Serious lepidoptera day: Mothing marathon

I started the day with an early afternoon trip to Stocking Wood near Bury Green. Last year at this time I recorded many butterflies, including new for parish records of silver washed fritillary and white letter hairstreak. These constituted the 28th and 29th butterfly species for the parish. Also present last year were several purple hairstreak. However, this year, nothing so exotic so far. A fine comma, many meadow brown, ringlets, large skipper and large whites were all that were recorded

Having walked back home,I decided to have a serious moth night as the temperatures remained high, good cloud cover and just a hint of a breeze. Basically, perfect July conditions.
 Out with the Heath Trap at 9pm to leave this on the side of a beech and oak lined green lane with horse grazing fields eitherside. Having done this I then headed to a footpath in Pigs Green, the far west of the parish to try netting with a head torch. Very little was about which surprised me, but then again, it was early and only recently dark, being 10.15pm. Eventually I had a selection of 9 moths: Yellowshell, Agriphila straminella, Brimstone, Beautiful hooktip, clouded bordered brindle (NFY) Aphomia sociella, 2 common emeralds and Endrosis sarcitrella (NFY)
It was still early, so a quick, 15 minute check on the grass area that is Westland Green. Plenty of common wainscot as I netted 8 more in the short time present:
3 common wainscot (probably 25+ on the wing,) Pandemis cerasana, Paraswammerdamia nebulella (await confirmation) Scoparia ambigualis, Blastodacna hellerella and best of all, a new for parish record of a yet to be confirmed Syncapacma species. Only 2 pssibilities but dissection required.

From here, I returned with the confirmation moths potted and labelled to Valley Fields bridleway. It was immediately clear I was going to be some time! Moths everywhere, on the sheet, in and on the trap and generally all around the bulb. I collected all my pots and started on the sheet. The more I potted the more came so I closed and switched off the trap. My headtorch still attracted some and I reckon I probably only potted 75% of those present. Many fluttered and didn't land and netting them would have meant I would have been there all night.
By 12.45 I was finished and heading home with bags bursting with pots. I eventually just potted everything and returned to the moth shed at home to begin listing. I had completed this, with all identifications bar a few for gen det by 2.15 and then began potting from the garden skinner perspex and adjacent fence. I eventually enjoyed a glass of wine before bed.
From the heath trap, an all time record of 106 moths of 36 species with: peppered moth, Eucosma obumbratana, Hedya salicella, Epagoge grotiana all new for year, apart from H. salicella which is new for parish records. I had now passed 600 moth species for Little Hadham parish. Roll on 700.
As Wendy was off to work early (4.45am) I too got up and identified those potted from the skinner earlier and released them so I had enough pots. This was done some way away from the trap so not to count them twice. The trap was heaving as I listed and potted. Back to the moth shed with piles of pots and a large mug of black coffee (strong!) By 7.45 I had identified and listed all I could, with just 1 taht I just can't fathom and with several that I need confirming, some by dissection and some by more expert eyes than mine.
In all: 160 moths of 72 species taken at the skinner. New for parish records were:
Eudonia pallida and suspected Epinotia signatana with several Cnephasia sp awaiting dissection.May well be C. stevensiana judging by the dark markings.
New for year were: small yellow wave, Notocelia trimaculana, Archips rosana, Pandemis corylana, Fan foot, Privet hawkmoth, Broad bordered yellow underwing, Yponomeuta evonymella, Brown tail, Phycitodes binavella, Teleiodes vulgella, Gypsonoma dealbana and Acrobasis suavella.

In total for the night: 284 moths of at least 97 species. Thorough check needed to see if it was more than 100, but not presently!!

This takes the totals to 2005 moths for 2016, made up of 124 micro species and 151 macros. The parish total moves to a probable 604 species. All records typed up and recorded by 2pm and I now need to go and lie down in a dark room until Monday. However, shall just run the Skinner tonight, or then again, it maybe overcast and warm!!


The List; Bold indicates new for year,

Pigs Green: head torch and net:

1. yellowshell
2. Agriphila straminella
3. Brimstone
4. Beautiful hooktip
5. Clouded bordered brindle
6. Aphomia sociella
7.  Common emerald 2
8. Endrosis sarcitrella

