Mursley moths

Despite the very heavy rain overnight I had a few nice moths in the trap this morning. None of the usual suspects, apart from just one Beaded Chestnut. I was thrilled with two Feathered Thorns with very different markings (this was the most strongly marked) and a really beautiful Green-brindled Crescent.

I'm taking this one to be November Moth, but can I be sure from just these wing markings?

Many thanks
Mick Jones

Hat-trick again.

Good news from Martin Albertini: He has confirmed that three moth leaf-mines I've found recently in Bucks are all new for the county:
Phyllonorycter comparella and Tischeria dodonaea have been already displayed here.
Phyllocnistis xenia hasn't until now: It leaves 'snail-trail'-like markings on the leaves of Grey and White Poplars.

These trails are elusive; when you hold them up to the light they disappear.
This leaf was from Denham Garden Village.
Andy King.

Brick?

Am I correct in thinking that this moth found in my garden trap last night is a Brick, as opposed to a Yellow-line Quaker? The forewing measured 16mm.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Another good night

Last night bettered the previous and without any rain. 36 species counted so far but with a micro to look at as well which will almost certainly add another species. Angle Shades in the high twenties again and plenty of Large YU's, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Black Rustic, Common Wainscot and Green-brindled Crescent. First of both Red-line Quaker and Feathered Thorn of the year as well as a November Moth spp to be identified which will be first for year anywhere for me regardless of which species it turns out to be. Quite a number of the species recorded on the previous night were not recorded and the migrants consisted of just a few Diamond-back Moths and another Pearly Underwing. We have a hedgerow of flowering Ivy on one side of our garden which must act like a MacDonalds in the middle of the arable desert and is presumably drawing a lot of these autumn moths in. I have seen Yellow-line Quaker, Beaded Chestnut, Dark Chestnut, Large Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Barred Sallow, Blair's Shoulder-knot Green-brindled Crescent, Diamond-back Moth, Eudonia angustea and lots of Angle Shades feeding at the flowers over the last week or so. It's going to hit hard moving to Didcot where the garden has exactly no flowering Ivy and will no longer be an oasis in the middle of a desert, I'd better make the most of my last week here. Still, I won't have to witness so much mass wildlife destruction I hope. Marc Botham, Benson

Mursley moths

I turned on my moth trap last night for the first time in about 2 weeks and was pleased to find some moths this morning - mainly Beaded Chestnut with just a few Lunar Underwing and a couple of Blair's Shoulder-knot. however, I think this is a Yellow-line Quaker, which would be a new record for my garden. Am I correct?

And could this be a very late Common Quaker?

Many thanks.
Mick Jones

Few Moths...

Unlike others, I have had very few moths of late; my year list for the garden is probably about half what it was last year.

Two in the burial park yesterday, Blair's Shoulder-knot and my first Green-brindled Crescent of the year.

Two in my garden last night, both year-firsts for me; Barred Sallow and Figure of Eight.

Best, though, was an Acleris schalleriana which randomly arrived at the window during the daytime on Monday; this is a garden-first for me in spite of having had an appropriate mature food plant for the species in the garden for the last 20 years.

Also, a more extensive leaf-mine search at the Chiltern Open Air Museum located one more Stigmella aceris mine on Field Maple, bringing the total to 4 on the site.

Dave Morris

Hat-trick.

I can't compete with Eastern Bordered Straw, But I have scored a hat-trick of sorts:
Last week Ched George and I found the leaf-mine of Tischeria dodonaea in Ruislip Nature Reserve; that's Middlesex, VC21. Two days ago I found several on Chorleywood Common; that's Herts, VC 20. Today I found it in Northmoor Hill Wood; that's Buckinghamshire, VC 24.
It is not a well-recorded moth in this area despite living on Oak.
It looks like this:

At this time of the year there are thousands of gingery-brown blobs on Oak leaves, but, when you hold them up to the light, they have to have the crescent shaped blob (the caterpillar) and more or less concentric brown circles within (= silk lining spun by the larva) in order to count.
Andy King. 

Fernham to make a return!

I have just gained permission to run lights on land to the south west of Fernham, in the hope of recording some of the rare migrants I used to catch in my parent's garden in the village between 1983-2006.

Fernham is located in the far south west of Oxfordshire (VC22 Berks), within the Vale of the White Horse, which runs south west to north east. The late Eric Classey's theory was that the valley acted as a giant funnel for migrating moths and Fernham must have been at the end of the funnel! This might explain why so many rarities were recorded in the village, yet my current location, just 6 miles west of Fernham, is virtually migrant free!

                      Eastern Bordered Straw (H. nubigera), Fernham, Oxon (VC22) on 17.v.2006

Some of the scarcer migrants/vagrants recorded at Fernham included:

1 x African Carnation Tortrix (Epichoristodes acerbella) = 2nd wild caught British specimen
1 x Diasemiopsis ramburialis
1 x Striped Hawk-moth (Hyles livornica)
1 x Bedstraw Hawk-moth (Hyles gallii)
3 x Cosmopolitan (Mythimna loreyi)
1 x Sword-grass (Xylena exsoleta)
1 x Eastern Bordered Straw (Heliothis nubigera) = 4th or 5th British Record
1 x Small Marbled (Eublemma parva)
2 x Purple Marbled (E. ostrina)
2 x Ni Moth (trichoplusia ni)
1 x Scar Bank Gem (Ctenoplusia limbirena) = 9th British Record
1 x Dark Crimson Underwing (Catocala sponsa)
1 x Clifden Nonpareil (Catocala fraxini)

There were also some impressive totals of more regular immigrants:

8 x Palpita vitrealis
146 x Vestal (Rhodometra sacraria)
14 x Gem (Orthonama obstipata)
31 x Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli)  incl. 1 x larva
51 x Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
4 x White-point (Mythimna albipuncta)
5 x White-speck (M. unipuncta)
17 x Delicate (M. vitellina)
61 x Small Mottled Willow (Spodoptera exigua)
33 x Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera)
3 x Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera)

Hopefully the warmer weather at the end of this week will trigger the first proper moth migration of the Autumn. I can't wait to get back there again!

Steve Nash - Highworth (just over the border in Wilts)

Nothing like a bit of rain

Like Dave, trap results have improved over the last couple of nights, with unexpected results last night given it was raining throughout the night - 27 species! Angle Shades topped the counts with 27 individuals and when I got home from work I could see them flying around the trap in the rain quite happily - they always look so much bigger than when they're at rest in the trap. Nothing spectacular but double figures of Black Rustic, Large Yellow Underwing, Beaded Chestnut, and Green-brindled Crescent were of great contrast to the dribbles of such species recently. Caloptilia rufipennella was new to the garden. 'Migrants' included 2 Dark Swordgrass, a Silver Y and 3 Diamond-back moths. Presumably some of these are on their return journey as offspring of arrivals earlier in the year, and I do always seem to get these on nights with northerly winds like last night. They always seem to accompany good numbers of Angle Shades as well which I assume are migrating as well. Unfortunately I will not be able to take advantage of the promising weather this weekend as I am finally moving house and this will be the last week of garden moth records from VC23 for me as I cross the river. Marc Botham, Benson

Temperature is the thing

Last night's collection of moths to the garden actinic trap here at Westcott, Bucks (50 individuals of 15 species) was the best result for a week, showing that a relatively warm night makes all the difference.  Light rain is never a problem to them and they can cope with the wind by flying closer to the ground.  The biggest worry in gusty conditions like those of last night (up to 40mph here) is whether the trap itself will blow away!  The catch:  Blastobasis lacticolella (1), Red-green Carpet (1), Common Marbled Carpet (1), Large Yellow Underwing (2), Square-spot Rustic (1), Blair's Shoulder-knot (3), Green-brindled Crescent (3), Dark Chestnut (1), Red-line Quaker (2), Yellow-line Quaker (1), Beaded Chestnut (18), Lunar Underwing (11), Barred Sallow (2), Sallow (2) & Snout (1).  It looks as though we are heading towards even warmer nights with southerly winds for a short spell from Thursday onwards.  Dave Wilton 

Red Line Quaker?

