Friday 30 May 2014

Cross posting, more or less, from Cullaloe blog

Cullaloe 29/05/2014, Heath Trap and incidental netting on the way to/from setting up

Poplar Hawk Moth (1)
Clouded Border (1)
The Rivulet (1)
Common Wave (1)

Poplar Hawk-moth

Clouded Border

The Rivulet

Common Wave

Cullaloe 29/05 - en passant

Found three spp. of moth at Cullaloe yesterday - one in the morning and two at lunchtime - Crambus lathoniellus, Common Carpet and Silver-ground Carpet




Wednesday 28 May 2014

Hill of Beath, heath trap, 27/05/2014

Poor night with temperature dropping quickly at sunset. Can't believe I got up at 4:30 in the morning for this! On the other hand, at least I got back to sleep quickly.

Pale-shouldered Brocade (1)
Small Phoenix (1)

Friday 23 May 2014

Cullaloe random pickups, 23/05/2014

Two Cullaloe LNR drive-bys - first one netted from grass this morning. Second snatched off the top of gorse at lunchtime. Posted so I have easy access to them from my phone. Details to follow (once I figure out what the hell I'm looking at!)



20th May, Hill of Beath, Ochreous Pug



Hill of Beath LNR, Heath Trap, 20/05/2014, 21:30-11:30

Ochreous Pug (1)
Small Phoenix (1)


Adela rufimitrella

Still to be seen plentifully around Cullaloe LNR, especially in the vicinity of Cuckoo-flower. I even netted one today as by-catch while catching a hoverfly


Tuesday 20 May 2014

Hawk Moth Heaven - Cullaloe, 19/05/2014


Cullaloe LNR, Heath Trap, 21:30-4:45, Willow/Birch Carr

Mild night to start but cooling and with some mist.

The star of the show was undoubtedly this Poplar Hawk Moth, which will be one of the highlights of my Cullaloe year, mothing or otherwise


Another new one for me was Brown Silverline, of which there were 2


There were two others, both Noctuids, and one of which seems to be Pale-shouldered Brocade, but I know there are other similar species so I am posting them here without ID for the moment (ID now confirmed/established)

Pale-Shouldered Brocade

Knot Grass

The complete list
1722 Flame Carpet (3)
1750 Water Carpet (1)
1759 Small Phoenix (1)
1902 Brown Silver-line (2)
1958 Clouded Silver (1)
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (1)
2158 Pale-shouldered Brocade (1)
2289 Knot Grass (1)

ID notes: Knot grass: " this moth usually shows a curved white mark near the rear edge of the forewing, even in melanic specimens"

Monday 19 May 2014

Hill of Beath, Heath Trap, 18/05/2014

Mild evening, overcast but didn't rain.

Since I didn't catch much of anything on the previous outing I didn't feel it would be too disruptive to put the trap out again. Fortunately I decided to get up before sunrise to check the trap as I suspect I would have lost one of the darpets which was resting on the top. I recorded my biggest crop of Hebrew Chars by far, and when I woke up for the second time at about 7 they had all dispersed somewhere in my shed! Lesson learned there. I'll have to open the shed door and hope some of them might leave tonight. I also found my first back garden diving beetle. I would have put it in the pond, only I don't have a pond! Wonder where it was going from/to.

2190 Hebrew Character (6)
1759 Small Phoenix (1)
1728 Garden Carpet (1)


Small Phoenix

Garden Carpet

Diving Beetle

Sunday 18 May 2014

Cullaloe LNR - Syndemis musculana

Picked up during an afternoon visit to Cullaloe, in an attempt to find some micros in a far corner of the reserve. There wasn't much action though. Also scoping it out for leaving trap there. Could work out OK but it will be a pain getting it in.

Hill of Beath, Heath Trap, 17/05/2014

2190 Hebrew Character (1)
2158 Pale-shouldered Brocade (1)


Might take a more experienced eye to differentiate the two species. I was fairly convinced it was a Lychnis but it does seem to have slightly rosy tones. The more I look the less certain I become and there are even other candidates I didn't spot before. I'll have to seek advice on this one.

Pale-shouldered Brocade. There you go. Thanks to DD for the assistance

Cullaloe LNR, Heath Trap, 17/05/2014, 21:30-23:30

By bench at holly tree. Also present a pair of Tawny Owls and a number of bats which passed the quiet times.

