Moth nights 2011

[Philzoid]

2011 has been a fantastic butterfly year for me with 44 different UK species of butterflies sighted including three for the first time and visits to four new sites . Having access to the UK Butterfly website with its forum contributions by knowledgeable members has helped to coordinate everything, and I have to say a sincere thanks to Pete for setting up this fantastic website, it's become an addiction and long may it continue

This year I've also been fortunate to attend five moth trapping nights on Pewley Down a chalk grassland site at Guildford in Surrey. The nights (roughly one a month) were organised by a work colleague Paul Wheeler, who is a micro-moth specialist. In addition I got to see a trap release from Bookham Commons.
If any of you have not been moth trapping I hope these photos will make you consider giving it a try. Your county wildlife trust or Butterfly conservation.org (BC) may be able to help with event listing (I'm fortunate to be able to rely on Paul). On the trapping nights Paul and the other regular experts will identify the species and record their number before release. Occasionally where I.D. cannot be made in the field the specimen may need to be taken back home for closer examination (sometimes they hitch a ride on your clothing as I found out with the Frosted Orange). Afterwards the data is compiled and sent in to the county recorder before being forwarded to BC (who monitor species abundance and movements of moths as well as butterflies in case you didn't know).
For my part as a novice 'gatecrasher' I get to a chance to see, photo and (subsequently) identify these insects (and some can be difficult (checkout Clouded Brindle pictured)). On good nights you are likely to see a few dozen different species. Some are brightly coloured and rather showy whereas others are (typically) sombre coloured with subtle or cryptic markings and novel quirky names. Then there are the 'little Brown jobs' and the micros. I've got some way to go before I graduate onto them .

I've limited it to twenty or so, scaled down pictures of 'common' species as I don't want to stretch the generosity of UKB too much (it is a butterfly website after all) .

Angle Shades, PD 01.09.2011

Angle Shades, Pewley Down 01.09.2011.jpg (73.23 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

A common species which used to turn up every year in my front porch, but hasn't done so for about three years now.

Barred Sallow, PD 04.10.2011

Barred Sallow, Pewley Down 04.10.2011.jpg (74.89 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Barred Yellow, PD 03.06.2011

Barred Yellow; Pewley Down 02-03.06.2011.jpg (76.71 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Black Arches, BC 13.08.2011

Black Arches, Bookham Common 13.08.2011.jpg (86.31 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Brown-line Bright-eye, PD 04.07.2011

Brown-line Bright-eye; Pewley Down 03-04.07.2011.jpg (79.56 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Buff Arches, PD 04.07.2011

Buff Arches; Pewley Down 03-04.07.2011.jpg (84.4 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Burnished Brass, Pewley Down 04.10.2011

Burnished Brass, Pewley Down 04.10.2011.jpg (80.06 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Used to find a lot of these when I was a young-un up in Sunderland but haven't seen so many down South?

Clouded Brindle, PD 04.07.2011.

Clouded Brindle; Pewley Down 03-04.07.2011.jpg (82.14 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Not 100% on this one?

Dark Arches, PD 04.07.2011

Dark Arches; Pewley Down 03-04.07.2011.jpg (85.57 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

A fairly common medium-large Noctuid

Dark Sword-grass, PD 04.10.2011

Dark Sword-grass, Pewley Down 04.10.2011.jpg (72.74 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Dingy Footman, BC 13.08.2011

Dingy Footman, Bookham Common 13.08.2011.jpg (76.32 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

One of several similar looking species of footmen.

Feathered Gothic, PD 01.09.2011

Feathered Gothic, Pewley Down. 01.09.2011.jpg (78.85 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Feathered Thorn and Scarce Umber, found at my workplace 14.11.2011

Feathered Thorn and Scarce Umber, found at work 14.11.2011.jpg (75.53 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Frosted Orange hitched a lift home from Pewley

Frosted Orange, from Pewley 07.10.2011.jpg (80.92 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Green-brindled Crescent, PD 04.10.2011

Green-brindled Crescent, Pewley Down 04.10.2011.jpg (78.48 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Lace Border, PD 01.09.2011

Lace Border, Pewley Down 01.09.2011.jpg (75.58 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Large Elephant Hawk-moth, PD 04.07.2011

Larvae are sometimes found on Garden fuschias. Easy species to rear on Rosebay Willowherb

Large Emerald, BC 13.08.2011

Large Emerald, Bookham Common 13.08.2011.jpg (80.01 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Lesser Swallow Prominent, PD 03.06.2011

Lesser Swallow Prominent; Pewley Down 02-03.06.2011.jpg (81.56 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Privet Hawk-moth, PD 03.06.2011. Largest UK native species

Privet Hawk-moth; Pewley Down 02-03.06.2011.jpg (80.1 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

September Thorn, BC 13.08.2011

September Thorn (female), Bookham Common 13.08.2011.jpg (76.28 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Silver Y, PD 01.09.2011.