Last year I got a Yellow Line Quaker - can someone confirm this is a Red Line?

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford

October Novembers

Last night I took a couple of traps for a final session at a small wood not far from Tingewick, Bucks which I've been visiting regularly this year.  Between them they caught 18 species in just over three hours, including a probable Dioryctria abietella which will need dissection to be sure and a couple of Epirrita species which, on close inspection, turned out to be one each of November Moth and Pale November Moth.  While they cannot be identified by wing pattern, male "Novemnals" can be sorted to species quite easily with a 10x hand lens if the scales are brushed away from the tip of the abdomen (for a good comparison image of what to look for, go to http://www.dissectiongroup.co.uk/page823.html).  However, this does involve handling the moth and it may not survive the experience.

Probable Dioryctria abietella, Round Wood 10th October

Pale November Moth, Round Wood 10th October

Further leaf-mining here at Westcott, Bucks today produced a very welcome newcomer to the garden list.  A single example of Ectoedemia intimella was found on a fallen leaf beneath our rather large willow Salix babylonica.  The egg is laid on the mid-rib (positioned at far left in the picture below) and the larva mines along the rib for about a centimetre before breaking out to form a blotch.

Dave Wilton

Active mine of Ectoedemia intimella, Westcott 11th October

      

Salad days

I thought things would quieten down after last week's Death's Head excitement in Kirtlington, but I must just exult about the arrival last night of my favourite moth, as Dave did ten days ago: the Merveille du Jour. It shared the trap with three Green-brindled Crescents, a Barred and a Pink-barred Sallow and a score of grey and brown irritations which I will try to ID later.

Incidentally, I am appropriately green with envy because a fellow-blogger in Hampshire got a Clifden Nonpareil in her trap last night. The fact that the moth has visited both her and Marc, each operating a light trap, makes me optimistic about how many are actually out there. Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Help, please.

On the subject of leaf-mines, here are some I found in an unidentified Willowherb in Denham Garden Village the other day.

They remind me of Stigmella or, more likely, Buccularix mines, but I can find nothing like them on any of the websites. They look like they were vacated some time ago.
Does anybody know what they might be?
Andy King.

Leaf Mines

I'm going through pics of leaf mines taken during the summer to see if I can get to grips with id-ing at least some of them.

So far I believe I have Eriocrania subpurpurella from oak in my garden, Phyllonorycter esperella from hornbeam at the burial park, Caloptilia syringella from lilac and also ash in my garden and Stigmella microtheriella from hazel in my garden but I would appreciate some help with a few of the rest:

 Apple - August

 Aquilegia - August

 Ash - August. I think the "lump" is some sort of sawfly? But the blotch - is that Caloptilia syringella again, or th eother one?

 Birch - May

 Birch - October

 Hazel - October

 Holly - August (looking at the leafmines website there don't seem to be any moths on Holly, but here it is anyway...)

 Oak - August (is this just extensive Eriocrania subpurpurella?)

Primrose - August

Thanx for any help!

Dave Morris

Phyllonorycter comparella

I have been finding leaf-mines of a moth which has very few (if any) records around this area and has generally been considered scarce in, I think, the whole of Britain. But I have encountered reports of its increase and that might well be the case. Part of the problem might be that they are not very visible being, as they are, in hairy leaves of White and Grey Poplar. I've found them in Herts, Middlesex (Regent's Park, no less) and eventually in Bucks - just outside Denham Garden Village.
Unlike most Phyllonorycter, P. comparella emerges now and hibernates. The remains of the chrysalis is visible, poking out of the membrane of the mine:

Andy King.

Death's-head Hawkmoth, emerged from larva, 1 of 4 found in a Kirtlington garden in August.

