Suffolk Moths Blog

Keith and I trapped alongside the river Waveney last evening, with very modest success in keeping with the current trend. We ran 5 traps and the target moth was Flame Wainscot which I know from last year’s record is on the site. No Flame Wainscot. But we did get a few new ones for the year including Common Carpet, Common White Wave, Mottled Pug, Silver-ground Carpet, Clouded Border, Scalloped Hazel, Spectacle, Turnip Moth and Pale Oak Beauty, while Pale-shouldered Brocade was new for the site and we had 4 Balsam Carpet which was a new moth for Keith.
In 2 and half hours, 68 moths of 26 species only 2 of which were micros.

Brian

It was a perfect night for moth trapping last night up here so I ran the two traps, checking at 3am there were only fourteen species between them and a total count of seventeen moths. The first moth spotted on top of the first trap checked being Mullein. Best moth of the night being Puss moth. First season records for me also being Poplar Hawk and Spectacle. The most peculiar record was of a Broad Bodied Chaser dragonfly larva which had crawled five feet across gravel from the nearest shallow pond to the second trap and climbed to the top of the side of the  box to complete its metamorphosis.
Keith

Last evening I went to a nearby site where I usually get several Birch Mocha about this time of the month, so that was the target moth. I ran three traps for 2 hours with just 18 moths of 15 species turning up and some of these I netted because they were not coming to the trap. Just 2 new ones for the year, Common Wave & Syndemis musculana but no Birch Mocha.
It was cloudy, the temperature held at 10 deg. and I expected more than this. Numbers are still very low.

Brian

Since I am creating a site list from scratch I put traps out whenever there is not pouring rain or a gale. So these recent poorer nights have provided a few additions.
Pyrausta despicata a little moth even more unsettled than the Silver Y, the very pretty White-pinion Spotted, Elachista atricomella that required identification from the genitalia and the much easier Chocolate Tip and a Knot Grass. All helps to build the list. New for the year has been Setaceous Hebrew Character, Red-green Carpet and Epiphyas postvittana

Brian and I went to Round House marsh, Fritton, last night as it was a night too good to miss.  41 species taken at 5 lights, temperature when we left at 1.15 was 12C. Traps were well spread and all performed well, perhaps the best trap being 40w actinic.
Best moth being Reed Dagger. My personal choice from the rest being;  Purple Thorn, Chocolate-tip, Orange Footman, Waved Umber, Pale Tussock, Pine Beauty, 6 species of Prominent, Red-green Carpet, Grey Birch, Peppered moth and plenty of Water Carpet. Several other season firsts and good numbers of pugs in four species.

It was also nice to here a distant booming Bittern at 1am and also the same Bittern back home, closer, at 2am.

Keith

24 species but only 4 new to my site list. Which were Green Carpet, Brimstone, Herald and Caloptilia stigmatella. Only one other new to the year – Grey Pine Carpet.
I did wonder if the seasons might be reversing though as getting fresh March moths following on from weather worn Orthosias. May have to avoid the rain tonight.