Psychidelic Garden Tick

I'd emptied the trap and potted a few bits to photograph, and walked back into the garden with nice bright sunshine just appearing to gather a couple of props. As I walked down the garden I saw a small dark moth flittering about (after a good few years of moth trapping you can pretty much distinguish a micro flying about versus any other flying insects) but had nothing to hand other than, well, my hand. A couple of missed grabs, and then I had it neatly tucked in. A quick peek confirmed that it was a micro, it was dark and there were some paler markings. A few minutes later and I'm looking at it in a pot and realise that it looks a Psychid. I grabbed a couple of quick shots and was happy that it was a garden tick Narycia duplicella, albeit a worn one. A couple of hours later I had another go, as the other side looked less worn.

Narycia duplicella - 669th moth / 357th micro for the garden

There was some nice karma in managing to catch this. Had I been at work I'd of missed it, and it's good to now add it to the garden list after I added it to the VC55 list back in 2004.

Narycia duplicella, reared ex-larva found at Swithland Res 27/03/2004, emerged 07/05/2004

I've seen the adult a couple of other time as well, including another success rearing one from a larva.

Narycia duplicella, reared ex-larva found at Swithland Res 05/03/2006, emerged 18/04/2006

Here's some other bits from the trap.

Peach Blossom

Pale Tussock

White Ermine

Thistle Ermine

Diamond-back Moth

Smart Malachite

Found this down the lane today during a very brief stop en route from dropping Alex off at a party.

Common Malachite Beetle

Probably the smartest thing I've seen all week. Garden mothing has remained rubbish on every attempt. I've rounded it up here more out of some odd sense of duty rather than it being interesting. It can only get better!

09/05/2011
Netted late afternoon
0247 Tinea trinotella 2
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 20
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1
0883 Mompha raschkiella 1 (NFY)
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella 1
1288 Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) 1


09/05/2011
Total catch 16 of 10sp.
(125W MV 6 of 5, 80W/11W actinic/compact flourescent 10 of 7)
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 1 (NFY)
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 1
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 2
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 4
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 2
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 1

11/05/2011
Total catch 22 of 15sp.
(125W MV 11 of 9, 80W/11W actinic/compact flourescent 11 of 9)
0247 Tinea trinotella 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
0822 Scrobipalpa acuminatella 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 1
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 1
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1 (NFY)
2028 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 3
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 3
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 2

14/05/2011
Total catch 12 of 9sp.
(125W MV 2 of 2, 80W/11W actinic/compact flourescent 10 of 8)
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 1
0822 Scrobipalpa acuminatella 1
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 3
2028 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 1 (NFY)
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 1
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 1

From the garden trap - 14/06/2008

Things looked promising earlier in the day, when I was lucky enough to pot a garden first Bryotropha affinis whilst knocking about in the garden. However the cool night produced nothing exciting.

Total catch 52 of 24sp.
(125W MV 24 of 14sp., 80W actinic 28 of 15sp.)

First of the year for garden:
Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 1
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum) 1
Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 1
Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa) 1
Highest counts:
Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 13


Dusky Brocade - albeit an unusually coloured individual for my garden.


Buff Ermine left, White Ermine right. Very difficult to get these mixed up really; even though Buff Ermine can be a very pale creamy colour the spot distribution and jizz is very different.