Description


A diary of my mothing activity covering highlights and photos from my moth trapping activities. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I may mention other wildlife sightings here, especially insects, but for birds see my birding diary.
Showing posts with label Cabbage Moth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabbage Moth. Show all posts

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Clouded and unclouded Magpies

The macro moths were the highlights on 31st July with my third ever (but second this year) Dark Spinach and a Clouded Magpie which was only my third here in 4 years.  Dusky Thorn was also new for the year.

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 31st July


Clouded Magpie, North Elmham, 31st July


Other macros were Least Carpet, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Currant Pug, Magpie Moth, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Coxcomb Prominent, Black Arches, 10 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, Common Footman, 3 Buff Ermines, 4 Ruby Tigers, 2 Turnip Moths, Heart and Club, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 4 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Smoky Wainscot, 2 Common Wainscots, Straw Underwing, Dun-bar, 2 Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, 2 Common Rustics, Uncertain, Rustic and 8 Straw Dots.

Magpie Moth, North Elmham, 31st July


The micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, 5 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 37 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 15 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 3 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 15 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella and 4 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

House Neb Bryotropha domestica, North Elmham, 31st July


Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, North Elmham, 31st July


Other things included the mayfly Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, a Common Earwig, the brown lacewings Hemerobius lutescens and 2 Micromus variegatus, the caddisflies 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Molanna angustata, the mirid bug Psallus varians, the leafhopper Balclutha punctata and a Hornet.

While setting a bat detector at the Cathedral Meadows at dusk on 1st August I found a Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella and a leafhopper that I didn't immediately recognise. It turned out to be a new species for me, Macropsis scotti.

Macropsis scotti, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st August


That night there were 5 new moths for the year: Winter Groundling Scrobipalpa costella (only my second here), Marbled Mompha Mompha propinquella, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, Cabbage Moth and Angle Shades. The rhombana was my earliest ever by 12 days.

Winter Groundling Scrobipalpa costella, North Elmham, 1st August


Marbled Mompha Mompha propinquella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st August


Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, North Elmham, 1st August


Cabbage Moth, North Elmham, 1st August


Angle Shades, North Elmham, 1st August


A record count of  5 Small Purple & Golds Pyrausta aurata was remarkable for here.  I only caught 5 singles across the whole of the previous 3 summers but either it is a good year for them or else they have taken a liking to the mint we planted in the garden a couple of years ago.  Although I eventually recorded 11 in the garden this summer they were only recorded on 5 nights spread over a period of just over a month.

5 Turnip Moths was also a record count, but in this case it was definitely a case of it being a good year for them as I know a lot of other moth-ers recorded exceptional numbers this year (much higher numbers than me in many cases).  I don't usually get many (only two last year and three the year before) but this year I'm looking like I will end up with a total of around 50 (I'm not sure the exact number yet as I have 2-3 slightly equivocal ones in pots waiting to be confirmed).  I know many people get more than that in a normal year and were getting 3-figure counts in a single night this year.

Other moths were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 3 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Little Mompha Mompha raschkiella, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 41 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 10 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 9 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Pebble Hook-tip, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, 7 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Garden Carpet, Purple Bar, Small Rivulet, Currant Pug, Magpie Moth, Scorched Carpet, Bordered Beauty, Scalloped Oak, 3 Willow Beauties, 4 Dingy Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3 Flames, 7 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, 2 Dun-bars, Cloaked Minor, Common Rustic, Small Rufous, Vine's Rustic, 3 Silver Ys and 5 Straw Dots.

Purple Bar, North Elmham, 1st August


Other things included the mayflies Green Drake Ephemera danica and 6 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg., 2 brown lacewings Micromus variegatus, the caddisflies 2 Hydropsyche siltalai, Crunoecia irrorata and Athripsodes aterrimus, Birch Shieldbug, the leafhopper Balclutha punctata again, the beetles Amara apricaria and Aphodius rufipes, Hornet and Common Wasp.

Saturday, 31 October 2015

It may be Drab but it's a good 'un

Last year I netted a Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella at Warham Greens.  Jon Clifton gen detted it to confirm and it proved to be the first modern day record for Norfolk (4 previous records were in the 1800s).  On 20th August I caught a similar-looking moth at home and have now dissected it.  It is indeed another Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella - the second modern day county record.


Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 20th August


Other micros were 2 Blackthorn Slenders Parornix torquillella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Woundwort Case-bearers Coleophora lineolea, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Heath Marble Endothenia ericetana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, 6 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 26 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 7 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 6 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 20th August


Among the macros 2 Cabbage Moths were new for the year.

Cabbage Moth, North Elmham, 20th August


The other macros were 2 Orange Swifts, 2 Maiden's Blushes, Single-dotted Wave, 4 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 6 Common Carpets, Tawny Speckled Pug, 2 Dusky Thorns, 4 Willow Beauties, Iron Prominent, 3 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Yellow-tail, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, 5 Flame Shoulders, 13 Large Yellow Underwings, 20 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, 9 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 13 Six-striped Rustics, Square-spot Rustic, Lychnis, Common Wainscot, Dark Arches, 8 Flounced Rustics, Vine's Rustic, Burnished Brass and 8 Straw Dots.