So I currently have 20 target species to see, and have managed 13 of them. I'm pretty sure I've failed two of them sadly, and possibly a third as well.
So, the targets are as follows.
1. Oak Beauty - Trapped garden 5th March
2. Mottled Grey - Netted N Dorset 29th March
3. Pachyrhabda steropodes - By day Abbotsbury Gardens 17th April
4. Capperia britanniodactyla - By day Hardy's Monument 17th June
5. Beautiful Snout - By day Hardy's Monument 22nd June
6. Reed Leopard - Trapped Morden Bog 11th July
7. Dingy Mocha - Trapped Morden Bog 11th July
8. Monochroa suffusella - Trapped Morden Bog 11th July
9. Emperor Moth - FAILED
10. Scythris siccella FAILED
11. Festoon - Trapped Morden Bog 11th July
12. Round-winged Muslin - Trapped Morden Bog 11th July
13. Chevron - Trapped Morden Bog 11th July
14. Beech-green Carpet - By day Portland W Cliffs 15th July
15. Helcystogramma lutatella - Portland Bird Obs 21st July
16. Hedge Rustic - Hopefully one will turn up in the garden
17. Lappet - Failed??
18. Clifden Nonpareil - Think I have 3 shots at this one.
19. Rosy Underwing - I think I have one shot for this one, will be toughy, and I'm likely to fail
20. Merveille du Jour - Hopefully one will turn up in the garden, if not, hopefully when I'm looking for Clifden/Rosys.
So yeah, I'm optimistic! :/
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Monday, 4 August 2014
Moth Targets No. 6, 7 & 8. & Also 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15! Monthly overview. Rapidfire Targets!
So last month (July), I managed several new species, of which 3 were of the original target species, and, considering I have almost certainly failed the other 2 species (both Spring species), I decided to move on to my next 10 species, of which I managed 5 last month.
So let's start at the start of last month. What was nice was several Gold Swifts at my local patch, a wonderful little moth. A colourful little heathland species, sadly a few of his scales fell off in the pot, but still a wonderful moth.
The next moth would have been next year's target, had I not managed it this year. It is the rather nice Small Emerald. Feeding on Clematis, I had several in the new garden. Probably to replace it next year will be either Large or Blotched Emerald, both species I've not seen yet. (Grr!)
Now we're getting onto the target species. On the 11th July I trapped at Morden Bog nature reserve in East Dorset, which is where I managed to get the majority of this years targets.
The main target species of the night was Reed Leopard, and indeed, Reed Leopard was what we got! I had tried for it last year at the same site, but sadly failed, (but still managed a good few species), but this year, we tried in a different spot, and that proved successful with 2 of them turning up.
So the other 2 "main" target species were also trapped that night, being the notable Monochroa suffusella, a small micro which feeds on (in?) cottongrass, and is classed as a proposed RDB species, and also the Dingy Mocha, which is also a RDB species which feeds on Sallow.
Not likely to get my 9th target species now, I gave up, and moved on to my second & final bunch of targets for this year. Of which, a large bunch were "ticked" off at Morden Bog.
Firstly (or rather, No. 11) was the notable Festoon, which also means I have seen representatives or all Britain's resident macro moth families.
No. 12 was extremely common that night, in fact, it was the second most common species (after True Lover's Knot, which almost reached 200 individuals!), and is one of the footman which I have been missing for a while. It was the bog species which is Round-winged Muslin. We managed a total of 90 in the traps, and despite being one of the duller footmen, was very pleasing (for me, at least).
The last target species (No.13) produced that night was the Chevron, a rather nice "Northern Spinach-like" moth, found mostly on heaths in Dorset. I have since found it on my local patch on an evening walk.
