve had this pine feeder before) - will alter the text above - thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks too for pug advice....I was n`t sure.
I was wondering about Wormwood for the Pug too.
ReplyDeletegoedartella is common on Alder as well as Birch, though you've got both nearby
just back from a week mapping bogs in Cwm Nantcol, N Wales (no Welsh Clearwings seen, but the habitat looked good!)
Thanks Sam re pug i/d help. I had guessed that you were away `on the bog` somewhere!
ReplyDelete