Ridiculous

I trapped all night last night and with a minimum of 7c it wasn't particularly cold either.... for just a single Early Grey, despite living in quite a rural location. I hope this isn't the sign of things to come!

No.40 - Adela reamurella

I haven't bothered with the trap for a few nights now going on other people's catches in my area (some people getting just 1 or 2 Hebrew Characters) but I did have a nice surprise at the bottom of the garden this evening in the sunshine, a little gathering of sparkling fairies in our small Conifer tree which only could be Adela reamurella, interestingly all 6 I potted were males.
It now brings the garden year-list to 40 species which isn't bad, but isn't great either.

Adela reamurella

Sparse but abit more variety

Just the 4 moths last night, but out of those 4 were 2 new for the garden species and a new for the year. Was nice to finally add Yellow-barred Brindle to the garden list.

Catch Report - 12-05-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths  

1x Yellow-barred Brindle [NFG]
1x Bright-line Brown-eye [NFG]
1x Angle Shades [NFY]
1x Brindled Pug

Micro Moths

None recorded!

Yellow-barred Brindle

Bright-line Brown-eye

Angle Shades

Elachista canapennella

A rather tatty individual that I potted in the toilets at the Woodman Pub in Essendon, a new moth for the year but not for the garden!

Elachista canapennella

Hemel Hempstead Field Trip - 07/05/13

On the night of the 7th Roger, David and myself ran 1 trap near Hay Wood, 2 traps next to Green Croft and left 2 running at Gadesprings, hoping to cover as much of the Boxmoor's Trust land as we could on one night without doing ourselves an injury!
Their was a minor hiccup at about 9pm when I realised that I had not turned the lights on at Gadesprings (as we left before dark at 8.30pm), so a quick race down to flick the switch and it was back upto Green Croft to resume business.
The weather was pretty much perfect with a steady temperature of 16c as the light faded, unfortunately the cloud did not materialise and a breeze picked up which didn't help things.
The moths were quite few and far between especially for this time of year, although most expected species turned up (minus Water Carpet and Powdered Quaker, both of which we trapped on the 24th of April)
Lunar Marbled Brown and Common Quaker were by far the commonest with 12 and 15 of each respectively.
Highlight for myself was a melanic Nut-tree Tussock, I have never seen such a dark example and was reminiscent of the Tawny Marbled Minor's you get mid-summer, both Roger and David said that they get a fair few like this, but this being my first out of countless Nut-tree Tussocks over the years.
The most interesting micro was a single example of Cochylis atricapitana, initially I thought it was hybridella but I must have had a brain-lacking moment as this moth isn't on the wing until July (typically).

On the beetle front the Carabid Agonum dorsale was new for me and a Weevil that is yet to be identified was found walking around one of the traps.

Out of all the traps, the 125w MV Robinson at Green Croft did the best.

The full list is below, it is interesting to note that each location had some different species.


Green Croft - Hemel Hempstead - 9pm til 12pm

Macro moths

1x Chestnut
1x Waved Umber
1x Shuttle-shaped Dart
5x Nut-tree Tussock
3x Red-green Carpet
1x Yellow-barred Brindle
1x Small Quaker
12x Lunar Marbled Brown
15x Common Quaker
4x Early Thorn
2x Clouded Drab
1x Satellite
4x Hebrew Character
8x Brindled Pug

Micro moths

2x Eriocrania subpurpurella
1x Agonopterix arenella



Hay Wood - Hemel Hempstead - 9pm til 12pm

Macro Moths 

1x Pebble Prominent
1x Common Quaker

Micro Moths

2x Agonopterix arenella



Gadesprings - Hemel Hempstead - 9pm til 12.30pm

Macro Moths

1x Clouded Drab
1x Red Twin-spot Carpet
1x Hebrew Character
1x Early Thorn
2x Early Grey
1x Pale Prominent
4x Common Quaker
1x Chestnut

Micro moths

1x Eriocrania subpurpurella
1x Cochylis atricapitana

Nut-tree Tussock - melanic

Agonum dorsale

Cochylis atricapitana

Dorytomus sp. pos taeniatus

Late Grey's and No More Character's

Well, another rather mundane catch, when o when will these Orthosia's stop? This is by far the latest I have ever recorded Early Grey, Common Quaker and Hebrew Character, in fact apart from a single Emmelina monodactyla.....that was all I got last night!

Catch Report - 08-05-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths
 
4x Early Grey
7x Hebrew Character
1x Common Quaker

Micro Moths

1x Emmelina monodactyla

A few more....

My second catch of May, and after a lovely hot day rising to 22c, this morning is rather on the chilly side and it must have stayed clear all night.
A much reduced catch, but catching up abit with Brindled Pug, Garden Carpet and Epiphyas postvittana being new for the year in the garden.

