Small Emerald Cambridge 2 July 2014

Small Emerald Hemistola chrysoprasaria with unusual inner cross-line

pete holt
CB1 3ST
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Cypress Pug

Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniceata, Cambridge, 26.viii.2013.
Adult to light, probably a first record for vc29.
Pete Holt
CB1 3ST
40W actinic

Vestal, Farcet Fen, 2 Aug 13

This Vestal was in the trap this morning with a couple of Diamond-backed Moths.

I caught three Vestals back in 2006 - see here for these and another Cambs record from 2006 and 2012.

Attracted to 125W MV.

Vestal Rhodometra sacraria

Hook-tips, Farcet Fen, 27 Jul 13

A double hook-tip catch included a garden first, Beautiful Hook-tip and only my third (from memory) Pebble Hook-tip.

Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula

Pebble Hook-tip Drepana falcataria

Small Ranunculus, Little Paxton.

Swallowtail-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria 17.07.13 St Ives, Cambs

Privet Hawk-moth Sphinx ligustri 01.07.13 St Ives, Cambs

Toadflax Brocade larvae 16 July 2013

Some of the 15 Toadflax Brocade Calophasia lunula larvae in the garden currently. Significant variation in size and one plant has the majority of the caterpillars


pete holt
cb1 3st

Orange-tailed Clearwing, Paxton Pits.

Scarlet Tiger, Little Paxton

Toadflax Brocade larva

Toadflax Brocade Calophasia lunula larva and exuvia 4.ix.12

pete holt
CB1 3ST
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Possibly 1478b Vitula biviella ??

A pyralid moth caught in July 2012 which i've struggled to identify. The best guess so far is 1478b Vitula biviella, although i'm not sure that this has been recorded in vc29 before. Help appreciated!

pete holt
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

The Vestal, Cambridge

The Vestal Rhodometra sacraria to light, Cambridge, 19.viii.12

pete holt
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Tree-lichen Beauty, Cambridge

Tree-lichen Beauties Cryphia algae to light, Cambridge, 14 August 2012

pete
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

White-point, Cambridge 20 August 2011

White-point Mythimna albipuncta to light, a garden first. (Compared to an example of The Clay from a few weeks ago).

pete
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

White-spotted Pinion, Soham 14/8/11

Some recent Cambridge moths

Brown-line Bright-eyes Mythimna conigera

Southern Wainscot Mythimna straminea

The Clay Mythimna ferrago

Old Lady Mormo maura feeding on buddleja species at night

Least Carpets Idaea rusticata........

Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata

Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa

pete
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Cambridge, 9 July

Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea to light, first record for the garden. A much-anticiapted species, since it's been reliably recorded within a few hundred metres of the house. Copper Underwings have been subject to much scrutiny since 2004, but when an example like this appears, its obvious!

pete
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Cambridge, 16 May

Toadflax Brocade Calophasia lunula to light, probably the first record of an adult moth for vc29. The moth refused to pose for photos on Purple Toadflax, where we found the larvae last year, hence this record shot only.

pete
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Cambridge, 7 May 2011

Unidentified geometrid larva, 20 mm, possibly Plain Wave Idaea straminata?


Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta feeding on Cotoneaster horizontalis at night


Tawny Shears Hadena perplexa to light, first record for the garden

pete
CB1 3ST
40W actinic
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Emperor Moth, Elton

To garden MV trap on 8th April.

Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia, female

© Brian Stone Canon Powershot A640

Ranunculus...

Ran the trap on Thursday night in my garden in Swavesey and had this small moth in there. My first impression was that it looked like a Small Ranunculus - but according to the book they fly Jun-Aug??

Hatley moths

Frosted Orange

Large Wainscot

Hatley moths

Large Thorn

Orange Sallow

Centre-barred Sallow

Cambridge, 8 September

Two larva found by my daughter, Anna (aged 4 years & 4 months), in our garden this morning. She also picked out the image in the book to identify it. Toadflax Brocade Calophasia lunula; one on Purple Toadflax seedhead, the other on a crab apple which the toadflax was growing into. First record for vc29 of this species, which is expanding its range away from the south coast. Mike Weedon recorded an adult to light in Peterborough, a first for Cambs but vc31 for recording purposes, on 15 August this year. Both larva pupated within 48h. A third larva found a few days later: it emerged from the ground beneath Purple Toadflax after watering. This larva passed to John Dawson. Hopefully at least one will yield an adult moth early next summer.

pete
CB1 3ST
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38