Question re determiners

Sorry to put this up on the blog but I'm hoping for a quick answer. I'm trying to import my 2000 or so records into Mapmate via a tab deliniated file.

If I try and put in a record the normal single entry way it's telling me the determiners I'm putting in are new - basically there doesn't seem to be any names in the list apart from me - surely the likes of the people on this blog are already on the system? The alternative seems to be to put you in as recorders - which it may not take without your locations.

I must be missing something?

A further pic of Lyonetia clerkella - cherry

Maybe this further pic will help. This time it was on Cherry and seems almost identical to the one on the Apples.

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford.

Happy Christmas (and leafminer queries)

A Happy Christmas all!

Nothing in the trap for weeks so I'm reheating some leftovers - I attempted to take some pictures back in October - had a look over the UK leafminer site, put it to one side and then had a look today.

I've made some tentative IDs, can someone confirm?

I think I have

Lyonetia clerkella (apple) - also seems to be on the Cherry.

Parornix fagivora (copper beech)

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (apple)

Phyllonorycter leucographella (apple)

Merry Christmas

I've had a very dull time since mid-November, with little trapping and no moths at all on the few occasions I lit the lamp. However, I thought you might like to see my trap's current use as a temporary Christmas bauble, placed in the treehouse which Penny and I are slowly constructing for our granddaughter. I will report on due course as to whether this contraption attracts any festive moths but a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all in any event.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Doing something wrong.....

After hearing so many reports of great December catches (especially the epic catches of around 1500 Mottled Umber in one heath trap) I chose to do my monthly surveys at Bagley Woods and Harcourt Arboretum last night, having waited for the promised 12oC and cloud to maximise the catch. The wind blew the cover off some electrics which then got wet and shorted meaning my Bagley traps were all empty though there were still 8 Mottled Umber on a nearby wall suggesting it could have been fairly good. This gave me some hope that my Harcourt traps would make up for an extremely disappointing start to the day. One trap was empty, the other had 7 Mottled Umber and 1 Scrobipalpa costella. Not a single Winter Moth or December Moth. My new garden, despite the mild weather, has yielded nothing but the odd Epiphyas postvittana, to the point where I am considering saving electricity and turning it off for a few weeks or so. What this so-far lack of winter will mean for next year's moths I don't know, but it isn't usually a good thing so I'm praying for some frosts. Marc Botham, Didcot

P.S Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!!

The first of next year's moths...

As we had an unseasonably mild night last night and because woodland is the best place to see large numbers of moths at this time of year (even if only from a handful of species), I took a single MV trap to Bernwood Forest, Bucks for a few hours to get my December 'fix' of moths.  As expected I ended up with another 100+ catch:  Plutella xylostella (1), Acleris ferrugana/notana (10), December Moth (39), Winter Moth (21), Feathered Thorn (2), Pale Brindled Beauty (1), Mottled Umber (31) & Chestnut (2).  Although not entirely unexpected, the Pale Brindled Beauty was a little early.  Dave Wilton

Pale Brindled Beauty, Bernwood Forest 17th December

     

At last, a Rusty-dot Pearl

I put my garden moth trap out last night. It was very mild (the temperature no lower than 11 degrees) and I was rewarded with the grand total of 3 moths - 1 Winter Moth, 1 Light Brown Apple Moth and my very first Udea ferrugalis. I was beginning to think they didn't like my garden, but now one has finally made a belated appearance.

Here is a photo of the Winter Moth.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Your Records Are Important!

Yes, your records really are important.  We have only another two years of recording before the cut-off date for the UK moth atlas due to be published in 2018.  For those who have yet to do so, now is the time to get your records for 2014 up-to-date and passed on to your County Moth Recorder.  Many of you will have done this in previous years and will already know in which format they would prefer to receive them (eg as a MapMate sync file or in an Excel spread-sheet), but for those of you who haven't it would be helpful if you would please contact your CMR first and ask.  Even hand-written records would be better than none at all, but it is important that you know what to include.