Westland Green head torch and net

  9. Common wainscot 3

10. Pandemis cerasana

11. Syncopacma sp  TBC

12. Paraswammerdamia nebulella

13. Scoparia ambigualis

14. Blastodacna hellerella

Valley Fields 15W heath trap

15. Short cloaked minor

16. Brimstone 3

17. Chrysoteuchia culmella 40+

18. Aphomia sociella 5

19. Common wainscot 5

20. Treble brown spot

21. Celypha striana

22. Anthrophila fabricana

23. Mottled beauty

24. Small emerald

25. Eucosma cana 3

26. Timothy tortrix 2

27. Pandemis cerasana

28. Light emerald

29. Green pug 6

30. Yellowshell

31. July highflier 4

32. Agapeta hamana 4

33. Double square spot 3

34. Scoparia subfusca 2

35. Riband wave 4

36. Epiblema uddmanniana

37. Swallowtail

38. Blastobasis adustella

39. Peppered moth

40. Carcina quercana

41. Willow beauty

42. Clouded silver

43. Grey pug

44. Eudonai lacustrata

45. Eucosma obumbratana

46. Hedya salicella

47. Epinotia grotiana

48. Double striped pug

49. Swammerdamia caesiella

50. Hedya pruniana

Garden 125W Skinner trap

51. Riband Wave 17

52. Buff ermine 4

53. Clouded border 3

54. Emmelina monodactyla 5

55. Scoparia subfusca

56. Green pug 4

57. Agriphila straminella 8

58. Carcina quercana 3

59. Common footman 5

60. Clepsis consimilana 5

61. Celypha lacunana 4

62. Least carpet 2

63. Chrysoteuchia culmella 5

64. Paraswammerdamia nebulella

65. Scoparia ambigualis

66. Dwarf cream wave

67. Common emerald

68. Small yellow wave

69. July Highflier 2

70. Celypha rosaceana 2

71. Celypha striana 3

72. Pandemis cerasana 2

73. Notocelia trimaculana 3

74. Willow beauty 3

75. Endotricha flammealis

76. Large yellow underwing 2

77. Ditula angustiorana

78. Udea prunalis

79. Rustic 2

80. Archips rosana 2

81. Spectacle

82. Buff tip 2

83. Pandemis corylana

84. Eucosma cana 2

85. Elephant hawkmoth 2

86. Anania hortulata 2

88. Fan foot 2

89. Beautiful hooktip 2

90. Heart and dart 5

91. Dark arches

92. Privet hawkmoth

93. Double square spot

94. Common wainscot

95. Brimstone

96. Swallowtail

97. Broad bordered yellow underwing

98. Phoenix

99. Treble brown spot 8

100. Yponomeuta evonymella

101. Eudonia mercurella 2

102. Single dotted wave 2

103. Archips xylosteana

104. Notocelia uddmanniana

105. Browntail

106. Heart and club 3

107. Uncertain

108. Snout

109. Eudonia lacustrata

110. Udea olivalis

111. Clouded silver

112. Phycitodes binavella

113. Cydia pomonella

114. Garden carpet

115. Mottled rustic 2

116. Eudonia pallida

117. Epinotia signatana TBC

118. Teleiodes vulgella

119. Gypsonoma dealbana

120. Acrobasis suavella TBC

121. Cnephasia sp TBC

ringlet

large skipper

large skippper

comma

Butterflies at Westland Green, Little Hadham

A trip this lunchtime to Westland Green to check on the marbled white butterfly colony that first established itself in 2009. Pleased to find in excess of 30 insects flying and feeding on red clover and, occasionally, bird's foot trefoil. Also on the wing were 100+ meadow browns and a few large and small skippers. No Essex skippers noted.
However, it was mainly the marbled whites that I wished to photograph and this can p[rove tricky as they are relatively flighty butterflies. Making sure not to cast my shadow over them was the first rule as I fired off some distant shots with a 400mm lens. Easy enough to get a record shot, such as these:

The distance with a 55mm lens. Need to get closer

Another distant shot with 400mm lens

Another 400mm shot that loses clarity and sharpness

400mm shot showing upperwing pattern.

These were good enough record shots, but to improve meant either stalking them and hoping to get close by stealth or just sitting next to a nectar plant and waiting for one to come to feed. The former can be most frustrating as just as you're about to take a photo, the insect flies off. The latter just requires patience and was the approach I chose. After 15 minutes or so, I got lucky as one decided to aligth on a clover next to me.

With a 55mm lens

same insect.

Finally, success and not before I had recorded a Silver Y moth flitting through the long grass as well.

Busy Mothing period: Recent update

The list of moths for the year has now reached 199 species within the Little Hadham Parish. On the 21st June I set a new for year garden record of 58 moths of 36 species and this was almost beaten on the 22nd. Last night saw the bar move a little higher with 63 moths of 40 species. Still a long way to go to beat last years record of 210 moths of 82 species. Maybe a warm July night will get me close.
New for the year moths are daily at this time of the year and over the last 3 nights have been:
Micros:
Gypsonoma dealbana
Celypha roseceana
Agriphila straminella
Prays fraxinella (NFM, species number 596 for the parish records)
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
Eudonia mercurella
Rhopobota naevana
(1 more TBC)

Macros:
Riband Wave
Rufous minor
Fern
Common footman
Common emerald
Elephant hawkmoth
Double square spot
Phoenix

Prays fraxinella

Common emerald

Phoenix

Flame

Elophila nympheata

Hackney Mothing

Small dusty wave

Aphomia sociella (Bee moth)

Ephestia parasitella unicolrella

Blastobasis lacticolella

Bright line brown eye

Prays fraxinella

Haworth's pug

Enarmonia formosana

Graeme Smith and I had been invited to run several moth traps at east Bank West Bank NR in Stamford Hill, Hackney. This reserve is a thin strip of land several hundred yards long on either side of the railway line out of Liverpool Street. Only 3 yards wide and heavily vegetated. Plenty of privet, sycamore and plane.
Traps set by 9.30 and we began netting. Mainly micros with a few small fan foots and small dusty wave.
By 10.45 the sky blackened and an electric storm brought a rapid end to the event. We were packed by 11.45 with a list of 65 moths of 28 species, including Prays fraxinella, 3 Ephestia unicolorella, Enarmonia formosana and Acentria ephemerella. Pretty good micros.
All photo credits: Graeme J. Smith who also carried out necessary dissections.
Full List:

