Five nights of moth trapping at Arivegaig, Ardnamurchan produced this lot plus about a kilo of midgies in every trap!
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| Broken barred Carpet |
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| Brussels Lace |
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| Clouded Buff |
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| Crambus pascuella |
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| Four dotted Footman |
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| Foxglove Pug of the form hebudium |
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| Grey Arches |
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| Incurvaria praelatella ( lifer) |
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| Large Emerald |
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| Light Knot Grass |
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| Orthotaenia undulana |
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| Pebble Hook Tip |
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| Sallow Kitten |
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| Sandy Carpet |
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| The Saxon |
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| Shaded Pug ( lifer) |
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| Silver Hook |
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| Smoky Wave |
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| Apotomis sororculana ( lifer) |
For a change a post about a moth. And what a moth it is too. This is the Merveille du Jour Griposia aprilina, with two individuals posted above, the top one being slightly fresher and darker than the bottom.
When flipping through the field guide, the bright sharp cool mint green and black patterning jumps off the page, making you filled with desire. I remember catching my first in 2009. I couldnt believe it. What a panic to pot it up as it flew around the light on an October night. Since then I have caught it on 34 occasions, mainly singletons but occasionally up to 4 at a time.
It is specifically an moth of cooler autumn nights and tends to associate around oak trees of which we have a young one in the garden.
This year I am very pleased to meet with Merv, as these are my first since the 11th Oct 19. Two blank years in succession is unprecentented here though 2016 was also a miss. The best year here was 11 caught in 2018.
I'm not sure if some autumn species are cyclical as I've also checked Frosted Orange and Flounced Chestnut for garden stats. In 2010 I had 93 and 39 respectively but in 2022 I have 2 and 0 ! Lets hope things improve next year...
I don't post many moth lists on here these days but on this occasion a notable catch deserves some post trap analysis..
The night of the 11th July was overcast and very warm, no cooler than 18 degrees at 5am. Experience tells me there would be quite a few moths, but I had not expected such a diversity of species. When I looked into the trap it was a sea of micro moths and geometers rather than the expected Large Yellow Underwings.
I have highlighted some notable garden records. This lot is all in a single 125w MV Robinson Trap on our drive. To do before work!
Total finally at 518 moths of 112 species. Not my biggest catch but up there for species.
Taxa
Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 1
Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 3
03.003 Map-winged Swift (Korscheltellus fusconebulosa) 4
03.005 Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli) 1
16.001 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 3
16.020 a moth (Paraswammerdamia nebulella) 1
28.010 Brown House-moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1
34.004 a moth (Limnaecia phragmitella) 4 usually only singles occur.
35.159 a moth (Exoteleia dodecella) 1 a totally new species for me.
38.039 a moth (Elachista maculicerusella) 1 new for the garden but a bit battered after I struggled to get it out of the egg tray.
39.001 a moth (Blastodacna hellerella) 1
40.002 a moth (Mompha ochraceella) 1
41.002 a moth (Blastobasis adustella) 3
45.008 Yarrow Plume (Gillmeria pallidactyla) 1
49.025 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana) 3
49.038 a moth (Clepsis consimilana) 2
49.050 Grey Tortrix (Cnephasia stephensiana) 1
49.051 Flax Tortrix (Cnephasia asseclana) 1
49.109 a moth (Agapeta hamana) 26 a record count here the previous highest being 20. Only 6 times out of 191 occurrences have numbers been in double figures.
49.127 a moth (Aethes cnicana) 2
49.128 a moth (Aethes rubigana) 1
49.166 a moth (Celypha lacunana) 4
49.183 a moth (Lobesia abscisana) 1
49.193 a moth (Endothenia quadrimaculana) 1 the 5th garden record
49.194 a moth (Bactra lancealana) 1
49.252 a moth (Epinotia tedella) 1 the 3rd garden record
49.265 a moth (Eucosma cana) 6
49.266 a moth (Eucosma hohenwartiana) 1
49.298 a moth (Notocelia trimaculana) 1
49.367 a moth (Pammene fasciana) 1
49.375 a moth (Pammene regiana) 2
62.001 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 2
63.025 Small Magpie (Anania hortulata) 3
63.037 a moth (Udea olivalis) 2
63.038 Mother of Pearl (Patania ruralis) 8
63.057 Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis) 2
63.064 a moth (Scoparia ambigualis) 3
63.066 a moth (Scoparia pyralella) 1
63.067 a moth (Eudonia lacustrata) 9
63.071 a moth (Eudonia lineola) 1 a scarce species getting more regular. the 9th since the first in 2018.
63.080 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 101
63.089 a moth (Agriphila tristella) 2
63.093 a moth (Agriphila straminella) 6
63.102 a moth (Catoptria falsella) 3
65.009 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 5
66.010 Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) 1
69.003 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 2
69.016 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 3
70.011 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) 7
70.013 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) 9
70.016 Riband Wave [non-banded form] (Idaea aversata ab. remutata) 6
70.029 Blood-Vein (Timandra comae) 1
70.045 Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) 3
70.049 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2
70.055 Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata) 2
70.061 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1
70.069 Dark Spinach (Pelurga comitata) 1
70.074 July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata) 2
70.089 Phoenix (Eulithis prunata) 1
70.093 Barred Straw (Gandaritis pyraliata) 16
70.100 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1
70.132 Rivulet (Perizoma affinitata) 3
70.133 Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata) 7
70.138 Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata) 18 a good number.
