October/early November 2021

October started with a cold night on the 3rd with only Square-spot Rustic and Beaded Chestnut trapped.

Square-spot Rustic

Beaded Chestnut

The 7th brought a return to unseasonably warm temperatures but only 4 moths, 2 Barred Sallow, the year first, and 2 Light Brown Apple Moth.

Barred Sallow

Light Brown Apple Moth.

The 10th brought Beaded Chestnut, Red-green Carpet and Large Yellow Underwing.

Red-green Carpet

Large Yellow Underwing

The 13th I was down to just a Common Marbled Carpet.

Common Marbled Carpet

The 17th brought Feathered Thorn, new for year, but otherwise only a Light Brown Apple Moth.

Feathered Thorn

The 19th brought Spruce Carpet new for year as well as 3 Red-green Carpet, Common Wainscot and a November/Autumnal Moth agg that got away without a proper look.

Spruce Carpet

Common Wainscot

The 23rd brought two each Spruce Carpet and Red-green Carpet.

The 27th only brought a Red-green Carpet. Mild although windy but the short term forecast at least was for much cooler nights.

Next trapped on the a mild 9th November but only got a Red-green Carpet.

Finally out on the 18th with out success.

Although occasionally tempted on unseasonably mild nights but with out success I don’t start trapping regularly until March.

Check my recent blog posting on general insects over the summer in the village.

September 2021

Surprisingly the first time out on the 3rd brought another increase in numbers up to 47 and with warmer weather forecasted maybe the best night is yet to come. New were Sallow and Poplar Hawk-moth.

Poplar Hawk-moth

Sallow

Added on 6th were Common Wainscot and Setaceous Hebrew Character.

10th brought Dusky Thorn, Vine’s Rustic and Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.

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  Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

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  Vine’s Rustic

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  Dusky Thorn

Recent weeks I have seen good numbers of small orange moths around the village in the canopy of trees. Finally on the 11th I managed to get one settled and confirmed as male The Vapourer.

I had previously had the caterpillar at Tophill Low NR in 2013 but this was the first time I’d photographed the moth.

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  Male The Vapourer at Millbeck Wildlife Area

Then on the 12th added it to my garden list as well as new for the year Angle Shades and Eudonia angustea.

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  Angle Shades

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  Male The Vapourer

After numbers staying high first half of September on the 16th they fell to 15 of 6 species.

On the 18th numbers were back up to 25 of 12 species with new for me Brindled Green.

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  Brindled Green

On the 21st number dropped to only 12 of 6 species but added Lunar Underwing.

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  Lunar Underwing

On the 24th numbers increased to 26 of 9 species including new for year Red-green Carpet and Beaded Chestnut.

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  Red-green Carpet

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  Beaded Chestnut

The 26th threatened to be the last warm night of 2021 but although the rain held off it was very windy and numbers dropped to 7 of 5 species [Garden Rose Tortrix, Vine’s Rustic, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Light Brown Apple Moth].

Finally on the 30th had the same numbers but included first for year Blair’s Shoulder-knot.

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  Blair’s Shoulder-knot

August 2021

August started warm and the first trapping on 3rd saw better numbers adding Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Marbled Beauty and Campion.

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  Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

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  Marbled Beauty

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  Campion

Cooler from the 6th with lower numbers but a better variety with Ear Moth agg [only identified to species by genital dissection] and The Crescent new for me and Small Fan-footed Wave [last in 2018] new for year and Common Carpet first this year in trap.

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  Ear Moth agg

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  Crescent

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  Small Fan-footed Wave

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  Common Carpet

Even lower numbers on 9th but Blastobasis adustella was added.

Blastobasis adustella

12th brought Oegoconia quadripuncta, Borkhausenia fuscescens and Small Square-spot.

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  Oegoconia quadripuncta

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  Borkhausenia fuscescens

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  Small Square-spot

Although seen earlier in the field I had the first Silver Y in the the garden on 14th.

Silver Y

15th added Lesser Yellow Underwing and Garden Rose Tortrix.

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  Lesser Yellow Underwing

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  Garden Rose Tortrix

Although not a year tick I managed to photograph Udea lutealis in Millbeck Wildlife Area on the 16th.

Udea lutealis

18th brought nothing new but although not in the numbers in earlier years saw an increase in numbers of Large, Lesser and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings as well as my second [of the year and ever] Pale Prominent and the largest count so far at 38.

Pale Prominent

22nd saw the highest total so far at 40, again mainly “yellow underwings” but species total was up including Twin-spotted Wainscot new for me and Catoptria falsella and Old Lady new for year.

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  Twin-spotted Wainscot

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  Catoptria falsella

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  Old Lady

26th saw a further high at 42 again due to “yellow underwings” and brought the first Copper Underwing and Flame Shoulder of the year.

