What a Ride

On Saturday night I headed out with a couple of light traps, something of a rarity in recent years for all the obvious reasons (cancer / chemo / surgeries / covid restrictions ....). Checking back, I managed four nights out in 2019, none in 2020, two in 2021 and just the one last year. Most pertinently, only two of these were nights out on my own setting up and recording and they were in 2019. I am absolutely going to be out a bit more this year.

Aside from the paucity of nights out around a light, it has just occurred to me that in all that time my current car has been the most under-utilised vehicle I've ever had. Weeks parked up whilst I was unable to drive, long periods off road during lock-downs, and we've not been up and down to Devon with any regularity either. Coincidentally: it very much looks like the this outing will be the last mothing effort in this car anyway, as I'm expecting a changeover in the next week or so (though dealership delays may scupper that), and the last mothing trip I made in the previous car was to the same site - Fox Covert at Ulverscroft.

My next car will not be mistaken for an Uber everywhere I go.

Even more under-utilised than the car, good to know it still runs.

I ran a 125W MV over a sheet ....

.... and a couple of 125W MV traps along the main track.

I really wasn't expecting a lot, as garden catches have continued to be poor and anecdotally the mothing up and down the country has been relatively poor. There really does seem to have been a major entomological crash, perhaps more due to the prolonged drought and searingly hot period last summer. Time will tell if anything picks up or recovers. So it was no surprise really that things were a bit slow, at least for the first hour. I ended up with a pretty respectable total of 174 of 50sp. running the lights from dusk until 00:30. Most pleasingly though I saw quite a few species that I haven't seen for a long while, and some that are either rare or have never turned up in my garden.

I had the TG-6 to hand, which meant I was able to snap quite a lot on the sheet rather than bringing stuff home. Very serviceable snaps, albeit not the most aesthetically pleasing background! I did take a few micros to check. So in no particular order, here's a load of moth photos from the night ....

Green Silver-lines

White-pinion Spotted

Barred Hook-tip

Scalloped Hook-tip

Grass Rivulet

Marbled Brown

Brown Silver-line

Orange Footman

Coxcomb Prominent

Scorched Wing

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Dwarf Pug

Swammerdamia caesiella [probably, pending dissection]

Capua vulgana

Eulia ministrana

Epinotia tetraquetrana

Epinotia tetraquetrana

Argyresthia conjugella

Argyresthia conjugella f. maculosa

There were numerous Netelia/Ophion type Ichneumons on the sheet, a number of Melanotus sp. click beetles, but by far the most numerous thing were Cockchafers. Loads of them. Initially, the first ten or so were unceremoniously chucked away, only to come bumbling back like six-legged boomerangs. I then started collecting them in the plastic tub that the light bulb goes in, more successful but I can assure you that two hours or so of writhing incarcerated Cockchafers stinks.

There were at least 80 or so spread across the lights. I rarely get these at home - thankfully - and had forgotten how much I loathe these getting in the way. I thought I'd done a great job of containing them and then getting shot of them all. However, much to my surprise given that I cleared out the gear yesterday and used the car, today there was one sitting on the parcel shelf. How the hell it avoided setting off the alarm for two nights I'll never know. It prompted a further check, during which I found a much less offensive weevil which I can only assume came home on Saturday as well ....

Bumbling hairy twat Cockchafer

Strophosoma melanogrammum

The outing yesterday was to go and watch LCFC win majestically whilst being relegated. Wow, it's been a ridiculous few seasons that we could never have imagined possible, and which makes this drop even tougher than any we've suffered previously. We played shite all season, were badly managed and the Club made decisions too late. Totally avoidable. Back to a 46-game season in the toughest league to get out of. If we don't bounce straight back up (and I'm not sure we will) I suspect a long period of frustrating play offs. Still, we won more in our short stint than some other clubs (Spurs, Everton ....).

All your hopes and dreams, all you need to know, joy ride ....

I was happy with two Nuts, then I got a nice Pussy .....

Don't know what you were thinking about, I meant these ...

I ran a couple of traps at the in-laws North Devon garden over the weekend - with some excellent results. Apart from the two above, I also picked up a completely unexpected Great Prominent - one I've only ever seen in excellent mature woodland before.

The garden is pretty big, in a rural valley. A stream runs through, and there is a decent sized wood not to far from the garden. Also plenty of mature trees in and around the garden. I ran two 125W MV traps - one positioned by the wood shed and one at the top of the garden on the other side of the stream next to a compost pile. I avoided running a trap by the Badger latrine under some conifers .....

Considering how infrequently I have trapped here over the years, and given that most trapping is around the same time of year, the garden list is up to an amazingly respectable 245 species now, with 8 added on these two nights (marked FFG and in bold yellow). The two nights trapping also provided 17 yearticks, including one or two that do not currently occur in VC55.

