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

Spruce Carpet

Common Pug

Minor sp (prob Marbled)

Light Brocade

Small Seraphim

Red-green Carpet

Poplar Grey

Pebble Hook-tip

Grey Birch

Tawny-barred Angle

Common Wave

Silver-ground Carpet

Birch Mocha

 

Acleris literana

A Minor increase

The cloud cover finally came last night, although it was not a particularly warm day. None the less, the results were encouraging. Nothing new for the garden amongst 42 moths of 16 species, but a load of new for the years. Best was probably a Freyer's Pug, a worn Yellow-barred Brindle, and a couple of striking Minors. Interestingly, I got the same number of Heart and Darts as two days ago.

May 28th:
22 Heart and Dart
3 Treble Lines
2 Common Marbled Carpet NFY
2 Dark Arches NFY
2 Minor sp. NFY
1 Flame NFY
1 May Highflyer
1 Ingrailed Clay
1 Vine's Rustic NFY
1 Pale Tussock NFY
1 Pale Mottled Willow NFY
1 Brown Silver-line NFY
1 Turnip NFY
1 Yellow-barred Brindle NFY

1 Small Phoenix NFY

Minor sp. (perhaps good examples of Tawny Marbled and Marbled?)

Pale Tussock

Turnip

Brown Silver-line

Freyer's Pug

As an aside, the council have recently installed a load of new street lighting around the town, including down my road. All the lamps are strong white light, which I can't help but think will have an effect on local moth populations. I just don't know why they can't just have the usual yellow filters!

20th June

A fantastic night for me with 77 moths of 20 species recorded in the garden 15W Actinic.

The highlight were 2 Cypress Carpet, I have now recorded 3 in the space of less than 7 months, which no doubt suggests local breeding. This time 10 years ago, there was only 1 confirmed record for Surrey, but following a sudden expansion in its range, it is believed to be breeding in the county...

Another highlight was a Blotched Emerald- an absolute stunner but flew away before I could get a shot!

Green Pug was abundant, and I recorded 5 individuals, including this very green specimen...

In the way of Waves, I recorded 10 Small Dusty Wave and 17 Riband Wave. Suprisingly, only 1 Treble Brown Spot showed up but allowed for a photo as it fed from a flower...

Other long overdue new moths for the year included a relitively fresh Shears, a Straw Dot and Garden Carpet.

The Shears...

And I'll leave you to scratch your heads over this Minor...