Catch Report - 06-05-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Brindled Pug [NFG]
1x Garden Carpet [NFY]
2x Small Quaker
1x Hebrew Character
2x Common Quaker

Micro Moths

4x Epiphyas postvittana [NFY]
1x Emmelina monodactyla

 

Brindled Pug

Garden Carpet

 

5 new ones!

Well into May now and the Orthosias still hang on! with incertana,cruda,gothica and cerasi all featuring in last nights catch.
Was great to get abit of 'new' variety aswell with a welcome Purple Thorn, Pale Mottled Willow, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks and micros Eriocrania subpurpurella (4) and Epinotia immundana (1)
Staying mild again today, but again yesterday evenings cloud had disapperead by 10pm and it was a little chilly come 5am.
I can't wait to get the traps out in the field again tomorrow evening.

Catch Report - 05-05-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

 

Macro Moths

1x Purple Thorn [NFG]
1x Pale Mottled Willow [NFY]
2x Nut-tree Tussock [NFG]
1x Clouded Drab
2x Hebrew Character
4x Common Quaker
1x Small Quaker
1x Chestnut

Micro Moths

4x Eriocrania subpurpurella [NFG]
1x Epinotia immundana [NFG]
2x Alucita hexadactyla
1x Diurnea fagella

Nut-tree Tussocks

Purple Thorn

Pale Mottled Willow

Eriocrania subpurpurella

Epinotia immundana

Number 29 of the year

Just potted a new for garden Argyrotaenia ljungiana. It was flying in the sunshine at the bottom of the garden, and as yet has not come to the garden trap.
I also found this tiny (1mm) distinctive tiny beetle that is possibly a pollen or carpet beetle of somekind, almost reminiscent of a Cerambycidae.
Can anyone shed any light on it? it was walking around the kitchen sink whilst I washed up.

Argyrotaenia ljungiana

Ptinus sexpunctatus

Catch Report - 01-05-13

First trapping of May and struggling a little under clear skies once again. The daytime temperature reached a respectable 17c yesterday but by this morning it is nearer 3c which is a shame as the wind has dropped right off and a better catch would be expected under some cloud cover.

Still can't grumble as I seem to be getting one new moth each time, this time a very fresh Streamer.

 

Catch Report - 01-05-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

   

Macro Moths

 

1x Streamer [NFG]
1x Early Thorn
3x Early Grey
2x Clouded Drab 
2x Small Quaker
3x Hebrew Character
2x Common Quaker 
1x Double-striped Pug

Micro Moths
 
1x Emmelina monodactyla

Streamer

Catch Report - 28-04-13

Nearly into May and still dismal catches seem to dominate, at this time of year typically we see the post-Orthosia lull as we wait for the first summer species to arrive.....this year though I think we may see a cross-over with spring species flying with summer species, possibly.

Not alot to report last night, only new moth for the year was an Alucita hexadactyla and subsequently new for the garden aswell. It is only my 12th record ever.

 

Catch Report - 28-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

 

Macro Moths
 
1x Early Thorn
1x Early Grey
1x Clouded Drab
4x Hebrew Character
1x Common Quaker 
3x Double-striped Pug

Micro Moths
 
1x Alucita hexadactyla [NFG]
1x Acleris schalleriana

Alucita hexadactyla

Hemel Hempstead Field Trip - 24/04/13

Last night Roger and I ran 2 traps ( 1x 125w MV Robinson and 80w Actinic Skinner trap) at Hay Wood in Hemel Hempstead. We also ran 3 traps at Gadesprings just down the road ( 1x 160w MBT Robinson, 1x 125w MV Robinson and a 22w Actinic)
We set up the Gadesprings traps first running off the external power supply and then drove to Hay Wood to setup the remaining 2 traps, as we were setting up the heavens opened and we had a downpour, the rain stopped but then continued through the night getting heavier as we left at around 11pm although it was still a surprising 13 degrees even at midnight.

The moths were initially flooding in, but the initial flurry soon stopped by about 10pm.
The best moth without a doubt was a single Semioscopsis steinkelleriana, which was a new moth for both of us.

Also it was nice to see Water Carpet doing so well.

In total at Hay wood we managed 55 moths of 16 species.

At Gadesprings we managed 23 moths of 10 species.

3 species that we did not get at the wood but were at Gadesprings were Clouded Drab, Brindled Pug and Powdered Quaker.

Full list below

Hay wood - Hemel Hempstead - 8.30pm til 11pm

Macro moths

1x Twin-spotted Quaker
2x Small Quaker
2x March Moth
10x Engrailed
3x Common Quaker
10x Water Carpet
1x Chestnut
3x Hebrew Character
1x Early Thorn (huge female)
2x Purple Thorn
1x Double-striped Pug
1x Early Grey

Micro moths

1x Semioscopsis steinkelleriana [NEW!]
2x Agonopterix heracliana
12x Diurnea fagella
3x Agonopterix arenella

Gadesprings - Hemel Hempstead - 8pm til 11.30pm

Macro Moths

4x Hebrew Character
1x Brindled Pug
3x Early Grey
7x Common Quaker
1x Small Quaker
3x Double-striped Pug
1x Powdered Quaker
1x Clouded Drab
1x Early Thorn

Micro moths

1x Agonopterix arenella


Carabus nemoralis was a new Beetle for me.


