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| Crambus lathoniellus, Newton Longville 9th May |
That night I caught the highest number of moths (86) and of species (37) for the year so far. These include seven firsts-of-the-year and at least ten new species for the garden list, which isn't as impressive as it sounds - the list is a month short of its second anniversary.
The catch included a few for which I have some hesitation over identification; the first of these is clearly some kind of Carpet, but which one? After much to-ing and fro-ing, I've landed on July Highflyer, but it would be very early even if it is commonly seen in June. Forewing length was roughly 16mm.
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| Unidentified Carpet moth, Newton Longville 9th May |
Of the twenty-one Pugs caught, most were Common or Mottled, with a couple of Oak-tree and apparently no Brindled. There were two on which I'd appreciate a second opinion: one had lost a lot of scales, but I provisionally wrote it down as an Oak-tree Pug. The other seems to be a Foxglove Pug, but I know that this is easily confused with Toadflax Pug and I've never seen either before. I am favouring Foxglove due to its relatively subdued colours and the kink in the central cross-band near the leading edge. Unfortunately, at 10mm its wing length is in the overlap between the two species.
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| Possible Oak-tree Pug, Newton Longville, 9th May |
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| Foxglove Pug? Newton Longville, 9th May |
Tim Arnold
Newton Longville, Bucks
Hello Tim,
ReplyDeleteYour Carpet is a very faded Red-green, post-hibernation. These have been around since September or October last year, a long time for a geometer, so it isn't really surprising that some of them end up in this kind of condition. The first Pug seems to be too pointy-winged for Oak-tree so I'd suggest a worn Ochreous with those very obvious discal spots, while the second is indeed Foxglove.
The 'possible Oak-tree Pug' could be a somewhat faded Marbled Pug - it seems to be rather rare in Berks (VC22) according to data compiled by Martin Harvey - but Dave can tell us whether this is so in Bucks. The Carpet is a rather faded Red-green, while the Foxglove has a kink in the central band as expected.
ReplyDeleteI see where John is coming from with Marbled Pug but that seems rather unlikely, as a look at the distribution map in the BC Atlas will tell you. The last record for Bucks was in 1992 from Salcey Forest (which is at least at the right end of the county!). However, stranger things have happened but any attempt to claim it for a moth in that condition would, I think, mean dissection. Do you still have it, Tim?
ReplyDeleteThank you both. I have caught a few normal-looking Red-green Carpets in the last month or so, but the degree of fading on this one put me off the scent, so to speak. I had considered Ochreous Pug but thought that this example had a bit too much pattern compared to the illustration in the book and photographs elsewhere, especially in the cross-band. And I had looked up Marbled in the new Atlas, but it seems to have no post-2000 records in VC24, so I ruled it out.
ReplyDeleteMy comment above was written (slowly) on my phone, so Dave added his second while I was writing it and before I'd seen Dave's addition. I've moved back to the PC for this one, and it's just as well. While writing my first comment, I had checked what I had retained from Saturday and thought that the "Marbled/Ochreous" wasn't among them, to my surprise and disappointment. Moving back to the PC gave me the chance to check again, and YES, I have it still - although it is now an ex-moth, in the Monty Python sense.
ReplyDeleteExcellent (if not for the moth itself!). Please put it in a small pot in the freezer with a data label and I'll organise something.
ReplyDeleteI think John's suggestion of Marbled Pug is a good one. Even though worn what's left of the markings all point that way. Could an update on this be posted once it's been 'looked at'?
ReplyDeleteLook forward to receiving it in due course. I agree with Nigel and John, it is a contender.
ReplyDeleteFor what its worth I think there's little doubt that its Marbled Pug
ReplyDelete