Puss Moth in town!

Got to work today and one of the staff said that they had found a large moth and put it in a pot for me (knowing that I like moths) obviously I was assuming it was either a Lime or Poplar Hawk-moth..... How wrong I was when it turned out to be my 3rd ever Puss Moth!

An uncommon moth these days and one that has showed a rapid decline, in-line with the Garden Tiger Moth.

Puss Moth

Catch Report - 26/05/12 - Balls Wood, Hertford

About 12 or so people turned up for this first official trip of the year. The weather had been hot and sunny for the previous week and at last the nights were warm - not freezing cold! There was a stiff easterly breeze, but in the wood we scarcely noticed it. A total of 7 mv lamps were operated from generators from 21.30 hours until 04.30 the following morning, though only three of us camped out until dawn, with most people heading for home by about 01.00 hours.   

Interestingly, of the 64 macro species caught, 13 species were caught only in that later period between 01.00 and 04.30. One was recorded as a larva crawling across the sheet - presumably having fallen from the overhanging Hornbeam branches.

The macro moth highlight was probably POPLAR LUTESTRING of which we had several. The micros bring the total up to 91 species (with 3 species still outstanding - awaiting genitalia dissection). Best by far is EPINOTIA NANANA (book page 230) which has not been seen in Hertfordshire since 1966 and which I labelled as probably extinct here. The caterpillar feeds on Spruce.

In the following list those marked with an asterisk (*) were named by genitalia dissection. Numbers are approximate. If anyone can remember anything that I have not listed do please let me know.

Catch Report - 26/05/12 - Balls Wood, Hertford - 7x 125w Robinson Traps

26^th May 2012: Balls Wood, Hertfordshire: TL 3410 
  
FULL LIST

 
Eriocrania subpurpurella 1
 
Common Swift few

Emmetia marginea 2

Incurvaria oehlmanniella 5

Nemapogon cloacella *  2

Monopis weaverella  4

Tinea trinotella 2
 
Caloptilia robustella 2

Swammerdamia caesiella * 1

Elachista argentella 1

Esperia sulphurella  3

Agonopterix arenella * 1

Teleiodes vulgella 1

Carpatolechia proximella 2

Teleiodes luculella few

Phtheochroa inopiana * few

Cochylis nana * 2

Syndemis musculana 1

Capua vulgana * few

Eulia ministrana sev

Cnephasia communana * 1

Celypha lacunana 1

Ancylis mitterbacheriana 2

Ancylis laetana  5

Epinotia subocellana * 2

Epinotia tenerana * 1

Nut Bud Moth 1

Epinotia nanana  * 1

Epiblema cynosbatella 3

---- Scoparia – probably ambigualis (awaiting dissection) many

Peach Blossom 1

Poplar Lutestring sev

Maiden's Blush 2

Cream Wave sev

Red Twin-spot Carpet 2

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 1

Silver-ground Carpet sev

Common Carpet 1

Small Phoenix 2

Red-green Carpet 3

Spruce Carpet 2

Broken-barred Carpet 2

Green Carpet sev

Mottled Pug sev

Common Pug few

Brindled Pug 1

Dwarf Pug few

Treble-bar 1

Small White Wave 3

Seraphim sev

Clouded Border 1

Peacock Moth 1

Tawny-barred Angle 2

Scorched Wing 1

Brimstone Moth 1

Scalloped Hazel 3

Peppered Moth 1

Waved Umber 2

Pale Oak Beauty few

Brindled White-spot 1

Common White Wave 2
 
White-pinion Spotted 1

Clouded Silver 1

Light Emerald 3

Lime Hawk-moth 1

Poplar Hawk-moth 6

Puss Moth 1

Poplar Kitten 1

Iron Prominent 2

Pebble Prominent 2

Lesser Swallow Prominent 1

Coxcomb Prominent 1

Pale Prominent 3

Chocolate-tip 5

Lymantriidae

Pale Tussock 4

Orange Footman sev

White Ermine 1

Buff Ermine 1

Muslin Moth 2

Cinnabar 1

Least Black Arches 3

Flame Shoulder 1

Twin-spotted Quaker larva on sheet

Pale Pinion 3

Poplar Grey 1

Brown Rustic 1

Rustic Shoulder-knot 1

Treble Lines 2

Marbled White Spot few

Green Silver-lines 1

Nut-tree Tussock few

Buttoned Snout 1

      

Pale Pinion

Poplar Kitten

Treble-bar

Cream Wave

Dwarf Pug

Epinotia subocellana

Ancylis laetana

Ancylis mitterbacheriana

 

Capua vulgana

Carpatolechia proximella

Cochylis nana

Lime Hawk-moth

Catch Report - 27/05/12 - Back Garden/Farmland

A really good catch last night with a total of 59, possibly 60 species including a cracking Light Brocade and a Clouded-bordered Brindle, both garden firsts and an Endothenia which is either gentianaeana or marginana, not sure which.

