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
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NkRFfzfwGvBJHee5345et5X89jd8LuMUQ9mlRyQyS65QHbhYvV4ir7rpc6VZum_YSMtc9MYGoE_0i16bjzAd8phSozQcn0vbUSdRAA9b8CiixVxhqXEVhN6tE4nB_2By2uLNRzpAHrE/s400/barredyell.jpg)
Beautiful Golden Y
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus8au8yq8cDACLRR2dci-OVSUvZzqVllS2fnlnHG47vSPACi_nr72kw3LKHcKbOBUHxLCis8T-Mx_2X_-ZyXRbdUEcdZIxRyBFo-2UKuZSWBYd12vO2OenuzYyGbvq-aWzDK4HPd9DGo/s400/beaugoldy.jpg)
Blotched Emerald
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNd5XTMRrWepB3AHdcRVw6RBFZ9ZZ7k7GdvAwVL3dN7lTy-8LyieXGHAvlRvG1uicMyMpSsjsIoWuoB0igwbaOsPPRpSmpCHSRfX8fQHJ69Ushg2ugMacAEQUxm-509u0aT9aCkXvJ0x4/s400/blotched.jpg)
Common Swift
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJsDpQcfTLotF5G8DtkNQJAfMYzZ9tYetJiAslpbKJNcKKFAJlI6dGswoQtK5-ompyqcj4kZshb6BdQt65-Agh5ErN6171i3hjOx1Y_ti5Zg1n4pVIQY0EUNT2gFIFWYxIx5KZ7HCQT4/s400/cswift.jpg)
Four-dotted Footman
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqHsLucGyfe3TUJbymysdExTFiBSWpIlznUxIX-F_XE_An9xQjfgHl0TjQP1EMmMjw4jqHNOj8QGyTOcLAROYu6WNk6y_62VoyEj30q0ApJ8Tcr_eWcOsWY9oqLmS3-Ma7lKPdPr_LEY/s400/fourdotted.jpg)
One of many Grasshoppers around the trap!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqx7Zo5xY-04R84R1y401xHpa8x7oobp83jU-VX4PX_RlrHYduJPSqkawsZE-O0h7WIGeyu3B-Is0Akvq9Yb8vMQHLOtG2ZshWTJkxhQSN1KDtwFLdR8HZ0DZuVppwg2EFHsKz4A6RrI/s400/grass.jpg)
Grey Arches
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LuxCPryExkpiPJOkJ7MMHzStKL5meOKS44UiJFUIsfK3DM-_QVo5xqQ8Y-DNLX-kRpRyYRmQC7QM-Crbt92gsgoLnVeD75Cq9S8p143hZHC9WNwVHG5DbEaQF9SDc9P2SjSG1ugqq64/s400/greyarches.jpg)
Lilac Beauty, Mottled Beauty, and Tortrix viridana
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYnyiPOT7BZGSyLuVHYhe_YTpJNu1TOKfW5jzvZCmsjOp3O1tfo1OMf6TCrIALlyR9Spn90lBBzKG5f7gCv3s3LX9V1LIc0HbL95nZAsU8zBezMFriufuWewC48QkXWKTJAkoUGP4bdA/s400/lillacmottled.jpg)
Little Emerald
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3S4pPD8MFBsP7dNxiWgRBhKDN3QYuxlSMXSZ0tJcOdvHlctDwph_UHQqCucKfIZmY4psUQehqVskxPO8XRrFp74IAxAl6g5yd_rPPfERO_G496W3NLbwLYrJBWbGIpVxx_o_yAyt6G4/s400/littleemerald.jpg)
Map-winged Swift
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCtOt8dkcyBIyFSJdiqLiFUhk7ct22hv4jWtk1ac-mRLVFaiA-D6TZF7oCCnFGOJCqyswNF9jqAyGe52b-3oTbeZMAJqt35F74mcfmRiSnXak7Pxrx27QFqeb5N7p7J79kSyG1fMmAqI/s400/mapwinged.jpg)
Orange Moth
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Yb8NgUioKItKjbvg_qIQwx9ib26XZ-uTUOluRGmjry8JQS_g-s40AF6C8fRFN90MKE1yLLTow3ZLjZ6sPPCSUs3qFZ-uhNxjjol93yuGgvuY4OkNFfs9vQXxb5YeiYL4ng6hPYPYaUo/s400/orangem.jpg)
The first Rannoch Looper
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4Aj89F5NVNbkzdlt95yAglDqjff3ooXjXKsKlvHJdUa8JQvs3tIZnqXTKlxnNIa1wFc7poPkcl7PDx5btqSMLqxO4aiXt8EnMpX5Kk1a7Yx8Z5Ou6ii9dQ-jKr09r0Ej9zgEOcDIsYM/s400/rannoch.jpg)
Both Rannoch Looper
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUoNKMojk3VW3AeKPGN9SyzgOycp1ZJ0TBjwRuChl4uH4QhRify5u7WopvvLSL5CwVfOg1XXbHHE9Z00NOG9umD2nsIHzD2V2Vu7ZErjuJVuvAWiX34qR-T-vYQqc43WEq2ExAG8TDxU/s400/rannoch2.jpg)
The full trap!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_HX0hk1s_-h9bB5u4blRHTF02ROb0Hp3uTljtjhjob7eS3-T74ZbjDdSR4IHoPxU__-kh8s5ZBxSdVxceBnmuHSgogtpIOSBAzpahEmD2llujZKvN4MOS1RKwNS6_hypkcLTN5q38jY/s400/fulltrap.jpg)
I am impressed Sean... several species there that I've not seen.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the Rannoch loopers are breeding? There was an obvious influx over the last few days. I had two vestals in the trap once but it didn't occur to me that they might be breeding!
This coming week looks promising. I hope to be well enough to run the trap at least once.
Good luck
Ken
Sorry to hear you have been unwell Ken, get well soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know enough about these things to be honest, David seemed to think that they may well be breeding on Bramble. It would amaze me to be honest if two migrant Rannochs found thier way to my tiny trap, in the middle of a wood, there can't be that many of this very rare moth coming in surely!
It was an amazing night!
I'm fascinated by your trap photo! Any chance of giving us some more detailed shots of the inner workings of this beast?
ReplyDeleteRegards
Steve
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteThat trap is not mine (unfortunately!), but David Gardner's (leader of Kent and Surrey branches of Butterfly Conservation).
It is a mega piece of kit! The whole thing is made of perspex, with an MV, and two Actinic bulbs on top. He had it made for him specially. If you like I can get some more details from him as to who made it etc.
Sean