How to boost your garden list

Last night's near-frost here at Westcott, Bucks caused the expected severe reduction in the number of moths caught by the garden actinic trap, which amounted to just 18 individuals of two species (a single Dusky-lemon Sallow accompanying the Lunar Underwings).  However, despite the continued low temperatures today it was sufficiently sunny to tempt a few things out and I had activity in the garden from Anthophila fabriciana and a Vapourer, while a pug caterpillar (possibly V-Pug) was found munching away on an Osteospermum flower.

Now is a very good time to search for leaf mines and today I concentrated on our garden hawthorn, finding evidence of nine species:  Bucculatrix bechsteinella, Stigmella hybnerella, Phyllonorycter leucographella, Lyonetia clerkella & Parornix anglicella (all vacated mines) as well as Stigmella oxyacanthella, Stigmella regiella, Phyllonorycter corylifoliella & Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae (all containing active larvae).  In addition, an active coleophorid case was found but it proved to be one of Coleophora coracipennella/prunifoliae/ spinosella which are difficult if not impossible to separate at this stage (all three species have been recorded in the garden as adults).

For those of you who haven't indulged in looking for leaf-mines, there is an excellent resource here (http://www.leafmines.co.uk/index.htm) to help identify these early stages.  A good starting point would be to download and print off the mine-keys.  Most leaf-miners are specific to a particular host plant or tree.  The position of the egg, the type and shape of the mine, the colour and patterns made by the caterpillar's frass and, if present, the colour and markings of the larva itself all help to identify some of our smallest moth species, many of which are exceedingly difficult to separate as adults.

Dave Wilton

Pug caterpillar, Westcott 5th October

Vacated mine of Stigmella hybnerella, Westcott 5th October

Active mine of Stigmella oxyacanthella, Westcott 5th October

      

Convolvulus hawkmoth

My first post - I live in Southend, Garsington. This hawkmoth came to the trap two nights ago. Andrew Callender

Another leaf-mine

I found this mine in hazel at Little Marlow GP, S. Bucks.  The best fit I can see for it is Stigmella floslactella.  Can someone please confirm or advise otherwise.  Thanks, Adam Bassett

Short-cloaked Moth

Hardly a stunning photograph of a "small grey job", but it serves to illustrate another species added to the ever increasing list of those which have attempted an extra brood this year.  This one came to the garden actinic trap at Westcott, Bucks last night. 

Short-cloaked Moth, Westcott 3rd October

Trap catches will presumably decline very quickly now that the weather has turned.  Lunar Underwing is past its peak and there aren't all that many new species left to look forward to.  Three hours spent in the company of Martin Albertini and Andy King at Stoke Common, Bucks last night produced few moths and the only 'highlights' were another second-brood Marbled White Spot and the first November Moth of the season (exact species awaiting determination).

Dave Wilton

Finemere Wood, Bucks

Just twenty species came to a single MV run at Finemere for three hours last night.  Figure of Eight (19) was the only moth to appear in any numbers but I did get a well-marked Pine Carpet (a new species for the site, which perversely had most of its conifers removed a couple of winters ago!) as well as second-brood Small Fan-footed Wave and Yellow-tail.  Dave Wilton

Pine Carpet, Finemere Wood 2nd October

Yellow-tail, Finemere Wood 2nd October

Good catches continue

After my Small Wainscot last week which I thought was the small version of the Large Wainscot, here is a genuine Large Wainscot which flew in on Wednesday night/Thursday morning. I think so, anyway. It was certainly large.

Also in a very busy trap was the Grey or Dark Dagger below, another to add to the late broods I guess, and my first Satellite of the year which nestled up to one of the many Black Rustics which continue to flock in. Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Cosmopterix zieglerella

Walking along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal (somewhere SW of Heath and Reach) today I spied the accompanying hedgerow had wild Hop in it and, in one area, there were leaf-mines that looked like this:

This is caused by the caterpillar of Cosmopterix zieglerella which is a relatively scarce and local moth. Indeed, although there was Hop off and on in quite a long stretch of the hedge, leaf-mines were only evident in a short portion.
It would be nice to post a picture of the adult - a very colourful moth.
It might also be worth pointing out it was very close to the border with Bedfordshire.
Andy King.

Beaded Chestnut and a micro query

50 individuals in the garden trap last night comprising 22 species. Lunar Underwing was down to just 11, most of them on the lawn. New for the year were Blair's Shoulder-knot and Pink-barred Sallow. There was also a Common Footman which I guess is a later than usual record.
There were a couple of Beaded Chestnuts, plus this one photographed below. It has quite strong cross lines, but am I correct in thinking that this is a Beaded Chestnut as well?

I also discovered this small micro in the trap, measuring 6mm. Is it Gypsonoma dealbana?

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Bernwood Forest

A single MV light allowed to run overnight in Oakley Wood, Bernwood Forest last night produced a grand total of 43 moths of 22 species:  Zelleria hepariella (1), Acleris sparsana (1), Acleris emargana (1), Archips podana (1), Apotomis betuletana (1), Epinotia maculana (3), Small Fan-footed Wave (1), Red-green Carpet (1), Common Marbled Carpet (1), Grey Pine Carpet (1), Spruce Carpet (2), Figure of Eight (1), Rosy Footman (1), Grey Shoulder-knot (1), Satellite (6), Chestnut (3), Brick (3), Beaded Chestnut (3), Lunar Underwing (7), Pink-barred Sallow (1), Sallow (1) & Small Wainscot (2).  Small Fan-footed Wave is known to have an occasional partial second brood but, as far as I'm aware, Rosy Footman is not and becomes another addition to this year's list of unexpected late sightings.  Epinotia maculana is described as local but at this time of year I find it commonly in most of the local woods which have aspen.

Dave Wilton

Rosy Footman, Bernwood Forest 1st October

Epinotia maculana, Bernwood Forest 1st October

COAM Leaf MIne

After Mr King's post the other day, I had a quick look at some of the Field Maple on the COAM site, and found this.

To my eyes, this does look like a mine of Stigmella aceris, but I would appreciate the opinions of those who know more about these things!

Dave Morris

Spruce or Grey Pine?

Quite a few moths get attracted to the security lights at the Dolphin school in Hurst. This always presents me with a challenge checking over all the brick walls first thing in the morning.
Late September has thrown up Light Emeralds, Willow Beautys, Sallows, Snouts, August Thorn, Common Marbled Carpet, Setaceous Hebrew Character and the two above.
Not sure if Grey Pine Carpet or Spruce Carpet, and could the other one be an unusual Maiden's Blush?
These two found on the 30th Sept.
Tony Towner.

Merveilleux!

Merveille du Jour is the one moth of autumn which I never tire of seeing, no matter how frequently it turns up.  My first for this year came to the garden actinic trap here at Westcott, Bucks last night.  Amongst a list of 25 species, it was accompanied by Pine Carpet (uncommon in the county, but I had one at this time last year too), Feathered Thorn and another Dark Sword-grass.  Lunar Underwing has officially become the No.1 moth for this year in the garden, last night's count of 153 taking me past 3,000 individuals since its first appearance on 11th September.  As usual, about a third of them were found scattered across the lawn, having failed to enter the trap.  Another moth which is doing well here at the moment is the second brood of Hypsopygia costalis (Gold Triangle).  The photo below manages to show both of its resting positions in the same shot! 

Merveille du Jour, Westcott 30th September

Feathered Thorn, Westcott 30th September

Hypsopygia costalis, Westcott 30th September

I also took a couple of traps to Salcey Forest to try and catch up on some of the autumn moths there.  It was slow going but I eventually came away with 30 species, including Phyllonorycter trifasciella (an easily recognisable member of that family which feeds on honeysuckle), Acleris forsskaleana (presumably a second brood specimen), Figure of Eight, Small Wainscot and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Dave Wilton

Phyllonorycter trifasciella, Salcey Forest 30th September

Turnip Moth?

If this is a Turnip Moth it's a new one for me and it's the 300th species caught here. Pity it's a bit battered. I got my first Barred Sallows last night and they were in poor condition too.

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford.

Edit: Just got a "Congratulations on your 300th Moth" card from the missus.