Pauline

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline,

Just catching up on your dairy ,great reports and superb images as always and some interesting discussion. I agree with the comments about 'wisdom' that is repeated in some books. I have read a number of comments in various books about some species only flying in sunshine and then have seen them myself flying in quite dull conditions.
I have also read that some species seem to use a wider range of foodplants on the continent than they do here in the UK and wonder if this is what has led to some of the seemingly conflicting information. The continental race of Swallowtail compared to our British one being one case just off the top of my head.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Pete Eeles]

This is also the reason I am considering rearing my WLH eggs again – my experience has been very limited to date but I can find no text that states the larva pupate in soil/leaf litter, despite that being the clear preference of the individuals in my care. I would like the opportunity to test this aspect again.

I have a very strong suspicion that the conditions that your larvae were subjected to were anything but natural (rearing out of season, with few elm leaves present, on elm cuttings) and this is what led to this behaviour.

- Pete

[Pete Eeles]

I think that, in the case of butterflies, it is not too difficult to provide a good approximation to their natural habitat, especially in the larval stages

While this may be true of many species, this isn't true of all species, and certainly not specialist species. Which is why the recommendation for those wanting to captive rear (e.g. schools) is to start with a widespread species that don't have specific requirements - such as Large White or Small Tortoiseshell.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pauline]

I have a very strong suspicion that the conditions that your larvae were subjected to were anything but natural (rearing out of season, with few elm leaves present, on elm cuttings) and this is what led to this behaviour.

You may well be right Pete but to my mind this is all the more reason to check it out by repeating the process, hopefully doing a much better job next time. With that in mind I would be delighted to hear from others who have successfully reared this species in the past, and the methods which were used.

With regard to my Glanville cats I am delighted that they have now started to pupate (within the expected time frame) and what a gorgeous pupa - totally unexpected and my shots don't do them justice:

Likewise, this glorious weather has galvanised my WA into action. Although they still seem tiny I am reassured by the fact that this one can clearly be seen eating:

[Pauline]

Moths should obviously be afforded the same care and attention as butterflies (in all their stages). Although this is a butterfly site – and I am sure Guidelines on Moth Trapping are available on moth sites – I came across advice on this site by a respected individual, relating to moth trapping, albeit from many years ago. It was stated that moth traps should not be run in the same area more than once every 2 weeks as it was likely that by doing so the same moth would be trapped, depriving it of the opportunity to feed and breed for more than one night. Furthermore, moths should not be tipped out into foliage or grass as it was very probable that they would not survive the many predators. It was by far preferable to keep them safely and release them at dusk the following evening. Although I already adhere to these principles, as there are many folk on this site who are more knowledgeable than me in this area, I wondered if this was still considered to be best practice or whether there is anything else I should be considering to ensure their safety and well-being? A few moths from last night’s trap which included half a dozen each of Brindled Beauty and Hebrew Character and these which I am struggling to identify:

I reckon this is Clouded Drab

Smaller than the Clouded Drab, a very pale moth with some mottling 'playing dead', I think this might be a Powdered Quaker?

The next one didn't excite me but is included as I haven't seen one before - I'm assuming it is a Brindled Pug:

.... and yesterday, out in the field I found this lovely fresh Mother Shipton moth, my first of the year. I love the markings on this moth which always brings back fond memories of my visit to Mother Shipton's grotto:

Still no Pine Beauty despite having Scots Pine in my garden and around me!

[William]

Hi Pauline,

I agree with the Pug, looks like Brindled to me. I'm not too sure about trapping frequencies, I don't think that it is the case that you should trap every 2 weeks, certainly the official Garden Moth Survey operates on a basis of weekly trapping, and most observers trap several times a week - one worth enquiring further about.

Regarding the release of moths, I always put the egg trays (and all the moths) in a trug in a cool, sheltered (but open) shed, with rabbit netting on top (to prevent predators getting at them), so that they can fly off of their own accord in the evening.

BWs,

William

[Pauline]

Thank you William both for the confirmation of ID and the advice. As you know I am relatively new to this. It would seem that the views expressed on this website previously about moth trapping are well out of date. It has been suggested to me that moths are rarely caught more than once - apparently tests were performed whereby trapped moths were marked to determine whether they were subsequently re-caught. However, I thought it was worth asking the questions.