1750 Water Carpet (2)
1722 Flame Carpet (1)
1759 Small Phoenix (1)




Friday 16 May 2014

Cullaloe LNR, Heath Trap, 15/05/2014


An interesting evening at Cullaloe with the heath trap out for its first road trip. A nice start, albeit modest (enough for me to handle!), with some Caddis fly and beetle action thrown in on the side

1750 Water Carpet (2) Lampropteryx suffumata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1958 Clouded Silver     Lomographa temerata    ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
2469 The Herald (2)     Scoliopteryx libatrix    (Linnaeus, 1758)

Clouded Silver

The Herald

Water Carpet

Caddisfly sp.

You can see here how superbly the Herald matches the leaf litter:


648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella (Linnaeus, 1758)

Before we get into last night's outing to Cullaloe LNR, let's take a moment to record this little guy. Seen before when I had no means to identify it, I'd like to thank it for showing up last night and my daughter for potting it while I was asleep.


Thursday 15 May 2014

Log - 14/05/2014 HOB, depressing result

Heath trap, Mild night turning wet

Hebrew Character (1)


I hope things improve soon. Hopefully I will get the trap out to Cullaloe or somewhere better than my garden to give it a real try. I'm already beginning to doubt its performance capabilities. To be fair I did fail to organise the roosting substrate inside the trap, but I think that was probably irrelevant.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Mothing diary

Mothing Diary

A list of dates as reminders and 'signature' spp., as reminders. Click on links to go to logbook entry

2017
27/03/2017 - Dalgety Bay - incidental (Shoulder Stripe)
24/03/2017 - Dalgety Bay  - heath MV (HeCha,ClDra,CoQua)
19/03/2017 - Dalgety Bay - heath MV (HeCha,ClDra,CoQua)
13/03/2017 - Dalgety Bay - heath MV (HeCha,ClDra,CoQua)
09/03/2017 - Dalgety Bay - overnight heath trap - MV (Dark Chestnut)
06/03/2017 - Dalgety Bay - overnight heath trap - MV (Early Grey)
15/02/2017 - Dunfermline - incidental (Pale Brindle Beauty)
30/01/2017 - Dalgety Bay - overnight heath trap - MV (Hebrew Character)
08/01/2017 - Kinghorn incidental (Mottled Umber)

2016
18/10/2016 - Dalgety Bay - overnight heath trap, actinic (Pale November Moth)
05/10/2016 - Dalgety Bay - overnight heath trap, actinic (Merveille du Jour)
23/07/2016 - Cullaloe, MV 22:00-00:00 (Ghost Moth, Barred Yellow, Bramble Shoot Moth)
19/07/2016 - Hill of Beath heath trap (Dusky Wainscot)
18/06/2016 - Cullaloe, one MV plus two headtorch (AS,SS) (Bordered White, T.semifulvella)
25/05/2016 - Mossmorran "Brassy Twist"
22/03/2016 - Cullaloe, headtorch sallows and birch heath trap overnight (Yellow Horned)
13/03/2016 - Dumbarnie Links and Hill of Beath - Herald, Dotted Border, Pale Brindled Beauty

2015

27/10/2015 - Mossmorran - lunchtime Scarce Umber
07/10/2015 - Dunfermline - November Moth
25/09/2015 - Falkland Palace, one overnight MV (C-S Thorn, Green-brindled Crescent)
01/09/2015 - Cullaloe, MV, 20:30-21:45 (Rosy Minor, Small Wainscot, Dk Marbled Carpet)
07/08/2015 - Cullaloe, casual obs., Common Grass Veneer (Agriphila tristella)
12/08/2015 - Hill of Beath, see iRecord
12/08/2015 - Dunfermline, casual obs., Marbled beauty
14/08/2015 - Mossmorran, one hour MV (Pretty Pinion etc. see iRecord)
16/08/2015 - Cullaloe, casual obs., Flame Carpet on tree trunk
25/08/2015 - Hill of Beath (Dotted Clay, Dark Arches)