There were several other species which were equally nice, including Dotted Border Wave, Rosy Wave, Purple-bordered Gold, Silver Hook (NFR), Marsh Oblique-barred (NFR), Lesser Cream Wave (NFR), Beautiful Brocade (NFR), Sharp-angled Carpet (NFR), Dark Tussock (NFR), and on the micro front, Elachista serricornis (NFR) Dioryctria sylvestrella, Chilo phragmitella (NFR), Endothenia ericetana (NFR), Pempelia genistella (NFR), Donacaula mucronellus & D. forficella (NFR).
And, within the first 1/2 hour I managed to find both, the Portland geometrid which is the Portland Ribbon Wave, which I have seen once before, when it turned up in the garden, and Target No. 14, the Beech-green Carpet, which is a true lovely moth. If you have never seen this species, do try to! I also managed 2 new micro species, which was nice.
And so, target species No. 15 was managed the following week, when we had a thunderstorm (though that did not really lead to that species turning up, just me coming into contact with that species).
I was a bit foolish and didn't run a trap, but Portland did, and they got a pretty decent haul, including a rather nice macro, which was new for mainland UK, the Southern Grass Emerald (or, if you use Leraut's guides, Bright Emerald), so, I had to go & see it. It took me two days to finally get out there, and the moth total when I got there contained 12 new species, 6 macros & 6 micros. The macros were as follows: Southern Grass Emerald, Dark Crimson Underwing, Sub-angled Wave, Splendid Brocade, Clouded Magpie & Wormwood. The first 5 were immigrants from the continent, but the latter is a rather nice resident species. While I wasn't willing to photograph the geometrids out of pots (as they'd likely bugger off), I decided to put the noctuids on a rock, and due to Sod's Law, they decided to start wing warming.. All except the Dark Crimson Underwing, which decided to up & go! (Thankfully the doors were shut!).
And the 6 new micros were Monochroa palustrella, Pediasia aridella, Anerastia lotella, Vine Moth, Oidaematophorus lithodactyla (rock finger??) & the target species, which was Helcystogramma lutatella.
I didn't do much more mothing (other than garden trapping) until the very end of the month, as on the 29th I got down to Alners Gorse in north Dorset, where I had the largest number of species I have ever managed in one night. A total of 176 species (of adults that is) was produced, from netting, trapping & sugaring.
There were 6 new species, 5 micros and one macro, which was the Small Scallop. Also were several species which I've only seen on the odd occasion before, such as Old Lady (a very nice moth), Bulrush Wainscot, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Mocha, Double Kidney, & Olive (the last 3 I have only seen at Alners Gorse).
Thus the month ended well, having seen 82 species which were new for me, which, all in all, is pretty decent for a 4th year mothing. I also managed several species which are very common, which have avoided me for the last 3 years, which were Common Lutestring, Double Square-spot & Purple Bar.
So let's start at the start of last month. What was nice was several Gold Swifts at my local patch, a wonderful little moth. A colourful little heathland species, sadly a few of his scales fell off in the pot, but still a wonderful moth.
Male Gold Swift - Potted out & about
The next moth would have been next year's target, had I not managed it this year. It is the rather nice Small Emerald. Feeding on Clematis, I had several in the new garden. Probably to replace it next year will be either Large or Blotched Emerald, both species I've not seen yet. (Grr!)
Small Emerald - Garden Trap
Now we're getting onto the target species. On the 11th July I trapped at Morden Bog nature reserve in East Dorset, which is where I managed to get the majority of this years targets.
The main target species of the night was Reed Leopard, and indeed, Reed Leopard was what we got! I had tried for it last year at the same site, but sadly failed, (but still managed a good few species), but this year, we tried in a different spot, and that proved successful with 2 of them turning up.
Reed Leopard - Morden Bog
So the other 2 "main" target species were also trapped that night, being the notable Monochroa suffusella, a small micro which feeds on (in?) cottongrass, and is classed as a proposed RDB species, and also the Dingy Mocha, which is also a RDB species which feeds on Sallow.
Not likely to get my 9th target species now, I gave up, and moved on to my second & final bunch of targets for this year. Of which, a large bunch were "ticked" off at Morden Bog.