23/04/2011
94 of 22sp.
0436 Pseudoswammerdamia combinella 1 (FFG)
0986 Syndemis musculana 1 (FFG)
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 8 (NFY)
1746 Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata) 1
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 2 (NFY)
1759 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 2 (NFY)
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 5
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 1
1927 Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) 1
1957 White-pinion Spotted (Lomographa bimaculata) 1 (FFG) (NFY)
1995 Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) 1 (FFG) (NFY)
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 4 (NFY)
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 26
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 8
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 6
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 5
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 26
2425 Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) 1 (NFY)
2450 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 1 (NFY)

24/04/2011
130 of 30sp.
0436 Pseudoswammerdamia combinella 1
0608 Elachista rufocinerea 1 (FFG)
0672 Parsnip Moth (Depressaria heraclei) 1 (FFG) (NFY)
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 6
1746 Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata) 2
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 1
1759 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 4
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1 (NFY)
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1
1881 Early Tooth-striped (Trichopteryx carpinata) 1 (NFY)
1888 Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata) 1 (NFY)
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 8
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 1 (NFY)
1927 Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) 5
2003 Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac) 3
2005 Great Prominent (Peridea anceps) 1 (FFG) (NFY)
2007 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) 1 (FFG) (NFY)
2028 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 6
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 10
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 5
2173 Lychnis (Hadena bicruris) 2 (NFY)
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 5
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 9
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 5
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 43
2425 Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 (NFY)

Both night also brought around 10 Cockchafers - one which is still firmly on my mothing villains list ..

Aside from the excellent garden mothing, we had a great time down in Devon with some absolutely glorious hot sunshine and associated sunburn. I'll post a few photos separately when I get them sorted. But as a taster (click for big)..

We had a great day on Woolacombe beach

Superb scenery around the Valley of the Rocks near to Lynmouth

More Garden Moths & Larval Life

Didn't get a chance to post the stuff yesterday, busy in the day and out having a few beers in the evening. So, this is all a day or two late, but with no trapping last night and nothing doing today it's all I have to share anyway!

First, let's get Firday nights garden trapping out of the way. I fully expected rain to be moving in through the night so I had no great expectations for the catch. As it turned out, the rain didn't appear until later in the morning so I managed to empty dry traps. Total catch was 58 of 22 sp (125W MV 37 of 19, 80W actinic 21 of 10).

0017 Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus) 1 [first for year]
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 6
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 3
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 1
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 5
1773 Broken-barred Carpet (Electrophaes corylata) 1 [first for year]
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 3
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 6
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 8
1835 White-spotted Pug (Eupithecia tripunctaria) 1
1887 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1 [first for year]
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 4
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 3
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 5
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 3
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1 [first for year]
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 [first for year]

Common Swift

Common Wainscot

Common Marbled Carpet

- a slightly asymmetric individual that doesn't appear to be wear-related

Broken-barred Carpet

Also in the trap was this bloody big stupid Cockchafer - I still don't like these!

Moving on, I had a couple of walk along the lane on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon, mainly to collect more sallow to feed the greedy Emperor cats but also to have a swish with the net. Not a lot to write about on the flying moths front, with the only real interest being plenty of Cock's-foot Moths and an Acrolepia autumnitella. Of more interest was the larval life.

I found a number of interesting Coleophorid cases feeding on the underside of elm leaves, with a very clear serrated keel to the case from the edge of an elm leaf. I'd convinced myself they must be Coleophora limosipennella which feeds on elm (and would be new to VC55), but a posting to UK Micros soon put me right thanks to John Langmaid. I'd neglected to check if the cases were bi-valved or tri-valved. As they are tri-valved, and on the small side at 6-7mm, they can't be limosipennella and are more likely to be extreme examples of Coleophora serratella (which has a paler case when feeding on elm). This makes sense as I also found a couple of more typical serratella type cases positioned on the upper surfaces and which after collection are not feeding (so presumably pupated on the elm but not fed on it).

Presumed Coleophora serratella - pronounced serrated keel

Presumed Coleophora serratella - typical keel

Tri-valved case (basically they are the flaps that the caterpillar pokes it's back end out of to pass frass)

I found this wacky looking sawfly larva on oak - I think it's Periclista lineolata?

I also found a couple of micro (tortrix?) larvae on white clover - one in a leaf spinning and one on a flower bud. No idea what they could be as yet.

Other larvae I have in my increasing number of rearing boxes are:

An early instar Vapourer caterpillar that I found when it was absolutely tiny on sallow I collected back on 20/05/2010. Note the shed skin left on the leaf.

A Copper Underwing on the hawthorn I collected back on 11/05/2010 (which I thought may be Sprawler when very small - much more obviously patterned/shaped now).

A Red-line Quaker that I found on the sallow overhanging my garden fence on Friday night.

The garden traps are going back out tonight, and whilst not the best conditions with a very stong breeze I'll be out trapping at Watermead CP South as part of a Bio-Blitz event.