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  Copper Underwing

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  Flame Shoulder

28th, with a definite autumnal feel, brought what is likely the final high at 43 with Canary-shouldered Thorn and Blood-vein as year firsts.

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  Canary-shouldered Thorn

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  Blood-vein

Finally the 30th was even more autumnal with numbers well down but brought a new moth in the form of Small Ranunculus. An Interesting history as my copy of Bernard Skinner [1998] classes it as extinct, UKMoths site as returning to sites in the south but Yorkshire Moths has a very small number of records. Both websites seem well out of date. The 2019 distribution map shows a wider distribution but still very few north of the R.Humber.

Small Ranunculus

July 2021

July started warm but often wet but numbers remained similar to June.

First trapping was on 5th adding Common Emerald and Crambus pascuella.

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  Common Emerald

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  Crambus pascuella-not a natural pose more like a picture from an old moth collectors guide

Next time out on 8th brought Apple Ermine, Scalloped Oak, Phoenix, Barred Yellow, Clouded Border, Mottled Rustic and Smoky Wainscot. The best species count so far at 17.

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  Apple Ermine

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  Scalloped Oak

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  Phoenix

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  Barred Yellow

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  Clouded Border

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  Mottled Rustic

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  Smoky Wainscot

10th added Small Blood-vein, Spectacle, Flame and Marbled Beauty. Another increase in species to 19.

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  Small Blood-vein

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  Spectacle

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  Flame

12th brought Eudonia mercurella, Small Fan-foot, Common Footman and Common Rustic agg.

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  Common Footman

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  Common Rustic agg

13th had a Twenty-plume Moth on the kitchen window

Twenty-plume Moth

Mid July brought hot and dry weather allowing me to safely trap in the open. Fortunately the tree/bushes around the garden are now thick enough to avoid annoying the neighbours but unsure whether this actually improves numbers. One negative issue could be fewer moths found outside the trap on the summerhouse.

15th Three Brown-tail were new for me. Also Elephant Hawkmoth and Single-dotted Wave were new for 2021, and, although regular in the field, Yellow Shell was first this years in the trap.

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  Brown-tail

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  Elephant Hawkmoth

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  Yellow Shell

18th brought the biggest total so far at 31 of 18 species. New for 2021 were Early Thorn, Acleris forsskaleana, Endotricha flammealis and Fan-foot.

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  Early Thorn

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  Acleris forsskaleana

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  Fan-foot

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  Endotricha flammealis

Outside the remit of the blog but added Blackneck to my life list in North Yorks on the 19th.

21st was when the weather cooled and numbers were down with nothing new. 24th was even cooler with even less but added Swallow-tailed Moth and Red-barred Tortrix.

Swallow-tailed Moth

Another small haul on 26th despite being humid but added Mother of Pearl and Clay.

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  Clay

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  Mother of Pearl

Finally another cool night on 29th with low count but Agriphila straminella and Clepsis consimilana new for year.

First half of 2021

The title hints at how poor, up to late May at least, this year has been. The moth numbers are declining nationally and this year has had some cold spells.

I rarely trap in winter as never catch anything and after a small number of empty traps the 25 March brought the first moths, with a Hebrew Character and Clouded Drab then the 30th added Herald, Beautiful Plume and Double-striped Pug.

Hebrew Character

Clouded Drab

Herald

Beautiful Plume

Double-striped Pug

Next new moths were on the 20 April with Buff Ermine and Common Plume

Buff Ermine

Common Plume

Otherwise April was quiet followed by a cold May. The next new moth was the 22nd May, the first of several Bee Moths found indoors.

Bee Moth

It warmed up late May with the first Scalloped Hazel and Light Brown Apple Moth on the 28th.

Scalloped Hazel

Light Brown Apple Moth

Then the 31st added Shuttle-shaped Dart, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, Brimstone and Rustic Shoulder-knot.

Shuttle-shaped Dart

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  Garden Carpet

Green Carpet

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  Rustic Shoulder-knot

3rd June brought the first of many Bright-line Brown-eye

Bright-line Brown-eye

On 7th June Flame Carpet, Yellow-barred Brindle, Uncertain and Mottled Pug were added.

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  Flame Carpet

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  Yellow-barred Brindle

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  Uncertain

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  Mottled Pug

On 10 June Pale Prominent was new for me.

Pale Prominent

Also added Small Magpie, Willow Beauty, Green Pug, Heart and Dart, Large Yellow Underwing, Brown Silver-line [3rd record] and Spruce Carpet.

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  Small Magpie

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  Willow Beauty

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  Green Pug

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  Heart and Dart

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  Large Yellow Underwing

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  Brown Silver-line

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  Spruce Carpet

On 11 June had my first Cinnabar in Millbeck Wildlife Area [no picture due to lack of camera].

