Scraping at the barrel...

Quite literally, and just bits and bobs from my garden recently.

On the 20/03/20 I found 4 Diplodoma laichartingella larvae in my garden, I don't often see the adult (Just twice before) All cases were exited sadly, maybe older than last years.. who knows.

Last night (30/03/20), I blanked. 
Well I thought I did. Setting up this evening for another cold night I was just putting the actinic tubes together on the cross-member and a really tired Satellite fell into the paml of my hand! 

I'll take that, it not only saved me from a blank but it was also a new moth for the year.

The third interesting thing, was that after sighting several Ruby Tiger caterpillars crawling across the patio since last October, it was great to find a cocoon attached to one of our outside chairs, the pupa is wiggling well and I look forward to it emerging soon.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 30. 

Diplodoma laichartingella

Ruby Tiger Pupa

Satellite

Another early record!

And by 5 days, I thought it was mega early but I usually start seeing them in the first week of April.

Nut-tree Tussock headed a catch comprising of 12 moths of 6 species last night to the actinic trap here in Stevenage, North Herts... an incredible catch considering it was just 1c.

Still cold at nights and fairly uninspiring, but with beautiful warm and sunny days, which is set to change after tomorrow.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 27.

Nut-tree Tussock

Emperor Moth on day 2 of trying = Result!

Once again, it was nice to get a bit of fresh air in the garden this afternoon, and with light warm winds once more, the Emperor Moth lure was popped out for only 30 minutes and one lively Male appeared from over the fence (3:31pm) and was quickly netted, potted up and cooled down in the fridge, an hour later and after photographs he was released and whizzed back over the neighbouring gardens.

This is my earliest record by 25 days! with all previous records between 19th and 29th of April.

The lure is now packed away in the freezer until next year now.

Mompha jurassicella to EMP lure!

Today, I popped the EMP lure out for the Emperor Moth... a little early, but with light warmish winds and the warmest day of the year here at 17 degrees I thought I may as well try.

Nothing unfortunately, but there was what looked like a fly flitting about the lure in the sunshine. As I got nearer, it was clear that is was a moth from the way that it was flying.
It was to be a year first Mompha jurassicella, a recent colonist in my garden here in Stevenage and previously quite rare in the County.
I have now recorded it four years in a row, usually in the daytime as it seldom comes to light here. 

The trap last night yielded just 3 moths, 1 each of Hebrew Character, Common Quaker & Clouded Drab.

The trap is on again tonight, but the temperature has alreasy dropped again sadly.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 25.

Clouded Drab

Common Quaker

Mompha jurassicella

Two new species for the year from the garden trap

On Monday night (16/03/20) it was a bit cold, there were only 8 moths in and around the trap. 
The only moth of note wasn't anywhere near the trap, it was flying around the kitchen, no doubt blown in from the garden from me going in and out to check on the trap.

Last night (17/03/20) it was about the same, made up mainly by 8 Hebrew Characters. A single Early Grey was good to see at the bottom of the trap and was the 24th moth species for the year here in Stevenage, North Herts

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 24.

Double-striped Pug

Early Grey

Bramfield Woods - Field Trip

A debut session in the woods at Bramfield recently, was well worth it to add some early season records to the site list.
I need to tote the site list up properly at some point.
Best moths this week were at least 8 Lead-coloured Drabs, Oak Nycteoline and a female Diurnea fagella in copulation on a tree.

The weather has been mild during the day peaking at around 14c and only dropping to around 8-10c, but with a persistent South-west breeze and that shaved a few degrees of that temperature.

Below is the list that we managed on the trips.

Catch Report - Bramfield Woods - Central Herts - 6 traps - 1x 125w MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear MV Robinson Trap, 1x 250w MV Trap, 1x 160w MBT Trap, Led Skinner Trap and 40w u-tube + twin 20w Wemlite + 15w Actinic tube & 15w Synergetic tube Trap

Macro Moths

Brindled Pug 6

Chestnut 6

Clouded Drab 5

Common Quaker 15

Early Thorn 1 

Engrailed 12

Hebrew Character 4

Lead-coloured Drab 8

Oak Beauty 4

Oak Nycteoline 1 

March Moth 25

Satellite 2

Shoulder-stripe 3

Small Brindled Beauty 2

Small Quaker 50+

Twin-spotted Quaker 8

Yellow Horned 21

Micro Moths

Acleris notana/ferrugana 1

Agonopterix alstromeriana 1 

Agonopterix heracliana 1

Diurnea fagella 50+

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella 1 

Emmelina monodactyla 1

Eriocrania sp pos sangii/semipurpurella 

Diurnea fagella in copulation

Diunea fagella

Engrailed

Eriocrania sp TBC

Lead-coloured Drab

Shoulder-stripe

Small Brindled Beauty

Yellow Horned

Latest from the garden moth trap in March

Well, the storms seems to have finally eased. We have had three solid weeks of either high winds or heavy rain, and in most instances, both at the same time!

Therefore trapping has been sporadic and unsuccesful on certain attempts on warm nights.

From the 23rd of February until the 10th of March, I attempted 3 times, 2 were blanks and the other I managed just two Common Quakers.

The 10th of March faired much better with a day-time mean temperature of 14c and a low of 8c at night, it seemed a good idea to fire up the trap once more.
A modest catch of 17 moths of 7 species was still very pleasing for here.
The biggest surprise was my earliest Epermenia chaerophyllella, by 28 days, a regular here in my garden with both broods usually turning up.

Last night I ran it again and was pleasantly surprised to record 4 new for year species, Twin-spotted Quaker the best, a rare moth here.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 22.

Catch Report - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

10/03/20 - 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

Common Quaker 4
Small Quaker 1  
Hebrew Character 7
March Moth 2
Oak Beauty 1

Micro Moths

Epermenia chaerophyllella 1 [NFY]
Emmelina monodactyla 1



Catch Report - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

14/03/20 - 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

Clouded Drab 3 [NFY]
Twin-spotted Quaker 1 [NFY]
Common Quaker 6  
Hebrew Character 10  
March Moth 3 
Oak Beauty 3
Small Quaker 3

Micro Moths

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1 [NFY]
Diurnea fagella 1 [NFY]

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Clouded Drab

Clouded Drab

Diurnea fagella

Epermenia chaerophyllella

Twin-spotted Quaker

Slim pickings even in suitable habitat

Possibly the warmest night of the year last night, and just 4 moths to my garden 125w MV trap, pretty dire and nothing to get excited about, 2 each of March Moth & Common Quaker.

Further afield I ran three traps where I work at a Cressbeds.
Being surrounded by water it does get rather chilly at times, even during clear Summer evenings.

The night had been mild, but far too windy and with a deluge happening at some point during the night, this really did hamper the catch.

Below are my results.

Pick of the bunch was a nice fresh Early Thorn.

Also, a single caddis was in my MV trap, I can't recall ever recording one this early before, I am unsure of the species so any help appreciated.

Next Tuesday I will hopefully get in the 'warmer' woods and try again.

Catch Report - 07/03/20 - Gadesprings Watercress Beds - West Herts

40w Actinic

Common Quaker 1
March Moth 1

40w Actinic + 2x 20w Wemlite

Common Quaker 2
Early Thorn 1
Hebrew Character 1
March Moth 1
Small Quaker 1

125w MV Robinson Trap

Hebrew Character 5
March Moth 2

Caddis sp

Early Thorn