Life in the Hawthorn

Whether your main ento-interest is coleoptera, diptera, hymenoptera or lepidoptera (and probably other orders too) then around now is the time to be beating the living daylights of blossoming hawthorn. On the embankment I can see hawthorn bushes that are getting larger and fuller every year, and there is no way I can get to them regardless of social distancing / lockdown (unless I just nonchalantly flounce into or through one of the neighbours gardens with my beating gear and bravado).

I do have hawthorn in the garden .....

The twig on the left is a self-set hawthorn seedling that I lifted and potted. It is clearly some years away from being a blossoming insect attractant! The twig on the right is a sallow cutting that I borrowed from the neighbour's overhanging tree. Which this year he cut right back just as the catkins were coming out. Knob.

So whilst on my walk on Sunday (more on that another day) I was pleased to note that there was at least some hawthorn accessible along the ride to swipe at - although as I only had my light-weight butterfly net I was keen to not ruin it again so it was all a bit sedate. I found a few bits, despite it still being early in the hawthorn blossom season. Mainly I found a lot of lepidopteran larvae. I would normally have brought a few home to rear through but decided this would be a bit daft this year when I can't just nip out whenever I want/need to to collect more larval foodplant. So I snapped a few on my finger tip.

Two forms of Mottled Umber - quite a few of these noted

Dun-bar - just a couple

Winter Moth - 100s

Epirrita sp. - probably November Moth

Think this is Dotted Border / Scarce Umber - would have been good to rear

Something Green, Something New

Warm, humid, still and overcast conditions last night should of brought an absoloute bonanza to the traps. There were a good few moths, but not exactly bulging at the sides or anywhere near the biggest catch of the year. There was a major highlight for me though, another new for the garden macro tick!

Green Arches

Okay it's not the smartest or freshest individual, but they all count. This is the 316th macro and the 676th species for the garden (as it stands, though there are a few pending confirmation, including a worn plain Argyresthia from last night, which may be A. glabratella).

So given that I've started with a noctuid, I'll use that as the excuse/theme for the page-filler shots .....

Burnished Brass

Heart and Club - 4th garden record

Lychnis

Large Yellow Underwing

Poplar Grey

Gothic

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Dun-bar

Rufous Minor

Oak Nycteoline - 6th garden record

Small Rufous - 2nd garden record

Cloaked Minor

KQ Shots - Macros

Small Purple Barred

Brown-tail

Fern

Ear Moth

Dusky Sallow

Square-spotted Clay

Small Waved Umber

Small Emerald

Coronet

Garden Dart

Dun-bar

Dark Umber

Garden Mothing Update

18/06/2011
Total catch 112 of 43sp.
(125W MV 54 of 29; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 58 of 33)

New for year in garden:
1424 Endotricha flammealis 1

Highest counts:
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 28
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 9
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 7
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 5
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 5

Best of the rest:
0765 Teleiodes vulgella 1
1168 Gypsonoma sociana 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 2
1690 Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria) 1
1758 Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata) 2
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum) 1
2318 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina) 1

Dun-bar

19/06/2011
Total catch 151 of 50sp.
(125W MV 60 of 27; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 91 of 35)

New for year in garden:
0450 Hawthorn Moth (Scythropia crataegella) 1
1294 Crambus pascuella 1
1331 Water Veneer (Acentria ephemerella) 1
1390 Udea prunalis 1
2136 Gothic (Naenia typica) 2
2155 Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae) 1

Highest counts:
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 53
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 14
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 7

Best of the rest:
1168 Gypsonoma sociana 1
1634 Lackey (Malacosoma neustria) 3
1669 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria) 1
1702 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1758 Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata) 1
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 2
1979 Lime Hawk-moth (Mimas tiliae) 1
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum) 1
2077 Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella) 2

Gothic

I'm also holding onto this 'clothes moth' from the garden back on 2nd - it will be a definite garden tick. Gen det required later in the year.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth

CONFIRMED - gen. det. by Jon Clifton Jan 2012

Catch up

I've neglected the blog for a few days for various reasons. I've got a few garden trap list summaries, but first here's a cracking caterpillar to share:

This is a first instar Oak Eggar. I had a few eggs from the female I caught in the garden on 11/07/2010 and all hatched on 28/07/2010. I'm rearing them on sallow at the moment. Even at first instar and newly hatched they are a fair size, c10mm. Hopefully I can get a few to final instar, and hopefully a few of those will be big fat females for assembling with next year.

Now for the garden trapping:

23/07/2010
Total catch 162 of 52sp.
(125W MV 84 of 36; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 78 of 31)

First for year in garden:
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 3
2064 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) 1

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 29
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 22
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 12
1304 Agriphila straminella 9
1424 Endotricha flammealis 7
1390 Udea prunalis 5
2318 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina) 5

Best of the rest:
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 2
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1


25/07/2010
Total catch 311 of 86sp.
(125W MV 175 of 62; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 136 of 54)

FIRST FOR GARDEN:
1016 Cnephasia longana 1
2165 Small Ranunculus (Hecatera dysodea) 1

I'd missed that longana was new for the garden - I'd let it go before realising as it was not the smartest individual for a photo. Small Ranunculus is triple-tick for me (British, County, Garden).

First for year in garden:
0411 Argyresthia goedartella 1
0425 Orchard Ermine (Yponomeuta padella) 1
1362 Pyrausta purpuralis 1
1839 Bordered Pug (Eupithecia succenturiata) 1
2049 Buff Footman (Eilema depressa) 1

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 46
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 30
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 21
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 20
0873 Blastobasis adustella 12
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 12
1439 Trachycera advenella 9
2318 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina) 8
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 6

Best of the rest:
0898 Limnaecia phragmitella 1
1183 Epiblema foenella 1
1207 Pine Leaf-mining Moth (Clavigesta purdeyi) 1
1424 Endotricha flammealis 5
1513 White Plume Moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) 1
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 2
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1
2030 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis) 2
2031 White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 1
2064 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) 1


26/07/2010
Total catch 152 of 56sp.
(125W MV 91 of 41; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 57 of 32)

FIRST FOR GARDEN:
0366a Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella) 4

This is the first time I've picked up this species at light.

First for year in garden:
0428 Willow Ermine (Yponomeuta rorrella) 2
1139 Nut Bud Moth (Epinotia tenerana) 1
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 22
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 14
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 10
1304 Agriphila straminella 8
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 8
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 6

Best of the rest:
0125 Emmetia marginea 1
0602 Elachista apicipunctella 1
2030 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis) 1
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 4
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 1

Willow Ermine

Bird-cherry Ermine - a bit worn

Dun-bar

Copper Underwing

Copper Underwing - underside of hindwing

28/07/2010
Total catch 125 of 57sp.
(125W MV 71 of 37; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 54 of 34)

First for year in garden:
1790 Tissue (Triphosa dubitata) 1

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 19
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 11
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 9
1439 Trachycera advenella 7

Best of the rest:
0254 Laburnum Leaf Miner (Leucoptera laburnella) 1
0602 Elachista apicipunctella 1
1398 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1
1653 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 1
1726 Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata) 1
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1
2030 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis) 1
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 2
2319 Lunar-spotted Pinion (Cosmia pyralina) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

Trachycera advenella