70.144 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 1
70.169 Ash Pug (Eupithecia innotata f. fraxinata) 1
70.173 Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata) 1
70.207 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1
70.218 Latticed Heath (Chiasmia clathrata) 2
70.226 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
70.237 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 4
70.243 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 2
70.252 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) 1
70.258 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 3
70.265 Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata) 4
70.278 Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata) 1
70.283 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritaria) 3
70.297 Grass Emerald (Pseudoterpna pruinata atropunctaria) 3 a record number, usually singles.
71.025 Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) 1
72.002 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 17
72.003 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 12
72.026 Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) 2
72.045 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 7
72.053 Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis) 3
72.061 Pinion-streaked Snout (Schrankia costaestrigalis) 4 a record count never more than 2 previously.
73.001 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 3
73.012 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 4
73.015 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 2
73.016 Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina) 1
73.017 Plain Golden Y (Autographa jota) 1
73.084 Marbled Beauty (Bryophila domestica) 6
73.092 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 1
73.096 Uncertain (Hoplodrina octogenaria) 2
73.113 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
73.147 Small Dotted Buff (Photedes minima) 2
73.154 Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa) 1
73.162 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 3
73.254 Antler Moth (Cerapteryx graminis) 1
73.267 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 5
73.291 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 8
73.293 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 17
73.298 Clay (Mythimna ferrago) 1
73.317 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 11
73.328 Flame (Axylia putris) 11
73.332 Purple Clay (Diarsia brunnea) 1
73.334 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 5
73.338 True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea) 3
73.342 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 23
73.345 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 1
73.353 Dotted Clay (Xestia baja) 3
73.359 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 6
73.361 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 16
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| 49.128 Aethes rubigana |
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| 49.193 Endothenia quadrimaculana |
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| 49.252 Epinotia tedella |
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| 63.071 Eudonia lineola |
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| 35.159 Exoteleia dodecella |
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| 49.367 Pammene fasciana |
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| 70.297 Grass Emerald Pseudoterpna pruinata atropunctaria |
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| 72.061 Pinion-streaked Snout Schrankia costaestrigalis |
A few highlights from the past three nights trapping in the garden. Catches now are mainly Rustics and Yellow Underwings, for example, last night a catch of 500 moths of 63 sp could be broken down into 285 of them being 7 species of 'brown' the other 200 odd made up of 56 varied species.
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| To begin with, the first Old Lady of the year on my Sugar Table. |
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| Cloaked Minor, a garden first. Ive only seen one other some years back at East Chevington. |
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| Above two Ear Moth agg. They come in various shades. I had some checked over once and found Large Ear and Saltern Ear in the garden, but would like to know how common each are. |
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| Orange Swift |
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| Clavigesta purdeyi, another new one for the garden. Its a bit battered though. |
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| A lovely bright Lilac Beauty is always exciting. A localised species, Ive had a few here. |
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| Pale Mottled Willow is a common moth generally but not here, its just about annual. For a noctuid its quite flighty, this one is warming up for take off. |
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| Rush Veneer, a migrant moth that resembles a Caddisfly. |
A bit of a gap in posting on here recently, due in no small part to the broadband going off 9 days ago. BT really are a shower when it comes to customer care. Its just lies, false promises and failed appointments one after another so after a bit of letter writing to the upper echelons in the company we are back in the land of the living.
As it happens, I don't have much to write about as work and household commitments have put birding on a back seat and even garden mothing has been intermittent. Hopefully we will be at full strength again from now.
I have managed to keep the insect-table stocked with fruit and drizzled with moth sugar on most days. There have been no visits from the targets yet, Old Lady and Red Underwing, but there is time yet. On the moth front there has been Large Yellow Underwing, Dark and Light Arches, Common Rustic agg, July Highflyer, Shuttle shaped Dart, Smoky Wainscot, Six striped Rustic, Herald etc. During the day it keeps the wasps away from us and also attracts a few butterflies with Comma, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood all having a go.
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| Herald on the sugar table. |
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| Clockwise from Top left - White Satin, Sand Dart, Eudonia lineola, Hemp Agrimony Plume. |
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| Gold Spangle, Agonopterix angelicella, Dark Marbled Carpet and Aethes smeathmaniana |
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| Epiblema foenella, Caryocolum fraternella, Mompha locupletella and Red barred Tortrix. |
This current warm spell, I'm reluctant to call it a heatwave unless its been on until about September, has been great for garden mothing. On Friday night there were 494 moths of 95 sp and on Saturday night 719 moths of 119 sp. I was running two traps for the first time this year so these totals kept me busy all Saturday and Sunday mornings. A few good moths for here included -
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| This Celypha rufana is well out of range but is the 2nd Northumberland record after one in 2016. A RDB species scarce in the UK found mainly in Wales and Cumbria. |
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| My first Lyme Grass in 6yrs. The 4th for the garden. |
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| Clockwise from top left - Coronet a new garden moth, Sallow Kitten, Straw Underwing and Blackneck all good for this area. |
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| Diamond back, Dicrorampha sp, Bird Cherry Ermine and Eudonia lacustrata. |
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| Latticed Heath, Mompha propinquella, Crambus perlella and Pammene aurana. |
