Garden Moth Recording 2011

Gardener3

Had to trap last night instead of Friday for the winter GMS - plenty of midgey-things, a Feathered Thorn and wing fragments from a Mottled Umber. They were a surprise as I hadn't expected any moths at all!

littlebug

Nothing in the trap again last weekend.

But... this Angle Shades ( I think) caterpillar made it's way in under the front door this morning. Don't they move fast when they want to!
That's the second time I've found one of these at the front door

Gardener3

The trap is out tonight and already 3 Winter Moths and a December Moth - more moths than I've seen at one time for weeks!

Mothman

I also have trap on and there are moths coming, but I did a tree trunk search by torchlight in the young woodland. Plenty of Winter Moths and Chestnuts (a kind of moth)

Some of the Winter Moths were mating pairs

The female is flightless, just a couple of stubs for wings. they can be seen in the photo, though not clearly. Many species that are about in winter adopt this way of mobile males and flightless females. This strategy means she can be large and carry loads of eggs. see the size of her body compared to the male.

Best time to search is the first hour of darkness. the males are flying about looking for females and the females are emitting pheromones attracting the males. the males are quite easy to see and all the females I find this evening were as part of a mating pair

murphyebass

God why did I open this thread... I hate moths. I've such an unnatural phobia towards them. Even lookin at them on the screen makes me shiver!

Mothman

An incredible 103 December Moths :eek:

Relatively few of anything and no Chestnuts despite seeing quite a few on tree trunks.

0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1631 December Moth (Poecilocampa populi) 103
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1799 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) 8
1923 Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) 2
1935 Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria) 2
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 1

littlebug

Caught a few moths in the headlights early yesterday evening so I thought the unseasonably mild weather might work in my favour and put the trap out last night but alas...:( empty trap again bar a few slugs and a worm.

Half-cocked

Another zero last night. Since the winter GMS started I have recorded 1 Angle Shades:mad:

Mothman

Despite the 113 (the 103 was incorrect) December Moths just a few days back, I got nothing last night.
Depending on how strong the wind is, tomorrow night may be productive.

Unfortunately LB and H-c, your returns for past few weeks are typical away from woodland and is the reason why so many moth recorders pack up their traps for the winter.

littlebug

I think this one came down the chimney during the night. Any ideas :pac:

Half-cocked

littlebug wrote: »

I think this one came down the chimney during the night. Any ideas :pac:

Some sort of Scalloped Santa?

Mothman

Red legged Thorn and a Blue Ribboned Square...

Single trap on tonight.
14C at moment but windy.

Mothman

Very mild, Currently 13C with me in the east and I have a few moths.
Pale Brindled Beauty
December Moth
Winter Moth

Had Hebrew Character during the week.

Gardener3

Mild but wet here - two Winter Moths on the sheet but nothing in the trap except flies

littlebug

I need to make a new moth trap.... tomorrow. The other one is beyond repair. First stop tomorrow morning is DIY shop...also need to acquire some woodworking skills somewhere.

whyulittle

Aisle 3 in Woodies - €29.99. :P

littlebug

whyulittle wrote: »

Aisle 3 in Woodies - €29.99. :P

I asked "the man" but he said they were all out

Anyhow... blue peter job done and I made a bit of a mess with the perspex but it'll see me through the winter GMS season and I'll have a proper job done for Spring. Toying with the idea of MV light for Spring...

littlebug

My new improved trap didn't make a blind bit of difference. I predict it'll be near the end of Feb before I catch a moth again.

Half-cocked

littlebug wrote: »

My new improved trap didn't make a blind bit of difference. I predict it'll be near the end of Feb before I catch a moth again.

Another zero for me last night too.

Half-cocked

And yet again, another zero! Its obvious that there are no winter moths in my area, wrong type habitat etc. So when might the 'spring' species start appearing? I didn't start trapping until March last year so might have missed some earlier moths.

Mothman

I got a single moth on Fri night, a Clouded Drab which I've just noticed may be earliest on record.

littlebug

Empty trap on friday for me too. I'm looking forward to the influx in spring

littlebug

Ta da!



All set for spring though I'll continue to use my old trap for what's remaining of the winter gms.

I don't think that rainguard will really protect from the horizontal rain we get here

eta... yes I should have take it outside for photo... but it's cold out there:o

Pissmire

littlebug wrote: »

I don't think that rainguard will really protect from the horizontal rain we get here.

Excellent job.

Try to get a coffee percolator glass. I bought one in a local shop for €10-12 a couple of years ago (after I'd lost a couple of bulbs to rain). I just made a one-piece wire frame and fitted it to the crossbar, much the same idea as you've used for your rain guard. Though I was running a mbt lamp and they run hotter and always shatter if rain hits, I believe this is less of a problem with mv lamps. I've heard some say that the percolator glass filters out some uv light, this may be true but I can't honestly say it affected my catches.

Mothman

I've a Dotted Border on my window

Nice kit LB

I use a pyrex bowl over the light which balances on sticks that traverse the trap.

Always seem to get bigger catches when I use the bowl, but then damp weather (not the stormy stuff in west ) is good for catches.

V_Moth

Put out the trap for the first time this year and was surprised to find a Hebrew Character in it this morning.

[Also, new thread for Garden Moth Recording 2012?]

Half-cocked

Trap full of flies this Friday, at least there are insects on the wing, shouldn't be too long before I start catching moths again.

littlebug

Still nothing here either. Another few weeks...

Half-cocked

Caught a Hebrew Character last night!:D So I have now doubled my entire catch for the winter GMS.

littlebug

Have the MV light out for the first time probably still a bit early for anything here but I'll keep my fingers crossed.