Classification	Vernacular	Latin	Number taken
Micro
216	Cork Moth	Nemapogon cloacella	1
228		Monopsis weaverella	1
449	Ash bud moth	Prays fraxinella	1
464	Diamond back moth	Plutella xylostella	2
644		Borkhausenia fuscecens	1
647	Brown house moth	Hoffmannophila pseudospretella	1
819		Scrobipalpa costella	1
874		Blastobasis lacticolella	3
994		Clepsis consimilana	10
998	Light brown apple moth	Epiphyas postvitanna	8
1011		Pseudargyrotoza conwagana	2
1216	Cherry bark moth	Prays fraxinella	1
1301		Crambus lathionellus	3
1331	Water veneer	Acentria ephemerella	1
1361	Mint moth	Pyrauta aurata	3
1376	Small magpie	Anania hortulata	2
1428	Bee moth	Aphomia sociella	6
1474		Ephestia parasitella unicolorella	3
Macros
0017	Common swift	Hepialis lupilinus	6
1702	Small fan-footed wave	Idaea biselata	1
1707	Small dusty wave	Idaea seriata	4
1711	Treble brown spot	Idaea trigimenata	1
1713	Riband wave	Idaea aversata	1
1742	Yellow Shell	Camptogramma bilineata	1
1813	Haworth’s pug	Eupithecia haworthiata	1
2089	Heart and Dart	Agrotis exclamationis	1
2160	Bright line brown eye	Lacanobia oleracea	1
2473	Beautiful hooktip	Laspeyria flexula	1

New moths recently

Blood vein

Now getting to the time of year when new for year moths are almost a daily occurence. Over the last few days added:
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Celypha striana
Small waved umber
Blood vein
common wainscot
Pale oak beauty
Heart and club

small waved umber

Celypha striana

Common wainscot

Heart and Club

New Moth for Parish records

A reasonable haul in the garden moth trap this morning, with new for the year records of Common Wave and burnished brass

Burnished brass

Burnished brass

Common wave

However, a small very plain brown micro with a yellow head caught my attention as unusual and so it proved, a Achroia grisella (Lesser wax moth.) This is a pest to bee keepers as it lays its eggs in bee hives and the young caterpillars can cause damage to the hive by munching through everything and anything that is in there.
In all 18 moths of 16 species.

Achroia grisella (Lesser wax moth)

These records take the number of moths trapped this year in the parish to 1115 made up of 58 micro species and 102 macro species and, in total 594 species for the parish.

Moth Night: Millennium Wood

3 of us set up 5 traps within the wood as from 8.45 and immediately began netting moths found on plants and bushes, many from nettle patches.
Quickly, our total for the night rose, with large numbers of silver-ground carpet and common swift. The temperature dropped around 11.15 and it became quite damp and dewy which appeared to stop moths flying. Consequently, we began emptying the traps, listing the contents and saving those that required further work for identification.
In total 159 moths of 38 species were identified with 5 new macros for the parish year list and 9 micros one of which, Coptotriche marginea was new for parish records.
This means my totals for the year with Little Hadham presently stand at 99 macro moths and 54 micro moths, taking the total species count for the parish to a reasonably impressive 593 species since 2011. The champagne is now on ice for when I catch my 600th moth species for the parish.
The list in total:
Macros: New for year records in bold

1. 30 silver -ground carpet
2. angle shades
3. 6 common marbled carpet
4. 25 common swift
5. 4 snout
6. 2 yellowshell
7. 3 brimstone
8. 3 flame shoulder
9. 3 light emerald
10. 3 garden carpet
11. 5 clouded silver
12. 2 common pug
13. 2 scorched wing
14. 5 mottled pug
15. 2 green carpet
16. 2 marbled minor
17. setaceous hebrew character
18. 2 tawny marbled minor
19. brindled pug

Micro moths: new for parish in red, new for year in bold

1. 20 Plutella xylostella
2. Yponomeuta cagnagella
3. Anthophilia fabricana
4. 3Hedya pruniana
5. Nemapogon cloacella
6. 2 Celypha lacunana
7. 9 Scoparia ambigualis
8. 5 Blastobasis lacticolella
9. Nemaphora degeerella
10. Monopsis weaverella
11. Udea olivalis
12. Tortrix viridana
13. aphomia sociella
14. Anania hortulata
15. Tinea semifulvella
16. Eulia ministrana
17. Nematopogon swammerdamella
18. Parapoynx striatata
19. Coptotriche marginae

1. 

   yellowshell

   
   

   

   Anthophilia fabricana

   
   

   

   Yponomeuta cagnagella

   
   

   

   Nemophora degeerella

Scorched wing

Tortrix viridana

Tinea semifulvella

Angle shades

Clouded silver