We Loop-the-loop at Oaken!

Another session out and about last night with David Gardner, and I was most excited by it, as it was at the Butterfly Conservation reserve at Oaken Wood. Initially however, it looked as if we might be scuppered by the weather, as it looked fairly clear, and a little windy. Luckily, it was not quite that bad, and the moths came, in thier hundreds! Although admittedly, about 80% of that number is made up of Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana!

In the end, I managed to see 7 new species, as well as many stunning moths. The best record came from my trap (which is so much less powerful than David's!), as two Rannoch Looper turned up, suggesting they are breeding there. Also fantastic Four-dotted Footman and a gorgeous Map-winged Swift.

The final number up to 1:00 in David's and my traps, was 75 macros of 34 species, plus the hundreds of Tortrix viridana and a load of Scorparia ambigualis as well. The final list (* is a new species to me):

7 Willow Beauty
6 Four-dotted Footman *
6 Green Carpet
5 Buff Ermine
4 Brown Silver-line
4 Mottled Beauty
3 Common Marbled Carpet
3 Common White Wave
3 Barred Yellow *
2 Little Emerald *
2 Orange Moth *
2 Common Swift
2 Flame Shoulder
2 Blotched Emerald
2 Grey Arches
2 Rannoch Looper *
2 Light Emerald
2 Ingrailed Clay
1 Map-winged Swift *
1 Marbled Minor
1 Lobster Moth
1 Beautiful Golden Y *
1 Clouded-bordered Brindle
1 Grey Pug
1 Silver-ground Carpet
1 Common Wainscot
1 Treble Lines
1 Middle-barred Minor
1 Common Wave
1 Buff-tip
1 Clouded Border
1 Lilac Beauty
1 Small Square-spot
1 Green Silver-lines

Just as usual for these outings, I was not able to get particularly good shots.

Barred Yellow

Beautiful Golden Y

Blotched Emerald

Common Swift

Four-dotted Footman

One of many Grasshoppers around the trap!

Grey Arches

Lilac Beauty, Mottled Beauty, and Tortrix viridana

Little Emerald

Map-winged Swift

Orange Moth

The first Rannoch Looper

Both Rannoch Looper

The full trap!

Thunder!!

Last night was a bit mad – my biggest catch of the year by a distance. No doubt thanks to the thundery conditions. I woke at 4.20 a.m. and it took me till about 10 a.m. to sort out my catch (with a pause for breakfast!). 48+ species.
I’ve still got a load of micros to sort out but this is my provisional list:

Large yellow underwing
Brown silver-lines x2 nfy
Willow beauty nfy
Straw dot x5 nfy
Orange footman x2
White ermine z9
Pale tussock x5
Green carpet x2
Heart & dart x2
Treble lines x4 nfy
Flame-shoulder x2
Celypha lacunana x6

Poplar hawk
Shoulder-striped wainscot
Agapate hamana x 4 nfy

Middle-barred minor x2 nfy
Flame nfy
Flame carpet x3
Bee moth nfy
May highflyer x3
Common marbled carpet x3
Clouded silver x 5
Buff-tip nfy

Alder kitten nfy

Sharp-angled carpet
Scorched wing x2 nfy

Epiphyas postvittana nfy
Broken-barred carpet 3
Blood-vein
Pale oak beauty x2 nfy

Snout nfy
Common swift x2 nfy


Oligia sp. nfy
Common wave 2
Peppered moth nfy
Green silver-lines nfy
Common rustic agg nfy
Psyche casta nfy

Light emerald x2 nfy
Brimstone x2
Dark sword-grass
Poplar lute-string nfy
Engrailed nfy
Ingrailed clay nfy
Small seraphim New species for me!

Small phoenix nfy
Maiden’s blush nfy.
Ingrailed clay nfy
Freyer’s pug nfy

Small seraphim nfy