Tuesday 20 June 2017

Heatwave

Loving this heatwave, getting well over 50species a night in the garden, including 2 new for garden Macros, Lobster Moth and Obscure Wainscot(19th) and micros Argyresthia curvella and Elegia similella(19th) apparently the latter is quite scarce. Other nice ones to see are Blue-bordered Carpet, Hedya salicella, both forms of pseudosciaphila branderiana, Gypsonoma oppressana and Eudonia pallida.
Obscure Wainscot

Argyresthia curvella

Elegia similella
unfortunately the Lobster was in a terrible state through being chomped by 50 or more beetles that were in the trap, they have been everywhere the last few nights, literally hundreds of them. I think they are Curtonotus aulicus. Is anyone else getting these?


Darren Seaman, Milton Keynes

8 comments:

  1. My traps are full of a much smaller beetle

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had about 30 in the trap on Monday morning here in Longwick.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've had lots - chewed up a scarlet tiger

    ReplyDelete
  4. Indeed, I had 50+ of the same or a similar beetle two nights ago. Didn't seem to cause any damage to the moths, though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The beetles are Harpalus rufipes one of our most abundant Carabidae. I get the occasional one at light but in recent days have had up to 20 or so, so yes the weather seems to have got them moving.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Never mind the moths, I've just been trapping in the Lake District and I got bitten about 20 or 30 times by midges. Going near the traps early in the evening was like torture. Next time Deet!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use "Avon Skin-so-Soft" - seems to work but if you are trapping with others it might be worth telling them why you smell so "interesting"! Peter Hall now recommends "Smidge" (https://www.smidgeup.com/) as being even better.

      Delete
  7. So that's why you look so young!

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.