Clear skies, a full (blue) moon and coolish temperatures are not the best conditions to go looking for moths, especially at a marshland site but a few people were keen to get out and about after a week of dismal night-time weather. 6 of us met up and put out 3 mv traps along the track to the small broad, as well as 6 traps (2 actinic) along the track to the river. Habitat looked good along there for the target moth for the evening, the White-mantled wainscot, a species that has eluded us at this site for many years. With it now present at nearby sites, we were hoping it would show up. I put out some wine ropes as well for the first time this year. The evening started well with the discovery of some Valerian pug larvae on the flowering Valerian plants along the main track.
Stewart Wright, a visiting Norfolk moth-er had a look round the site whilst we were setting up and noted around 30sp of leaf mines and dusk flying species.
Once dark, moths were slow to trickle in (not surprisingly) so we decided to have a check round the traps and wine ropes. A look at the traps towards the broad revealed very little of note, but the wine ropes were working with a number of Herald moths on them. Once back on the main track heading towards the river, I noticed a small dainty looking wainscot moth fluttering along the edge of the reeds in my torch beam. No-one had a net so it took a small anxious amount of time to secure. A quick check of the still fluttering moth revealed a slender body, a good feature of White-mantled. Once settled it was confirmed as a pristine specimen, target for the night achieved! In fact that was the only one we got, so we were very lucky really that I spotted it.
A check of the other traps along the track revealed more moths, seemed to be performing better than the others, perhaps because of the more varied vegetation.
We called it a night about 1.30am with not much else coming in. Highlights from the c.120sp noted included: 7sp of wainscot including Small, Striped, Webb’s and Bulrush, Small rufous, Small dotted buff, Crescent (good number), Double lobed (a few), Lesser cream wave, Kent black arches, Garden tiger (4), Reed dagger, Phtheochroa inopiana, Acleris aspersana, Acleris shepherdana, Old lady (several on wine ropes, first for year), Gothic (on wine rope) and Agonopterix angelicella.
So even with what could have been deemed poor conditions we actually had a pretty good and successful evening. I think this year with how the weather has been you just have to go for it, summer is always too short and will be over before you know it.
Neil
Good catch!