VC 22 (Berkshire)
Martin Harvey kitenetter@googlemail.com for all moths

VC 23 (Oxfordshire)
Martin Townsend martin.townsend4@ntlworld.com for macro-moths
Martin Corley martin.corley@btinternet.com for micro-moths

VC 24 (Buckinghamshire)
Martin Albertini malbertini@onetel.com for all moths

Remember also that their areas of responsibility are divided up according to the Watsonian Vice-County system for biological recording which basically uses the counties as they were prior to the political boundary changes of the 1970s.  The main differences between then and now relate to Berkshire and Oxfordshire (VC 22 Berkshire includes much of present-day South Oxfordshire, the River Thames acting as the boundary) and the fact that the area around Slough and Eton comes under VC 24 Buckinghamshire.  However, don't worry too much about this because the CMRs are quite used to shuffling records around between each other!  The map below gives a rough idea of the Vice-County boundaries.

Mothy Mutterings

The latest version is now available

http://www.mothscount.org/article/56/53/mothy_mutterings_november_2014.html

Peter Hall

Feathered Thorn

Still getting a few moths here in Milton Keynes, mostly December Moths, Epiphyas postvittana, Winter moth and Feathered Thorn. A couple of Mottled Umber and Brick too and a surprise Double-striped Pug last Saturday (22nd). Last night's Feathered Thorn had me confused for a moment, not seen one like this before, is it unusual?

Darren Seaman
Milton Keynes.

Black Friday

I ran a single MV light in Bernwood Forest, Bucks for a few hours last night and ended up with well over 100 moths, a very pleasing result for this time of year even if 90 of them were the same species!  Apart from all those December Moths, the trap caught Acleris ferrugana (probably), Red-green Carpet, Winter Moth, Feathered Thorn, Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber, Sprawler and Chestnut.  Back home at Westcott the garden trap just managed double figures, yet another Udea ferrugalis being joined by December Moth (4) as well as singletons of Agonopterix heracliana, Winter Moth, Mottled Umber, Dark Chestnut and, believe it or not, a very battered Snout.  Dave Wilton

Bernwood Forest, 28th November

 

No vitrealis here

The garden trap here at Westcott, Bucks was run for both of the last two nights because of the possibility of migrants on yet another mild southerly airflow.  As was only to be expected here, I got examples of Plutella xylostella and Udea ferrugalis and nothing else, but there was quite a substantial influx of the large white crambid Palpita vitrealis into southern counties.  Was anyone lucky enough to get one?  Last night's catch here comprised 18 moths of nine species, which in the garden is not bad at all for late-November:  Phyllonorycter leucographella (1), Plutella xylostella (3), Epiphyas postvittana (1), December Moth (1, a female), Winter Moth (5), Mottled Umber (3), Scarce Umber (2), Dark Chestnut (1) & Red-line Quaker (1).  Dave Wilton

Scarce Umber & Mottled Umber, Westcott 22nd November

Unseasonal

Had a potter around the garden last night and found a freshly emerged Vine's Rustic. A few steps further I was scanning some old wicker cladding that is half rotting in the corner of the garden where it has been used as a makeshift fence and found 8 Emmelina monodactyla all sat within half a square meter of one another. Moth trap was as per usual empty with the exception of a pair of Ephiphyas postvittana. One thing I have gained in my Didcot garden is a nice colony of Scarlet Tiger Moths, the larvae dotted about the garden feeding on a wide variety of plants in the absence of any of the usual suspects (Comfrey or Green Alkanet). Marc Botham, Didcot

Lighthouse

I thought you might like to see my special device for trying to attract rare immigrant moths to Thrupp. Much harrassed by poor weather, it has so far brought me only my first Winter Moth (I think) of 2014,  below.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

plumigera

I had another overnight run with a Heath trap in Bottom Wood Radnage, Bucks; last night. No luck again with plumigera, but recorded 2 Feathered Thorn, 5 Mottled Umber, 4 December moth, 2 Winter moth, 2 Chestnut, 1 Satellite, 1 Red-green Carpet and a probable Acleris sparsana.
Ched George.