I have been trying to make the most of this glorious weather, making brief visits to local sites. On Noar Hill I have seen a maximum of 12 Dukes on any one visit, all males, in various states of wear and tear:

Rake Bottom was alive with Grizzled and Dingy Skippers but I could only find one Green Hairstreak which was slightly damaged, no doubt due to the brambles he was flying around:

Last but not least was a Holly Blue, about 15ft up in my garden, but very welcome none the less as it is the first I have seen this season bringing my total up to just 13!

[David M]

Nice, productive day you had there, Pauline, and that Green Hairstreak is a peach - a lovely line of 'streaks' on the hindwing!

[Pauline]

Thank you David. Today I saw my first Small Heath bringing the total to 14 - creeping up slowly! On Noar Hill I only counted 7 or 8 Dukes but as I wasn't actually looking for them there were probably loads more. My attention was directed towards those gorgeous green butterflies and I saw more of these than I did Dukes right across the site:

Lots of Dingy Skippers, one of which provided a slightly different view:

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Pauline

Lovely Green Hairstreaks . Hopefully I will find some of my own this weekend.

I think Wurzel would be proud of that Dingy Skipper

[bugboy]

Great stuff Pauline, Since I saw my first Greenie last year I couldn't wait for them to appear again! I'm up to 17 species this year now, at last things are moving along nicely

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline,

Beautiful Green Hairstreaks

I have just read your previous comments asking about frequency of moth trapping, as you know I am a beginner at this myself but whenever I get interested in something I read up on everything I can find. I have also joined a couple of moth groups on facebook which have been extremely helpful, especially with IDs. The only thing I have read about trapping every other week was with regard to building up a species list for a location and the recommendation was to trap at least fortnightly and to vary the dates in following seasons in order to build up the most comprehensive list. Most advice I have read about trapping in gardens says not to trap every night unless you can release your moths a little way away from your trapping location. Some apparently trap in the back garden and release in the front and say they seldom catch the same moths again.

If you haven't already seen it, the link below is to a website I have found useful

http://www.eakringbirds.com/mothstrapping.htm

Especially this page which is useful for identifying the Quakers and Drabs

http://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbird ... mothid.htm

Lots of clear skies here lately which has kept moth numbers down but tonight looks better with some high level cloud so my trap is out.

All the best,

Neil.

[Pauline]

Thank you Paul. I love the way they can change colour depending on the light or background. Some really fresh ones around at the moment. Good luck.

Thank you Buggy. My target is a mating pair I nearly had one today too!

I appreciate you sending those articles Neil. I notice it states that running a moth trap for a couple of hours is more than adequate 'as it has less impact on moth behaviour and breeding'. That's something I didn't think of doing, tending to leave it all night - another lesson learnt. That's a very comprehensive guide Neil but I'm afraid it has left me a little confused and I am now inclined to revise my earlier ID's. Perhaps my Clouded Drab is a Lead-coloured Drab? (I have no shots of the antennae which would have been helpful). I now think my Powdered Quaker is a Small Quaker. What do you reckon?

[Pauline]

One of the reasons for my visit to Noar Hill yesterday was to check the progress of the wild BH eggs as I noted that the eggs I brought back on the discarded twigs in January have hatched (apart from one). I hadn't checked them in quite some time, more than happy to leave them to their own devices but when I noticed tiny signs of feeding damage I was tempted to carefully remove the mesh for a quick look. I didn't disturb them for many moments but I was able to quickly locate 2 tiny larva - right at the top of the plant, although the twigs holding the eggs were attached at a much lower level. I had assumed they would head for the nearest bud but clearly not:

I focused my search on the Triangle as I had a rough idea of where the eggs were. I was pleased to see for the most part the development of the Blackthorn was commensurate with my own although there was some that was still quite bare. I soon located 4 eggs, all of which had hatched, and I noticed feeding damage similar to that on my own plant. One of the eggs looked as though it may have been predated as the hole was wide and jagged as opposed to the neat circle I am used to seeing:

