Woodland trapping

I've had a couple of late-season "away sessions" in local woodland in Bucks this week.  On Wednesday evening I ran a couple of MV traps for the usual three hours from dusk in Finemere Wood.  The catch was much as expected on a chilly evening and only 14 species were caught, but Figure of Eight produced really good numbers with 86 recorded between the two lights.  It is no great surprise that it does well here because there is so much blackthorn in the wood, but it was great to see so many examples of a moth classified as Endangered.  There were only a couple of micro species flying but one of those was Diurnea lipsiella which isn't seen all that often in our area, being restricted mainly to oak woodland, although its flight period in October and November means that the moth is probably under-recorded. 

Diurnea lipsiella, Finemere Wood 23rd October

Figure of Eight, Finemere Wood 23rd October

Last night (Thursday 24th) I took a 15w Heath trap and the two MVs to Bernwood Forest for the same amount of time but the number of species caught was higher at 25 thanks to better temperatures and thus more micro activity.  Figure of Eight appeared again at all three traps but the overall total (34) was lower than at Finemere thanks to there being far less blackthorn adjacent to my chosen trap sites.  The most numerous species was actually Feathered Thorn with exactly 100 seen.  Unexpected moths included Buff Footman and Rosy Footman, although late appearances like this are not unprecedented at Bernwood, while my first December Moth of the season also turned up to one of the lights.

December Moth, Bernwood Forest 24th October

Rosy Footman, Bernwood Forest 24th October

Buff Footman (female left, male right), Bernwood 24th Oct

The micros at Bernwood comprised Ypsolopha ustella, Plutella xylostella, Diurnea lipsiella, Carcina quercana, Blastobasis lacticolella, Pandemis cerasana (rather late), Acleris ferrugana/notana, Acleris rhombana, Acleris emargana & Emmelina monodactyla.  Of these, Carcina quercana was the most numerous with eleven spread between all three lights.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks