Some good moths, a blunder, some more good moths

On the 15th I went with Brian Jones to a new location, a newly created meadow or perhaps just a field that has remained fallow for four or five years next to Fritton Church. At the bottom of the meadow 20 metres or so of mixed, mainly broadleaved woodland and then Fritton Lake. Some very good flowering meadow plants already established makes me wonder if it wasn’t specially sown, I will find out shortly!
144 species recorded. By far the most common Grass moth up here has been C. perlella and there were plenty of those this night. The best moths were again a Plume this time Crescent, Marasmarcha lunaedactyla, also a handful or more of Yarrow Pug, specimens of which Brian and I took home to id. Also recorded Olindia schumacherana, Gothic, Dark Sword-grass, Miller, Birds Wing, Green Silver-lines( good numbers this year) Slender and Wormwood Pugs. gigantella, perlucidalis, Leopard and Lobster moth( Lobster seems to be everywhere on the Estate) Southern Wainscot. The only Prominent of the night was Maple with around Five.

Trapping at home on the 16th and 124 species on my list, by far the most recorded but with the Micro book and more traps that’s to be expected. Some interesting stuff recorded; Dark Spectacle which has just started up here, Broom, Plain Golden Y, Puss moth, Figure of Eighty, my first home record for Pale Oak Beauty, Cream Bordered Green Pea, 5. This species often outnumbers viridana here. Also 5 Water Ermine. Micros, European Corn-borer 2, gigantella a home regular, Batrachedra praeangusta which would not sit still for a photo. However the blunder was a big one as at 9 am having just got out of bed previously getting up before dawn as I do to check the traps I promptly shook off the sheet a very dark winged with orange patch and two white areas per wing, Vapourer. I immediately went to my Skinner book and realised it was a Scarce Vapourer and rushed back to try and find it, to no avail.

The 17th was really only about trying to recatch the S. Vapourer. Only two mv traps put out, 18 metres apart. 85 species no target achieved. However, second site record for Wormwood, second and third site records of Bordered Sallow along with Dingy Shears, Brown Scallop which I’ve previously recorded here, Ghost moth but not as many as the previous night, Dingy Shears, Garden Tiger, C. B. Green-pea, micros included Holly Tortrix and Acrobasis marmorea.

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One Response to Some good moths, a blunder, some more good moths

  1. Neil says:

    Keep trying Keith, you may get another. That’s one I’d certainly like to see!

    Neil

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