Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

Despite heavy rain and high wind we had (FFY) a Pale Brindled Beauty in the trap NOT a Brindled Beauty as I first thought.

Nowt.

Two more FFYs last night - an Early Moth (the first record for 4 years) and a White-shouldered House-moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) - this one in the trap, not the rainwater butt.  (For the benefit of newer readers of this blog who may be puzzled by this comment, I have had a history over the years, of finding these little moths in the butts on numerous occasions, some still alive, but mostly drowned - they seem to find this a far more attractive landing-site target than the trap lights !)

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

Despite a heavy frost we had our first 2016 moth - a Common Quaker.

Hooray !  Two moths last night, one in each trap, both (hardly surprisingly) FFY - Hebrew Character (actinic) and Agonopterix arenella (MV), the first since November 2012.

Two moths recorded trapping on Sunday night from my Mum's garden in Frome as follows: 1 x LBAM and 1 x Chestnut. I could almost have copied and pasted Steve Chapple's post!

Another nil return - they must be out there somewhere, but clearly aren't coming to play here.

T Min 9.8°C. After two blank nights earlier in the month the 2016 season got underway here last night with single LBAM, Double-striped Pug, Brindled Pug and Engrailed, the latter a FFG.

Well Steve, that's two more than I got !!  Another "Nil Return" here, I'm afraid.  Looks like the forecast for the next day or two isn't good (more "wet & windy" coming), although tonight's may be ok if we can believe what they say.

After a long barren spell I can't possibly complain with two moths last night, a Chestnut and a Light-brown Apple Moth. With the mild, dry, weather and light southerly winds I had hoped for more.

First moths of the year (a day too late for the Garden Moth Sheme which drew yet another blank!). One each of Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Agonopterix heracliana and Amblyptilia acanthadactyla.

Also two frogs 'singing' in our pond - the earliest we have recorded.

First time out with the trap produced just the one December Moth.This was not the first moth of the year however, that honor went to the micro Carpatolechia decorella found in the bathroom on Jan 13. Only 5 previous Somerset records apparently. Many thanks to Paul Wilkins for confirming the I.D.

My first trapping of the year at home produced just one moth, a Satellite but it was a first for me so I'm happy with that.

I'll be trying at Mum's garden on Sunday night which looks a lot more promising with a higher temperature and more cloud (I shouldn't say that should I)!

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

At last a warmer night and we caught our first moth for 2016 . Alas It was only a Winter moth.

At last, weather conditions permitted a trapping session. Alas, the moths didn't agree, and stayed home !!

This is late news but last August (21st) Robin trapped an unknown macro in his Merriott trap. Dr. Phil Sterling has just kindly confirmed that it is only the second British record of The Wedgeling Galgula partita which is basically N. American but has colonised the Canaries, Madeira and Spain where it is now endemic.

There is a third record from S. Wales but the moth came out of a parcel sent from Kentucky!

I will try to get some photos from N. American sources, including the larva which is amazing!

Ihave obtained permission from two North American photographers to use their images. The first is a larva (I know we are unlikely to find these in Britain (yet!) courtesy of Yurika Alexander and the second is the pale form of the adult courtesy of Mark Dreiling (both members of the NOrth American Moth Photographers' Group at Mississippi State University.


Galgula partita larva ©Yurika Alexander


Galgula partita adult ©Mark Dreiling.

Still leaf-mines to be found - today at Asham Wood Stigmella aurella on bramble and a vacated Ectoedemia subbimaculella mine on oak.

A very few sallow catkins were starting to show signs of emergence.  Hopefully the moths that feed on them will manage to synchronise their emergence.

The paper "Comparing wine-based and beer-based baits for moth trapping: a field experiment" made for interesting reading and something I might like to try out later in the year; it seems Large Yellow Underwings are preferentially wine-drinkers whereas Turnip Moths prefer beer.

http://www.sef.nu/download/entomologisk_tidskrift/et_2008/ET2008%20sid129_134.pdf 

Garden Moth Scheme last night so out went the MV trap - no moths, but a female Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis.

A single Winter Moth on the kitchen window.

One solitary Winter Moth(FFY !) sitting on the wall beside the MV trap late last night, but nothing inside either trap this morning. Well, it was pretty cold, with a slight frost on the ground, so no real surprise.

Just a very large Black Sexton Beetle, Hebrew Character and Winter Moth here.

First trapping of the year, and lo! and behold!  - 2 moths.  One each Dotted Border and Mottled Umber, the latter being the first one since December 2013.

Nigel - that must be one of the earliest Painted Lady sightings ever!

Trapping so far this year hasbeen a blank - the only sighting to report is leaf mines of Firethorn leaf Miner Phyllonorycter leucographella in Langport Town garden while walking the dog in pouring rain!

Hope you'll forgive me for posting about butterflies here but I couldn't contain myself :-) This Painted Lady was on the wing at Roughmoor this lunchtime. If 2016 continues in this vein it'll be quite a year!

Happy New Year everyone.

Stop Press: Painted Lady seen in the same place again today Jan 4th

One lone Mottled Umber last night. Happy New Mothing Year to all.