Firstly (or rather, No. 11) was the notable Festoon, which also means I have seen representatives or all Britain's resident macro moth families.
Festoon - Morden Bog
No. 12 was extremely common that night, in fact, it was the second most common species (after True Lover's Knot, which almost reached 200 individuals!), and is one of the footman which I have been missing for a while. It was the bog species which is Round-winged Muslin. We managed a total of 90 in the traps, and despite being one of the duller footmen, was very pleasing (for me, at least).
The last target species (No.13) produced that night was the Chevron, a rather nice "Northern Spinach-like" moth, found mostly on heaths in Dorset. I have since found it on my local patch on an evening walk.
There were several other species which were equally nice, including Dotted Border Wave, Rosy Wave, Purple-bordered Gold, Silver Hook (NFR), Marsh Oblique-barred (NFR), Lesser Cream Wave (NFR), Beautiful Brocade (NFR), Sharp-angled Carpet (NFR), Dark Tussock (NFR), and on the micro front, Elachista serricornis (NFR) Dioryctria sylvestrella, Chilo phragmitella (NFR), Endothenia ericetana (NFR), Pempelia genistella (NFR), Donacaula mucronellus & D. forficella (NFR).
Rosy Wave - Morden Bog
Dark Tussock - Morden Bog
During the next week, I decided to try to get my next target species, and on the 15th I decided to head on over to Portland. I had two species in mind which I wanted to see, but only one was a year target. And, within the first 1/2 hour I managed to find both, the Portland geometrid which is the Portland Ribbon Wave, which I have seen once before, when it turned up in the garden, and Target No. 14, the Beech-green Carpet, which is a true lovely moth. If you have never seen this species, do try to! I also managed 2 new micro species, which was nice.
And so, target species No. 15 was managed the following week, when we had a thunderstorm (though that did not really lead to that species turning up, just me coming into contact with that species).
I was a bit foolish and didn't run a trap, but Portland did, and they got a pretty decent haul, including a rather nice macro, which was new for mainland UK, the Southern Grass Emerald (or, if you use Leraut's guides, Bright Emerald), so, I had to go & see it. It took me two days to finally get out there, and the moth total when I got there contained 12 new species, 6 macros & 6 micros. The macros were as follows: Southern Grass Emerald, Dark Crimson Underwing, Sub-angled Wave, Splendid Brocade, Clouded Magpie & Wormwood. The first 5 were immigrants from the continent, but the latter is a rather nice resident species. While I wasn't willing to photograph the geometrids out of pots (as they'd likely bugger off), I decided to put the noctuids on a rock, and due to Sod's Law, they decided to start wing warming.. All except the Dark Crimson Underwing, which decided to up & go! (Thankfully the doors were shut!).
And the 6 new micros were Monochroa palustrella, Pediasia aridella, Anerastia lotella, Vine Moth, Oidaematophorus lithodactyla (rock finger??) & the target species, which was Helcystogramma lutatella.
Southern Grass (or Bright) Emerald - Portland Bird Obs
Dark Crimson Underwing - Portland Bird Obs
I didn't do much more mothing (other than garden trapping) until the very end of the month, as on the 29th I got down to Alners Gorse in north Dorset, where I had the largest number of species I have ever managed in one night. A total of 176 species (of adults that is) was produced, from netting, trapping & sugaring.
There were 6 new species, 5 micros and one macro, which was the Small Scallop. Also were several species which I've only seen on the odd occasion before, such as Old Lady (a very nice moth), Bulrush Wainscot, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Mocha, Double Kidney, & Olive (the last 3 I have only seen at Alners Gorse).
Lunar-spotted Pinion - Alners Gorse
Bulrush Wainscot - Alners Gorse
Small Scallop - Alners Gorse
Thus the month ended well, having seen 82 species which were new for me, which, all in all, is pretty decent for a 4th year mothing. I also managed several species which are very common, which have avoided me for the last 3 years, which were Common Lutestring, Double Square-spot & Purple Bar.
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