A Fine Figure of Beauty

Still an absence of cloud in the sky at the moment (looks like that will be rectified in the next few days), but the warm temps continue to bring my fantastic new trap into its own.  Last night, I got the most species in the trap this year (30), which included another new moth to me, and yet another garden tick in addition.  Poplar feeders are quite a scarcity in my garden, so it was nice to get my first ever Figure of 80, alongside my first Pine Beauty for the garden, just a few days after seeing my first adult at Hagthorne. 

28th May:
6 Shuttle-shaped Dart
5 Common Marbled Carpet
5 Brimstone
3 Buff-tip
2 Scalloped Hazel
2 Orange Footman
2 Poplar Grey
2 Common Carpet NFY
1 Lobster Moth NFY
1 Treble Lines NFY
1 Pine Beauty NFG
1 Peppered Moth
1 Pale Prominent NFY
1 Grey Pine Carpet
1 Silver-ground Carpet
1 White Point NFY
1 Red Twin-spot Carpet
1 Pebble Hook-tip
1 Marbled White-spot NFY
1 Flame Shoulder
1 Small Seraphim
1 Vine's Rustic NFY
1 Common Pug
1 Figure of 80 NFM
1 Pebble Prominent
1 Red-green Carpet
1 White-pinion Spotted
1 Green Carpet
1 Angle Shades
1 Silver Y

Common Carpet

 Pebble Hook-tip

Figure of 80 (the mark which gives the moth its name is upside down)

Silver Y

Vine's Rustic

White Point

Pale Prominent

Treble Lines

Lobster Moth

Pine Beauty

Marbled White-spot

I'm sure some of you guys are trapping (Billy, Angela, and Ken!), lets hear how you're doing!

Shears!

Last night was lovely and cloudy, and it was a pleasant surprise not to see any of the wet stuff. Variety was oddly down on yesterday, but numbers were up, as Heart and Darts soared to new heights! Best were a Shears, and a Pine Hawk, although its a shame the latter was such a sorry looking specimen!

4th June:

64 Heart and Dart

22 Dark Arches

7 Minor sp.

1 Flame

1 Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 Heart and Club

1 Buff-tip

1 Treble Brown Spot

1 Marbled White Spot NFY

1 Shears NFY

1 Peppered Moth NFY

1 Red-green Carpet NFY

1 Pine Hawk NFY

Red-green Carpet

Marbled White Spot

Pine Hawk

Shears

The Cold Shoulder Over, as my Ground Takes the Silver

Thankfully, last night had decent cloud cover, which has been lacking recently, so I haven't trapped in the garden for a week. I managed a great rounded total of 50 moths of 25 species. Having not trapped for so long, I of course expected some new for year, but I also got three new for the garden in the shape of two Silver-ground Carpet, a Pale-shouldered Brocade, and a Dusky Brocade, the latter two being brand new to me. Also of note was a stunning Purple Clay, and a much more pristine Marbled White Spot.

17th June:

20 Heart and Dart

3 Dark Arches NFY

2 Peppered Moth

2 Common Pug

2 Silver-ground Carpet NFG

2 Treble Lines

2 Minor sp.

1 Large Yellow Underwing NFY

1 Rustic

1 Middle-barred Minor

1 Grey Pug

1 Foxglove Pug

1 Setaceous Hebrew Character

1 Clouded-bordered Brindle

1 Common Marbled Carpet

1 Marbled White Spot

1 Bird's Wing

1 Poplar Hawk-moth

1 Ingrailed Clay

1 Flame Carpet

1 Willow Beauty NFY

1 Pale-shouldered Brocade NFG

1 Dusky Brocade NFG

1 Purple Clay NFY

Marbled White Spot

Ingrailed Clay

Dark Arches

Purple Clay

Dusky Brocade

Silver-ground Carpet No.1

Silver-ground Carpet No.2

Pale-shouldered Brocade

The Best Numbers Seem to Have Worn Out...

Numbers are going down, and down, which is not what should happen at this time of year! Luckily, quality is staying high, and I got several new for years last night including a Cabbage moth, and a Brown Rustic, but unfortunately, except the Cabbage, most the best moths were worn. Also, yet another probable Middle-barred Minor appeared.

11th June:
10 Heart and Dart
3 Ingrailed Clay
2 Brown Silver-line
2 Shears
2 May Highflyer
1 Green Carpet
1 Brimstone
1 Middle-barred Minor
1 Marbled White Spot NFY
1 Freyer's Pug
1 Cabbage moth NFY
1 Common Marbled Carpet
1 Brown Rustic NFY
1 Buff-tip
1 Minor sp.
1 Small Seraphim
1 pug yet to ID

Its amazing what you notice when you get into mothing. Before, I would in no way have detected this little jumble of twigs on my recycling box. Now, thanks to recent reports by Ken and others, I managed to distinguish it as the larval case of the micro Psyche casta.

Psyche casta



Green Carpet (or should that be white carpet!)

Marbled White Spot


probable Middle-barred Minor

Brown Rustic (it looked more convincing in the flesh, honest!)

Cabbage moth