Home Computer

So I've spent most of the last week head-scratching and fannying about with my PC. It started last Saturday when an Excel file I was in the process of opening simply disappeared into the ether. No sign of it in the Recycle Bin, and Hidden Files set to show anyway so no sign of it - simply gone. It was a file I'd been sent from Butterfly Conservation that came on a time-limited We Transfer link, so I assumed the file must have some sort on in-built self-destruct based on the date and thought no more of it. Then later in the day, the same happened with another file. Shite - all the hallmarks of virus activity. I have Norton 360 running, so nothing should get past anyway, but even so I then spent the whole of Saturday evening running a full scan. Nothing found, no virus on the machine or within the files.

I decided to back-up and move files about, and that is when it became clear that the hard-drive on the PC was starting to throw a wobbly. The upshot is that I've not lost anything important, and all the key files and stuff I need are recovered and or/backed-up, or at least recoverable. But I have lost a load of recent photo files - essentially everything I'd taken/saved from the TG-6 since mid-August (the last full back-up I did) - all the earlier files were still fine. This is a bit of a pisser as it means that there a few significant moths and suchlike that I can no longer re-edit or have anything better than the low-res versions I've posted on here, Facebook, Naturespot etc. Still it could be a lot worse.

I'm usually pretty good at backing up, but of course unless you back up literally every time you change or create a file then there is always a chance of loss. I've sourced another external HDD and recreated my hard drive, and I've then completely deleted everything from the internal hard drive, run the disk checker, saved a few files back onto it and de-fragged it again after that. All seems okay, and probably will be for a good few GB but either way  and have moved everything that I'm working on 'live' to a One Drive synced folder. I've also backed up a few key files on Google Drive for good measure. And I'll have to start backing up more frequently - even more so now that I'm holding all of the VC55 moth data, not just my own stuff. It's more of a time-swallowing ball ache than anything, certainly it's not fun.

The milder conditions in the last week brought one one or two moths. The lack of decent woodland close to home always limits the potential for much here in the winter period.

March Moth 28/01/2023 - the earliest ever here, first Jan record

Pale Brindled Beauty 02/02/2023

Early Moth 01/02/2023

Clouded Drab 03/03/2023

and a Mottled Umber from 25/12/2022 that I'd not posted

Life in the Hawthorn

Whether your main ento-interest is coleoptera, diptera, hymenoptera or lepidoptera (and probably other orders too) then around now is the time to be beating the living daylights of blossoming hawthorn. On the embankment I can see hawthorn bushes that are getting larger and fuller every year, and there is no way I can get to them regardless of social distancing / lockdown (unless I just nonchalantly flounce into or through one of the neighbours gardens with my beating gear and bravado).

I do have hawthorn in the garden .....

The twig on the left is a self-set hawthorn seedling that I lifted and potted. It is clearly some years away from being a blossoming insect attractant! The twig on the right is a sallow cutting that I borrowed from the neighbour's overhanging tree. Which this year he cut right back just as the catkins were coming out. Knob.

So whilst on my walk on Sunday (more on that another day) I was pleased to note that there was at least some hawthorn accessible along the ride to swipe at - although as I only had my light-weight butterfly net I was keen to not ruin it again so it was all a bit sedate. I found a few bits, despite it still being early in the hawthorn blossom season. Mainly I found a lot of lepidopteran larvae. I would normally have brought a few home to rear through but decided this would be a bit daft this year when I can't just nip out whenever I want/need to to collect more larval foodplant. So I snapped a few on my finger tip.

Two forms of Mottled Umber - quite a few of these noted

Dun-bar - just a couple

Winter Moth - 100s

Epirrita sp. - probably November Moth

Think this is Dotted Border / Scarce Umber - would have been good to rear

Mottled Umber

Been far too busy getting through some chemoradiotherapy to do anything to blog about. And whilst I've been absolutely fine, aside from a little fatigue, the garden has been completely waterlogged for a fair while now so garden trapping has not been possible in any case.

I have been putting on a 12W blacklight LED on the front wall of the house and it has been picking up a few bits, but nothing particularly exciting or worth bothering the camera with. Last night was a little warmer, with a bit of drizzle, but I was pleased to find this sitting on the wall this morning:

Mottled Umber

This is now the third consecutive year that I've recorded this here, after the first in Jan 2011. But I'm still waiting for the first Spring Usher to pop up here.