The 13 June added Green Silver-line, Common Marbled Carpet and Brown China-mark.

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  Green Silver-line

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  Common Marbled Carpet

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  Brown China-mark

16 June brought Anania coronata, a dark Minor agg, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix, Codling Moth, Freyer’s Pug and Garden Grass Veneer. 

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  Anania coronata

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  Minor agg

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  Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix

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  Codling Moth

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  Freyer’s Pug

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  Garden Grass Veneer

24 June brought Riband Wave, Pseudargyrotoza conwagana [one of my favourite micros] , Marbled Orchard Tortrix, Beautiful Hook-tip [2nd record], Celypha Striana and Small Dusty Wave.

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  Riband Wave

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  Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

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  Beautiful Hook-tip

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  Celypha Striana

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  Small Dusty Wave

27 June added Snout, Garden Pebble, Double Square-spot, Silver-ground Carpet [although seen a few in the field] and Light Emerald.

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  Snout

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  Double Square-spot

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  Garden Pebble

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  Light Emerald

Finally on 30 June added, the first of many, Dark Arches.

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  Derk Arches

September/October 2016

Autumn was very quiet. In September Garden Rose Tortrix was a year first on the 9th.

Garden Rose Tortrix-Acleris variegana

Brick was a new moth at the 12th.

Brick-Agrochola circellaris

The 24th brought year firsts Barred Sallow and Beaded Chestnut.

Barred Sallow-xanthia aurago

Beaded Chestnut-Agrochola lychnidis

Finally on the 28th Blair’s Shoulder-knot, another year first.

Blair’s Shoulder-knot-Lithophane leautieri hesperica  

In October the nights were mainly cold and but did warm up in the last few days and 26th brought the years first Acleris Sparsana.

Acleris Sparsana 

Juniper Carpet was a year first on the 28th.

Juniper Carpet-Thera juniperata

Lastly Feathered Thorn was a year tick on the 31st.

Feathered Thorn-Colotois pennaria

November is currently cold. May trap again if it gets milder again but otherwise this is the last post this year. Whether I continue next year I haven’t decided. From experience with my main blog insects in general don’t attract much interest. If I do I’ll try to be more current.

August 2016

August

Agriphila tristella, Crambus perlella and Shuttle-shaped Dart were year firsts on the 7th.

Shuttle-shaped Dart-Agrotis puta

Yellow Shell although common in the field isn’t to light being only my 4th record and 1st for 3 years.

Yellow Shell-Camptogramma bulineata

Oegoconia agg., Canary-shouldered Thorn and Square-spot Rustic were firsts for the year on the 14th and Silver Y first to light.

Oegoconia agg.

Canary-shouldered Thorn-Ennomos alniaria

Square-spot Rustic-Xestia xanthographa

Silver Y-Autographa gamma

Borkhausenia fuscescens was a new moth on the 17th.

Dusky Thorn on the 21th was only my 2nd record, the previous in September 2015.

Dusky Thorn-Ennomos fuscantaria

Lesser Yellow Underwing was a year and Mother of Pearl and Beautiful Plume were year firsts in the trap having seen the first at High Eske NR in July and the latter at KGV Rec in May.

Lesser Yellow Underwing-Noctua comes

Beautiful Plume-Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Caloptilia robustella was a new moth on the 23th and Codling Moth, Double-striped Pug Flame Shoulder, Square-spot Rustic and Old Lady were year firsts.

 Caloptilia robustella

Codling Moth-Cydia pomonella

Flame Shoulder-Ochropleura plecta

Double-striped Pug-Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Old Lady-Mormo maura

Mouse Moth was a year first in the trap having seen one during the day at Tophill Low NR.

Mouse Moth-Amphipyra tragopoginis

Honeysuckle Moth was a new moth on the 27th.

Honeysuckle Moth-Ypsolopha dentella

Small Dotted Buff  was a new moth on the 30th.

Small Dotted Buff-Photedes minima 

July 2016

July

On the 3rd had Phoenix new for the year.

Phoenix-Eulithis prunata

Beautiful Hook-tip on the 6th was new for me and a good moth locally.

 

Beautiful Hook-tip-Laspeyria flexula

Also new for me was Garden Pebble.

Garden Pebble-Evergestis forficalis

Other year ticks were Swallow-tailed Moths, Dark Arches and Anania coronata.

Swallow-tailed Moth-Ourapteryx sambucaria

Dark Arches-Apamea monoglypha

Anania coronata

 The 12th added Gothic,  Eudonia mercurella and Currant Pug. 

Gothic-Naenia typica 

Eudonia mercurella

Currant Pug-Eupithecia assimilata

15th brought Small Blood-vein, Scalloped Oak, Cabbage Moth and Crassa unitella.