Gavray Drive Meadows, Bicester

This local wildlife site on the east side of Bicester, Oxon has been under threat of development for housing for some years.  Several UK BAP butterfly species are known from the meadows and its hedgerows but one of the most recent ecological surveys carried out for the potential developers (in 2013, I believe) brought to light the existence of a small Forester colony there.  This is yet another priority species resident at the site and one which we weren't aware of.  The Forester exists in a network of small (and therefore vulnerable) colonies on suitable grassland sites in the area.  Most of them are in Bucks but a couple have recently been found just across the border in Oxfordshire, at BBOWT's new Meadow Farm reserve and now at Gavray Drive.  Pat Clissold kindly sent the picture below of a Forester taken at Gavray Drive on 18th June 2014 so at least we now have a 'proper' record of it for the county moth recorder rather than just the hint of one from a survey which will probably never reach him!  Pat also sent a nice shot of a Burnet Companion taken at Gavray Drive on 2nd June and I've included that too, just to remind us of Summer.  Dave Wilton

Forester, Gavray Drive 18th June 2014

Burnet Companion, Gavray Drive 2nd June 2014

 

Blair's Mocha

Richard Ellis had a Blair's Mocha in his Chorleywood garden trap last night, one of only four moths caught.  This is the third ever record of this rare migrant in Bucks although it is the second for Richard's garden, the first having been on 2nd October 2011.

Blair's Mocha, Chorleywood 16th November

 

One moth - much water....

Everything soaked in my trap last night, water sloshing about inside. Sensibly the moths stayed away, except for one Psychoides filicivora sheltering under the pudding basin/ rain guard. I have a colony living on the Hart's-tongue Fern in the back garden, (in Chorleywood, Bucks), so this is not too revelatory, although the time of the year is a little bit surprising. I believe the thinking is that it is multi-brooded, but I generally get them in high summer. An interesting, tiny moth which is all black except for a white spot on its back and the fact it shines metallic lilac if you tilt it to the right angle with the sunshine. No sunshine, though.

Andy King.

Plumigera

Last night was my third search in three weeks for Plumed Prominent and, better late than never, the moth seems finally to be on the wing.  A single male came to MV light at 6.45pm beneath some field maples in a wood near Marlow, Bucks.  Woodland in the Bucks and Oxon Chilterns bounded by Marlow, Stokenchurch, Nettlebed and Henley-on-Thames seems to be where it is likely to be found locally, with BBOWT's Warburg Reserve one of its strongholds.  Dave Wilton

Plumed Prominent, 15th November

Plumed Prominent, 15th November

Last Chance for Migrants?

Despite all the rain, last night's southerly winds and warmish temperature looked quite promising so, to prevent soggy egg-boxes or the trap floating away, I ran the actinic light inside our conservatory here at Westcott, Bucks to see what it brought to the windows.  Eight species turned up, including my first December Moth of the season.  The only migrants were Plutella xylostella and Udea ferrugalis but it will probably be worth trying again over the next couple of nights in case anything else was blown this far inland.  Dave Wilton

December Moth, Westcott 13th November

Udea ferrugalis, Westcott 13th November

      

Winter Moth

The first Winter Moth of the year appeared here at Westcott, Bucks last night, a week or so later than normal.  Dave Wilton

Winter Moth, Westcott 12th November

Mothing while you're Shopping

Something useful which everyone can look out for right now are active mines of Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane, a tree commonly found in supermarket car-parks.  The blister mines are large and very obvious and there are often several on the same leaf.  The pictures below are from a fallen leaf found this afternoon at Waitrose in Thame, Oxon and last year I found them at both of the large Tesco outlets in Aylesbury, Bucks.  Even the solitary tree here in our village of Westcott had the mines when checked a week or so ago.  This is another species like Ectoedemia heringella on Holm Oak and Cameraria ohridella on Horse Chestnut which is a fairly recent invader from the continent and is spreading quite quickly.
Dave Wilton

Leaf of London Plane, Thame 12th November

Mine of Phyllonorycter platani, Thame 12th November

Anania fuscalis confirmed

I also have an update on an earlier post. My unidentified micro posted on 29 Oct is now confirmed as a male Anania fuscalis, just as Martin Townsend suggested. My thanks also go to Peter for the id.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Footman Update

I've just heard back on the Footman I caught 28-10-14, it is a Hoary Footman (male).