Silver Y, Pewley Down 01.09.2011.jpg (79.43 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

Can be very common and seen feeding on buddleia and other nectar sources during the day.

Treble-bar, PD 01.09.2011. Daytime flying as well as night

Treble-bar, Pewley Down 01.09.2011.jpg (83.86 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

[Trev Sawyer]

... and I imagine there would be a fair few moths flying to traps tonight if some were put out...
I saw no fewer than 8 moths whilst driving along a short local B road (only about a mile long) near Cambridge on my way home this evening. I'm sure I've never seen so many moths on the wing in December. Damp evenings have been pretty rare here over the past few months and have been told that a little rain encourages pupae to hatch.

Trev

[ChrisC]

if you're not careful phil you'll be running a light in your garden soon
my old Garden in built up Hayes produced 240+macro species so if you are in a built up area they still come.

Chris

[Wurzel]

So do you have a few beers while waiting for the moffs to arrive - that sounds like the type of nature watching I could really get used too! Some great species there although my fave is the the Black Arches.

Have a goodun (Christmas and New Year that is)

Wurzel

[Lee Hurrell]

Some great moths there, Phil. I agree with Wurze - that Black Arches is corking!

I have seen quite a few moths along the country lanes near me over the last few days, presumably either December or Winter varieties.

Cheers

Lee

[Susie]

You've got some cracking moths there, Phil.

[Philzoid]

Thanks for the great response response guys and gals.

I saw no fewer than 8 moths whilst driving along a short local B road (only about a mile long) near Cambridge on my way home this evening. I'm sure I've never seen so many moths on the wing in December. Damp evenings have been pretty rare here over the past few months and have been told that a little rain encourages pupae to hatch.

I'm aware the there are a few species which can be found in December, but I'm knowlegable enough to know what they might be or whether a little rain stimulates some of the pupae to emerge. So far this month I've only seen 1 winter moth (aptly named) but it may be that the strange (mild) weather is having an effect on the flight times of the moths, as it has done with the butterflies this year?

if you're not careful phil you'll be running a light in your garden soon
my old Garden in built up Hayes produced 240+macro species so if you are in a built up area they still come.

That's a great idea which I considered doing quite some years ago when a mate of mine suggested we share the cost of buying one after he was (briefly) bitten by the entomology bug (crap pun I know ). Both his and my enthusiasm soon fizzled out, but now it has returned (for me at least) with interest. We have a small(ish) suburban garden which over the years has attracted a small selection, best of which was a Pine Hawk flapping at the window . Other visitors have been angle shades (I have a pic which may be a larva of one of these?) lots of Square spot Rustics, Mint moths; Willow Beauty; Small Dusty Wave; least Carpet; Small Blood-vein and an Old Lady .. oh and plenty of good ole' Large Yellow Underwing and Silver Y
I would love a moth trap but first of all a new Camera is needed, followed by a decent computer (decent = something with more that 512kB of memory and steam-age performance )

So do you have a few beers while waiting for the moffs to arrive - that sounds like the type of nature watching I could really get used too!

Another great idea (take some cans along, but be aware you don't have to wait long before the moths arrive). In July it can be a veritable bombardment (a boiler suit with goggles and face mask would be more apt)

Some great species there although my fave is the the Black Arches.

Some great moths there, Phil. I agree with Wurze - that Black Arches is corking!

I'd prefer the black Arches if it had some red in it, that colour combination reminds of the 'barcodes'

In seriouness picking a favourite species is not easy. There was a thread earlier this year about what is your favourite butterfly and it went off in in all tangents so to speak with members coming up with all sorts of reasons to justify their choice . I for one couldn't pick an out an out favourite butterfly, more a case what's in for the month . The same goes for moths and it's probably more dificult in their case as they are mostly seen whirring around at night, and are therefore less likely to make an impact on your senses than that of the idyllic setting of a flowery meadow on a sunny day. If I had to choose I would say it would have to be a Hawkmoth, simply because I've reared quite a few of their kind and to me their form is pretty spectacular . Taking 12 Spurge Hawk through from young larvae to adults was a great experience, (if a little worrying as the larvae didn't just eat the leaves but demolished the stems of the foodplant (which had to purchased from a garden centre)). In the end it cost me £20 in pot spurges and that was around 20 year ago!

