Garden Moth Recording 2011

Mothman

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Sorry if this is annoying, bit it is useful to know what species are most likely. I am surprised with how many there are considering the lack of sunshine today, but there is no frost, unlike the previous few nights.

thebishop

At least we can look up the ones you are getting in the book.Good for practise.:)

Gardener3

They're creeping up slowly, now there's a Pale Brindled Beauty, 2 March Moths and what looks like a Light Brown Apple Moth - new one for me so I'll have to confirm it in the morning .....

littlebug

Yay I have moths!

I thought there was nothing in the box at first but there was one (photographed but as yet unidentified) on the underside of the parasol and a plume moth* (assume Emmelina Monodactyla until further inspection) on the netting of the trampoline. Closer inspection of the box tells me there are at least 5 more in there. Coffee needed before I begin the next task!

* will be henceforth known as stickmoth in our house

Mothman

Excellent LB Delighted you got something.
A bumper catch with me. 270moths!!
125w MV Temp 5-6C so not especially mild, but cloudy all night.
2nd highest single count of Clouded Drab in the MothsIreland database - nearly 1400 records. I've been informed of a higher count in Donegal but I don't have this record yet
The trap is nowhere near the Sallow...do I dare put it under the sallow which is flowering. Could double the catch :eek:

0468 Rhigognostis incarnatella 1
0701 Agonopterix ocellana 1
1061 Acleris literana 1
1659 Yellow Horned (Achlya flavicornis) 1
1663 March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) 21
1746 Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata) 1
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 5
1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 7
1930 Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) 5
1934 Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) 11
2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) 3
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 72
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 87
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda) 9
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 34
2237 Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus) 1
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 4
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 6

Not much missing...just a few hibernators such as Pale Pinion, Red-green Carpet, Satellite, Red Sword-grass, Herald.

littlebug

I think if I'd had 270 moths I'd have thrown in the towel already!
I had a total of 15 moths.

1524 Emmelina Monodactyla x 4 (micro so not included in GMS?)
2188 Clouded Drab x 4
2187 Common Quaker x3
2190 Hebrew Character x2
1663 March Moth x1

and this one that I'm not sure of

Mothman

Another Clouded Drab. Some forms of Twin-spotted Quaker can be similar to some forms of Clouded Drab.
There are quite a few micros on the GMS list, without looking, I don't know if Emmelina Monodactyla is among them.

A good start for you and possibly already an insight into the variations within a species.

thebishop

Hard frost here again last night.Got 3 Common Quakers.Nothing else. At least I know the trap works.

littlebug

thebishop wrote: »

At least I know the trap works.

That was my first thought too

Mothman wrote: »

possibly already an insight into the variations within a species.

You're not joking. Aside from that one I spent half an hour mulling over one of the powdered common quakers

Gardener3

Oh well at least I didn't have to count my way through 87 Clouded Drabs.

March Moth x 2
Chestnut x 2
Clouded Drab x 2

plus a micro that flew off too quick to pot and a Pale Brindled Beauty (sadly not on the GMS list!)

Its been cloudy all day so I'm off to the woods with the 6W Actinic battery trap in the hope of better luck tonight

Mothman

Some photos....



More to follow...

Mothman

Quakers...left to right
Small Quaker, Twin-spotted Quaker, Hebrew Character, Clouded Drab, Common Quaker


All Common Quaker


All Twin-spotted Quaker


Couple Early Grey, a Honeysuckle species


Grey Shoulder-knot, has hibernated. The "shoulder-knot" refers the the black line at either shoulder.


Dotted Border, Shoulder Stripe


Pale Brindled Beauty, Dotted Border, Oak Beauty


Yellow Horned

littlebug

Well I've obviously learned something already as I was able to identify the common quakers and hebrew characters straight off from your top pic.

Here are my two favourite photos from yesterday.

Emmelina Monodactyla


and clouded drab. Not a great photo but he is free range you know :cool:

littlebug

Week 2 and it's belting it down here in Mayo No self respecting moth would venture out in that.
How are the rest of you doing?

