Early September with National Moth Nights, Hollesley.

Poor weather and a lengthy spell of food poisoning meant no trapping till 6th September. Things hotted up then especially during the National Moth Nights during which I trapped every night with my standard two MV traps and took part in the mark recapture exercise. The National Moth Nights were migrant aimed this year and the build-up weather was not promising. Easterlies and south easterlies from across Europe did however help us on the east coast at the time. Total species catches were 39 to 50 during the spell. 6th brought me 2 Vestals, an Ethmia bipunctella, Dark Sword-grass and Silver Y. 8th a Udea ferrugalis and Dark Sword-grass. I started my marking on 9th and marked Vine’s Rustic, White Point and Large Yellow Underwing as well as larger standard migrants. I had around 100 Large Yellow Underwings, 80 to 30 Vine’s Rustics and around 20 White point each day. My recapture of the Large Yellow Underwing climbed to 11% over 5 days. Others were recaptured to a lesser extent. Of the true migrants only one Dark Sword-grass was recaptured. Migrants recorded over the 5 day period were 14 Plutella xylostella, 1 Tuta absoluta (13th), 7 Udea ferrugalis, 34 Nomophila noctuella, 2 Palpita vitrealis (one on 13th), 2 Convolvulus Hawk-moth (one on 13th), 2 Vestal (one on 13th), 16 Silver Y, 4 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, 13 Dark Sword-grass and 1 Pealy Underwing on 13th. This was the first Pearly Underwing for my home site and the first Tuta absoluta for the year. Shame they weren’t on a Moth Night. The catch on 13th was an interesting one. It has reinforced by feeling that the edge of rain storms moving up from France are good for migrants at my home site.

Wandered up to my Snape site on 12th and picked up one Small Mottled Willow there but no other migrants. Rosy Rustic was the most abundant moth there and was pleased to catch my first Epermenia falciformis. The only others of note were a Lunar Yellow Underwing and two Phyllonorycter; quecifoliella and messaniella.

For other interest at home; I have had 4 Depressaria badiella and autumn species have just started. Lunar Underwing at Snape and Hollesley and the lovely Autumnal Rustic at home on 13th.

 

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