Tuesday, 30 July 2019

Shaded Broad-bar and help with IDs

There were several Shaded Broad-bars on a grassy bank to the north of Marlow a few days ago, and I think a photo may be of interest because the Waring/Townsend/Lewington handbook says that it comes to light only in small numbers.

I would appreciate help with the ID of the following moths, all of which have come to the actinic light trap here in my garden over the last few nights. The first might simply be a Common/Lesser Common Rustic, except that the colour of the kidney marks looks wrong? My suggestion for the second is that it's a Confused. The third is a small moth, perhaps a Single-dotted Wave. The fourth is another small moth - could it be a Cloaked Minor? And the last is perhaps a Dusky Brocade? 






My thanks for your help.

John Clough, Marlow

6 comments:

  1. Hello John,
    Yes to Single-dotted Wave and Cloaked Minor. The other three all look to me like examples of the infinitely variable Common/Lesser Common Rustic, I'm afraid. They are appearing in the garden here in ever increasing numbers, for example 87 to the actinic and 32 to the MV last night.

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  2. Dave, isn't the last one Flounced Rustic?

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  3. Nigel, I agree with Dave. The path of the crossline outside the reniform stigma differs between the two species. A glimpse of the hindwings would have given the answer.

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  4. John, I ran a trap overnight in the drizzle on the chalk bank up the road at Sands and there were 11 Shaded Broad Bar when I checked it in the morning, so they do like light after all.

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  5. Hi Martin, thanks for the correction.

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