I feel we are all biding our time for a ‘good moth night’. In the meantime just mostly routine autumn species now summer is over. Being close to the coast I am lucky to get the occasional coastal and salt-marsh species and was pleased to pick up a Feathered Brindle on 30th. Red-green Carpet has yet to show itself here and no Brindled Green yet but otherwise much the same as others have posted over the last week or two.
Despite the strong breeze I set the trap up last night (30th September) for a couple of hours as it was mild and cloudy and I have been away for a couple of weeks. Just 10 macro species recorded, the commonest being Barred Sallow. Also a fresh Red Underwing, Sallow, Silver Y and my first site record of Orange Sallow.
I thought it was much too cold to bother running any traps last night but did go out and have a check round the Ivy patch near the garden. There were a few moths present, including Orange and Barred sallows, Brindled green (2) and Red-green carpet (5). 10 species seen in all, probably more than I would have seen in a trap!
Neil
If there are any patches of flowering Ivy nearby, now is a good time to search them for moths after dark. I normally wait about an hour after dusk before checking to give the moths a chance to arrive. I have a large patch close to my garden and have been checking it this week, and it has produced some sightings of moths that I’ve not caught in the trap running close by. Interesting things I’ve seen have included Orange sallow, Pink-barred sallow, Brick (always find this moth to be commoner on Ivy than at light), Red-green carpet, Chestnut, L-Album wainscot and Brindled green. The patches normally flower for a few weeks so as the season progresses moths such as Yellow-line quaker and Red-line quaker appear.
Neil
Angle shades on Ivy.
Red-green carpet on Ivy blossom.
I’ve found a few caterpillars this week, mainly just by chance and not really looking too hard! Found a larva of the Brimstone moth crawling on the wall of one of our worksheds, probably blown out of the trees by the wind. Also found a larva of the Peppered moth on the young regrowth of a Birch tree, simply because it had eaten all the leaves leaving the bare twigs! The only larva I’ve had a bit of a search for (and it hasn’t taken very long to find at all the spots I’ve checked) has been the Yarrow pug. These can be found now on the seed-heads, either by hand searching or by tapping the heads into a net. I located larvae at 3 different spots on the golf course, seems to be a good year for it as I don’t normally find that many.
Neil
Yarrow pug larva on seed-head.
Brimstone moth larva.
Peppered moth larva.
A single Plutella xylostella in the trap run in the garden last night. Interestingly, commonest moth in the trap was Red-green carpet with 17 noted, a very good count for this moth here. Additions for the year included first records of Large wainscot and Barred sallow (3).
Neil
Just a single Silver Y in my 2 traps run last night. Only one Large yellow underwing too! In fact, a very poor night moth wise with little seen, only 13sp. Commonest moth Lunar underwing with 23 seen, most interesting species a Deep-brown dart. Almost a waste of the 30 pence it cost to run the lights!!
Neil
John Chainey and Jenny Spence were in Suffolk last weekend and found mines of Mompha terminella on Enchanter’s Nightshade at Freston Wood. This is a new species to Suffolk.
The plant prefers damp shady woods and this would fit with the conditions of Freston Wood. According to Sandford’s Flora Enchanter’s Nightshade is widespread and common in Suffolk so it could well be found elsewhere if looked for.
First blog from my garden, a mile or so north-east of Halesworth.
Not a good year (but not as bad as last year!). Re migrants: A vestal last night. Maybe a migrant (brownish stripe, like two in late August. Late ones I’ve caught before have been pink). But no other migrants. Autumn species under way. Last night: frosted orange, brindled green, sallow, barred sallow, et al. Three brown-spot pinion and a couple of pink-barred sallow the first of the autumn. No large wainscots so far – for the last three years they’ve always clocked in on 17th Sept.
Tony H.
Further migrants at Bawdsey the past two nights as expected. Last night (26 Sept) a single Delicate was the first of the year. Also 1 Rush Veneer, 6 Dark Sword-grass and 2 Silver Y.
The previous night’s catch included 3 Rush Veneer, 1 Large White butterfly, 3 Turnip, 1 Pearly Underwing, 2 Dark Sword-grass and 7 Silver Y.
Nationally Crimson Speckled in Dorset and Slender Burnished Brass in Cornwall in the past day/night so watch this space……..!
The only new autumn species on the wing I’ve seen this week is a single Beaded Chestnut.