Thanks to David for allowing us to trap on the Boxmoor's Trusts land.

Entrance to Hay Wood

Water Carpet

Semioscopsis steinkelleriana

Agonopterix arenella

Early Thorn (Female)

Carabus nemoralis

Catch Report - 22-04-13

Trapping again as it was nice and mild come the evening, a very similiar catch to the previous night in numbers, but a few different ones including 2 specimens of my first Early Thorns of the year.

 

Catch Report - 22-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

 

Macro Moths

2x Early Thorn [NFG]  
1x Early Grey
2x Clouded Drab
5x Hebrew Character
1x Small Quaker
2x Common Quaker

Micro Moths
 
2x Diurnea fagella
1x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
3x Emmelina monodactyla

Early Thorn

 

Catch Report - 21-04-13

Back to trapping last night, and a little cooler recently but temperature holding around 15c at 6pm, this morning though it was abit of a drop under clearing skies.
20 moths of 9 species graced the trap, with Double-striped Pug being new for the garden and Engrailed new for the year
I also had my 4th Satellite for the year and only my second all month.

 

Catch Report - 21-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

 

Macro Moths

1x Double-striped Pug [NFG]  
1x Engrailed [NFY]
1x Satellite
2x Clouded Drab
5x Hebrew Character
2x Small Quaker
1x Oak Beauty
3x Common Quaker

Micro Moths
 
4x Diurnea fagella

Double-striped Pug

Engrailed

Catch Report - 16-04-13

Amazingly it is still staying relatively mild at nights and last night was no different with a minimum of 9c it brought about a few more moths.

34 of 9 species this morning, including the first Mompha sp for the year and one I will need to have a closer look at.

Other worthy notes were a good emergence of Emmelina monodactyla, with 6 individuals last night, otherwise it was business as usual :)

 

Catch Report - 16-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Satellite
3x Clouded Drab
4x Hebrew Character
8x Small Quaker
1x Oak Beauty
6x Common Quaker

Micro Moths
 

1x Mompha sp [NFG]
6x Emmelina monodactyla
4x Diurnea fagella

Mompha sp

Catch Report - 11-04-13

Following on from yesterday night, I had kept the previous nights moths in pots. Last nights catch included garden 2 garden first Twin-spotted Quaker's.

A funny old night, with overcast conditions to begin with then it cleared and now this morning we have drizzle.

Catch Report - 15-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap


Macro Moths

2x Twin-spotted Quaker [NFG]
4x Clouded Drab
7x Hebrew Character
4x Small Quaker
6x Common Quaker
1x Chestnut

Micro Moths

1x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla [NFY]
1x Diurnea fagella

 

Twin-spotted Quaker

Catch Report - 14-04-13

A superb catch last night and despite the stiff breeze, it didn't seem to put the moths off too much.
34 moths of 10 species were found in and around the trap.
2 were new for the year, both Emmelina monodactyla and Grey Shoulder-knot (the latter was about 4 metres away from the trap)
New for the garden was Diurnea fagella which I didn't expect as not many people have been reporting it yet this year.
Interestingly of the 34 moths, only 2 were at my light (searching extensively with the torch) fro 8pm til 11pm, bearing in mind our streetlights go out at 12.15am, is this having an effect on them I wonder?

Star of the catch was a Herald, a moth I don't see too often and only my 8th record.



My records for it are as follows

None in 2008
25/03/09 - Hatfield Broad Oak
10/04/10 - Hatfield Broad Oak
24/04/10 - Hatfield Broad Oak
08/07/10 - Canvey Wick
17/07/10 - Harlow Museum
21/09/10 - Sawbridgeworth Mash
None in 2011
14/07/12 - Rye Meads
14/04/13  - Stevenage

Catch Report - 14-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Herald [NFG]
1x Grey Shoulder-knot [NFY]
4x Clouded Drab
2x Chestnut
10x Hebrew Character
7x Common Quaker  
1x Oak Beauty
6x Small Quaker

Micro Moths

1x Diurnea fagella [NFG]
1x Emmelina monodactyla [NFY]

Herald

Diurnea fagella

Grey Shoulder-knot

Catch Report - 11-04-13

Another reasonable night that included 2 more Oak Beauties, taking me upto 5 for the year. No more new Moths for the garden, but Acleris schalleriana was the only micro I have seen since the 19th of March.
I had yesterday night's moths, still in their pots so I didn't recapture them last night.
Absolutely tiddling down this morning but still feels mild.

