On Thursday night Martin Albertini, Andy King and I ran some traps on
Stoke Common, Bucks in the hope of catching Small Chocolate-tip (a nationally scarce species last seen there as a second brood in August 2011). We failed to find the target, possibly because we were too early but not helped by the fact that much of the site was still a swamp after recent downpours! As a consequence it was very difficult to find appropriate trapping sites and moths were few and far between, but in the end we managed to accumulate just over 30 species between us, including
Plutella xylostella,
Coleophora albicosta,
Neofaculta ericetella,
Ancylis mitterbacheriana,
Epinotia immundana,
Scoparia ambigualis, Emperor Moth, Birch Mocha, Narrow-winged Pug, Seraphim, Early Tooth-striped, Grey Birch, Puss Moth & Marbled Brown.
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| Birch Mocha, Stoke Common 12th May |
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| Narrow-winged Pug, Stoke Common 12th May |
Dave Wilton
Grrr - spent a few late afternoons up there recently trying to use a lure to bring in emperor moth - without success.
ReplyDeleteStrangely, until Thursday night there was only one previous known adult record for Stoke Common (from 1998) yet you'd think that vast expanse of heather was obvious territory for the moth. I've tried assembling there with females two or three times in past years without luck even though I've been successful in similar (but smaller) habitat at Black Park and Littleworth Common.
DeleteIt was a female, so wouldn't have come to your lure! Or in these times perhaps it might have been interested!
ReplyDeleteI say, that's a bit edgey, Martin. For what it's worth, I've failed to assemble Emperors at Stoke Common or Black Park, as well. A couple of year's ago. Andy.
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