31st May- Dwarfs Alders come before

Normally, I would do a post for the last two nights, but with cloudy skies, and no rain until dawn, I just knew tonight would produce a lot, and I was right. 49 moths of 27 species is the best catch this year, and it had plenty of stunners amongst them.

Not only did I get two more Light Brocade, but I also got the garden ticks of Small White Wave and May Highflyer, as well as a brand new species for me in the shape of two Alder Moths. There was a considerable size difference between the two, which is not particularly obvious in the photo (maybe male and female?). Also a Dwarf Pug which is only the second ever.

31st May (NFY = new for year, NFG = new for garden)

8 Heart and Dart (oh, the fun to come)
5 Treble Lines
4 Shuttle-shaped Dart
3 Common Pug
3 Red Twin-spot Carpet
2 Common Marbled Carpet
2 Light Brocade
2 Alder Moth NFG
2 Brown Silver-line
1 Oak Hoop-tip NFY
1 Small Phoenix
1 Clouded Drab
1 Common Carpet NFY
1 White-spotted Pug
1 Yellow-barred Brindle
1 Orange Footman
1 Small White Wave NFG
1 Poplar Hawk-moth
1 Brimstone
1 Bird's Wing NFY
1 Shears
1 Oak-tree Pug
1 Coxcomb Prominent NFY
1 Scalloped Hazel
1 Heart and Club NFY
1 May Highflyer NFG
1 Dwarf Pug NFY


Small White Wave
Oak Hook-tip

May Highflyer

Dwarf Pug

Coxcomb Prominent

Bird's Wing

Alder Moths

Chafers don't Hog precedings at Norbury Park

I just had to be away for the week when it started to warm up didn't I! As a result I have not trapped in my garden for ages (I'll hopefully rectify that this evening), but I managed to get a fix from the mothing drug last night, and what a dramatic one it was.

I went to Norbury Park and trapped til 1am with David Gardner. The main surprise of the night was the shear number of Cockchafers. I think we got to about 50 come the end! They really were quite an inconvenience to say the least. Halfway through the night we also had a visit from a Hedgehog, and we were willing it over to help us clear the trap of Beetles!

Onto the moths, and we got 37 macros in the end, including a few surprises. I managed to get eight brand new species during the course of the night too. An interesting haul of Great Prominent also.

The final list (* is new to me):

Mocha

Coronet (a dark form)

Treble Lines*

Small White Wave* x 5

Mottled Pug

Brindled Pug x 3

Pebble Hook-tip x 2

Common Carpet x 2

Pale Tussock x 3

Purple Bar x 2

Clay Triple-lines x 2

Nut-tree Tussock x 4

Brown Silver-lines* x 2

Red-green Carpet

Small Waved Umber x 2

Water Carpet

Scalloped Hazel x 2

Currant Pug*

Treble-bar

Marbled Brown* x 6

Common White Wave

Coxcomb Prominent x 2

Silver-ground Carpet*

White Ermine
Pale Prominent

Flame Shoulder x 2

Oak Nycteoline

Scorched Carpet x 2

Least Black Arches x 2

Flame Carpet x 2

Brimestone x 5

Red Twin-spot Carpet x 4

Great Prominent x 10

Green Carpet x 16

Pretty Chalk Carpet

Waved Umber* x 2
White-pinion Spotted* x 7

Apologies for the poor shots, they were very much done on the spur of the moment.

Our late night visitor...

Waved Umber

Small White Wave

Pretty Chalk Carpet

White-pinion Spotted

Pebble Hook-tip

Pale Tussock

Oak Nycteoline

The Mocha

Marbled Brown

Great Prominent

Green Carpet

Coxcomb Prominent

Clay Triple-lines

Cockchafers

The full trap!