Garden Moths 2014

V_Moth

2 Common Quakers in the trap this morning were the first moths the year for me. Anyone else get anything interesting so far?

Half-cocked

1 Common Quaker on Friday night. I had a Agonopterix heracliana back on the 17th Feb. Those are my only 2 moths for 2014 in my garden so far.

But back on the 22nd Feb on a friends farm in Co Kildare I caught:

Common Quaker x 1
Dotted Border x 1
Chestnut x 3
March Moth x 2
Pale Brindled Beauty x 1

Apart from the Common Quaker, they were all new species for me. Having some mature deciduous woodland obviously makes a big difference. I wish I could run a GMS trap down there but it is too far to travel every week:(

thebishop

Common Quaker x1 On Friday night.Blank the first night.

thebishop

Two moths last night.
Oak Beauty x 1.
Early Grey x 1. Min temp 6c.

Half-cocked

Early Thorn x 1
Early Grey x 1
Common Quaker x 3

V_Moth

In the trap this morning:

-Common Quaker (1)
-Hebrew Character (1)

V_Moth

Better variety this morning:

-Common Quaker (2)
-Hebrew Character (1)
-Dark Sword Grass (1)

Half-cocked

Last night:

2 Common Quakers
2 Hebrew Characters
2 Early Greys
2 Agonopterix heracliana

Half-cocked

Last nights Hebrew Characters:

Half-cocked

11 Early Greys, 4 Hebrew Characters and 2 Common Quakers last night despite the temp dropping to below 3 deg C.

Had my first Double-striped Pug of the year on Weds night. Didn't trap GMS night due to weather conditions.

debarra156

First ever session last night.

3 Common Quakers
2 Hebrew Characters

thebishop

Blank here on Friday night. Weather didn't help.
This Oak Beauty from The week before.[/URL

V_Moth

A couple of days ago in the garden:

-Hebrew Character (2)
-Early Grey (1)
-Early Thorn (1)
-Agonopteryx oceallana (1)
-Common Quaker (2)

Half-cocked

2nd ever Irish record of a Tawny Pinion in my garden last Sunday night! Plenty of Early Greys, Hebrew Characters and Common Quakers around plus a Beautiful Plume.

Half-cocked

I'm catching a lot of Hebrew Characters. In previous years it would be 1 or 2 per night, now I'm getting 15-20 per night. Is this just happening in my area or are other people seeing the same?

thebishop

Not much happening down here. One C
ommon Quaker on Friday night.

V_Moth

Half-cocked wrote: »

I'm catching a lot of Hebrew Characters. In previous years it would be 1 or 2 per night, now I'm getting 15-20 per night. Is this just happening in my area or are other people seeing the same?

Looking through my sightings, I am recording a few more than in the previous few years as well. Maybe more survived due to the mild winter?

Two Hebrew C's were the only thing in the trap this morning.

Half-cocked

Had a Robin perched on the 15w actinic bulb this morning, still switched on. Might explain why there were no moths on the outside of the trap!

V_Moth

Last night was the best so far this year:

Common Marbled Carpet (4)
Muslin Moth (1)
Knot Grass (1)
Grey Pine Carpet (1)
LBAM (1)
Peppered Moth (1)

The Knot Grass is new for the garden

thebishop

Not much happening down here either. 3 moths last Friday night. 2 the week before. There might be a few tomorrow night with the warm weather.

Woodville56

Can any of you moth experts or enthusiasts recommend a user friendly guide book on moth identification for species likely to be found here ?
Most of the books I've seen have hundreds of species , some not occurring here. For a newbie to moth ID like myself, hard to wade through pages & pages looking for an ID match when so many of them look similar to the untrained eye.
Is there a good user friendly field guide /ID guide to common Irish moths ?
Thanks !

V_Moth

Woodville56 wrote: »

Can any of you moth experts or enthusiasts recommend a user friendly guide book on moth identification for species likely to be found here ?
Most of the books I've seen have hundreds of species , some not occurring here. For a newbie to moth ID like myself, hard to wade through pages & pages looking for an ID match when so many of them look similar to the untrained eye.
Is there a good user friendly field guide /ID guide to common Irish moths ?
Thanks !

I started with the "Guide to Garden Wildlife" (http://www.nhbs.com/guide_to_garden_wildlife_tefno_157962.html), which gives about 10 pages of the commoner moths. However, you will almost certainly find something that is not illustrated, which can be quite frustrating. As such, the best option at the moment is the "Concise guide to moths" (http://www.nhbs.com/concise_guide_to_the_moths_of_great_britain_tefno_152238.html), which illustrates all the species found in Britain & Irl. For micro moths this is the best (http://www.nhbs.com/field_guide_to_the_micro_moths_of_great_tefno_184355.html?ad_id=1509).

I know it is quite daunting initially to see 140+ pages of moths, but with a bit of experience you can quickly place any unfamiliar moth to family level at least (Carpets/Hawkmoths/Noctuids) and this significantly cuts down the number of pages to look through. As quite a few non-Irish species are illustrated it may be worth going through the species maps on mothsireland.com and making notes on those that are likely to occur in your area.

Also, feel free to post any unidentified moths here and I am sure you'll get some help. Other options are the moths ireland email exchange or the Birdforum moths pages.

Half-cocked

More cockchafers than moths in my traps the last few nights.

splish

Water carpet

V_Moth

Last night:

May Highflyer (3)
Cockchafer (1)

The earliest record of May Highflyer in the garden by almost three weeks.

V_Moth

10 species last night:

Cockchafer (4)
Least Black Arches (1)
The Spectacle (1)
Common Marbled Carpet (3)
May Highflyer (1)
Heart & Dart (1)
Muslin Moth (1)
Miller (1)
Clay Triple Lines (1)

The last two are new for the garden. The Heart and Dart is the earliest record by two weeks.

Half-cocked

Had my first ever Muslin Moth on Friday night, 12 species in all.

thebishop

Two new for the garden on Friday night.A Fox moth and a Lobster moth.

Woodville56

Anyone be able to ID this moth - I think ?
Seen today on my local woodland path !

V_Moth

Woodville56 wrote: »

Anyone be able to ID this moth - I think ?
Seen today on my local woodland path !

Nice find - a Brown Silver-lines.

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1902

Woodville56

Thanks for that ID V_Moth ! Is the Brown Silver-lines moth common here ? Was looking in common butterfly & moth field guides but couldn't find it ! Habitat description fits exactly - loads of Bracken along the woodland paths !