Hook-tips and Highflyers

Just a quick selection of highlights from the garden trap in the past week. No doubt more to come...

Oak Hook-tip

Oak-tree Pug; note the rounded discal spot, and the more compact wing shape. Unusually, Oak-tree is one of the most common moths in my trap at this time of year, vastly outnumbering all other Pugs...

Light Brocades are also regulars in late spring, but I've never seen one with a wing deformity like this...

May Highflyer...

Lime Hawk-moth, always a favourite with the family!

Lime, but not Prime.

First of all, I just need to direct you back to my post of the 24th May, which I have finally been able to add photos to, including the fabulous Puss Moth.

Yesterday evening, we tried to trap at a wetland site, Stoke Meadows.  The weather seemed to be half decent, but the forecast cloud never really materialised, and as a result, it was quite a slow night (e.g. only four micro species!).  The only species of any quality was a fresh Lime Hawk-moth, and only my second ever Seraphim.  Interesting to get more Swallow Prominent than Lesser.

29th May, Stoke Meadows:
1 Dark Spectacle
1 Brimstone
12 Green Carpet
1 Lime Hawk-moth
1 Sharp-angled Peacock
5 Light Emerald
4 Common Carpet
1 Scalloped Hook-tip
4 Pale Prominent
5 Flame Shoulder
1 Yellow-barred Brindle
1 Seraphim
4 Small Seraphim
2 White Ermine
3 Common Marbled Carpet
1 Maiden's Blush
1 Buff-tip
1 Common Pug
1 Broken-barred Carpet
1 Angle Shades
3 Swallow Prominent
1 Silver Y
1 Lesser Swallow Prominent

Lime Hawk-moth

Seraphim

24th-26th June

It's been a good last few nights with some real stunners turning up in the trap, not least getting my second and third Hawkmoth species for the garden, Elephant and Lime respectfully...

My garden macro list for the year has increased to 67, and combined with the micros (that I have identified), my total garden moth list for the year is 87. Other new moths for the year over the period of 24th to 26th June were:

• Leopard Moth
• Blue-bordered Carpet
• Heart and Club
• Peppered Moth
• Marbled White Spot
• Common Carpet
• Barred Red
• Buff Ermine
• Foxglove Pug
• The Fan-Foot
• The Short-cloaked
• Common Footman
• Middle-barred Minor

Elephant Hawk-moth (a stunner)...

And a close up of that mouth watering colouring...

Lime Hawk-moth...

Leopard Moth...

Common Footman...

The Fan-Foot...

A Purple patch....

Although overall numbers remain low, it is supposed to warm up by the end of the week, and I can't wait. I say that, but the quality I have been getting has been fantastic.

The last two nights have been cold, but I managed to get several new for the year, three new for the garden, as well as a brand new species for me. Two nights ago the best was a lovely Purple Bar, but last night I managed a Small Dusty Wave (that I caught bare handed the evening before), Scalloped Hazel, a fabulous Lime Hawk-moth, and the new one for me in the shape of a Clouded-bordered Brindle of the form with the fantastic name, combusta.

Agreggate catch for 29 and 30 May (NFY = new for year, NFG = new for garden):

7 Treble Lines
4 Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 Common Marbled Carpet NFY
2 Green Carpet
1 White-spotted Pug
1 Pale Tussock
1 Purple Bar NFG
1 Uncertain NFY
1 Flame Carpet NFY
1 Brimstone NFY
1 Poplar Hawk-moth
1 Scalloped Hazel NFG
1 Heart and Dart
1 Lime Hawk-moth NFG
1 Shears
1 Mottled Pug
1 Clouded-bordered Brindle NFG
1 Small Dusty Wave NFY

Purple Bar

Uncertain

Small Dusty Wave

Scalloped Hazel

Lime Hawk-moth

Flame Carpet

Clouded-bordered Brindle