Late October Geos

Here's a couple from the garden traps this week, starting with a very welcome one ....

Mottled Umber

Only the second for the garden, first was back in Jan 2011

Feathered Thorn

Juniper Carpet

This last one usually signifies that the end is nigh for me - I'll keep trying but there will be a few blanks coming up now. Always a chance that I could still see Scarce Umber, Sprawler, December Moth, Chestnut and maybe something unexpected.

Overdue Mothing Update

About time I updated this blog with some mothing results, from the garden and beyond over the last week.

24/05/2012
Total catch 63 of 25sp.
(125W MV 34 of 17sp., 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 29 of 18sp.)
0017  Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)  3
0125  Emmetia marginea  1 (NFY)
0247  Tinea trinotella  4
0409a  Argyresthia trifasciata  12
0544  Coleophora albicosta  1 (NFY)
0602  Elachista apicipunctella  1
0647  Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)  2
0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  2
0822  Scrobipalpa acuminatella  1 (NFY)
0891  Mompha sturnipennella  1 (NFY)
0892  Mompha subbistrigella  1
0986  Syndemis musculana  2 (NFY)
0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  3
1288  Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)  1
1428  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  1 (NFY)
1497  Amblyptilia acanthadactyla  1
1724  Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)  1 (NFY)
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  9
1819  Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)  3
1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  2
1853  Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata)  1 (NFY)
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  3
1920  Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)  4
2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  2

26/05/2012
Total catch 51 of 22sp.
(125W MV 27 of 15sp., 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 24 of 13sp.)
0017  Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)  1
0125  Emmetia marginea  1
0247  Tinea trinotella  3
0366a  Cameraria ohridella  1 (NFY)
0409a  Argyresthia trifasciata  8
0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  2
0891  Mompha sturnipennella  1
0892  Mompha subbistrigella  1
0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  2
1082  Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana)  1 (NFY)
1174  Epiblema cynosbatella  1 (NFY)
1651  Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)  1
1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  2 (NFY)
1747  Streamer (Anticlea derivata)  1 (NFY)
1764  Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)  1 (NFY)
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  7
1819  Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)  4
1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  8
1883  Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)  1
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  2
1920  Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)  1
2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  1

27/05/2012
Total catch 46 of 19sp.
(125W MV 26 of 13sp., 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 20 of 11sp.)
0125  Emmetia marginea  1
0158  Antispila metallella  1 (NFY)
0409a  Argyresthia trifasciata  8
0647  Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)  2
0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  3
0697  Agonopterix arenella  1
0892  Mompha subbistrigella  1
0986  Syndemis musculana  1
0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  6
1428  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  1
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  8
1817  Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)  1
1819  Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)  3
1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  4
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  1
1981  Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)  1 (NFY)
2154  Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae)  1 (NFY)
2160  Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)  1 (NFY)
2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  1 (NFY)

Antispila metallella. As far as I know, only the second for VC55

- the first being in April 2002 in my garden!

Syndemis musculana

29/05/2012
Total catch 67 of 27sp.
(125W MV 39 of 20sp., 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 28 of 17sp.)
0017  Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)  6

0216  Cork Moth (Nemapogon cloacella)  1 (NFY)

0288  Caloptilia stigmatella  1
0409a  Argyresthia trifasciata  4

0449  Ash Bud Moth (Prays fraxinella)  1 (NFY)

0647  Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)  2
0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  1
0892  Mompha subbistrigella  2

0936  Cochylimorpha straminea  1 (NFY)

0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  6
1174  Epiblema cynosbatella  3
1428  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  4
1651  Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)  1
1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  1
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  5

1778  May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata)  1 (NFY)

1808  Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata)  1 (NFY)

1819  Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)  3
1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  9
1883  Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)  1
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  5
1920  Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)  1

1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  1 (NFY)

2078  Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis)  1
2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  3
2160  Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)  1

2492  Small Fan-foot (Herminia grisealis)  1 (NFY)

May Highflyer

Cochylimorpha straminea

31/05/2012
Total catch 33 of 18sp.
(125W MV 16 of 10sp., 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 17 of 14sp.)
0017  Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)  3
0647  Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)  2

0874  Blastobasis lacticolella  1 (NFY)

1082  Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana)  1
1174  Epiblema cynosbatella  3
1428  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  1
1724  Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)  1
1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  2
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  5
1808  Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata)  1
1819  Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)  3

1827  Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata arceuthata)  1 (NFY)

1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  3
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  2
1920  Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)  1

2069  Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae)  1 (NFY)

2334  Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)  1 (NFY)

2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  1

Sandy Carpet

Scalloped Hazel

And from the trip to West Sussex last weekend. The only disappointment was missing a macro tick at Parham Park when other recorders picked up two Rosy Marbled but neither was retained before I had a chance to see them. I did pick up a new micro though, and one other moth tick with a dayflyer at Heyshott Down.

