Thursday, 20 August 2015

Burial Park Moths

This weeks Burial Park trap added a few to my year list with Yspolopha parenthesella, Six-striped Rustic and Copper Underwing (agg - it didn't want me to see underneath).

Also a completely new moth-trap taxonomic class for me, with a young Common Toad.

Plus, this caterpillar; any thoughts?







Also available were these; mines holes and a cocoon (?) on birch. If anyone has any ideas...



Dave Morris
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11 comments:

  1. Nigel20 August 2015 at 19:31

    Hi Dave, I think larva is a Vapourer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dave Wilton20 August 2015 at 19:45

    Actually, Nigel, I'm not so sure that is a Vapourer caterpillar. I'd prefer to see a better picture!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andrew King20 August 2015 at 19:56

    Just possibly a Yellow-tail Moth caterpillar?
    Andy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown20 August 2015 at 22:14

    I'm thinking it's a Dark Dagger larva, Dave.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dave Wilton20 August 2015 at 22:38

      That's my thought too but it needs a better image to be sure!

      Delete
  5. Dave21 August 2015 at 17:39

    I'm posting all 4 pics I have, so hopefully one of them will be enough!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dave Wilton22 August 2015 at 11:17

    Thanks for adding the extra pictures, Dave, but it hasn't really helped much! The images are rather dark but even some tweaking in Photoshop doesn't help very much. I presume that this is not a final instar larva (caterpillars can change in appearance quite a lot from one instar to the next, so knowing the size might have helped a little bit). My best guess is still Dark Dagger but it doesn't look quite right to me so don't take that as a firm ID.

    The fly mine on birch looks dipterous so could well be Agromyza alnibetulae. I take it that you will already have checked here: http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Plants/betula.htm . This web-site (and the Dutch equivalent at http://www.bladmineerders.nl/) is well worth looking at before asking questions about leaf-mines, especially as "high season" for them is only a month or so away now!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marc Botham22 August 2015 at 12:04

    Looks like one of the footman to me. First thought was Red-necked for which the markings fit but the colour is different - might be the yellow form. Keep it and rear it. I found a RNF larvae in my trap last year and reared it through very easily. BW, Marc

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  8. Dave22 August 2015 at 17:57

    Marc, I don't have the caterpillar I'm afraid. I have had RNF caterpillars on the burial park trap before, although it didn't look the same as those.

    Dave, it's always very dark in those woods and I was in a hurry to get to an appointment! I do look at the leafmines and flymines websites, but so many of these things look the same to me! There are a few I can do OK now, especially after going out with Mr King around the COAM site. I think I'd do well to attend Mr Fletcher's Leaf Mines day in the BIG calendar...

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  9. Unknown23 August 2015 at 21:30

    I'm pretty certain this is the larva of the Orange Footman.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dave27 August 2015 at 17:05

      Thanx Dave, that does look like a good bet, and the species is certainly present in the park!

      Delete

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