Category: Lepidoptera

Update: Adding at least one new-for-me species every couple of days now to my mothematics gallery.  Most interesting and fascinating were the March Moth, the Twenty-plume, and the Nut-tree Tussock (which laid 47 eggs and I am going to attempt to get them to hatch).

Previously, I posted about some of the early moths (early in the year, that is, as opposed to Early Moths, a species of that name) that have been attracted to the actinic light of the trap.

On the evening of the 14th March 2019, it was relatively uncold, cloudy and pretty much windless.

There was a definite upturn in numbers and diversity to the trap: 4x Small Quaker, 10x Common Quaker, 3x Clouded Drab, 1xEarly Grey, and Double-striped Pug. That was the first Pug of the year, saw lots of that species and its relatives during the summer of 2018. Diurnea fagella was hanging on the LED fairylights on a cultivated honeysuckle in our garden).

By morning, the Pug had gone but a Hebrew Character and a Twin-spotted Quaker were in residence in the trap (all ethically released after logging and photographing, of course.

I started “lighting up” again for the 2019 season a couple of weeks ago. I don’t mean I’ve taken to smoking, I’m referring to moth-ing. I’m still using the borrowed and now bought homemade scientific moth trap. It is a 40-Watt actinic light Robinson style trap and was built by my cabinetmaker and amateur luthier friend Rob, whom I’ve mentioned previously (see Mothley Crew).

Anyway, despite frosts, wind, and rain there have been a few early moths turning up in the trap over the last fortnight or so. I should note the 12-year old UV-A bulb was looking worn when illuminated so I have replaced it and am hoping for great things over the coming weeks and months.

First to appear were the Common Quakers (Orthosia cerasi) of which there have been several over the weeks. I should point out that the first moth I saw this year was 15th February in the front garden and was what made me think it might be worth lighting up again, Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla). After the CQs, there was the relatively rare Acleris cristana on the trap, but not in it, Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria), again on the trap in the evening and then in it by morning light. Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) moths started to show up by 23rd February and I’ve seen several not to be confused with their bristly relatives, which come later, Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum).

Then, I had Oak Beauty (Biston strataria), which lives up to its name and gives me some hope that I might get other oak-loving species much later in the year, such as the elusive Mervs and Decembers. Next was Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) (also saw several of this species in the gents at NT Dunwich Heath), bizarrely, but perhaps not unsurprisingly.

Then Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta), Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda), Twin-spotted Quaker (Anorthoa munda), and Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) on 8th March. Meanwhile, there was a Yellow Horned (Achlya flavicornis) at Dunwich, which I mentioned in my Dartford Warbler blog post about the site.

 

As new moths appear in the trap each evening, I’ll add them to my Mothematics gallery. I usually also post to the Facebook group UK Moths Flying Tonight.

I missed out on the Merveille du Jour moths late last year, had a few November moths, and a Winter moth, but no December moths. I was beginning to think that our garden environment was too far away from oak trees for some of the species that are attracted to oaks.

But, then having started “lighting up” again a few days ago been graced with the presence of numerous Common Quaker the larvae (caterpillars) of which prefer deciduous trees, including oak and willows. Then I had a couple of Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria), which also favour oak. And, best of the bunch in terms of patterning and antennae, an Oak Beauty (Biston strataria). The Dotted Border is also a fan of a range of deciduous trees.

Okay…first moth I’ve seen this year was a Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla), which I think may well have been hibernating in our car and flew out when we arrived home on 15th February landing on a Ribes bush to be phone-photographed seconds later.

Second moth was in the trap (accidentally, as the timer had lit it up briefly evening of 19th). This moth, a Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi), usually flies from March onwards. First time I’ve seen one. Added to the lepidoptera list and gallery.

Apparently, to some moth-ers the arrival of brown moths, such as the Common Quaker, are an indicator of Spring being on its way.