[ChrisC]

if memory serves doesn't the black arches have pink on it's abdomen?

i don't actually use a trap, i sit out with lamp and sheet and watch them come in. actually had 2 badgers come in to the garden one night. Made my night.


one of my favourites. scarce Merville du jour.

[Gibster]

I used to run a light years ago, and used to accompany Jim Porter on trips further afield. For sheer numbers you cannot better Salisbury Plain in June. We had tanks on manoeuvres once, so close we could feel the ground juddering, and a UFO on another occasion (not quite as frightening as the tanks!) My "best" mothing night though was spent in The Desert on the shingle of Dungeness. We were positively bombarded with a huge number of species and individuals. Whilst supping beer (beer and crisps always were an esential part of mothing with JP!) we heard a loud "THONK" and a blooming ginormous Great Silver Beetle struck the side of the trap. I've heard tales of Storm Petrels coming to lights!

Anyway, sorry for the slight tangent, Phil. Catchup in the New Year?

Cheers,

Gibster.

[Philzoid]

if memory serves doesn't the black arches have pink on it's abdomen?

Hang on I'll have to look that one up Chris ...

Still none the wiser, the hindwings and abdomen look to have a fawn colouration (darker at the hindwing margin) but that is in photo pictures of pinned examples . Fresh ones might be different? The photo I posted was a typical pose. No-one at the release wanted to disturb them while taking photos .

That is a smashing photo of the Scarce Merveille de Jour . I don't think it is a good common name as despite it outwardly similar markings, it is classified in a different subfamily (acronictinae) to the Merveille de Jour (cucullinae)

[Gibster]

So far this month I've only seen 1 winter moth (aptly named) but it may be that the strange (mild) weather is having an effect on the flight times of the moths, as it has done with the butterflies this year?

Hiya Phil, this is from today's Birdguides:

...and the unseasonably warm winter has prompted some species to hatch before Christmas, weeks ahead of schedule. Spring Usher moths together with Hebrew Character and Common Quaker have been reported regularly since November — months earlier than they are supposed to appear.


Cheers,

Gibster.

PS - female Black Arches has a beautifully banded red and black abdomen.

[Philzoid]

we heard a loud "THONK" and a blooming ginormous Great Silver Beetle struck the side of the trap. I've heard tales of Storm Petrels coming to lights!

Wow, Fantastic. I've seen the Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis (impressive) but not the Great Silver Beetle which is larger and rarer. Flying is how they get around, and moth traps attract all sorts of other weird and wonderful creatures as well as moths. Large orange 'Ichneumon flies' (don't know the species but I expect you could tell me ) were almost as common as the moths on Pewley.

[Philzoid]

Hiya Phil, this is from today's Birdguides:

...and the unseasonably warm winter has prompted some species to hatch before Christmas, weeks ahead of schedule. Spring Usher moths together with Hebrew Character and Common Quaker have been reported regularly since November — months earlier than they are supposed to appear.


Cheers,

Gibster.

PS - female Black Arches has a beautifully banded red and black abdomen.

We're out of synch here (it's a bit like texting you)

Thanks for the info, something to have a chat about with Paul when I get back to work in the New Year.

Looks like you were correct Chris about the pink/red colouration of Black Arches. I'm learning something every day here

[ChrisC]

you had me wondering then Phil, so i looked up images and found this one just showing the pink http://www.trik.demon.co.uk/image/black ... female.jpg

Phew.

as for other things being attracted, cockchafers, stag beetles and you can almost guarantee orange ladybird, but i think i've had 5 different ladybird species to light now, 3rd Dorset record of the impressive longhorn beetle Prionus coriarius so it's always worth keeping a look out.
and watch out for those orphion ichneumons they hurt when they stab you. but still great fun

Chris

[Philzoid]

and watch out for those orphion ichneumons they hurt when they stab you. but still great fun

That reminds me: quite a few years ago I found a largish black ichneumon looking wasp with an orange tip to the abdomen in our conservatory. Thinking it would frighten and compel my other half to squash it, I cupped my hands around it to throw it outside ... and received a painful sting I remember checking up in a Collins insect library book and finding the species (I wish I could remember it's name) and the text said "can sting if molested" The sting sensation though mild lasted for a week.
Thinking back I used to keep some of my moth pupae and larvae in net cages in the conservatory and I wonder if there was a connection? (I've never seen one like it since.