29/07/2015 - Mossmorran, lunchtime accidental observation (Ingrailed Clay)
24/07/2015 - Cullaloe, 21:30-02:30, 3xMV Robinson, 1xActinic Heath (Pinion-streaked Snout)
21/07/2015 - Mossmorran, 22:00-23:00 (Gold Spangle)
21/07/2015 - Hill of Beath, overnight Heath trap (Cabbage Moth)
10/07/2015 - Hill of beath, overnight Heath trap (Currant Pug)
08/07/2015 - Hill of Beath, MV, 23:00-23:30 (Small Clouded Brindle)
10/06/2015 - Mossmorran, 22:30-23:30 with MV on edge of heath (Sallow Kitten, Pebble H-T)
09/06/2015 - Hill of Beath, Kinghorn (Small Phx @ HOB, Lt Brwn Apple Moth @ KHN)
25/05/2015 - Mossmorran, 100s of day flying Common Heath
23/05/2015 - Cullaloe, 21:30-01:30 3 x Robinson 1 Heath (Elephant Hawk, Yellow-barred Brindle)
08/03/2015 - Hill of Beath, 22:00-04:00 (HebChar, CloDrb, Black Sexton)
06/03/2015 - Hill of Beath, 20:00-06:00 (Clouded Drab)
05/04/2015 - Cullaloe, headtorch only, one Sallow flowering (Chestnut,Hebrew Char,Com Quaker)
04/04/2015 - Cullaloe, headtorch - (Hebrew Char, Com Quaker, Agonopterix oceallana)
27/03/2015 - Cullaloe, 19:00-22:00 (Hebrew Char, blown fuse)
20/03/2015 - Falkland, 18:45-21:00 (Yellow Horned)
11/02/2015 - Dunfermline, casual observation, March Moth, HOB 19:00-20:00 (nothing)
13/02/2015 - Falkland overnight (Pale brindled Beauty, Satellite, Dotted Border)
13/02/2015 - Dunfermline, casual observation, Pale Brindled Beauty

2014

23/11/2014 - Falkland overnight from 17:00 (Mottled Umber, Scarce Umber, Dec Moth)
10/10/2014 - Falkland, 19:40-21:40 (Black Rustic)
21/09/2014 - Hill of Beath, overnight - caught nothing!
20/09/2014 - Cullaloe, to 23:30 (Canary-shouldered Thorn, Pink-barred Sallow)
13/09/2014 - Falkland Palace, no power to trap (Angle shades on asters)
31/08/2014 - Cullaloe, day swept Silver Y
30/08/2014 - Cullaloe, overnight (Sallow, July HF, Small Phx)
21/08/2014 - Dumbarnie Links (Hedge rustic, Square-spot Rustic)
15/08/2014 - Cullaloe, overnight (Sallow)
08/08/2014 - Cullaloe, overnight (Dark Marbled Carpet)
02/08/2014 - Cullaloe, overnight (Pebble Prominent)
01/08/2014 - Falkalnd Palace - public event with three MV traps (wasps!)
26/07/2014 - Cullaloe, 21:00-00:00 - two MVs plus Heath trap, raining (Gold Spots, Double Lobed)
23/07/2014 - Cullaloe, 22:00-05:00 (Beautiful Carpet, Burnished Brass)
20/07/2014 - Hill of Beath, 22:00-05:00 (Common Rustic agg., Dark Arches)
19/07/2014 - Cullaloe: 21:30-05:00 (Blue-bordered Carpet)
15/07/2014 - Hill of Beath, 21:30-05:00 (Garden Tiger)
11.07.2014 - Falkland, 21:30-00:30 (Swallow-tailed, Lempke's Gold Spot)
10.07.2014 - Cullaloe, lunchtime, 6-spot Burnet single near the spillway
08.07.2014 - Hill of Beath, 21:30-04:00 (Marbled Beauty - 7!)
01.07.2014 - Cullaloe 21:00-04:30 (Double Square-spot)
28.06.2014 - Cullaloe 22:00-05:00 (Shoulder-striped Wainscot, July HF)
25.06.2014 - Cullaloe 2200-05:00 (Large Emerald, Marbled Beauty)
23.06.2014 - Hill of Beath, 23:45-03:30 (H&D, Marbled Bty, )
23.06.2014 - Cullaloe 22:30-23:30 (Sandy Carpet, Small Fan-footed Wave)
20.06.2014 - Hill of Beath 23:00-03:45 (Marbled Beauty, BGY, Small Angle Shades)
19.06.2014 - Cullaloe 22:30-23:30 (Mottled Beauty, Light emerald)
19.06.2014 - Cullaloe daytime, Yellow Shell and The Snout
14.06.2014 - Cullaloe 22:00-04:00 (White Ermine, Riband Wave)
14.06.2014 - Falkland Palace22:00-00:00 (Figure of Eighty, Light Emerald)
10.06.2014 - Cullaloe 22:00-05:00 (Buff-tip, Pebble Hook-tip)
08.06.2014 - Cullaloe incidental daytime (Latticed Heath, Grass Rivulet, Common White Wave)
06.06.2014 - Falkland Palace (Elephant Hawk-moth, Ghost Moth)
05.06.2014 - Cullaloe, lunchtime (Clouded Border, S-G Carpet, Crambus lathoniellus)
03.06/2014 - Hill of Beath, 21:30-04:15 (nothing!)
29.05.2014 - Cullaloe, cpt 7, Heath trap (Poplar HM, Clouded Border, The Rivulet)
29.05/2014 - Cullaloe, lunchtime, walk to spillway (Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet))
20.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, 21:30-23:30 (Ochreous Pug)
19.05.2014 - Cullaloe, cpt 7 (Poplar Hawk-moth)