25/05/2012 : Parham Park, West Sussex
Daytime observations
0150  Adela reaumurella
0175  Narycia duplicella
0185  Luffia ferchaultella (larval)
0186  Psyche casta  (larval)
0315  Phyllonorycter harrisella
0697  Agonopterix arenella
1722  Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)
1935  Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria) (larval)
2069  Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae)
2227  Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx) (larval)
2247  Merveille du Jour (Dichonia aprilina) (larval)
2271  Orange Sallow (Xanthia citrago) (larval)

Mottled Umber

25/05/2012 : Parham Park
1 x 125W MV over sheet, 2 x 125W MV traps & 1 x 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo trap
Operated 21:30 - 23:30, c16C, dry, light breeze
Total catch 83 of 39sp.
0017  Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)  3
0125  Emmetia marginea  2
0134  Lampronia flavimitrella  1
0227  Skin Moth (Monopis laevigella)  2
0246  Tinea semifulvella  3
0647  Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)  1
0986  Syndemis musculana  1
1120  Ancylis mitterbacheriana  2
1398  Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)  1
1428  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  1
1645  Scalloped Hook-tip (Falcaria lacertinaria)  1
1648  Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria)  2
1680  Maiden's Blush (Cyclophora punctaria)  2
1681  Clay Triple-lines (Cyclophora linearia)  2
1727  Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)  3
1738  Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)  4
1764  Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)  4
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  6
1803  Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata)  1
1808  Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata)  1
1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  3
1853  Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata)  1
1893  Tawny-barred Angle (Macaria liturata)  1
1902  Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata)  8
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  4
1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  2
1979  Lime Hawk-moth (Mimas tiliae)  1
1981  Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)  1
1999  Lobster Moth (Stauropus fagi)  1
2009  Maple Prominent (Ptilodon cucullina)  3
2011  Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina)  1
2014  Marbled Brown (Drymonia dodonaea)  1
2028  Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)  3
2043  Orange Footman (Eilema sororcula)  1
2060  White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)  1
2078  Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis)  1
2102  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  5
2410  Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga)  1
2450  Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)  1

Lampronia flavimitrella - a nice tick and one that's pretty scarce (pRDB3)

Lobster Moth

26/05/2012 : Heyshott Down

Daytime observation

1366  Pyrausta nigrata

Finally, from a late evening foray to Narborough Bog during the week:

Narborough Bog : 29/05/2012
Observed late evening
0016  Gold Swift (Hepialus hecta)
0017  Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)
0216  Cork Moth (Nemapogon cloacella)
1076  Celypha lacunana
1640  Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)

Gold Swift

Cork Moth

Winter Mothing!

It had already been dark for well over an hour when I got home, however the car dash was telling me that it was still 11degC at that point! Probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that that is higher than the cumulative temperature through December .....

Anyway, in a fit of enthusiasm I headed straight for the shed and pulled out the actinic/tungsten combo trap. I anticipated that it would remain empty, but was at least hopeful that an Early Moth would appear. A little later I had to nip out on Dad's Taxi duties, so I decided to leave out half an hour earlier and see what was flying down the local lanes. I envisaged having to use the wipers to remove the hoards of unseasonally abundant geometrids but was quickly deflated when I found virtually nothing - the only saving grace being a single Winter Moth.

When I got home, I became even more pessimistic about the garden trap potential when it started to piss it down. As if that wasn't bad enough, whilst looking out I heard a distinct pop as the garden suddenly dimmed - the tungsten bulb had blown leaving the 80W actinics to maintain guard.

Imagine then the beaming smile on my face when I checked about an hour ago and found 3 moths of 3 species! One of these was a sadly bedraggled Pale Brindled Beauty, but the other two were sheltered - photographed under the wrong indoor lighting but you get the gist ...

Red-green Carpet

Dotted Border?? Actually I'm starting to doubt my initial ID of this one .... could it actually be a garden tick
Mottled Umber!!

Needless to say the trap is staying out! I may even be tempted out for some proper mothing tomorrow night if it stays mild and a bit dryer.