Overdue - Carpatolechia proximella

Time for another in the occasional series where I bemoan the continued absence of a species from my garden records after a long period since the last/only appearance. I'm picking out a micro for a change ...

Carpatolechia proximella - 8th May 2003

This species is pretty common around most of the UK, and the larvae feed on birch and alder - seems a very good candidate for something that you should be able to find pretty much anywhere. And yet one I jointly recorded at Pickworth Great Wood on 25th May 2001 was the first for VC55 for almost 100 years since the VCH was published. Since then it has been recorded pretty widely and regularly around the vice-county, and I've recorded it from 11 sites. But the individual above remains the only record from my garden. No idea why it's not re-appeared - there is plenty of birch around here and alder not too far away. I like the Gelechiidae and I'm 100% sure I wouldn't miss one the in the trap.

Ironically I've recorded more of the related but much more scarce Carpatolechia decorella from my garden (okay, two) a species I added to the VC55 list from Enderby Quarry on 5th July 2003 and as far as I know this has only been recorded by me from this site and my garden.

So - Carpatolechia proximella is definitely overdue!

Swithland Gold

Yesterday morning, a Golden Oriole was heard singing from Buddon Wood next to Swithland Reservoir and seen briefly by the (presumably well chuffed) finder. The news came out a bit later in the day and, predictably, there was no further sign or sound in the afternoon. I had given up any hope of this one sticking and bucking the trend for the most of the previous VC55 records. I was therefore surprised to get a text early this morning that it was singing again, and quickly got myself sorted and doen Kinchley Lane to join the throng of usual suspects. Within a couple of minutes, I was listening to the evocative fluty song coming from the canopy - superb. It's literally years (c15) since I last saw or heard Golden Oriole, but it's one of the most memorable bird songs you'll ever hear on these shores. Over the next hour or so it sang intermittantly and also gave plenty of calls. Whilst the song is beautifully melodic, the call is a raucous screech - I imagine a squirrel having it nuts squeezed would sound similar. No-one actually saw this bird today - but like me, everyone will be adding to their county lists. Splendid. Masses of Swifts were over the water early on, but as the morning wore on and the Oriole became a bit more quiet I switched my attention away from birds and started looking at the walls and for opportunities to play with the new macro lens converter.

I found lots, but rather than post them all here in one go I'll drip-feed them over the next few posts. And for a change I'll start with moths!

Carpatolechia proximella

Common Footman

Dahlica triquetrella - these will probably be full of eggs / tiny larvae by now

Taleporia tubulosa

Psyche casta - loads of these around

This will now be known as Oriole Clearing

Adela reaumurella - loads along the lane

Pickworth Great Wood 01/05/2011 - The List n Pics

The digital dictaphones have been transcribed (forgot to mention that tip for out-of-garden mothing, makes emptying traps a much smoother process), lists have been checked, verified and consolidated, and I can now hereby announce the results of the aforementioned 'ridiculous' venture into prime woodland in pants conditions. As I intimated, the overall result was a triumph for the theory that irrespective of the conditions trapping in decent habitat will yield some reward. The numbers taken were low (very low considering the number of traps), but we managed a decent species total with some goodies in a local context.

Before I launch into the summary, here's some vaguely interesting analysis that was prompted by Ben's comment yesterday. Firstly, despite me being slightly dismissive of its ability the 250W metal halide trap on this occasion came out tops with the highest number of both species and individuals. Added to that, no less than 7 of the 22 species it attracted were taken only in this trap. Of the 56 species so far confirmed, 3 were taken only at the sheet that we operated for a few hours. A further 22 species were taken only single traps, and only 2 of the 12 traps failed to attract anything that was not also in other traps. Underlining the conditions, 6 of the 12 traps failed to attract 10 or more species, and 3 of these also failed to muster 10 or more individuals. No species was present in all 12 traps, with Muslin Moth in 10 being the most widely taken. That's enough pseudo-science, here's the full list (231 of 57sp.) .....

0005 Micropterix calthella 1 (NFY)
0140 Nematopogon swammerdamella 2
0150 Adela reaumurella 1
0287 Caloptilia robustella 3
0449 Ash Bud Moth (Prays fraxinella) 6 (NFY)
0602 Elachista apicipunctella 1
0649 Esperia sulphurella 1
0764 Pseudotelphusa scalella 3 (NFY)
0770 Carpatolechia proximella 8 (NFY)
0986 Syndemis musculana 6
1061 Acleris literana 1 (NFY)
1136 Epinotia immundana 1 (NFY)
1648 Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria) 1
1655 Poplar Lutestring (Tethea or) 1 (NFY)
1680 Maiden's Blush (Cyclophora punctaria) 3 (NFY)
1693 Cream Wave (Scopula floslactata) 13 (NFY)
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 5
1747 Streamer (Anticlea derivata) 1
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 1
1752 Purple Bar (Cosmorhoe ocellata) 1 (NFY)
1759 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 3
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1773 Broken-barred Carpet (Electrophaes corylata) 3 (NFY)
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 2
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 19
1853 Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata) 4
1879 Seraphim (Lobophora halterata) 26 (NFY)
1887 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 4 (NFY)
1888 Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata) 1
1893 Tawny-barred Angle (Macaria liturata) 1 (NFY)
1902 Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata) 4 (NFY)
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 1
1919 Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria) 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 14
1944 Pale Oak Beauty (Hypomecis punctinalis) 1 (NFY)
1950 Brindled White-spot (Parectropis similaria) 1 (NFY)
1956 Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata) 1 (NFY)
1957 White-pinion Spotted (Lomographa bimaculata) 3
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 1 (NFY)
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 3 (NFY)
2000 Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius) 2
2003 Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac) 2
2006 Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma) 4
2007 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) 6 (NFY)
2019 Chocolate-tip (Clostera curtula) 5 (NFY)
2028 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 7
2043 Orange Footman (Eilema sororcula) 5 (NFY)
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 30
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 2
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 2
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 6
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 1
2289 Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis) 1
2422 Green Silver-lines (Pseudoips prasinana britannica) 1 (NFY)
2450 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 1 (NFY)

The are also 3 x Phyllonorycters to check. In addition, whilst wandering around on trap patrol and emptying the traps I found several larvae either on overhanging branches, in traps or on the sheets around traps. Of these, I have so far identified the following:

1777 July Highflyer (NFY)
1797 Autumnal Moth (TBC, though looks spot-on to Porter)
1799 Winter Moth
2182 Small Quaker
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker
2190 Hebrew Character
2248 Brindled Green (NFY)
2335 Slender Brindle (NFY)

Poplar Lutestring - rare in VC55, this is the only site where it has been reliably recorded

Pseudotelphusa scalella - one I've only ever seen at Pickworth

Acleris literana f. flavana

Brindled White-spot - scarce in VC55, though recent increase

Pale Oak Beauty - ditto the above

Scorched Carpet - scarce and local in VC55

Carpatolechia proximella - seems not that long ago we recorded the first for VC55 (though probably 10 years) now more widespread

Cream Wave - good to see this in numbers, refused to sit on anything but a Primrose leaf

Maiden's Blush - nice!

Tawny-barred Angle - impossible to photograph well

Broken-barred Carpet - a smart fresh one

All of the following are a selection of Seraphims - amazing variability, and a species that I would normally be pleased to see one during the year let alone 26 in one session.