Given that so much has been cut down around the few remaining small Blackthorn in this small area, the eggs/larva here are surely more exposed to birds etc. I will continue to monitor this area as on this occasion I could find no larva. However, given their size (based on the feeding damage) it is more than likely they were tucked away somewhere, hopefully safe and sound.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Pauline, Brown Hair Streaks, great look forward to seeing them
Your up to 14 species now that's 5 more than I've got , things are really slow here, when you find them they're just ones are two's so I've been lucky but having to travel to do so with the exception of yesterday when I'd a nice surprise in my garden, a Female OT. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

...I appreciate you sending those articles Neil. I notice it states that running a moth trap for a couple of hours is more than adequate 'as it has less impact on moth behaviour and breeding'. That's something I didn't think of doing, tending to leave it all night - another lesson learnt. That's a very comprehensive guide Neil but I'm afraid it has left me a little confused and I am now inclined to revise my earlier ID's. Perhaps my Clouded Drab is a Lead-coloured Drab? (I have no shots of the antennae which would have been helpful). I now think my Powdered Quaker is a Small Quaker. What do you reckon?

Hi Pauline,

I usually run my trap in the garden all night as well and get up early to see to it before the birds have much chance to get at the moths. This is actually easier for me in the week as I get up just at 05.15 for work anyway. Not so easy at weekends when I tend to get up for the trap if I have run it and then go back to bed for a couple of hours If you are trapping away from home and don't want to leave a trap unattended then that is obviously another matter. It is also worth remembering that some species don't fly until later in the night, well after midnight in some cases. A good example of this was when we were at the moth night at Ryton the other week. One of the traps was empty when checked just before we all departed just after 01.00am but when the ranger went back later in the morning it had 6 Powdered Quakers in it.

Your first two photos certainly could be Lead-coloured Drab, I reckon I would be about 90% certain of that one. The Powdered/Small Quaker looks like a faded Common Quaker to me. Small Quakers really are smaller in comparison to CQs and Powdered are a little larger. Having now seen SQ and PQ in the flesh at Ryton I am now more confident with these.

All the best,

Neil

[Pauline]

I saw your lovely OT's Goldie - just shows, often pays to stay close to home . I'll try to ensure the BH's are on time for you - by doing absolutely nothing except leaving them to their own devices

Some interesting points there Neil and I'm content to go with your ID's even if you are only 90% on the Lead-coloured Drab. Last night I had 5 new moth species but 2 flew before I could get any shots. They were easy to ID tho' being very distinctive - Treble Lines and Scalloped Hook-tip. Another newbie I was pleased to see was the Pine Beauty (even if it was a bit worn). The other 2 were (I think) Lunar Marbled Brown and Nut-tree Tussock, which wouldn't stop quivering before taking flight.

and a lovely Hebrew Character:

[Pauline]

A quick update on the Glanville pupa which is now just over a week old. Shots taken from slightly different angles:

I am sad to report that the last WLH, the male, died yesterday, living a day longer than the females - he's all yours now Jamie - I shall keep him somewhere safe with a female until you are ready for them.

[Pauline]

Not usually able to get out at weekends but I managed to 'escape' for a short while yesterday afternoon for a brief visit to Noar Hill, and boy, was it hot! I was not the only one affected by the extreme temperatures. Rather than the manically active butterflies I had anticipated, they, too, seemed to be conserving their energies and were more concerned with finding respite from the intense heat, seeking out shade in hollows, under leaves and in the denser thickets. When perched with wings closed they would face away from the sun, exposing the least amount of their body as possible to the sun's rays - in very much the same way a Grayling positions itself when attempting to cast no shadow which might give away its presence. My first sighting of a Small Heath brought my total up to 16 (having at last seen a Red Admiral in the garden on Saturday).

[Pauline]

Cast your mind back to July 2015. It seems a long time ago now but that's when my Emperor Moth cats pupated. I have been getting a little anxious recently wondering if they would ever emerge, but today, when I returned home I found a gorgeous male had recently emerged:

This is the same creature when he was a little nipper - yes, it was the one with yellow spots (as opposed to the pink one) and the one which I recorded at the time was the smaller of the 2 cats. As he was the cat which pupated deep in the heather as opposed to on the mesh there can be no mistake: