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current posts
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Closworth 29/9/2006 Vestal 3 Silver y 1 noctuella 1 Delicate 1 Blair's shoulder knot 2
Blue Anchor, Tuesday 26th Sept. 2006
Barred Sallow,
Black Rustic - 2,
Brindled Green,
Feathered Ranunculus,
Large Ranunculus,
Scarce Bordered Straw,
Turnip Moth,
Vestal,
Rush Veneer - 2
Peter Tennant 26-Sep-06 Whitefield, Wiveliscombe
- Convolvulus Hawk-moth 1 First here since 2003
- Delicate 1
- Brindled Green 1
- Dark Sword-grass 3
- Rush Veneer 15
- Pearly Underwing 2
- Silver Y 4
Closworth 27/9/2006 Vestal4 Delicate 1 Nomophila noctuella 1
As for the other results from the National Moth Night, huge counts of all the migrants, vestals, small mottled willows, Pearly underwings, Rusty dot Pearl, Papita Unionalis, Rush Veneer, Four spotted footman(Or should that be footmen), and so many convolulus hawks.It depended on where you were. Thanks to all concerned.
My Apologies to al but these are the results of National Moth Night and our Meeting at Orchard Wood. Four others turned up to join Mike and I and my thanks to Martin, Judy, Stewart and Alistair.
Very slow night but very few hornets the record for this site is about 260 in one night BRRR. Mike Packed up his trap at 10 pm due to the impending electric storm. I escorted all off site then returned to empty the three other traps leaving my light above the sheet going. Well I did epty two traps before it hit. wet through to the skin in 60 seconds but battled on to wind up the 600 meteres of cable and retrieve a very wet sheet and copy of Skinners. However it was National Moth Night. Thanks to all
- 460 Ypsolopha parenthesella 3
- 462 Ypsolopha sequella 1
- 1062 Acleris emargana 2
- 1398 Nomophila noctuella Rush Veneer 5
- 1408 Palpita unionalis 1
- 1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 2
- 1762 Chloroclysta citrata Dark Marbled Carpet 2
- 1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 11
- 1767 Thera firmata Pine Carpet 2
- 1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 1
- 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 1
- 1914 Ennomos fuscantaria Dusky Thorn 5
- 2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 3
- 2109 Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 4
- 2110 Noctua fimbriata Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1
- 2126 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 12
- 2134 Xestia xanthographa Square-spot Rustic 1
- 2199 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 1
- 2232 Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 1
- 2248 Dryobotodes eremita Brindled Green 3
- 2269 Atethmia centrago Centre-barred Sallow 3
- 2270 Omphaloscelis lunosa Lunar Underwing 18
- 2271 Xanthia citrago Orange Sallow 7
- 2272 Xanthia aurago Barred Sallow 3
- 2273 Xanthia togata Pink-barred Sallow 1
- 2375 Rhizedra lutosa Large Wainscot 1
- 2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 11
Another Four-spotted footman (2051 Lithosia quadra) last night in Langport - I managed to tame the digital point-and-shoot this time to get a satisfactory shot.
Also pictures of a Convolvulus Hawk taken on National Moth night and a pristine Marbled Beauty (2293 Cryphia domestica) taken last night. Might this be second brood? I had 47 of these between 1/7 and 22/8 but have never had one so late in the year.
Langport, 25 Sep 06: another Convolvulus Hawk, sitting by the trap (the dog almost got it!), also Four-spotted Footman, Delicatte and Pearly Underwing. 148 Lunar Underwings!
I took a shot of the Four-spotted Footman on the digital point-and-shoot but it's rubbish so will scan in the shot I took on film when I get it back from processing.
Closworth 25/9/2006 Silver y 3. noctuella4 Vestal 4 Scarce bordered straw 1 Merveille du jour 1 Four spotted footman 1
Huish Moor, Saturday 23rd Sept. 2006
Managed about an hour and a quarter before being caught by a thunderstorm.
Scarce Bordered Straw - 3
Pink-barred Sallow - 1
Dark Sword-grass - 1
Vestal - 1
Brick - 2
Rush Veneer - 1
This year we planted a lot of Nicotiana sylvestris in the garen and this evening I watched a Convolvulus Hawk nectaring on it. A wonderful sight. More to come, I hope!
24/9/2006 Latest from last night Antigastra catalaunalis
Closworth 23/9/2006 Palpita vitrealis Vestal Scarce bordered straw Nomophila noctuella10 Chairman's Blog
Well, National Moth Night last night and all I managed to do (in the moth department that is) was leave my Actinic in the garden overnight. This morning the crane-files seem to have taken over:
Just 14 species, mainly Lunar Underwing with the Black Rustic new for the site this year.
Full trap list (Actinic 40W, ST5715, VC9, Dorset):
- 0648 Endrosis sarcitrella 1
- 0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
- 0998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 1
- 1398 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella 1
- 1764 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata 1
- 1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata 1
- 2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 8
- 2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes 2
- 2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum 11
- 2134 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa 1
- 2199 Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens 1
- 2232 Black Rustic Aporophyla nigra 1
- 2270 Lunar Underwing Omphaloscelis lunosa 51
- 2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 3
84 moths of 14 species.
Black Rustic
Crane-flies in detail
A better night in Langport last night (23rd) with a super Convolvulus hawk and a Red Underwing in the trap along with 26 other macro species.
Closworth 21/9/2006 Pearly underwing 2 Vestal 2 Silver y 2 Nomophila noctuella 21
Has anyone else had a strong second brood of Light Emerald? I had 13 in the trap between 7 June and 3 July and now 53 since 20th August!
John Bebbington
Closworth.19/9/2006 Nomophila noctuella 10 Vestal 1
James Phillips has been trapping on the Blackdowns for several years and has joined our Group.
His catch on the 11th September included 2 convolvulus hawks, 3 vestal, 2 pearly underwing, 2 scarce bordered straw, 1 dark sword grass, and again on the 13th with 10 vestal, 1 pearly underwing, 3 scarce bordered straw, 1 dark-sword grass and 1 small mottled willow. WoW
Well Done
Another good record for the Bartons at Brompton Ralph. Euchromis ocellea a rare migrant suspected to feed off imported grain. Only 3 previous records of this moth in the County

11th September, 2006
Well Done
Closworth 17/9/2006 Silver y 3 plutella xylostella 1 Nomophila noctuella1 Vestal 7 Gem 1 Pearly underwing 1 Chairman's Blog
Trap out again - yes, two nights in a row, which is pretty rare for me. Inspired by reading (on the Dorset Moth Group  latest sightings) of an influx of Antigastra catalaunalis. There is a great photo of this moth (actually 2 together!) on the Portland Observatory  latest sightings. Also an image on UK Moths  . Definitely one to keep an eye out for.
It seemed colder that is actually was last night (13°C at 23:00hrs) and again a small catch with just 16 species. Usual suspects with highlights of Small Dusty Wave and Cypress Pug.
Some snaps from the trap. I keep thinking that we never take pictures of moths like:
Large Yellow Underwing
Lunar Underwing
Nomophila noctuella
Re-posed from yesterday:
Vestal
Full trap list (Actinic 40W, ST5715, VC9, Dorset):
- 1334 Scoparia ambigualis 2
- 1398 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella 3
- 1707 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata 1
- 1764 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata 2
- 1855 Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniceata 1
- 1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 2
- 1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria 1
- 1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata 1
- 2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 1
- 2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 15
- 2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes 1
- 2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum 12
- 2134 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa 5
- 2270 Lunar Underwing Omphaloscelis lunosa 7
- 2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 3
- 2477 Snout Hypena proboscidalis 4
61 moths of 16 species. Chairman's Blog
Actinic out last night with just 13 species. New for the garden this year are the Vestal and Lunar Underwing which is another autumn signature moth. I also had a Vestal fly in through an open window on Thursday evening (14th September).