Thanks, as always, to Peter for taking the time to look at it.

Nigel

Juniper Carpet.

An attempt to resolve Martin Wainwrights Carpet query.
Ched George.

That's it, then!

Last night's garden trap here at Westcott, Bucks produced my first zero return of the autumn so I'll be a little more selective about when I run it from now on.  There are still three macro-moths which I can pretty much guarantee seeing sometime between now and the end of December before the year list can be closed out (December Moth, Winter Moth & Scarce Umber) but, now that I'm finally up-to-date with MapMate record entries, it is already clear that 2014 has been at least as good as 2013 in terms of numbers of species caught here and may actually turn out to have been better.  The garden macro total has again exceeded 300 but by how many will depend upon some genitalia inspections still to be carried out on things like Daggers and Common Rustics.

What has been even more pleasing is the moth species tally achieved from surveying at our chalk grassland butterfly reserve at Holtspur Bottom near Beaconsfield, Bucks.  I made ten visits between March and October this year, using two MV traps set in the same positions each time.  The total from those visits currently stands at 420 but, with genitalia inspections for some 'difficult' species still to be carried out, this number should rise closer to 440.  This is an excellent result for the amount of trapping effort put in.  Not bad at all for a site that 15 years ago was part agricultural grazing land and part waste tip!

Dave Wilton
 

Larvae reared recently

I have had varying success with some species recently; I had 8 Barred hook-tip larvae feeding ok from eggs obtained from a female caught in the Chilterns back in September, but when they went to pupate in a silken cocoon on the Beech leaves they just seemed to shrivel and die for no apparent reason. I also have around 20 Square-spotted clay larvae still feeding on Ribwort plantain, slowly but surely, and I'm hoping to force these through to moths this year - according to Porter this can be done if they are kept in warm conditions. Moths in my garden trap have just about dried up here in Aylesbury, and the weather doesn't look great for the next few nights. Dave Maunder

Barred hook-tip larva, looking remarkably like a Beech bud - great camouflage!

Barred hook-tip larva, 5th instar, 11-10-2014

Square-spotted clay larvae, 4th and 5th instar, 30-10-2014

Balmy UK mix

Just back in surprisingly balmy UK after a week in much chillier Vienna, so set Robinson trap in my Sonning garden last night and rewarded with a lovely pink specimen of the Vestal, as well as 3 other garden firsts for the year: Cypress Carpet, Delicate and Mottled Umber.  Alastair Driver

Vestal

Cypress Carpet

A decent migrant at last

There wasn't much difference in the quantity in last night's actinic garden trap here at Westcott, Bucks compared to each night over the past week (nearly 30 moths of 15 species) but one individual migrant made all the difference:  the Rusty-dot Pearls were joined by a smart Delicate.  It was not a first for the garden but nonetheless came as a very pleasant surprise when checking the trap this morning.  The full list comprised Blastobasis lacticolella (1), Udea ferrugalis (2), November Moth (1), Feathered Thorn (8), Large Yellow Underwing (1), Delicate (1), Sprawler (2), Blair's Shoulder-knot (1), Green-brindled Crescent (3), Satellite (1), Dark Chestnut (2), Brick (1), Red-line Quaker (1), Yellow-line Quaker (3) & Dark Arches (1).