(mains trap returned - all Heath trap unless stated from here on)

18.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, Heath trap (Small Phx, Garen Crpt, 6 HChar)17.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, Heath trap (1 HChar, 1 Pale-shouldered Brocade)
17.05.2014 - Cullaloe, cpt 2, Heath trap (Water Carpet, Flame Carpet, Common Carpet)
15.05.2014 - Cullaloe, cpt 7, Heath trap (Water Carpet, Clouded Silver, The Herald)
15.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, incidental (White-shouldered House Moth)
14.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, Heath trap (HebChar)
09.05.2014 - Falkand Palace (ComPug, BrinPug, Flame Carpet, Small Phoenix)
09.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, Heath trap (3 x HChar)
06.05.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (GR Pug, Parsnip moth)
23.04.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (Com Quaker, HChar, CDrab)
18.04.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (Com Quaker, HChar, CDrab)
14.04.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (2 HChar only))
11.04.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (Hebrew Char, Clouded Drab)
05.04.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (Early Grey, Clouded Drab)
04.04.2014 - Hill of Beath, Robinson trap (Mottled Grey. March Moth)

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Nettle Tap Moth

One of several on White Dead-nettle this morning at Cullaloe. So there were some moths out and about.


Sitting on the Dock ...

There was nowt in the moth trap last night after a cold and clear night, but butterflies were up and about this morning at Cullaloe. Male and female Orange Tip on Dock and Cuckoo Flower respectively



Saturday 10 May 2014

Friday 9th April - HOB, Falkland Palace

With my own new heath trap out in the garden I headed for Falkland Palace, where I will hope to be 'manning' their moth trap occasionally throughout the year. Weather was a bit breezy and the sky was clear, so it wasn't with high expectations that we left the trap running. The haul in the morning was not extensive, but it did add three species to the site list. With this being the earliest date in the year the site had been worked the common Common Quaker was a new addition, as was Brindled Pug and a nicely patterned micro, Syndemis musculana.There is also one more micro that may be ID'd and added to the list later

(Addendum: unidentified micro was 688, A.heracliana, also new for the site)

688 Agonopterix heracliana

986 Syndemis musculana

1722 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata
1759 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata
1834 Common Pug
1852 Brindled Pug
2187 Common Quaker (2)
2190 Hebrew Character (2)

view from the orchard

Common Quaker

Flame Carpet

Syndemis musculana

Common Pug

Small Phoenix

Hebrew Character

Brindled Pug (to be confirmed)

Natural habitat pose



Friday 9 May 2014

Spruce Carpet

On returning to examine my spoils from yesterday it turned out that my samples had sadly expired. The macro I netted also turned out to be a Spruce Carpet - completely different from what I guessed in the field, although I was aware that the cold coloration made it look different anyway.

1769 Spruce Carpet Thera britannica (Turner H J, 1925)