Saturday 14 May 2016

Decent range, small numbers, a few mysteries

Not bad going over the last week or so in our garden in Wolvercote, Oxfordshire: numbers to our actinic light aren't spectacular, but there's been a nice range of species, including a few old friends and some unfamiliar. Among the former, Angle Shades, Pale Tussock, Waved Umber, Swallow Prominent, Chinese Character and Pebble Prominent, as well as hopefully the first of many Flame Shoulders, Clouded Borders and Heart and Darts.

Angle Shades, 8/5/16

Chinese Character, 8/5/16

Pebble Prominent, 8/5/16

Swallow Prominent, 9/5/16
We've had a couple of nice micros: what we think is the rather neat-looking Grapholita jungiella, and a possible Pammene rhediella, which would be new to our garden list.

Presumed Grapholita jungiella, 7/5/16

Possible Pammene rhediella, 10/5/16
The pug season has started, of course, and I think we have below a rather dark Brindled Pug and a Common Pug - but we'd welcome confirmation or other suggestions. Finally, there's also what is presumably a rather battered Common Quaker or Clouded Drab, but again confirmation would be great.

Steve and Xander Goddard

Possible Brindled Pug, 8/5/16

Possible Common Quaker or Clouded Drab, 8/5/16
Possible Common Quaker or Clouded Drab (or White-marked), 8/5/16


Possible Common Pug, 12/5/16

5 comments:

  1. Yes to Grapholita jungiella and Pammene rhediella (I presume you have hawthorn nearby for the latter - the moths like flying in sunshine and can be found sitting around on the blossom). Of the last three, I'd guess that both Pugs are Common. The middle one is more interesting, though, as that's the kind of condition which White-marked fades into.

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  2. Many thanks, Dave: yes, plenty of hawthorn hereabouts. White-marked simply hadn't occurred to me; though my immediate reaction was "it looks a bit like a Square-spot Rustic", before remembering it was totally the wrong time of year. I've added our only other photo of it, though I don't think that's going to shed much light on things.

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    1. Unfortunately the second image doesn't get us any further forward. I still favour White-marked, but not enough to say that's definitely what it is. Probably too late now for 2016 but one to keep an eye out for early next year.

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    2. I'd be delighted with rhediella, which I've never seen. It seems the distribution is a bit patchy. I think this might be a cue to target this moth one sunny day in the not-too-distant future.

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  3. Thanks, Dave - I suspected the second photo wouldn't do much good. Well, I'll put it down as a very tentative possible, and as you say, keep an eye open next year. And yes, Andrew, rhediella was nice to see (can't say it had been on my radar at all, so good when something just shows up out of the blue).

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