Delicate, Westcott 31st October

Yesterday evening I took a single trap to the greensand ridge near the Brickhills on the east side of the county in a successful attempt to find Streak.  The only places in Bucks where this moth seems to turn up these days are in Milton Keynes and in the Burnham Beeches RIS trap, yet it should be more widespread than that.  Last night's trap was placed in amongst a large amount of broom (the larval food-plant) but in actual fact I disturbed the first moth there well before it got dark.  By an hour after dusk I'd seen 21 of them - a conservative estimate - and decided to give up as my target had been achieved and in any case I was getting little else to the trap.  Blastobasis lacticolella (3), Acleris ferrugana/notana (1), Pine Carpet (1) & Oak Nycteoline (1) were the only other moths caught.  In fact a torchlight search of the broom produced more shield-bug species (Birch, Bishop's Mitre, Gorse, Hairy, Hawthorn & Red-legged) than I got moth species!

Streak, the Brickhills 31st October

Dave Wilton

Another Udea, et al

Thrupp has joined the Udea ferrugalis gang with the chap above making a change among lots of Feathered Thorns, Autumn/November moths and Epiphyas postvittanas. I've also had the two Carpets below which I think are Spruce but would be grateful for confirmation as to my unreliable eye they also look a bit Junipery.  Also in the trap: Silver Y, Sprawler, Red-green Carpets, Straw Dot (rather late, I think) and Green-brindled Crescent. Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Hi Martin, following all the comments below and Ched George's submission of a set specimen added on 6th November, for comparison purposes I've placed a picture here of the last (living!) Juniper Carpet I saw, which was five years ago now.  If the size was right I still think your examples could be candidates for it.  The moth's central bands must show a degree of variability (compare the picture below to the images in the field guide - there are differences) and the wing-tip streak(s) would probably be the first areas to get worn (Ched's set example doesn't show them particularly clearly either).  However, we'll never know for sure without a specimen to inspect closely!  Dave Wilton

Juniper Carpet, Rushbeds Wood 27 Oct 2009



Palpita vitrealis

My posts have become infrequent recently. The main reason for this is that I have moved house and no longer have that luxurious garden which seemed to attract in so many moths despite the farmers' best intentions to obliterate all living matter. My new garden in Didcot is well, errrr, not great. Having not seen it once get dark because of the extremely high levels of light pollution I am not wholly surprised but also urban gardens do become rather poor for moths at this time of year so the jury is still out and next summer will be more informative. Another reason is that my out-of-garden trapping has involved trips out of the county, namely heading south trying to catch up with some of these migrant moths that are turning up on the coast with limited success. However, in a rather ironic turn of affairs, on both the nights this week that I headed southwards I returned the following day to check my garden trap to find Palpita vitrealis, a moth I had not seen in this country until this week, along with small numbers of Udea ferrugalis and Plutella xylostella. Resident moths are almost non-existent though with only Epiphyas postvittana showing up regularly in good(ish) numbers. Marc Botham, Didcot 

Palpita vitrealis - 2nd of the week (27th and 30th October) in Didcot

Spring already?

Still no sign of any migrants other than Udea ferrugalis for me last night, but I thought this might be of passing interest - my first Hebrew Character of next year!  Dave Wilton

Hebrew Character, 30th October

Death's Head talk

Chris Powles, who discovered a Death's Head Hawk caterpillar and three pupae in Kirtlington earlier this year, as reported by Martin Townsend on the blog, would be very pleased if anyone would like to go to a talk on the subject, including subsequent developments which saw three adult insects hatch. The date and venue is Bonfire Night, 5 November, at 7.45pm at St Mary's church, Kirtlington, under the auspices of Kirtlington Wildlife and Conservation Society and Sustainable Kirtlington. Julian Howe who runs a trap in next-door Bletchingdon will give a talk and Chris Powles will show a film of one of the moths. You can also see this splendid insect on his YouTube clip here. Thanks to him for the photo above too.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Bindweed Miner

Bedellia somnulentella is a micro which I've been hoping to see at Westcott, Bucks for several years.  I've found active larval mines here on bindweed a couple of times since 2011 but up until now have never had a garden record of the adult moth.  However, one of them finally appeared in the actinic trap last night.

Bedellia somnulentella, Westcott 29th October

The garden trap continues to be run nightly at the moment in the vain hope that something unexpected might turn up, but my tiny crumbs from the large migrant cake over the past few nights have amounted to Plutella xylostella (2), Udea ferrugalis (3) & Silver Y (2).  Still, if you don't try you won't get anything!   Dave Wilton  

Hoary Footman?

