Yee-haw!

I done gone got a damn fine garden tick ya'll, and it's a redneck fer sure.

Red-necked Footman, 672nd garden species, 313th macro

This is yet another species that not that long ago was a major county rarity. I remember how surprised and pleased we were to see it back in 2004. I'm not aware that it has started spreading like Orange Footman, but I do know it's been picked up in a couple of other gardens recently so I guess it is, Either way, it was the first thing I saw in my Synergetic trap and the last thing I expected to see.

The traps were busy, but the other highlights for me were the first properly variegated form of Coronet that I've had here, and a female Ghost Moth which is only the sixth for the garden. Also good to see a few other summer species turning up.

Coronet

Ghost Moth

Barred Yellow

Buff Arches

From The Garden Trap - 22/06/2011

Before I give the summary from garden trapping on Wednesday night, a bit of a landmark in terms of the garden list has been reached. ish. Back on 16th Jan I was speculating on which new species might turn up in the garden, and also on whether the garden list would top 600 during 2011. Before Wednedsay night, the garden list comprised 297 Macros, 298 Micros and an additional 4 micros for gen det confirmation of the provisional ID - all of which are certainly new species for the garden. That gives a grand total of 599 species unless my mental maths needs calibrating. So, the Heart and Club will (eventually) be the 600th moth species for the garden. Hurrah. And it doesn't stop there as there is another new micro and another one for gen det as you'll see shortly.

Also worth noting that back on 16th Jan the list stood at 296 macros and 293 micros (589 species). I somewhat unscientifically suggested 25 micros and 25 macros that could potentially turn up. One of the two new macros since then was on the list (Puss Moth). But of the new micros, only one of the six definite and five TBC additions was on the list, clearly showing what a load of speculative nonsense that list was.

Anyway, here's the summary and pics for what turned out to be a very good night.

Total catch 220 of 63sp.
(125W MV 89 of 36; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 131 of 47)

NEW FOR GARDEN:

0945 Aethes cnicana 1

1334a Scoparia basistrigalis 2 (TBC)

2088 Heart and Club (Agrotis clavis) 1

Aethes cnicana

A putative Scoparia basistrigalis, for which there are no properly confirmed VC55 records. This stood out due to the wing shape differences - longer and narrower winged in appearance vs typical ambigualis/pyralella. Will need a gen det to confirm.

Scoparia ambigualis - gen. det. by Jon Clifton Jan 2012

New for year in garden:
0415 Argyresthia retinella 1
0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 1
0441 Paraswammerdamia nebulella 1
0536 Coleophora betulella 1
0987 Ptycholomoides aeriferanus 1
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 2
1201 Eucosma cana 1
1205 Bud Moth (Spilonota ocellana) 1
1333 Scoparia pyralella 1
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 3
2322 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) 2
2327 Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

Ptycholomoides aeriferanus

Scoparia pyralella

Common Footman

Highest counts:
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 49
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 19
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 17
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 11
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) 8
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 7
1390 Udea prunalis 6
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 6
2098 Flame (Axylia putris) 6
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 5
1076 Celypha lacunana 5

Dipleurina lacustrata

Best of the rest:
1133 Epinotia bilunana 1
1634 Lackey (Malacosoma neustria) 3
1653 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 1
1765 Barred Yellow (Cidaria fulvata) 2
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 1

Barred Yellow

Dot Moth

A few pics

I was overly optimistic last night about how much time I'd have this morning. I was up before 5am to empty the garden moths traps, but I was completely knackered and went back to bed for a 'lie in' at 05:45 but didn't wake up again until gone 9.

I've got the boxes and vanes for two new traps coming thanks to Adrian Russell (a 250W MV & a 160W MBT) so I needed to sort out a control box for the former and egg trays / sheets for both. I also had a fridge full of moths from the the last few days to photograph quickly, I needed to load up the car, I've had to clear out some memory cards etc - all in preparation for this afternoon and tonight at Ketton. If the building heat and humidity we currently have holds it will be a monster list in the morning.

Anyway, I've still got four nights garden trapping to enter into MapMate and summarise - but it's going to have to wait now. In lieu of the data, here's the pics instead.

Peach Blossom - smart

Buff Arches - ditto

Blood-vein - pretty in pink

Barred Yellow - high-vis

Common Emerald - still green when fresh

Varied Coronet

Tawny Marbled Minor?? Probably

Marbled Minor?? Probably - but I always aggregate these unless gen detted

Eudonia pallida - pleased to take this again after it being a garden tick last year

Plum Tortrix

Epinotia abbreviana

And last but by no means least - a garden tick!

Epinotia rubiginosana