Suffolk Moths Blog

Wednesday I took out four traps to the Ashby Warren site. A very warm, damp, evening
was surprisingly slow to start. Moths out in abundance were D. fagella followed by around 30 Brindled Pug. Common and Small Quaker didn’t make it to double figures. Other moths that turned out included Yellow Horned, Twin-spotted Quaker, Frosted Green, Oak Nycteoline, Early and Purple Thorn and Pine Beauty. Twenty four species in total.

Thursday with Brian at Herringfleet Hills and 8 lights. Early to arrive at the sheet was a Scalloped Hook-tip. Others of interest were; V Pug, Brown Silver-lines, Brindled Beauty, Red-green Carpet, several Water Carpet, Powdered Quaker, Shoulder Stripe, Frosted Green, Diamond-back. Several, expected, Early Grey. Early Tooth-striped was at most of the traps. A Streamer was a late addition, when unloading Brians equipment from the truck at the top of the Hills it was spotted on one of the trucks headlights which made 29 species. Most abundant moth of the night……. Brindled Pug with 30+

I have a striking abundance of Agonopterix alstromeriana at the moment. They are equaling or exceeding the total for the top Orthosia species despite not seeming to be attracted or held by the twin actinic Skinner Trap. I have trapped for the last 3 nights and found a reasonable diversity. Orthosia – cruda, incerta, cerasi, munda and gothica, Red Chestnut, Pine Beauty, Early Grey, Grey Shoulder-knot, Chestnut, Emperor, March, Red-green Carpet, Shoulder Stripe, Brindled and Double-striped Pugs, Early and Purple Thorn, Engrailed, Plutella xylostella, Caloptilia stigmatella, C. elongella, C. semifascia/hauderi, Mompha epilobiella, Diurnea fagella, Agonopterix heracliana, A. scopariella, A. arenella, A. yeatiana and Acleris ferrugana. Also of recent interest was an Acleris kochiella on 21st April. Quite please about the Emperor as I got a few eggs before releasing her. Bit colder for a while now and don’t expect to trap for a few days. Longer range forecast is rather uncertain.

After a couple of warm nights a few new species have emerged but numbers still seem on the low side. For only the second time this year I ran the trap through the night on the 24th and caught a total of 48 moths of 14 species. Frosted Green (2), Brindled Beauty (3), Streamer and Red Chestnut were new for the year with Early Thorn (5) and Brindled Pug (2). I also ran the trap for a couple of hours on the 23rd with the best moth being a pristine Nut-tree Tussock.

Usual springtime mix of Orthosias and Early Grey in the main for  my backgarden trap. Last night turned up double figures of Double-striped Pug – unusual for me. Also two Schreckensteinia festaliella – a bramble feeder that seems to be turning periodically now in the trap and not that well recorded across the county.  Early Thorn and Acleris cristana were also new for the year.

Trap in the garden here last night caught 16sp, 88 moths, mostly the usual orthosias but there were first year records of Pine beauty (3) and Oak nycteoline (3). Still getting March moth too. Best micro Caloptilia elongella.

Neil

As it was bright and sunny today, I had a look for Adela cuprella in the willow clump that I found them last year. Using the binoculars I managed to pick out 5 on the yellow willow blossoms most of them with white antennae, indicating males. Even though it was warm and sunny there was no evidence of any flying.

Brian

My first posting for a while. A flavour of what I’ve been catching, here is the list for this week from Bawdsey Hall: Caloptilia stigmatella, Ypsolopha ustella, Agonopterix heracliana, Agonopterix alstromeriana, Acleris notana/ferrugana, Acleris logiana/kochiella, Oak Beauty, Brindled Pug, Dotted Border, March Moth, Early Thorn, Pine Beauty, Hebrew Character; Common, Small, Twin-spotted & Powdered Quakers, Clouded Drab, Grey Shoulder-knot, Chestnut, Red Chestnut, Satellite, Angle Shades, Pale Pinion (two different moths on 14th & 16th), Herald and Oak Nycteoline.

Pale Pinion is nearly three times as common at Bawdsey as Tawny Pinion. Looking at my Mapmate database, I have now caught 20 Pale Pinions since the first at Bawdsey in 2008 compared to just 7 Tawny Pinions.

No sign of any Northern Drab as yet. I have not trapped at the Hall in April before but I would imagine the species would wander up from the nearby saltmarsh at some point.

I came across this on the BBC Science and Environment website at lunchtime today …. “Footage reveals how insects use their bodies to hover“.

As for the two species shown, my guesses are Privet Hawkmoth and Red Underwing.

Nothing spectacular here but there has been a steady increase in both species and numbers these last few nights. On the 14th I caught just over 60 moths, the vast majority being Small and Common Quakers with my first records of Engrailed and Shoulder Stripe for the year. Last night (the 15th) I ran the trap on the edge of the ditch behind our house with a similar mix of species but with the addition of an Oak Nycteoline.