Pictures of the same old moth keep turning up on moth blogs all over the country. Catching a Bordered Straw is old hat, now. To be really in with the in-crowd you have to catch a second one on a different date in a different place. Like this one (naturally). If it's remarkable at all it is because this came to my garden which, as a general rule I don't think of as much of a migrant-magnet, probably because it is surrounded by trees.
More photogenic, I think, is this Six-belted Clearwing, which pleasantly surprised me by turning up in my sweep-net at 'my' A41 layby near Drayton Beauchamp, while I was looking for Dichroramphas.
I guess when it turn up for me it will be pretty tatty having been all around the country!
ReplyDeleteThat was a nice find in the net, Andy! Have you ever tried the lure for it? Bird's-foot trefoil is everywhere but I've had more luck finding the moth at 'brown-field' type sites than in managed wildflower meadows or on chalk downland, so your lay-by would seem to be typical habitat for the moth.
ReplyDeleteNo, Dave, I've not bought any lures, yet. It's one of those things where I think I'll spend a whole season concentrating on them. I think I'm right in saying you are not the only one to find the clearwing on Brownfield sites; I seem to remember Colin Plant saying so, (unless I've got the species wrong, I'm really not well up on clearwings). The layby had just been crudely mown, too and, of course, has more than its fair share of rubbish.
DeleteAndy
I look forward to another addition to the Dissection site
ReplyDeleteI used the API lure down at Portland on Sunday morning in one of the quarries, the results were impressive - I had one arrive within about 30 seconds of putting out and over the course of the next 10 minutes I had at least 10 buzzing around and settling on the lure.
ReplyDeleteSorry Peter I did not retain any.
Rob Payne