Numbers are really on the up now with some species going beyond 20 individuals.

It remained warm all night but things are set to change unfortunately, with cooler conditions expected by Wednesday.

Catch Report - 27/05/12 - 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Cinnabar [NFY]

12x Nutmeg [NFY] 

1x Common Wave [NFY]

1x Marbled Minor [NFY]

1x Light Brocade [NFY]

2x Large Nutmeg [NFY] 

4x Setaceous Hebrew Character [NFY]

1x Clouded-bordered Brindle [NFY]

1x Brown Rustic [NFY]

1x Buff Ermine [NFY]

1x Blood-vein [NFY]

25x Rustic Shoulder-knot

1x Brindled Pug

1x Buff-tip

2x Common Carpet

1x Pale Oak Beauty

2x Pebble Prominent

1x Swallow Prominent

1x Pale Prominent

1x Waved Umber

1x Spectacle

22x Treble-lines

23x Green Carpet

1x Hebrew Character

2x Red Twin-spot Carpet 

1x Oak Hook-tip

2x Oak-tree Pug

2x Orange Footman

1x Scorched Wing

4x Brimstone Moth

26x Common Swift

2x Pale Tussock

5x Silver-ground Carpet

2x Angle Shades

10x Silver-Y

2x Lime-speck Pug

12x Latticed Heath

4x Clouded Silver

5x Flame Shoulder

1x Scorched Carpet

3x Common Pug

4x Shuttle-shaped Dart

2x Peppered Moth

5x White Ermine

Micro Moths

1x Endothenia marginana [NEW!]

1x Agapeta hamana [NFY]

1x Parornix sp [NFY] 

1x Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata [NFY]

1x Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis [NFY]

1x Crambus lathoniellus

1x Bee Moth Aphomia sociella

6x Syndemis musculana

2x Cochylis atricapitana

1x Caloptilia syringella

7x Celypha lacunana

2x Monopsis weaverella

1x Epiblema cynosbatella

5x Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

4x  Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella

Endothenia sp

Light Brocade

Marbled Minor

Buff-tip

Clouded-bordered Brindled ab.combusta

 

Cinnabar

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Brown Rustic

Large Nutmeg

Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella

Catch Report - 24/05/12 - Latton Woods - Harlow

Decided to do an all-nighter at this previously un-trapped woodland, just south of Harlow, it is a lovely area with mixed deciduous and coniferous trees, alot of them about 15 years old, and inbetween Oaks of 200+ years, plenty of Aspen, Beech and Birch and lots of Pine.

Any record we got would be new so it was great to get a good selection of moths not normally associated with garden traps.

Incredibly warm all day and the evening stayed mild, and after a hiccup with my generator stopping, we soon got going with another one!

Lovely to see so many Ochreous Pug's.

Catch Report - 24/05/12 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap -Latton Woods - Harlow

Macro Moths

8x Ochreous Pug [NFY]

7x Poplar Lutestring [NFY] 

1x Red-green Carpet [NFY]

2x Tawny-barred Angle [NFY]

2x Maiden's Blush [NFY]

4x Seraphim [NFY]

3x Orange Footman [NFY]

2x Pale Oak Beauty [NFY]

1x Coxcomb Prominent [NFY]

1x Brown Silver-line [NFY]

2x Brindled White-spot [NFY]

1x Buff-tip [NFY]

1x Nut-tree Tussock

1x Lesser Swallow Prominent

1x Spruce Carpet

2x Poplar Hawk-moth

1x Pale Prominent

2x Chocolate-tip

3x Oak Hook-tip

5x Grey-pine Carpet

2x Red Twin-spot Carpet

3x Silver-ground Carpet

5x Pale Tussock

1x Common Carpet

2x Muslin Moth

25x Green Carpet

2x Iron Prominent

3x Brimstone Moth

9x Common Swift

3x Pebble Hook-tip

4x Brindled Pug

Micro Moths

9x Spotted Shoot Moth Rhyacionia pinivorana [NFY]

1x Argyresthia trifasciata [NFY]

3x Incurvaria oehlmanniella [NFY]

5x Esperia sulphurella [NFY]

1x Caloptilia alchimiella [NFY]

1x Codling Moth Cydia pomonella [NFY]

1x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella

5x Syndemis musculana 

2x Adela reaumurella

7x Cnephasia sp.

Ochreous Pug

Pale Oak Beauty

Poplar Lutestring

Tawny-barred Angle

Oak Hook-tip

Maiden's Blush

Coxcomb Prominent

Grey-pine Carpet

Spotted Shoot Moth Rhyacionia pinivorana

Catch Report - 23/05/12 - Back Garden/Farmland

Abit behind but the weather as brought out all the usual suspects, with good numbers.

Looking forward to my 3rd field trip this week with the Herts Moth Group.

