Sunday, 1 November 2015

Coleshill moths

Only a handful of moths overnight in the garden at Coleshill (VC 22) but this footman was unexpected. A very late Scarce Footman, or something more interesting?

 Diurnea lipsiella (male) was the only new species, if my ID is correct.

Diurnea lipsiella?
Scarce Footman?
Scarce Footman?

Scarce/Hoary Footman hindwing

Olly Fox
Coleshill

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4 comments:

  1. Dave Wilton1 November 2015 at 15:13

    Hello Olly, Diurnea lipsiella is definitely correct and I would suggest that it is quite unusual to get as a garden record. Unlike its springtime relative Diurnea fagella, this is a much less common species and is normally restricted to oak woodland. In Bucks we have fewer than 30 records in total and they are all from within that habitat apart from one (and that's from a garden which backs onto oak woodland).

    The footman needs looking at more closely whichever species it is, because this is very late now for both Hoary and Scarce. You could start by trying to view the hind-wings (the differences are shown clearly in the field guide).

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  2. Dave Ferguson1 November 2015 at 16:10

    My money is on Hoary Footman. I've had a few of these in my garden in Beaconsfield. One easy difference between the two species that I've noticed is the colour of the underside of the abdomen. If it is grey then it is a Hoary. If it is purple then it is a Scarce.

    Dave Ferguson

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  3. Unknown1 November 2015 at 17:35

    Thanks to both of you for your comments. The footman was very pale overall and had a pale grey abdomen and silky white hindwing. I've added a rather poor picture of the hindwing that I managed to get before the moth unfortunately escaped. Will this be enough for the record to accepted as Hoary?

    The MV trap was running fairly near to the woodland that adjoins the garden here, but it isn't old oak woodland and only contains a few oak standards.

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  4. Dave Wilton1 November 2015 at 23:13

    I think that looks good for Hoary, which in any case would be more likely than Scarce so late in the season. A nice record!

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