Special Brew

What can I say: the weather has turned pants, LCFC are playing with 22 left feet, and apparently the City is a thriving Covid hot-bed. It's enough to make you want to get up and head to the nearest pub on Saturday .... if they open, who knows. 'A pint of lager and a dose of Covid please mate' .... a proper Special Brew. Think I'll stick to the home bar for a while yet.

Seeing as nothing happened at the weekend, here's a few from the last couple of garden trap outings - starting with a garden tick ....

Cydia fagiglandana - 112th Tortrix, 379th micro, 703rd moth for the garden

Plain Golden Y

Peppered Moth

Buff Arches

Leopard Moth - I always think these look like sheep-moth hybrids

Poplar Grey

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Grapholita janthinana

Daily Disco

I swear too much. Generally. The ongoing farce at No. 10 is just a minor catalyst. It may be Toryrettes.

After a few windy days, and then settling out to warmth and sunshine I should have been out somewhere, but for various reasons I've not had a chance. This afternoon I loitered in the garden with intent though.

I noticed a yesterday that occasional small bees, wasps and sawflies were sort of searching holes, albeit in competely the wrong place. We have concrete posts between the fence panels, and the concrete cast has left all sort of sized 'craters' which are not deep enough for anything to nest in, but the prospective nesters and parasites don't know until they check. Today I noticed a couple again, and once armed with camera I pointed it at one to see if there was any discernible details ....

Well, blow me it's one of the yellow-faced bees. Absolutely no idea which one from these shots, so I decided to try and pot the next one I saw. I did. It was a small wasp. Next one, a small bee with no yellow markings. Next one was bigger, and knowing what it probably was I got the camera on it before managing to secure it ....

Gasteruption jaculator sl

I'll keep my eye on this new-found source of interest this week.

Also in the garden today, briefly, were two gaudy beetles. The Wasp Beetle got away, this one sat on the fence for a few seconds ..

Swollen-thighed Beetle

I've also got a couple of sawflies and small hoverflies to look at, plus the garden was again a bit of a hot-spot for Merodon equestris, with at least four invovled (three males, one female - on mating noted).

Female left

Two similar males, note differences in wing-wear

The moth trap has been ticking along, though nothing stand-out.

Lychnis

Vine's Rustic

White-spotted Pug

Annoying the the right antennae was stuck under the forewing

Silver Y

Another annoying moth-photo result - wonky foreleg

Middle-barred Minor

May Highflyer

Peppered Moth

Finally, we've been getting one or two Hedgehogs in the garden, seen infrequently. This evening, well before it was even dusky, this one came trundling up the side of the shed and tried to hide behind a plant pot when it heard me coming ....

Whilst roasting our chicken this evening, I was listening to Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Radio 2 doing a kitchen disco for an hour. Nothing too cheesy, proper 70's club stuff in the main. I am not ashamed to say it was just what was needed - something bouncy and airy and free of the immense weight of bullshit I'd listened to in the preceding couple of hours.

One for the Treble

The garden traps were, relatively, bulging this morning after a humid and overcast night. Luckily the cat woke me up at around 4:30 so I managed to go through them before the pair of Robins that have been knocking around. For the first time this year (I think) I ran both the synergetic combo and a 125W MV, with the former knocking the spots off of the latter. To be honest I don't think I'll bother running two traps much this year; the usual spot for my MV is now too sheltered with an overhanging sallow from next door. We're likely to get the garden sorted this year so I'll try and factor in a new trap spot during that.

Thought I had a garden tick with Treble Lines in the synergetic trap, but on checking I found I'd had one before in May 2009. Other highlights were an Alder Moth (a garden tick last year) and the 6th garden records and individuals for both Treble-bar and Maiden's Blush.

I'm quite possibly the only moth recorder in Leics. that is glad the conditions haven't held today. It's still warm and overcast but it's also very windy and wet. I've got an early start for work so no trap tonight.

Here's a selection of rushed shots.

Treble Lines - one of two

Alder Moth

Treble-bar (note protruding claspers helpfully confirming male of this species)

Peppered Moth

Scorched Wing

Cherry Bark Moth

Extreme Garden Mothing

As part of my 20W CFL actinic trials, I need to run it on the same night as the 80W actinic combo trap. I can't literally run them side by side, but despite the size and location of the garden I have on occasion run 3 traps on a night. You would have to see the garden to fully appreciate and understand how ridiculous a proposition this is, but nevertheless ....