Vestal
Full trap list (Actinic 40W, ST5715, VC9, Dorset):
- 0998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 1
- 1309 Agriphila geniculea 1
- 1398 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella 1
- 1716 Vestal Rhodometra sacraria 1
- 1764 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata 1
- 1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 1
- 2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 6
- 2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes 1
- 2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum 14
- 2134 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa 2
- 2270 Lunar Underwing Omphaloscelis lunosa 6
- 2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 2
- 2477 Snout Hypena proboscidalis 3
40 moths of 13 species.
Plus lots of large crane flies, which I must say are unwelcome house guests with the family this time of year.
Closworth 15/9/2006 Silver y1 Vestal 6 Delicate 2 Scarce bordered straw 1 Black rustic 2
12-Sep-06 Loxostege sticticalis - Seventh Somerset record and first since James McGill had one in 1997.
11 and 12 Sep 06 Ostrinia nubilalis (European Corn Borer)
13 and 14 Sep 06 Rhodometra sacraria (Vestal)
14-Sep-06 Mythimna vitellina (Delicate)
Peter Tennant - Wiveliscombe
After a run of poor nights in Langport I wasn't expecting much this morning but was surprised!
As well as Silver Y, Rush Veneer and Rusty Dot pearl, there were
Convolvulus Hawk 1 (photo in pictures)
Pearly Underwing 1
Delicate 1
Vestal 1
Also 2 fresh Small Emerald (I have a good colony on a very large Clematis alpina on my shed, but a second generation was unexpected) and a fine Red Underwing.
Another new record for Somerset. Thanks to the stalwart efforts of James Mcgill he collected a lavae of some Broome at Dunster on the 13th August. The lavae soon pupated and emerged on the 31st August.
The Moth is Agonopterix scopariella a first for VC 5 & 6
Well done James
On the 3rd September Robin Barfoot caught a Cosmopolitan when He was here on holiday. A few have been seen since

Closworth 11/9/2006 Silver y Vestal 5 noctuella 2
I did Middleroom Wood (The scene of an earlier disaster this year with a manure heap) on 6th September. I had a sheet in the car park area and two robo traps out south and west. Well the greatest tally of insects were the hornets of course. I had ninety at the sheet all boxed up to stop them stinging me and eating the moths. Not so the moths in the the traps i had at least 10 Hornets in each trap and some of the identification had to be done by the wing only. All in all a scary night. I do not like hornets when trapping on your own.
The pealy underwing was a surprise and 25 Pale eggars was nice.
- 15 Hepialus sylvina Orange Swift 1
- 658 Carcina quercana 3
- 969 Pandemis corylana Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix 9
- 972 Pandemis heparana Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix 1
- 977 Archips podana Large Fruit-tree Tortrix 1
- 1425 Galleria mellonella Wax Moth 1
- 1614 Pararge aegeria Speckled Wood 1
- 1632 Trichiura crataegi Pale Eggar 25
- 1646 Watsonalla binaria Oak Hook-tip 1
- 1752 Cosmorhoe ocellata Purple Bar 1
- 1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 2
- 1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 8
- 1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 8
- 1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 1
- 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 9
- 1914 Ennomos fuscantaria Dusky Thorn 3
- 2044 Eilema griseola Dingy Footman 1
- 2064 Phragmatobia fuliginosa Ruby Tiger 1
- 2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 3
- 2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 16
- 2109 Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 2
- 2110 Noctua fimbriata Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1
- 2111 Noctua janthe Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 3
- 2119 Peridroma saucia Pearly Underwing 1
- 2126 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 9
- 2134 Xestia xanthographa Square-spot Rustic 15
- 2199 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 1
- 2269 Atethmia centrago Centre-barred Sallow 4
- 2297 Amphipyra pyramidea Copper Underwing 4
- 2306 Phlogophora meticulosa Angle Shades 1
- 2400 Helicoverpa armigera Scarce Bordered Straw 1
- 2474 Rivula sericealis Straw Dot 2
- 2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 7
This is a bit late but the latest Moth Night 1st September arranged with Mike Ridge and I did not go as planned. I set out 400 metres of cable three traps all along the track south of the carpark on the escarpment. Genrator took a bit of trouble to start ( I should have known better). Anyway the group included Andrew and Ann Duff, Roy and Joanne Swales, David Shears, Clive & Eve Loring, and Mike and I and we stood around Mike's sheet and trap and helped him. After and hour (it was a bit slow a group of us went inspect my traps. Just as we reached the first one the light went out. The generator had died. So all but a wash out with my gear though I did get and oak hooktip, swallow prominent, and A. podana which we did not get at Mike's sheet. My Thanks to Andrew for Indetfying two Micors which included Aproaerema anthyllidella which feeds on kidney vetch, clover and sainfoin. We have only 7 records of this species and only 2 others since 2000.