Catch Report - 11-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap


Macro Moths

2x Clouded Drab
3x Hebrew Character
2x Oak Beauty
2x Small Quaker

Micro Moths

1x Acleris schalleriana

Catch Report - 10-04-13

Spurred on by this recent mild spell we are experiencing, I put the trap out again and was rewarded with a garden first Clouded Drab, one I was waiting for.
Also a shift in species trapped, with no Quaker's but instead, 5 Hebrew Characters.
Very drizzly out there this morning, and everything was soaked!

Catch Report - 10-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

1x Clouded Drab [NFG]
5x Hebrew Character
1x Oak Beauty

Clouded Drab

Catch Report - 09-04-13

A little better last night which was nice, but still darn chilly out there this morning even under thick cloud cover.

Common Quaker and Early Grey were new for the garden.

Catch Report - 09-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

1x Common Quaker [NFG]
1x Early Grey [NFG]
3x Hebrew Character
1x Oak Beauty
5x Small Quaker

Oak Beauty

Early Grey

Common Quaker

Was it just mild enough?

I think so. 
Yes it is rather cold and breezy out there this morning.
The warmest bit of the night at dusk (from 8pm til 10pm) there were no moths.
This morning though I have 2x Hebrew Character, 1x Chestnut, 1x Small Quaker and 1x Oak Beauty.
Not bad but not great!


Catch Report - 07-04-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

1x Oak Beauty [NFG]
1x Small Quaker [NFG]
2x Hebrew Character
1x Chestnut

Small Quaker

Oak Beauty

New Moth attracting toy

Well I thought I would invest and try out one of these new 8w UV Blacklight which runs on 8x 2450mah AA batteries for 6 hours +
I will have to leave it running and see how long it does actually go for on a set of fully charged batteries.
I bought this primarily to take away with me in the Spanish mountains, and as we will be flying with ClassyJet I couldn't really lug too much equipment with me.
This seemed ideal and I have used the similiar and less powerful UV bank checker's which you can purchase from ebay.
If anyone is interested, the purchase link is below.
Now all we need is some mild nights errrm errr o :(

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290755568947?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

A lone Moth

Just the one Moth last night, a Tortricodes alternella.
It feels so cold again this morning!
Trapped packed away again as rain is forecast.

Dismal

After yesterdays bumper catch by recent standards and having kept the moths in pots, I got just 3 extra moths last night.
It did rain most of the night though, but at 8c I expected a few more.


Catch Report - 06-03-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

1x March Moth
1x Dotted Border
1x Chestnut

Garden Trap 05-03-13 - Stevenage, Hertfordshire

A few more milder days and I decided to set the trap up last night. With a maximum of 16c at 3pm and then at about 9pm the temperature was still holding up at around 9c it looked great conditions for some moths to venture out.
Indeed they did, with 13 moths of 8 different species, mostly found in the trap.

New for the garden was Dotted Border, Hebrew Character and Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella.
 
Catch Report - 05-03-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Hebrew Character [NFG]
2x Dotted Border [NFG]

2x Satellite [NFY]

1x Chestnut 

1x March Moth

Micro Moths

 
1x Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella [NFG]
1x Emmelina monodactyla [NFY]
4x Tortricodes alternella

Hebrew Character

Satellites

Dotted Border

6th Specie of the year

With a few mild days recently, the trap was uncovered and set-up for 4 hours yesterday evening, the temperature dropped rapidly and by the morning it was frosty.
Just the 3 moths in that time but a new record of March Moth for the garden.

Catch Report - 29-01-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x March Moth [NFG]

2x Pale Brindled Beauty

 

Micro Moths  
None recorded

March Moth

Another Moth!

Well after a blank all last night, we sat down to our evening meal and the moths must be having a joke with me, because a Pale Brindled Beauty alighted to our french doors, despite just half an hour before we had a blizzard of snow!
Strange things indeed.


So far in 2013 

 19 moths of 5 species to my garden in Stevenage   
 1 moth of 1 species at pub window in Essendon

Garden Trap 29-01-13 - Stevenage, Hertfordshire

Well nearly a whole month goes by without a single trapping session and a good helping of post-Christmas snow, it was finally time to set-up the trap again....and I am glad I did as I was rewarded with 15 Moths this morning! and 2 new for the garden.

The wine race is on! (Trent & Matt) you will both notice that in one of my pictures below, I have a selection of wines available, and if I lose at the end of the year then the winner will pick one!

Catch Report - 29-01-13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Spring Usher [NFG]

1x Chestnut [NFY]

5x Pale Brindled Beauty

  

Micro Moths   

8x Tortricodes alternella [NFG]

Back garden under 4 inches of snow

Our Driveway

 

Part of the catch 1

Part of the catch 2

Tortricodes alternella's