This was attracted to the trap on Tuesday night (28th), I think it might be a Hoary Footman but am not totally sure. It's gone off to Peter to be examined.

Nigel

Dear All

As some of you will be aware, the persistent SW wind and warm air originating in Iberia and western France has brought a considerable influx of migratory species. Crimson Specked (1), Oleander Hawk-moth (1), Slender Burnished Brass (at least 4), Tunbridge Wells Gem (1) and thousands of Udea ferrugalis have been recorded along and near the south coast among other things.

There is already some indication that the migrants have also penetrated far inland (vitrealis in Oxon, e.g.) and this is likely to continue over the next few nights especially. Elevated sites are the most liekly to produce something. With the unusual second broods as well, we all need to look extra closely at everything. I nearly overlooked a Heart & Club this week on the south coast as I was expecting them to all be Turnip Moth.

I would also like to make a plea - as CMR for VC 23 - that anything suspected to be unusual is both photographed and retained, please (with apologies to those who already do this). Preservation of the moth (in some cases with genitalia examination) may be necessary and I am willing to come and pick it up in order to remove any doubt (and also thereby remove any possibility of the record being rejected). Many thanks.

Cookham update, and 1 query

Last night's garden trap yielded my first Feathered Thorn of the year.

The rest of the catch was probably fairly typical of what other people are finding - Red-green Carpet(7), Common Marbled Carpet(1), November Moth agg.(12), Blair's Shoulder-knot(2), Green-brindled Crescent(3), Red-line Quaker(2), Yellow-line Quaker(1), Beaded Chestnut(1), Barred Sallow(1), Light Brown Apple Moth(3) and Hypsopygia glaucinalis(1).
Finally, there was one moth shown below that has defeated me. The forewing measured 11mm, and I am assuming it is a micro? All suggestions very welcome.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Diurnea lipsiella

Like its springtime relative Diurnea fagella, only the males of this species are capable of flight, the females having much-reduced wings.  However, unlike fagella, Diurnea lipsiella isn't really a moth of gardens.  Here in Bucks there are less than 20 records, almost all of them from mature oak woodland, although it is probably under-recorded because of its late flight period.  I had two to light in Shabbington Wood (Bernwood Forest) on 20th October and six more in Finemere Wood last night.  Dave Wilton

Diurnea lipsiella, Finemere Wood 27th October

Plumed Prominent

No luck with Plumed Prominent last night in Bottom Wood Radnage, only Green-brindled Crescents, November moth species, Yellow-line Quakers, Red-green Carpets, Sprawlers, Feathered Thorns, possible Acleris sparsanas and a Chestnut. Oh, and a PRETTY CHALK CARPET!
Ched George.

December moth

I had my first December Moth of this autumn in my Radnage garden on October 23rd. Green-brindled Crescent seems to be having a good year although all specimens caught seem worn.
I am starting to try for Plumed Prominent tonight using a Heath trap in a local wood although bonfire night would be the normal flight time.
Ched George.

Nice records from Chorleywood

The 125wt trap run nightly by Richard Ellis in his garden at Chorleywood (just inside VC24 Bucks) has yet again come up trumps with some interesting moths and they are illustrated below.  The Four-spotted Footman was caught on 15th October.  There are about half a dozen previous records for Bucks, including a couple since the millennium (Turville Heath in September 2006 and Loosley Row in October 2013).  However, the smart Red Sword-grass caught two nights ago on 24th October hasn't been seen in Bucks for 42 years!  The last known record was from 19th March 1972 when one was caught in the Rothamsted Insect Survey trap then being run in Howe Park Wood, Milton Keynes.  Prior to that there are three undated sightings mentioned in Sir Eric Ansorge's book (Buckingham and Naphill without further details and Eton in 1960). 

Four-spotted Footman, Chorleywood 15th October

Red Sword-grass, Chorleywood 24th October