Gardener3

Co. Cork and the wind has eased off, broken cloud and drizzle.

So far
March Moth x 4
Chestnut x 1
Engrailed x 1
Pale Brindled Beauty x 1

littlebug

Just one little micro braved the snow :eek: and made it in to my trap last night.
If I can't figure it out I'll put a pic up tomorrow.

edited to add.... quick and easy to id.. a white shouldered house moth.

Mothman

I stayed in mild zone all night with temps 7-9C, but it was a moth unfriendly 9C and while Orthosia species came in numbers, there was little of anything else.

Robinson 125w mV

1663 March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) 2
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 2
2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) 4
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 87
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 53
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda) 12
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 29
2237 Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus) 1
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 2

Gardener3

Patchy cloud and drizzle at midnight, sleet and snow by morning .....
To my surprise the 40W Actinic had

Chestnut x 1
Clouded Drab x 6
Common Quaker x 2
Dotted Border x 1
Double-striped Pug x 1
Engrailed x 2 (not on GMS list)
March Moth x 7
Pale Brindled Beauty x 2 (not on GMS list)
Twin-spotted Quaker x 1

thebishop

Too wet here last night to put the trap out.Hope tonight might be better.

thebishop

Had trap out last night. Temp was -2 early in the night up to +2 later with light showers.No moths to report, total blank.

Gardener3

I put a 6W trap out in the woods last night and not a thing.
Quick rule of thumb seems to be if its too cold for midges its too cold for everything else!

Mothman

Gardener3 wrote: »

I put a 6W trap out in the woods last night and not a thing.
Quick rule of thumb seems to be if its too cold for midges its too cold for everything else!

Also a good indication of where to place a trap, where the midges are flying. Not helpful if there are no midges, but as you've found out, probably don't bother!

littlebug

week 3.

It's milder here tonight than last friday (currently 6.9) but cooler than the first night trapping. Of course I went mooching at the trap to see were there any moths in it yet and one went fluttering past my head :rolleyes: So they're not arriving in droves but there appears to be some interest.

Mothman

A big contrast to previous week, when it was Orthosia species and little else. This time the Orthosia species were down a lot to be replaced by Geometrids.
The max temp last night was lower than the min temp the previous week, with min temp this morning of 1C

Robinson 125w MV
1663 March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) 19
1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 1
1930 Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) 7
1934 Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) 1
2182 Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) 6
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 30
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 33
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda) 4
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 34
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 1

littlebug

Cooler here this week with min temp 1.6C which brought me one solitary March Moth.

thebishop

Good frost here again last night. Sum total of 2 moths. 1 Common quaker.1 clouded drab.

Gardener3

Beautiful moon, but not too good for mothing!

Singles of Clouded Drab, Early Grey, Hebrew Character and Pale Brindled Beauty and 5 March Moths

Half-cocked

I've just set my moth trap for the first time this year, so fingers crossed. Met the resident urban fox in the garden when I went out to switch it on. She was squatting in the middle of the lawn having a poop and didn't budge until she was finished! We stared at each other at 10 feet for about 20 seconds before she ran off,leaving me with a very smelly present:D

littlebug

Half-cocked wrote: »

I've just set my moth trap for the first time this year, so fingers crossed. Met the resident urban fox in the garden when I went out to switch it on. She was squatting in the middle of the lawn having a poop and didn't budge until she was finished! We stared at each other at 10 feet for about 20 seconds before she ran off,leaving me with a very smelly present:D

lovely image h-c

You might have more luck if it's milder tonight than some of us had the last few weekends. I think we're heading for another cold weekend too.
I'm tempted to put the trap out on one of the milder nights just to see...:o

Mothman

littlebug wrote: »

I'm tempted to put the trap out on one of the milder nights just to see...:o

Oh do!
don't pass up on a mild calm cloudy night

Also familiarise yourself with Diurnea fagella
A large micro moth that is on the GMS list but not in the guide book.