Spring continues to creep along slowly at IGC.

I’m finding this spring very frustrating for moth recording. Even fairly warm nights are not producing respectable catches in my garden traps (been restricted to these this week due to illness). Orthosia numbers have been poor, with only the Common quaker living up to its name. Even the normally abundant Dyseriocrania subpurpurella has only been noted in single figures and I normally see a lot of these in the daytime too but it hasn’t been the case this year so far. Perhaps it is all still to happen. I’ve only had 2 new species for the year this week, Lunar marbled brown and Caloptilia syringella. With arctic winds predicted for the coming weekend my list won’t be getting any longer yet!

How have others fared? I expect anyone who has trapped woodland has done better.

Neil

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5 Responses to Spring continues to creep along slowly at IGC.

  1. Raymond Watson says:

    Hope you are not too ill and recovering. Spring at home has been slow but not too bad and yes when I have wandered off to woodland it has been better. I haven’t picked up any new site species yet. I’ve had the Lunar Marbled Brown, a female Emperor, Scorched Carpet, a couple of Herald and a Shuttle-shaped Dart. Three Caloptilia species so far for home have been stigmatella, rufipennella and semifascia. Some migrants in the last four days by way of Dark Sword-grass, Rush Veneer and Plutella xylostella. Total numbers haven’t been especially high though. Best species count at home of 22 was on 13th with the Caloptilia and a couple of Acleris cristana.

    • tonyhopkins says:

      To be honest I can’t remember a year when Spring didn’t creep along slowly – certainly not here in the arable desert where woodland is a distant dream. This year has been about average – up to a dozen species a night and with a scattering of low-density species like waved umber and twin-spotted quaker. Things get better here in mid-May (when I won’t be here!).
      It’s been the butterflies that have made things interesting this week, with brimstone and holly blue and a few peacocks. And I’ve done well for shrews – pygmy shrews have overwintered in the garage and a water shrew is currently terrifying the newts in our ponds!

  2. Brian says:

    I’ve trapped mainly in woodland so far, the garden has produced very little. Results in the woodland have been very poor with the best count on of 18 species on 4th April. Instead of going up as it should, it has crept down to 6 species on 20th with an average of 3 moths per trap on that evening and this in mature woodland. Engrailed I can count on one hand so far. Also only seen one Streamer, no Powdered Quaker or several others I would expect. Frosted Green has been abundant and I have counted over 70 D. subpurpurella so far. Common Quaker has been common with around 350 recorded, Small Quaker about 160 and good numbers of Brindled Pug. My species count up to 22nd April is just 47 compared to 73 on the same date last year and well illustrates how the past 9 weeks of mostly cold, wet or windy nights has evened things up after the first 6 weeks of the year that were very mild. No sign of anything better in the forecast yet.

    Brian

    • Neil says:

      Interesting to see your findings Brian. I’ve only seen 2 Engrailed so far here. Frosted green has also been common this year with me, and Lunar marbled brown seems to be doing OK too. Quaker numbers have generally been poor, and now seem to be tailing off even before they really got going! Brindled pug has been on the wing a long time here this year, as has March moth, with first sightings of both in February and both still being trapped this week. No Adela cuprella round any flowering Sallows I’ve checked yet.
      Paul Waring in his latest moths column in British Wildlife magazine predicts it is going to be a poor year for moths as we have had such a mild winter, going on what has happened in previous years when this has happened. Poor survival rates of overwintering larvae/pupae being the main reason due to the damp and warmth causing more fungal attack. Hope he is wrong!

  3. Brian says:

    The only time I have seen Adela cuprella this year was on April 13th when I counted 8 flying above the willows on the bank of Breydon Water on a warm sunny day. I visited this clump of willows a further 4 times this April on what looked like suitable weather and other willow patches at SWT Lound Lakes where I have recorded the moth in the past. All these other occasions without result.

    Brian

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