[Dave McCormick]

I've limited it to twenty or so, scaled down pictures of 'common' species as I don't want to stretch the generosity of UKB too much (it is a butterfly website after all)

Those common species you posted are different by my standards and I have seen around 300+ macros and over 150 micro species in 3 years:

Barred Sallow - Never seen one
Brown-line Bright-eye - Rare in NI, its the Bright-Line Brown-Eye thats common here
Black Arches - Also rare here
Lace Border - Never seen it
Clouded Brindle - Never seen it
Privit Hawk-Moth - Doesn't exist in NI
September Thorn - No proof its actually here in NI
Treble Bar - Another I have not seen
Dingy Footman - Again not seen
Feathered Gothic - Never seen it either

The rest I have seen.

Now, I did trap two nights ago with 125W MV black bulb and all I got was a great diving beetle and loads of midges, diving beetle was great to see though.

and watch out for those orphion ichneumons they hurt when they stab you. but still great fun

Really? I have caught loads of those before and handled many, never once had that happen. However, its spiders that bother me, always catch a number of spiders and find a few moths gone or in their clutches when checking my traps.

...and the unseasonably warm winter has prompted some species to hatch before Christmas, weeks ahead of schedule. Spring Usher moths together with Hebrew Character and Common Quaker have been reported regularly since November — months earlier than they are supposed to appear.

I had a fresh brimstone moth in late November but that was it in terms of late species, also confirmed over past 3 years that Barred Red here in this part of NI has been flying two months later than other records show, I have caught one at late September and at the start of October past 3 years and records said they don't fly after late August/early September.

So far this month I've only seen 1 winter moth (aptly named) but it may be that the strange (mild) weather is having an effect on the flight times of the moths, as it has done with the butterflies this year?

I have found 3 so far but that is because I live in an area with little mature trees nearby and nearest woodland being 3-5 miles away.

I moth trap regularly with a 15W Green UV actinic portable trap made from a storage box, 8W 12V car inspection lamp with the tube changed to a 12 inch, 15W Green UV actinic tube and a 24amp motorcycle battery which lasts 19 hours on that light after fully charged. Image:

15W Green UV actinic trap (2010)

And I usually trap in 6-7 main places besides my garden. This year I made 3 great finds with one being a Grey Birch (Aethalura punctulata), last seen in Northern Ireland in 1936 and thought long extince, found this in an unusual place, a conifer plantation with only a few alder trees dotted at the edge, not the typical birch woodland mentioned, plus this is a new (and at present the only) site for this moth in NI. I also found the first 2 Coleophora mayrella in NI, both at two different flower meadows, first I caught in a National trust site with a managed wildflower meadow and second I found during the day at another flower meadow bordering farmland, this one was resting on a white clover head. The last I found was a Acleris abietana I had already found and confirmed it last year but found them again this year in the same conifer plantation (Norway Spruce) as I found the grey birch.

Coleophora mayrella (look strange when you see them side on) after I found the first two, others started finding them in different places, must have been overlooked:

Coleophora mayrella

Grey Birch. I saw a grey moth fly out of my trap when checking it, but couldn't ID it since it flew away, not thinking I carried on checking the trap but then saw it fly up again since it must have landed not far away, then I potted it. Never seen it before, now I know why. Have more sites to check next year to see if I can find it there.

Grey Birch

Another highlight though was seeing a humming-bird hawk-moth which I have not seen since 2009 and managed to get a photo this time, but not in flight. Also saw forester moths for the first time, never knew how small they actually were. I went on a BCNI meeting and a lot of us went across this large bog to this area which used to be a lake, but was now very spongy bog surrounded by deciduous woodland, was hard getting a photo of these since my tripod kept bounching up and down when people moved about.

Forester

The only moth I have not found this year is December moth, found all others I found last year and still have not seen a Spring Usher, Northern Winter Moth or Scarce Umber or Blair's Shoulder Knot yet, seen the rest of the native late autumn/winter species. Surprised with Blair's Shoulder Knot not being rare-ish here in NI as people have cypresses in their gardens, mature ones grow in urban areas etc... but still not common.