Festooned with success

As the weather has turned so warm, Paul Wheeler decided to do some trapping at Pewley Down last night. Although it was clear, the warm still air remained in situ, right up to 1:00 when we packed up. Under the light of Saturn, we kept a vigil on both traps, and they were almost constantly heaving with moths. Loads of highlights but I got two new species (the latter was even a lifer for the experienced Mr Wheeler!), which were a fantastic Festoon, and a stunning fresh Netted Pug. The other stars were heaps of Reddish Light Arches (50+), a few Lace Border (an also-ran now!), a Privet Hawk, and 7 Small Elephant Hawks.

Pewley Downs, 2nd June:
Small Dusty Wave
Middle-barred Minor
Common Swift
Clouded Silver
Barred Yellow
Reddish Light Arches
Light Brocade
Straw Dot
Heart and Dart
Treble Lines
Satin Wave
Green Carpet
Willow Beauty
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Scorched Carpet
Mottled Beauty
Light Arches
Small Elephant Hawk
Varied Coronet
Common Marbled Carpet
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Large Yellow Underwing
Iron Prominent
Dark Arches
Snout
Tawny Marbled Minor
Vine's Rustic
Privet Hawk
Clay
Cinnabar
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Light Emerald
Mottled Pug
Festoon*
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Blotched Emerald
Small White Wave
Peppered Moth (carbonaria)
Flame
Bright-line Brown-eye
Engrailed
Netted Pug*
Brimstone
Lobster Moth
Marbled Minor
Total macros: 47

White Point

Varied Coronet

Reddish Light Arches

carbonaria Peppered Moth

Mottled Beauty

Light Brocade

Lace Border

Engrailed

Cinnabar

Blotched Emerald

Netted Pug

Festoon

Small Elephant Hawk

Privet Hawk

Some new friends!

A-knot of cloud brings a very Varied catch

Two nights ago was staggering, with lots of cloud and only a little rain.

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I got exactly the same number of species as my best night ever (6th June - 42), but with three less individuals, but I am definitely not complaining! I managed three brand new species to me which were Varied Coronet, Miller, and Minor Shoulder-knot, as well as a couple more new for the year. It was also surprising to smash my previous Hawk-moth total, with four Elephants!

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2nd July:

7 Heart and Dart

7 Riband Wave

6 Flame

5 Dark Arches

4 Willow Beauty

4 Mottled Beauty

4 Elephant Hawk-moth

4 Light Emerald

3 Marbled White Spot

3 Heart and Club

3 Dot Moth

3 Coronet

2 Double Square-spot

2 Light Arches NFY

2 Fan-foot

2 Clouded Border

2 Pale Mottled Willow

1 Miller NFG

1 Dagger sp. NFY

1 Peppered Moth

1 Sycamore

1 Minor Shoulder-knot NFG

1 Barred Red

1 Uncertain

1 Spruce Carpet

1 Grey Pine Carpet

1 Clay

1 Varied Coronet NFG

1 Common White Wave

1 Minor sp.

1 Poplar Grey

1 Green Pug

1 Common Emerald NFY

1 Snout

1 Buff Arches

1 Dunbar

1 Garden Carpet

1 Foxglove Pug

1 Purple Clay

1 Common Lutestring

1 Bird's Wing

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Species recorded in the garden this year: 142

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The other day I was in a woodland near me when I found this curious Light Emerald. It looks like it has just emerged and is pumping up its wings, but the thing is, that I found it on an overhanging branch quite high up, and I thought they pupated underground. I am really not sure what has happened here:

Dagger sp.

A fresh Willow Beauty

Light Arches

Common Emerald

Miller

Minor Shoulder-knot

Varied Coronet

Summer is Here

It was mad around the trap this morning. I got out into the garden shortly after 4 a.m. It was still dark enough for a few moths to be flying around, thanks to the cloud cover. But it was 14deg C and many of the moths in the trap were very active. I did my best to check them out but inevitably lots flew away as soon as I lifted the lamp away from the top of the trap. I covered the trap with a towel and headed for our garden shed. At least I have a chance of recatching some of the ones that fly off in there. I didn't try to count the moths as I wanted to concentrate on IDing as many species as possible before I lost them. I reckon there could have been 500 in all but I must have lost about 100. Even so I had 20 new macro species for the year and umpteen micros - many of which I'll have to ask the ever-patient county recorder to look at. But there were certainly quite a few new for the year among them.

I didn't photograph every species - the day is not long enough but here are some (not all are new for the year - and I don't have common footman or bright-line brown-eye here):
varied coronet


Treble Brown Spot


Dingy Shears


Smoky Wainscot (note dark hindwing)


Small Angle Shades


Rosy Footman


Pale Oak Beauty


Minor Shoulder-knot


Double Square-spot


Common Emerald


Burnished Brass


Blue-Bordered Carpet


Blotched Emerald


Barred Yellow


Beautiful Golden-Y


Barred Straw