- 15 Hepialus sylvina Orange Swift 4
- 449 Prays fraxinella Ash Bud Moth 1
- 843 Aproaerema anthyllidella 1
- 1309 Agriphila geniculea 4
- 1344 Eudonia mercurella 2
- 1454 Dioryctria abietella 1
- 1632 Trichiura crataegi Pale Eggar 1
- 1738 Epirrhoe alternata Common Carpet 1
- 1742 Camptogramma bilineata Yellow Shell 4
- 1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 1
- 1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 6
- 1782 Horisme tersata Fern 1
- 1784 Melanthia procellata Pretty Chalk Carpet 4
- 1888 Ligdia adustata Scorched Carpet 1
- 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 11
- 2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 4
- 2111 Noctua janthe Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2
- 2126 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 18
- 2134 Xestia xanthographa Square-spot Rustic 4
- 2199 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 5
- 2297 Amphipyra pyramidea Copper Underwing 3
- 2353 Luperina testacea Flounced Rustic 2
- 2384 Hoplodrina ambigua Vine's Rustic 4
- 2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1
- 2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 1
I have managed to save the generator thank goodness
Chairman's Blog
Seems ages since I had the trap out. Actinic in the garden last night with just 15 species. Didn't expect too much as it was cold and clear (11°C at midnight) with a day old Harvest Moon beaming down. However, I still have one new species for the year: Light Emerald. Also fairly unusual is a second generation Small Blood-vein - a reflection on the mild conditions this year. Speaking of which, I still keep seeing Humming-bird Hawk Moths during the day and last night the valerian was buzzing with Silver Y's (although note that none ended up in the trap).
Light Emerald
The geometers are often a bit lively during the day and I had some trouble taking the picture above. In the end I popped the moth in the freezer for 10 seconds and then put in on a leaf. It kept still for about a minute and then started buzzing-up to temperature before flying off.
Full trap list (Actinic 40W, ST5715, VC9, Dorset):
- 0015 Orange Swift Hepialus sylvina 1
- 0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
- 1690 Small Blood-vein Scopula imitaria 1
- 1855 Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniceata 1
- 1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria 1
- 1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata 1
- 2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 6
- 2123 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi 1
- 2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum 7
- 2134 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa 5
- 2199 Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens 2
- 2297 Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea 1
- 2353 Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea 2
- 2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 1
- 2477 Snout Hypena proboscidalis 1
32 moths of 15 species.
Having had a few spare moments the past week I have done a minor tweak to the website to include automatically changing pictures. The photo on the Welcome page should now rotate every week.
Tuesday 5 September - various moths disturbed during the day:
Bathampton Down (ST7765) Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Agriphila tristella.
Bath Golf Course (ST7764) Green Carpet (very faded).
Mells Road disused railway (ST7151) Common Carpet & (ST7250) 2x Common Carpet.
Blue Anchor, Sunday 3rd Sept. 2006
Small Dusty Wave, 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, Pearly Underwing, Pale Mottled Willow, Dusky Thorn, Pyrausta Purpuralis, 2 Nomophila Noctuella
Closworth t3/9/2006 Silver y19 noctuella11 ferrugalis
4 Bordered straw1 Scarce bordered straw3 Dark sword grass 1 xylostella 1
Closworth 1/9/2006 Bordered straw Dark swordgrass noctuella 4 Silver y 5
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