Darts, Clubs and Silver-lines

Another warm night, so I trapped in the garden. I got the best variety of the year so far, but the high numbers of individuals were mostly down to Heart and Dart! Only the second garden record of Green Silver-lines was probably the best, although its a shame it was so worn.

3rd June:

48 Heart and Dart

15 Dark Arches

6 Minor sp.

4 Treble Lines

4 Flame

2 Willow Beauty NFY

2 Heart and Club NFY

2 Grey Pug

1 Dusky Brocade NFY

1 Brimstone NFY

1 Garden Carpet NFY

1 Middle-barred Minor NFY

1 Green Silver-lines NFY

1 Buff-tip

1 Brown Silver-lines

1 Large Yellow Underwing NFY

1 Vine's Rustic

1 Light Emerald NFY

Heart and Club

Garden Carpet

Dusky Brocade

Middle-barred Minor

Green Silver-lines

Odonata more interesting than moths lately!

I've not been doing much mothing in the last week or two... which is a pity as people seem to be getting some interesting catches (a friend in Nutfield caught a splendid brocade!). But I've managed to photograph a few. The female common swift seemed to be a slightly unusual colour. bilunana was a new species for me. And I was quite chuffed when a downy emerald decided to perch on our trellis in almost exactly the same spot as last year's brilliant emerald. I think I'm up to c19 species of Odonata in the garden now. Today I found an enormous exuvia on a rush - it can only have come from an emerging emperor dragonfly as it was almost two inches long. I finally managed to catch a pic of a speckled yellow - a diurnal, fast-moving species that I first tried (unsuccessfully) to photo about five years ago. Pity it's rather faded - or is it a dull female?

Teleiodes luculella

Nemapogon cloacella (cork moth)

common swift

Epinotia bilunana

downy emerald

speckled yellow

middle-barred minor

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