Numbers of moths trapped over the last week or so have dropped due to cooler overnight temperatures. I am still getting several Large Yellow Underwings per night and the occasional Lesser.
I've had several Silver y's (Autographa gamma) in the trap recently.
These are immigrant moths from mainland Europe which often nectar on flowers during the day.
Silver y and Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae)
Green-brindled Crescent appears in two forms - I think this is one is f. capucina Mill which doesn't have the green scales. This form is only known in Great Britain and is more common in industrial areas such as the Midlands.
Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestria c-nigrum)
Blair's Shoulder Knot or Stone Pinion (Lithopane leautieri)
First discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1951, the species has spread rapidly northwards and I've trapped quite a few individuals in recent weeks.
Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulous) - has to be one of my favourite moths :)
I rarely trap Sallow species here (usually only one a year), Black Rustic should be appearing soon and I live in hope of trapping the holy grail moth Merveille du Jour. There is a grove of 15 plus Oak trees about 1/8th of a mile away so its possible!
I think we all live in hope as regards Merveille du Jour, though hopefully one day we may both be lucky enough to trap one at our own respective locations! Maybe I will have better luck up at Grosmont :-)
ReplyDeleteIt seems pretty slow going everywhere from what I have seen but since I haven't run my trap for about a month I can't comment as regards the local moths. I had hoped to trap this week but the weather has been too iffy with showers coming in off the North Sea. Hopefully I'll get at least a couple of nights mothing before winter arrives :-)
Always nice to read what you are trapping down there in your neck of the woods and best of luck for next time :-)
Thanks very much David.
DeleteMust admit I didn't realise you hadn't trapped Merveille du Jour either. I think sometimes Social Media sites have a lot to answer for as you could be forgiven for thinking, when you look at blogger and twitter, that everyone has trapped this moth!! I really do hope we are both lucky one day :)
Apart from the very first year I trapped when I didn't buy the moth trap until August, I think this is the worst year I have ever had in the number of species trapped.
We've been lucky here with the weather - its been dry overnight for over a week so I hope you get chance to fit in a couple of last trapping sessions before winter arrives.
Good luck with your next trapping session too :)
Love the photo of the Angle Shades with the leaves. I forget to bring in leaves! I'm usually just desperately trying to get photos before they escape so I often don't get much chance to shoot the moth at different angles, let alone worry about a pretty background. I've only found one Sallow species so far. Shame you are having a disappointing year, but it's like that some years with butterflies too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mandy. To be honest these days I rarely bother about "pretty" backgrounds - I think I used to do this more a few years ago. Like you I a just desperate to get a picture if I need it for id purposes!! Pugs and Carpets are the worst even after a spell in the fridge they rarely calm down and micro moths are even worse:(
DeleteYes, you are right re: good and bad years for seeing insects (and birds too for that matter!). This year, for me, has been bad for seeing dragonflies too - need to get out more!! :)
I've found that now the weather is cooler that the moths are more lively - maybe that's something to do with bringing them in to a warmer environment? Maybe I should leave them outside in the trap and take photos out there - but I don't want to risk something special flying off! I thought this year I'd get my ID type shots in with plain backgrounds, then try for something prettier/arty next year.
DeleteNeed to do a moth post as I had some new species yesterday and looking at Flying Tonight, there really are still a lot of moths possibly out there! I like that there are winter flying moths too, gives us something insecty to do when everything else is quiet! :-)
I am sure you are right about bringing them into a cooler environment. I tend to pot up all the moths outside (yes, I have lost some unusual ones doing it this way :( ). Put the ones I want to photo or am unsure of id in the fridge and then the other moths in pots in a cool place to release later. Atlhough I have to admit I don't pot up the dozens of Large Yellow Underwings I get they are put under a bush in the garden!
DeleteI tend to take photos these days of mine in the kitchen on a piece of slate. Laziness really as I did try and get more artistic shots years ago.
Look forward to seeing your moths and new species when you get chance. I often see winter flying moths on the kitchen window in winter attracted by the light. I only tend to trap in the depths of winter if its really mild.
Not sure if you will read this reply and I know I have asked this question of you before but can't remember on which blog (yours or mine?) its to do with the Canon Sx50. When we went out yesterday to take woodland photos David was finding the colours on Aperture Priority setting were unnaturally bright although they were ok on auto setting? Just wondered if you had any idea why or if its one of the camera's quirks!! Hope you don't mind me asking again. I know once the white balance had got altered but by the time I suggested that to him he had already altered setting so I am not sure what it was on when he took the photos or if that was the cause this time:(
I thought it looked like slate - I'm just using A4 white paper! Although I try to keep it clean it keeps getting covered in scales and stuff. :-) I'm just doing a moth post now as I have a special one..... :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for the SX50 - I don't know the answer to that. You can change the colour settings to things like enhance red (good for autumn leaves) or vivid etc, but I don't know if that would stay the same on different settings like Ap Priority and Auto. I would have thought so. But may be worth looking to see what the colour is set on. Otherwise I can't see why there should be a difference. My old Sony P&S would take really vivid unnatural green on the landscape setting though which was really annoying so you never know with these cameras!
Thanks so much for help re: colour. Think we ought to check the colour setting and make sure nothing is enhanced - if I can find out how to access it!!! I keep telling David we need to go through the manual and learn how to use the camera as I suspect settings get accidentally changed as we haven't a clue what we are doing!
DeleteCan't wait to see what the special moth is!! I used to use white paper but then a fellow blogger (think it was Stewart) kindly mentioned that exposure works better with a grey background such as slate. Luckily I had a slate tea pot stand!!
Oh and I'm hopeless at White Balance, sometimes use Auto, sometimes set it, but always forget to change it when I'm going from shade to sun etc! You will get warmer tones with the shade or cloudy setting, but I don't know if that would make the colours look really bright.
ReplyDeleteSimilar here re: White Balance. I always use auto with the dslr unless taking white flowers in bright sunlight when I do change it. Thanks again for the help. Will check that colour setting. Will also let you know if we do manage to solve the "problem"/find out what was causing it!
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