Catch Report - 23/05/12 - 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Lime-speck Pug [NFY]

4x White Ermine [NFY]

2x Treble Lines [NFY]

1x Peppered Moth [NFY]

8x Common Swift

1x Scorched Carpet

7x Green Carpet

6x Flame Shoulder

1x Spectacle

7x Red Twin-spot Carpet

13x Rustic Shoulder-knot

3x Latticed Heath

3x Chinese Character

1x Least Black Arches

2x Waved Umber

4x Oak-tree Pug

1x Clouded Drab

1x Brindled Pug

1x Hebrew Character

1x Brimstone Moth

1x Pale Tussock

1x Common Pug

2x Angle Shades

3x Pebble Prominent

1x Muslin Moth

1x Iron Proninent

1x Scalloped Hazel

Micro Moths

2x Syndemis musculana [NFY]

1x Bee Moth Aphomia sociella [NFY]

3x Crambus lathoniellus [NFY]
1x Cnephasia sp. (pending) [NFY]

3x White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella

2x Monopsis weaverella

1x Prays fraxinella

3x Cochylis atricapitana

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella

Chinese Character

Cnephasia sp. gen det pending

Lime-speck Pug

Peppered Moth

Treble Lines

White Ermine

Catch Report - 22/05/12 - Bayfordbury University Grounds

An excellent 41 species of moth I managed to record in 2 hours of trapping from 10pm til 12am at the University grounds inbetween adjacent woodland.

The cream of the crop was a stunning Great Prominent, a first for me and one I was hoping to see at this site, having previously been recorded by Shaun Dowman at this site last year.

It literally flew in as I was packing up! a stroke of luck I would say!

Great to see more species on the wing, Broken-barred Carpet is always nice to get and a new micro was also added to my life list.

The next few nights look just as balmy, the trap was out last night in the garden and yielded a good haul, more updates on that soon.

Tonight I plan to camp out at a wood in Harlow with a few other guys to put some records on paper for a newly trapped woodland, so every record we get will be new.

The weather continues to rise to 26c+ and dropping no less than 12c at night ,with the hottest day of the expected today.

Catch Report - 22/05/12 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Bayfordbury University Grounds


Macro Moths

1x Great Prominent [NEW!]
1x Least Black Arches [NFY]
1x Broken-barred Carpet [NFY]
1x Oak Hook-tip [NFY]
1x Clouded Silver [NFY] 
2x Chinese Character [NFY] 
1x Purple Bar [NFY] 
1x Silver-ground Carpet [NFY]

4x Brimstone Moth

42x Green Carpet

7x Common Carpet

11x Oak-tree Pug

6x Brindled Pug

1x Nut-tree Tussock

4x Flame Shoulder

3x Rustic Shoulder-knot

1x Pale Tussock

1x Scorched Carpet

3x Red Twin-spot Carpet

1x Red-green Carpet

2x Waved Umber

1x Shuttle-shaped Dart

1x Common Pug

1x Garden Carpet

1x Scalloped Hazel

15x Common Swift

1x Grey Pine Carpet

Micro Moths

1x Tischeria ekebladella [NEW!] 
2x Aethes smeathmanniana [NFY]
3x Elachista argentella [NFY]
7x Cochylis atricapitana [NFY]
1x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla [NFY]
10x Crambus lathoniellus [NFY]
4x Syndemis musculana [NFY]
12x Celypha lacunana [NFY]
1x Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

1x Agonopterix arenella

1x Monopsis weaverella

Great Prominent

Broken-barred Carpet

Purple Bar

Common Carpet

Oak Hook-tip

Least Black Arches

Cochylis atricapitana

Elachista argentella

Tischeria ekebladella

Aethes smeathmanniana

Catch Report - 17/05/12 - Back Garden/Farmland

Another good night following on from last night with a few more new ones including Brimstone Moth, Silver-Y, Common Pug and Lunar Marbled Brown.

Strangely there were no Micro moths present at all. Really pleased to be seeing Hawk-moths again, and it shouldn't be long before Eyed appears in the trap. 

A minimum of 8-9c again last night, I shall be having a break over the weekend and then back to trapping monday/possibly sunday.


Catch Report - 17/05/12 - 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland


Macro Moths

2x Brimstone Moth [NFY]

1x Silver-Y [NFY]

1x Common Pug [NFY]

1x Lunar Marbled Brown [NFY]

6x Green Carpet

1x Clouded Drab

5x Muslin Moth
2x Brindled Pug 

2x Red Twin-spot Carpet
4x Flame Shoulder

5x Hebrew Character

2x Rustic Shoulder-knot

2x Angle Shades

2x Shuttle-shaped Dart

1x Nut-tree Tussock

1x Pebble Prominent

2x Poplar Hawk-moth

1x Swallow Prominent

Micro Moths

None recorded!

Brimstone Moth

Lunar Marbled Brown

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Silver-Y and I thought it was a Ni Moth at first!