24/09/2011 Mothing

Last night we were free of the boys, duly incarcerated at my Mum's (Isabelle opted out, a teenage privilege). Nichola had very clearly indicated that we should take advantage and get out, but I had already clearly indicated to myself that it would be good to get out mothing. So, I made a suggestion that we loaded the car up with a few traps, headed out east to dump them and then go for a nice rustic pub meal and drinks before heading back to retrieve the traps. Gladly, this mothing plan masquerading as compromise and the best of both worlds was duly accepted and we headed out to Ketton Quarry. Even the appearance of Adrian Russell at Ketton to run a sheet and a couple more traps was overlooked.

The forecast was for a dry mild night. As good as Ketton usually is, it can at times turn very cool and damp there on clear nights and sadly last night was one of them. Of course, having set up five traps and departed to enjoy a good meal at The Collyweston Slater, and a couple of pints of Batemans XXXB, I was generally unaware of this until we got back.

Adrian had managed to pick up 77 of 29sp from a sheet and two traps, but my five traps were on the cooler side and the catch was pretty poor. Neither of the hoped-for targets appeared and not even anything new for the year (strictly speaking - though good to see an adult Brindled Green having recorded it in the larval stage earlier in the year).

Total catch 37 of 18sp.
(3 x 125W MV traps, 1 x 40W/20W actinic/CFL combo & 1 x 80W/11W actinic/CFL combo)

1138 Epinotia nisella 3
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 1
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 4
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 2
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 2
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 3
2248 Brindled Green (Dryobotodes eremita) 1
2266 Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura) 1
2269 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago) 2
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 9
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 2
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 1
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1

Brindled Green

The garden fared a little better, though again nothing new for the year.

Total catch 87 of 29sp.
(125W MV 26 of 15, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 61 of 21)

0227 Skin Moth (Monopis laevigella) 1
0246 Tinea semifulvella 1
0462 Ypsolopha sequella 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0697 Agonopterix arenella 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 2
1138 Epinotia nisella 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 22
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 15
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 5
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1
2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 2
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 2
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 4
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 6
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 4
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 2
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 1
2364 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1

Rosy Rustic - a huge female, Large Yellow Underwing sized

Large Yellow Underwing - a nice colour form, shame about the wing damage

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Recent Autumnal Moths

Here's a few highlights from trapping over the last week (generally clear and cold apart from last night, which was mild an extremely windy). Green-brindled Crescent - one of my autumn favourites Red-line Quaker - aptly named Brindled Green Feathered Thorn

National Moth Nights 2009

Well - we certainly made the effort both locally and afar. True to form the NMN jinx struck and we had two nights with less than ideal weather conditions (either clear, still and cold or clear and wind from wrong direction). On Friday night, we (me, Adrian Russell & Keith Tailby) ran a sheet and 3 traps at Warren Hills and 6 traps at Charnwood Lodge. We had very little to show for this effort, in fact the only highlight for me was a good showing of Flounced Chestnuts allowing me to get photos (have seen it before but a long while ago before I had a digital camera). Here's a montage - click for a bigger one. Flounced Chestnut - even the underside is nice Otherwise the usual fare, in small numbers. Even the super 250W metal halide trap was largely empty. 250W metal halide trap Bright white light at dusk Autumnal Rustic The only thing remotely interesting from my garden traps was this .. Brindled Green Full details to follow once lists have been collated, checked and confirmed as small. Yesterday we drove down to Dungeness to run lots of traps around the long pits area. We ran 20 in total (yes 20). The 20 traps, 9 generators, c20 cable reels and all other paraphernalia, including four blokes, got there in two Vectra estates - cavernous! We were obviously hopeful of some decent immigration but no joy. In fact the 20 traps were not exactly bulging although it was still a very enjoyable night. A few good species (as in ones we don't get here in VC55) which I'll expand on once I've got some photos and lists sorted.

Rutland Water Reedbed revisited - 30/08/2008

I joined Ron Follows, Adrian Russell and Derek Lee for another overnight trapping session centred on the reedbeds and again with some coverage at the North Arm Marsh. Conditions looked promising but it was slow-going at the sheet and by the time I retired to my pump-up bed in the back of car (mothing luxury now, a proper comfortable prostrate sleep rather than a miserable cramped slouch in the olg Peugeot!) it was started to turn misty. By morning a very damp heavy mist had decended. I ran 3 x 125W MV traps and the 80W actinic around the old reedbed, totalling 474 of 53sp. Not too bad considering the limited habitat covered. Overall though from the sheet, 15 x MV traps and 4 x actinic traps the catch was 1983 of 101sp. The main target, and highlight, was Twin-spotted Wainscot (14). Twin-spotted Wainscot - can be a reedbed pest but still a scarce moth in VC55 Brindled Green - nice when they are fresh Pinion-streaked Snout