Other moth species on the wing in February March that might turn up if you’re trapping over the next few days: Pale Brindled Beauty, Early Moth, March Moth, Dotted Border, The Chestnut, Hebrew Character, Spring Usher, The Satellite, Dark Chestnut, Early Grey, Clouded Drab, The Herald, Oak Beauty, Winter Moth (which I spotted twice in December 2018 outside the trap), Red Chestnut, Angle Shades (which appeared regularly from when I started in July 2018), Small Quaker, Yellow Horned, The Engrailed, Silver Y (another regular visitor last year).

Meanwhile, butterflies. We saw a Small Tortoiseshell on NT Tubney/Burwell Fen 14th February and then a week later (21st Feb) a Brimstone and a Peacock at RSPB Fen Drayton.

By Christmas Eve 2018, it will be five months since I started trapping, identifying, photographing, and releasing (unharmed) moths using an actinic light trap. At the last count, I had ticked 129 moths. As the autumn drew in and winter arrived, the number of new species plummeted although other moth-ers talked of Mervs, November moths, December moths, Winter moths, Mottled Umbers, migrants, and more.

I’d seen none of those species until a Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) finally turned up on the vanes of the trap and was sitting there when I got back from C5 the band rehearsals last night. I got a quick record shot on my phone and then persuaded him (it’s definitely a male; the females have no wings) to sit on my trusty lichen-encrusted stick for a late-night photo shoot. The inimitable Leonard C on the Moths UK Flying Tonight Facebook group corroborated my identification.

This morning, after a restful night’s sleep, O. brumata was ready for a couple more snaps prior to release back into the wild. As the name suggests, this species flies and breeds during the winter, taking flight from late autumn and on the wing until January-February. It is a relatively common species and its larvae can sometimes be found in numbers so large that they will completely defoliate small trees and so the species is considered a pest, according to UK Moths.

You can view all of the decent shots I’ve got of Lepidoptera on my Imaging Storm website where there’s also a full listing of species common names and scientific binomials.

UPDATE: 25 Nov 2019 First noted appearance of the year of a Mottled Umber, just a day later than in 2018. Didn’t reach the trap, roosted on the conservatory wall, was photographed and released into the front garden. The females are wingless, so these are definitely males. There are two LBAMs on the trap too, but nothing present by morning aside from a caddisfly and some diptera. My detailed mothing records for 2019 are available here.

This was the first new species to the actinic trap (night of 24th November 2018) for almost two weeks, having had numerous blanks and/or just the occasional Turnip Moth and a Dark Chestnut or two.

This species is the geometer moth Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria). The “geometers” all have larvae (caterpillars) that appear to measure the earth (they’re called inchworms colloquially in the US, I believe). Geo meaning earth, meter meaning to measure. More mothematics here.

Isn’t it time to put the scientific moth trap away, they asked. Surely there are no moths flying in the autumn and winter. Well, there are definitely fewer species around now, especially if it has been really damp and chilly overnight. But, there were numerous last night feeding on the ivy blossom: Centre-barred Sallow, Large Yellow Underwing, Vine’s Rustic, Common Plume, and one or two micro moths.

In or around the trap, more Yellow Underwings (Lesser, Small, and Large), Setaceous Hebrew Character, White Point, Lunar Underwings, and a Red-green Carpet.

 

This morning some of those were still in attendance, but a Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) had taken over the morning shift from the RG Carpet. This species was first curated by Linnaeus in 1758, it grows to between 35 and 45 mm according to the UKMoths page. It’s prominently green in colour, but subtly striped (the brindled part of its name). The crescent in its name refers to two white curves on its wings. It has unusually large oval and kidney marks compared with many other noctuid (owlet) moths.

It is mottled brown mainly but catch it in the right light or under the glare of a camera ring flash and its gree metallic scales will shine through. It commonly flies from September to November and is found across the UK, in woodland, hedgerows, and the suburbs, its caterpillars feeding on hawthorn (Crataegus) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and other trees and bushes.