Small Blood-vein-Scopula imitaria

Scalloped Oak-Crocallis elinguaria

Cabbage Moth-Mamestra brassicae

Crassa unitella

The  19th added Mint Moth, 2nd generation Early Thorn and Small Dusty Wave.

2nd generation Early Thorn-Selenia dentaria

Small Dusty Wave-Idaea seriata

The 21th brought Clouded Border, Common Rustic agg, Blastobasis adustella, Bird-cherry Ermine, Small Fan-footed Wave, Clay and Acleris forsskaleana.

Common Rustic agg-Mesapamea spp.

Blastobasis adustella

Bird-cherry Ermine-Ypononomeuta evonymella

Acleris forsskaleana

Clay-Mythimna ferrago

Small Fan-footed Wave-Idaea biselata

 On the 25th Argyresthia goedartella was a life and Endotricha flammealis a year tick .

Argyresthia goedartella

The 28th brought Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Crambus pascuella, Burnished  Brass and Fan-foot.

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing-Noctua janthe

Crambus pascuella

Burnished  Brass- Diachrysia chrysitis aurea

Fan-foot-Herminia tarsipennalis

Finally  31th added Carcina quercana, White Satin and Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix.

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix-Pandemis heparana

Carcina quercana

White Satin-Leucoma salicis

June 2016

On the 4th added White Ermine to my life list.

White Ermine-Spilosoma lubricipeda

Epiblema cynosbatella was the first since 2012.

Epiblema cynosbatella

Green Carpet was a year tick.

Green Carpet-Colostygia olivata

The 7th added to the  year list Brimstone Moth, Heart and Dart, Chrysoteuchia culmella and Mottled Pug.

Brimstone Moth-Opisthograptis luteolata

Heart and Dart-Agrotis exclamationis

Garden Grass-veneer-Chrysoteuchia culmella

The 10th added Elephant Hawkmoth and Small Magpie.

Elephant Hawkmoth-Deilephilia elpenor

Small Magpie-Eurrhypara hortulata

The 14th brought Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawkmoth and Ghost Moth.

Poplar Hawkmoth-Laothoe populi

Ghost Moth-Hepialus humili humili

On the 21st Small Rivulet was only my second record and first for the garden, the previous at Tophill Low NR in June 2012.

Small Rivulet-Perizona alchemillata

Year firsts were Straw Dot, Common Marbled Carpet, Peppered Moth, Marbled Beauty,  Uncertain and Freyer’s Pug.

Straw Dot-Rivala sericealis

Peppered Moth-Biston betularia

Common Marbled Carpet-Chloroclysta truncata

Marbled Beauty-Cryphia domestica

Uncertain-Hoplodrina alsines

24th added Riband Wave,  Light Emerald, Celypha lacunana,  Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix,

Marbled Orchard Tortrix, Barred Yellow and The Flame.

Riband Wave-Idaea aversata

Light Emerald-Campaea margaritata

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix-Pandemis cerasana 

Barred Yellow-Cidaria fulvata

The Flame-Axylia putris

27th brought Garden Carpet, Common Footman, Large Yellow Underwing and

Mottled Rustic.

Common Footman-Eilema lurideola

April/May 2016

April was slow starting with Hebrew Character on the 2nd.

Hebrew Character-Orthosis gothica

The 4th was more interesting with several Common Plume at work and an Early Thorn found on Travis road, my first 1st generation.

Common Plume-Emmelina monadactyla

1st generation Early Thorn-Selenia dentaria 

The 7th brough the first of many Bee Moth in the house.

Bee Moth-Aphomia sociella

The 17th I caught the first of many Light Brown Apple Moths.

Light Brown Apple Moth- Epiphyas prostvittana

In May things got better

The 2nd brought only my 3rd Herald.

Herald-Scoliopteryx libatrix

Also Yellow-barred Brindle.

Yellow-barred Brindle-Acasis viretata

On the 7th year firsts were Twenty-plumed Moth on Travis Road and  Early Grey and Eudonia angustea in the trap.

Twenty-plumed Moth-Alucita hexadactyla

Eudonia angustea

Early Grey-Xylocampa areola

I then waited another 8 days for the next year tick with Scalloped Hazel on the 15th and then on the 16th Beautiful Plume in KGV rec.

Scalloped Hazel-Odontopera bidentata

Beautiful Plume-Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

The 17th brough the years first Common Pug.

Common Pug-Eupithecia vulgata 

The 20th added Campion  and White-shouldered Moth to the year list.

Campion-Hadena rivularis

Also the years first Cockchafer

The last trapping of the month on the 26th added Buff Ermine, Flame Carpet, Bright-line Brown-eye and Angle Shades.

Buff Ermine-Spilosoma luteum

Flame Carpet-Xanthorhoe designata

Angle Shades-Phlogophora meticulosa

Bright-line Brown-Eye-Lacanobia oleracea