Hedge Rustic, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 26th September 2006

(C) David Griffiths

A few from Elton

The Mallow Larentia clavaria


Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula


Blair's Shoulder-knot Lithophane leautieri


Dusky-lemon Sallow Xanthia gilvago


Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata f. fimbriolata


Nikon Coolpix P4 © Brian Stone

Dot Moth larva, Cambridge

Dot Moth Melanchra persicariae larva feeding on Water Forget-me-not

pete
Cambridge
Nikon CP4500

Buttoned Snout, Cambridge

This species recorded each year since starting to trap in 2004.
(Poor image; taken under kitchen lights 22:30h)

pete
Cambridge
Nikon CP4500

Pale-lemon Sallow, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 24th September 2006

Just too late for National Moth Night!
(c) David Griffiths

Bedstraw Hawkmoth, Stretham

A great surprise in our MV trap this morning.

Ian and Kathleen

Plutella porrectella, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 21st September 2006

(c) David Griffiths

Pale Mottled Willow, Cambridge

A species trapped frequently in the garden, but this individual is much browner than usual, with an obscure kidney-mark and associated white spots

pete
Cambridge
Nikon CP4500

Rosy Rustic, Cambridge

A common species generally, but the first in the garden since 2004

pete
Cambridge
Nikon CP4500

Deep-brown Dart, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 18th September 2006

Dusky-lemon Sallow, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 18th September 2006

(C) David Griffiths

Recent Elton Moths

Another Scarce Bordered Straw and Diamond-back Moth last night plus these recently.

Scarce Bordered Straw Heliothis armigera


Barred Sallow Xanthia aurago


The Sallow Xanthia icteritia


Frosted Orange Gortyna flavago


Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa


Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana


Nikon Coolpix P4 Brian Stone

Beautiful Hook-tip, Barton

Beautiful Hook-tip, Barton, Sept 06
Only supposed to appear in June-early August!

© Vince Lea

Convolvulus Hawkmoth 2, Farcet Fen

Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Farcet Fen, 17 Sept 06

The second caught here this week (see below) and clearly a different individual (as well as markings it was smaller). Caught at 160w MV.

Other migrants in the trap over night -
Pearly Underwing (1 - new for here), Vestal (2), Dark-sword Grass (1), Scarce Bordered Straw (1) and Diamond-back Moth (2).

More recent moth images on my site

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

Scarce Bordered Straws, Elton

They've taken their time but two finally arrived last night. The second of these is a female and has laid a couple of eggs.

Scarce Bordered Straw Heliothis armigera



Large Wainscot Rhizedra lutosa


Nikon Coolpix P4 Brian Stone

Pearly Underwing, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 15th September 2006

(C)David Griffiths

Scarce Bordered Straw, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 15th September 2006

One of two caught overnight.
(C)David Griffiths

Yellow-line Quaker, Elton

No migrants and precious few other moths here in Elton last night (just 19 moths of 12 species). This is the earliest Yellow-line Quaker I've taken.

Yellow-line Quaker Agrochola macilenta

Nikon Coolpix P4 Brian Stone

Scarce Bordered Straw, Farcet Fen

Scarce Bordered Straw, Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06

With Convolvulus Hawk-moth, The Vestal and Scarce Bordered Straw, the night of 14/15 Sept makes it the best night here for migrant moths I've ever had.

More recent moth images on my site

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

Convolvulus Hawkmoth, Farcet Fen

Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06

Despite the other great migrant moths caught during the summer, there's nothing quite like a biggie is there?!

It nearly filled ny little 15w actinic trap!

More recent moth images on my site

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

Another Vestal, Farcet Fen

Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06

My second of the week. Caught at 15w Actinic.

More recent moth images on my site

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

Agonopterix purpurea, Earith

Earith, Cambridgeshire 13th September 2006

The first Hunts record since 1941?
(c) David Griffiths

The Vestal, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06

Found feeding on buddleia at c.2200h. The first for here and the third in Cambs today!

Other migrants caught here overnight (MV light) included a single Diamond-back Moth and two Dark Sword-grass.

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

The Vestal, Maxey GP

My first in this country.

The Vestal Rhodometra sacraria

Nikon Coolpix P4 Brian Stone

The Vestal, Cambridge, 13 Sept 06

Rather worn, but a very neat little moth. I think the colouring suggests a more northerly or even locally bred individual, rather than a southern immigrant. Sitting on one of the rain-guard supports outside the trap at 06:00h.

pete cambridge vc 29

Brindled Green and others, Elton

Brindled Green Dryobotodes eremita


Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria


Frosted Orange Gortyna flavago


Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa


Nikon Coolpix P4 © Brian Stone

Diamond-back Moth, Farcet Fen

Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06

About time! And like buses, wait for ages and I get three in two days!

Another photo and some more recent moth photos on my site.

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

Brindled Green, Earith

Earith, Cambs 9th September 2006

(c) David Griffiths

Another chilly night - another addition to the garden list!

Webb's Wainscot, Earith

Earith, Cambs 7 September 2006


A surprise catch after a very chilly night.

© David Griffiths

Striped Hawkmoth, Cambridge

Cambridge, 7 Sept 06

Unexpected bonus from a mediocre garden trap last night

© Pete Holt (pjh@mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk)

Rusty Dot Pearl, Elton

May not be in very good nick but it's still only the third for the garden. Thanks to all who helped confirm this rather faded specimen.

Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

Nikon Coolpix P4 Brian Stone

Another Small Mottled Willow

Farcet Fen, 6 Sept 06

This fresh individual is the 12th of these scarce migrants to be caught on Farcet Fen this year.

© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com

Old Lady, Elton

No migrants in the trap last night where the highlight was an Oak Hook-tip. An Old Lady was attacted to the wine ropes and ended up in the kitchen.

Old Lady Mormo maura

Nikon Coolpix P4, Brian Stone

Farcet Fen first and more migrants

Oak Hook-tip, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06

Another garden, Farcet Fen and 5-km square first - and not an oak tree in sight of the house. There are a couple of oaks on the fen, with a few more a Holme Fen just a couple of miles away. This species apparantly also uses Silver Birch.

Dark Sword-grass, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06

A few migrants still making it through.

© Steve Dudley toadsnatcher.com

Elton in early September

Some recent highlights from my Elton garden starting with a first confirmed Dark Dagger for the garden. I probably get plenty of the adults but record them as aggregates with Grey Dagger. I don't have the adults dissected as the larvae are readily identifiable but one adult that had died in the trap did go under the microscope and was a Grey Dagger. So both are now confirmed present.

This larva was on a Victoria Plum tree.

Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens, larva


This evening an Old Lady paid an all-too-short visit to wine ropes but Red Underwing a couple of days ago was a bit more obliging.

Red Underwing Catocala nupta



Feathered Gothic Tholera decimalis, female
The last light trap session threw up this scarce visitor to the garden. Having no feathering on the antennae it took a couple of seconds to be sure of the ID.



Nikon Coolpix P4