Another excellent night on Ivy – how much longer can it go on?

Neil — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:24:58 +0000

A check on my Ivy patch here on Monday night again produced excellent results – this year seems to be shaping up to be my best for recording on Ivy ever! The blooms were covered in moths, mostly Chestnut and Yellow-line quakers, with a scattering of other species.
Thought it would be worth showing the whole list:
Yellow-line quaker – 85 (at least)
Chestnut – 170 (at least, both this species and Yellow-line quaker I lost count as there were so many)
Common marbled carpet – 2
Red-green carpet – 4
Large yellow underwing – 1
E.monodactyla – 4
Pink-barred sallow – 1
Brindled green – 3
Blair’s shoulder knot – 1, new for year on Ivy
Angle shades – 5
Dark chestnut – 5 (this is always much scarcer on Ivy and generally here with me)
Brick – 2
Red-line quaker – 5
Grey shoulder knot – 2
Merveille du jour – 1
Lesser yellow underwing – 1
Green-brindled crescent – 4
Blastobasis lacticolella – 1
L-Album wainscot – 2
Pine carpet – 1
Dark sword-grass – 1, new for year on Ivy
Agonopterix arenella – 1, again new for year for me on Ivy
and the best moth, Pale pinion, first time I’ve ever seen this species on Ivy anywhere.
The main crop of male flowers on the clump is now over, but the female flowers are obviously mature now as this seemed to be the main attraction.
As the numbers of moths were so good on the clump at home, thought I’d wander out onto the golf course and check 2 other patches that I had located last week with the male flowers in full bloom. Strangely, these were pretty devoid of moths in comparison to the patch at home, not really sure why. These clumps are more on the edge of woodland, whilst my patch at home stands out in the open away from trees. Is it because the scent of the flowers is wafted further away from the open clump, rather than the more enclosed patches?
Whilst checking the patch at home, I did see a few moths fly in to feed, these being various geometers, L-Album wainscot and Green-brindled crescent. All the other moths were already feeding. I don’t normally go out to check the patch until at least an hour after dusk (often its longer than this) to give time for the moths to fly in. Perhaps I should check at dusk to try and see things coming in and to see what those Chestnuts get up to!
With regard to light trapping, I’ve just not bothered, not had the enthusiasm when I know that I’m going to see many more moths on the Ivy than what I ever would at light on the cooler nights we have had recently.

Neil

Ivy patch in flower at 2 Golf Cottages Ipswich golf course

Merveille Du Jour on Ivy

Chestnuts on Ivy

Suffolk Moths Blog » Ivy searching

Another excellent night on Ivy – how much longer can it go on?