O for the Wing of a Swallow

Conditions continue to be appalingly cold, but a load of cloud cover last night prompted me to try and trap, but needless to say the rain guard was an essential piece of equipment.  Numbers still ridiculously low for the time of year, but at least I now have something to submit for National Moth Night.  Just like the last trapping, only expected year ticks were achieved.

23rd June:
5 Heart and Dart
4 Peppered Moth (including one near carbonaria)
2 Lobster Moth
2 Green Pug NFY
2 Flame NFY
2 Minor sp.
1 Willow Beauty NFY
1 Pale Prominent
1 Bird's Wing NFY
1 Marbled White-spot
1 Common Marbled Carpet
1 Small Angle Shades
1 Swallow-tailed Moth NFY
1 Snout NFY
1 Large Yellow Underwing
1 Uncertain NFY
1 Buff-tip
1 Buff Ermine

Micros:
1 Small Magpie
1 Celypha lacunana
1 Chrysoteucia culmella
1 Orthotaenia undulana (I'd appreciate a confirmation or otherwise)

Bird's Wing  (one of my favourite moths)



Swallow-tailed Moth

Flame

Green Pug

Willow Beauty

Snout

Orthotaenia undulana (I think)



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