Had a couple of trips to Aston Rowant in the last week or so, firstly on the afternoon of the 16th, looking for day-flying species on the side of the reserve south of the motorway (mostly Linkey Down). The main highlight for me actually came before I got into the reserve, with a Netted Pug larva hiding in some Bladder Campion seed capsules along Hill Lane.
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| Netted Pug larva on Bladder Campion |
On the main site, main micro excitement was several Trifurculas swept from Bird's Foot trefoil (3 in one patch, this time I'm sure of the ID!) that'll need the chop, and 2 male Nemophora minimella (both feeding on umbellifers as opposed to their scabious foodplant as metallica likes to do). Other interest was provided by several Thyme Plumes (alongside Brown and Dingy White again), Dichrorampha vancouverana, Celypha cespitana and Small Purple-Barred. Supporting cast was a very similar collection of species to my previous visit to the north side of the site.
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| Nemophora minimella |
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| Thyme Plume |
On the 18th I had a walk around Lardon Chase and the Holies. Unfortunately I had some problems with my net, so didn't find many micros (it was a bit windy for them to be flying without encouragement) - mostly just lots of Oncocera semirubella. I turned to leafmines instead and was pleased to find a couple of vacated Perittia obscurepunctella on Honeysuckle, as well as Stigmella sorbi on Whitebeam alongside some more common species.
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| Perittia obscurepunctella - vacated mine |
That evening, I returned to Aston Rowant for some trapping, focusing on the southern side of Linkey Down with 4 LED traps. I managed to avoid the rain that others had, and ended up with 137 species by the time I packed up at 1:30. Most of the hoped for species showed, with highlights of Pimpinel Pug (1 - thanks to Dave W for confirming the ID), Sitochroa palealis (2), Juniper Pug (2), some Coleophoras that I hope will turn out to be niveicostella, Fern (2), more Trifurculas, Scarce Tissue (1), Acrobasis suavella (4), Kent Black Arches (5), Festoon (1), Maple Prominent (1), Coleophora lixella (4) and albitarsella (1), Oncocera semirubella (3), Recurvaria leucatella (2), Dichomeris marginella (2), Chalk Carpet (1), Dark Umber (1), Reddish Light Arches (1), Hypochalcia ahenella (1), Acompsia schmidtiellus (1), and Least Carpet (the latter in the lit bus-stop at Lewknor Turn!).
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| Pimpinel Pug |
All in all, a very enjoyable night with some surprises and most of the targets showing - only absentees were maybe Royal Mantle and the hoped-for juniper-feeding Argyresthias. Away from Aston Rowant I also joined the Lunar Hornet club with one to the new lure at Longbridges Nature Park on the morning of the 21st. Nearby I also had several Red-Tipped Clearwings to the lure at Aston's Eyot on the afternoon of the 20th.
Some nice things here. Pimpinel Pug was last recorded in VC23 in 1988 and although N. minimella has apparently been recorded I have no specific record. There are apparently none post-1950. It's very late for Scarce Tissue - Tissue is more likely.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised at the lack of Royal Mantle because that's a species I would certainly expect there, but maybe it has gone over already. I trapped a site at nearby Ibstone on the Bucks/Oxon border on 25th June and got six, the most I've ever seen on one night.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Martin! I was planning to look for Pimpinel Pug larvae in September, as the foodplant is pretty widespread on the southern half of the site, but nice to get the adult so soon. I'm sure you're right about the Tissue - it was lurking down in the funnel and I was in a bit of a rush to avoid the rain as I packed up.
ReplyDeleteDave - I was certainly expecting it, given how frequently you record it on the Bucks chalk, and it being such a good night for other moths. Looking at iRecord it has actually been caught on Linkey Down in the past as well. Good reason to try again next year!
Hi Will, I've trapped on Linkey Down a few times in what now seems like the distant past and Royal Mantle has been fairly common but usually in mid-late June/early July, e.g 10 on 13th June in 2014 so I'd guess its probably over this year. Never seen Pimpinel Pug, that is an absolute cracker! Out of interest, when you say to the lure for RTCW, do you mean to the LUN lure? This is something I found recently too, in fact it was the first moth to the lure and came within seconds and was followed by a coupel of others. Interesting stuff
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, sorry - just seen this! Yep, it was your records on iRecord that I was thinking of when it didn't turn up, I'll have to try earlier next year. Really pleased to get the Pimpinel Pug (and particularly such a nice fresh one) too. The Lunar Hornet was to the LUN lure (with the trap), at a site where I've had RTC as well (but none in the trap alongside it). I've not noticed anyone else reporting RTC to the LUN lure, just Triaxomasia caprimulgella. The RTCs were to their usual lure rather than the LUN lure - wasn't totally clear there, apologies!
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