Springtime moths appear at last.

It has been a long slow slog this spring waiting for the moths to get going. The combination of cool or wet nights hasn’t helped at all on this side of the country.
I have tried the traps a few times but with very little return. To show how bad it has been, I’ve only seen 2 Small brindled beauty and 1 Dotted border this spring, both are normally very common species at this site.
However, I’ve trapped the last 3 nights and the results have been quite pleasing. Nothing rare but just nice to find a reasonable number of moths to count! First trapped on the 21st, not forecast to be too cold but woke up to a frost! Frost on the traps too so didn’t expect much but was happy to find 11sp including my first Yellow horned, Diurnea fagella and Early grey for the year. Next night trapping at home 12sp with only Pine beauty new for the year, but number of quakers increased. Last night traps in the woods caught 10sp but c.130 moths trapped, with good numbers of the commoner quaker species plus first Twin-spotted quaker for the year (4). Most noticeable moth however was Diurnea fagella, with 42 trapped, my highest ever count (previous best 27).
Now rain and wind are arriving in time for the bank holiday weekend so the traps will be off again for a while.
How have others found this year so far? Must have been even worse for the garden trappers if it was bad for me and I’m close to woodland.

Neil

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4 Responses to Springtime moths appear at last.

  1. Raymond Watson says:

    Good to see the post Neil. Yes similar results with me. Recent catches have seen species numbers in the mid teens. As last year the March moth is abundant and as with you Diurnea fagella is common this year. The Twin-spotted Quaker is commoner here than with you unlike the Small Quaker and the pretty Pine Beauty and Shoulder Stripe are around.. Had a couple of Caloptilia populetorum recently and a Grey Shoulder-knot. Been trapping in Captain’s Wood too which has turned up the usual woodland species. Yellow Horned, Oak Beauty and Satellite are attractive species. Turned up a Pale Pinion there and a late Dotted Border as also at home. Regular three Agonopterix at home are heracliana, scopariana and alstromeriana. Any interest in Captain’s Wood to inform me of? The SWT doesn’t seem to have a lists from SMG.

    • Raymond Watson says:

      Spelling gone wrong! Agonopteris scopariella! I do get frustrated with all the different endings! Not into latin!

    • Neil says:

      I’m surprised there are no lists from that site, I’m sure they would have been sent in. From what I remember we suffered from cold nights when we went there each time and the species lists weren’t great. I do remember getting Pale pinion there which you too have seen but of course when we got it back in 2008 it was a species only just colonizing the county so was a good record (first county record in 2006).

  2. Brian says:

    I trapped in the woods (one in Suffolk one in Norfolk) on Wednesday & Thursday evenings this week with similar results to Neil’s. Wednesday produced good numbers of orthosias especially Twin-spotted Quaker and the first Lead-coloured Drab and Engrailed of the year (12 species). Last night between dusk and 9.30pm similar species but including the first Pine Beauty & D. subpurpurella of the year (11 species). Numbers of Small Quaker seem to be low compared to last year but Oak Beauty & Brindled Pug have been abundant. 16 different species over the 2 nights. The garden has not really got going yet with just a few Common Quaker, Early Grey and Amblyptillia acanthadactyla.
    Last month, I had a couple of adult Esperia sulphurella in our timber built conservatory which makes me think there is some rotten wood somewhere that I will need to investigate.

    Brian

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