Surrey Moths & Butterflies: Here pussy, pussy, pussy.....

Thursday 24 May 2012

Here pussy, pussy, pussy.....

I knew as soon as I put the light on yesterday evening, that I was in for a great catch. It was a very hot day, and cloud was just forming overhead. The cloud may not have stayed around all night, but it was still warm enough for just a T-shirt when I closed down the trap just before first light.

When I close down the trap, I stuff the entrance with kitchen towel, so I can put the trap in the shed, and open it up later in the day after work. This has always worked fine, but those little devils that are Cockchafers were able to push out the paper this morning! As a result, a few moths got away, and got lost in the piles of garbage in the shed. Who knows what was there, but I should definitely not complain!

The reason being that despite not quite as many moths as I expected (26 sp), I did manage to get two brand new species, and a further new one for the garden, an amazing result! Amongst these was a long sought-after species as far as I'm concerned - a Puss moth. Result! The other brand new one was a single Grey Birch, and the garden tick was another Birch feeder - a Birch Mocha. I also got a striking micro, Acleris literana.

23rd May:
9 Mottled Pug
3 Shuttle-shaped Dart
3 Brimstone
2 Common Wave NFY
2 Small Seraphim NFY
2 Light Brocade NFY
2 Common Pug NFY
1 Puss Moth NFM
1 Birch Mocha NFG
1 Narrow-winged Pug
1 Shears
1 Yellow-barred Brindle
1 Silver-ground Carpet NFY
1 Red Twin-spot Carpet
1 Tawny-barred Angle NFY
1 Poplar Grey NFY
1 Pebble Hook-tip NFY
1 Red-green Carpet NFY
1 Grey Birch NFM
1 Garden Carpet
1 Minor sp. (prob Marbled) NFY
1 Spruce Carpet NFY
1 Brindled Pug
1 Pebble Prominent
1 Iron Prominent NFY
1 Flame Shoulder

Plus loads of unidentifiable Pugs (prob mostly Mottled)!

Puss Moth