Last night I ran 3 traps. The usual 125W MV half way down the garden against the fence and facing the embankment, the 80W actinic / 11W standard CFL combo trap against the back of the house, and the new 20W CFL actinic tucked right at the bottom of the garden behind the shed. All out of direct line of sight of each other - unless you are a moth flying over the garden. This trial is still not ideal as whilst the traps are running in the same garden on the same night, there is obviously a positional variable to take into account. So, I'll have to run 3 traps in various combinations on a few nights and then do some highly complex statistical analysis. Or guesswork.

So for last night the total catch was a very healthy 165 of 51sp.
125W MV 52 of 26 (10 of which were in no other trap)
80W/11W actinic/CFL combo 79 of 32sp (16 of which were in no other trap)
20W CFL actinic 34 of 18sp (8 of which were in no other trap)

0017 Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus) 10
0227 Skin Moth (Monopis laevigella) 1
0246 Tinea semifulvella 2 (NFY)
0263 Apple Leaf Miner (Lyonetia clerkella) 1
0293 Caloptilia syringella 1 (NFY)
0409b Argyresthia cupressella 2
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 5
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2
0970 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana) 2
0989 Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) 1 (NFY)
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 2
1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 3
1076 Celypha lacunana 13
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) 2
1084 Hedya ochroleucana 1 (NFY)
1133 Epinotia bilunana 1 (NFY)
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella 1
1175 Bramble Shoot Moth (Epiblema uddmanniana) 3 (NFY)
1176 Epiblema trimaculana 2
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 1 (NFY)
1301 Crambus lathoniellus 1 (NFY)
1334 Scoparia ambigualis 2
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 6
1392 Udea olivalis 2
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 2
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 2 (NFY)
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 4
1827 Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata arceuthata) 1
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 2
1860 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 5
1931 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) 1
1931 Peppered Moth [melanic form] (Biston betularia f. insularia) 1 (NFY)
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 2
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 3
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 2 (NFY)
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 1 (NFY)
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 45
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2326 Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata) 1
2330 Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa) 1
2333 Large Nutmeg (Apamea anceps) 4
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 4
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 4
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 2 (NFY)
2492 Small Fan-foot (Herminia grisealis) 1 (NFY)

Tinea semifulvella

Hedya ochroleucana f. antennaefrazzledii

Epinotia bilunana

Light Emerald

Peppered Moth f. insularia

Garden trap 11/07

Catching up on the last time I ran the garden traps. A garden tick is always appreciated, especially when it's a new for me species full stop!

11/07/2010 : Total catch 388 of 99sp
(125W MV 244 of 77; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 144 of 66)

FIRST FOR GARDEN:
1079 Piniphila bifasciana 1

First for year in garden:
0410 Argyresthia brockeella 1
1292 Calamotropha paludella 1
1398 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1
1637 Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) 1
1947 Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata) 1

Highest counts:
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 45
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 28
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 24
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 16
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 15
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 14
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 13
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 11
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 11

Best of the rest:
0363 Phyllonorycter platanoidella 1
1210 Pine Shoot Moth (Rhyacionia buoliana) 1
1424 Endotricha flammealis 3
1452 Phycita roborella 1
1652 Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis) 1
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 5
1994 Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) 1
2314 Dingy Shears (Parastichtis ypsillon) 2
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 2
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

Dingy Shears

Calamatropha paludella

Pine Shoot Moth

Peppered Moth f. cabonaria

Scalloped Oak

Ebony and Ivory

No - don't worry. This is not a post about the appalling piano-based collaboration between McCartney & Wonder. It's a reference to the colour-way of the two moths I photographed from Saturday night.

Dot Moth - not very colourful

Peppered Moth - this one is referable to the intermediate form insularia

From the garden trap - 29/06/2008

Total catch 71 of 41sp.
(125W MV 30 of 24sp., 80W actinic 41 of 24sp.)

First for year in garden:
Ancylis achatana 1
Euzophera pinguis 1
Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1
Peppered Moth [intermediate form] (Biston betularia f. insularia) 1
Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) 1
Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 1
Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 1
Highest counts:
Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 10
Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 9


Ancylis achatana


Intermediate form of Peppered Moth


Buff-tip


Common Footman

From the garden trap - 05/06/2008

Total catch 69 of 30sp.
(125W MV 30 of 17sp., 80W actinic 39 of 19sp.)

First for the year in garden:
Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus) 2
Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) 1
Lychnis (Hadena bicruris) 1
Highest counts:
Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 8
Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 7
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 7
Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 6
Other highlights:
Argyresthia cupressella 1
May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata) 1
Sycamore (Acronicta aceris) 1


Peppered Moth