Microscopic examination

Although I've not had anything like enough time available to make a serious attempt at the 1000 species in 1sq km challenge I have been keeping the list going, mainly with the contents of the moth trap. It is now on 438. Among the moths are usually some other identifiable insects and a new toy has helped pin down one of these. The flower bug Lygus pratensis is very similar to others of the genus, all of which are rather variable in colour and markings. According to this source they can be distinguished on the basis of the tiny hairs on the corium (base of the wing area). Although it is a red data book species it has spread a lot throughout southern Britain and is probably a lot more common now. In any case it was a nice subject for my new USB microscope toy which is just up to the job of picking out the necessary detail.

Lygus pratensis

On a slightly different tack I also came across a party of 6 larvae mining a sorrel leaf in our veg patch recently. A rather large larva that turns out to be this leaf-mining fly that feeds on docks, etc.

Pegomya solennis

Canon Powershot SX50 HS and USB microscope

Lesser Cream Wave

Recent moth trapping sessions in the garden have produced a few new records including this pale wave species. Purple Throrn is just a great moth. A few turn up every year but this year the first generation in spring did not appear so it has been nice to get a few of the second generation in summer.

Ruddy Carpet was another garden first. A rather attractive moth when fresh, unfortunately this one turned up on a night of heavy rain and as a consequence is well past its best unfortunately.

Lesser Cream Wave Scopula immutata

Purple Thorn Selenia tetralunaria

Ruddy Carpet Catarhoe rubidata

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Silver-washed Fritillary, Southey Wood

Lots of Crossbills being seen at the moment so I took a lunchtime dash to Southey Wood. Didn't see any but did find at least 3 of these huge butterflies.

Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

More moths as temperatures soar

So as the mercury creeps ever upwards the numbers of moths attracted to the light trap keeps going up. Among them some worthy of note. Buff-tip is nowhere near as common as it used to be. A large moth that does a very good impersonation of a birch twig. Buff Arches on the other hand has never been numerous but a few turn up every year. White Satin seems to be increasing in numbers. The striking micros without a common name are the 2nd or 3rd record for the garden: E. dodecea is a bit of a scarcity in Hunts with perhaps less than half a dozen records.

Buff-tip Phalera bucephala

Buff Arches Habrosyne pyritoides

White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis

Aethes rubigana

Batia lunaris

Ethmia dodecea

Zeiraphera isertana

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Hot July moths

The warm weather has been bringing some top quality moths to the garden in the past week. Lilac Beauty is probably the best and only the second record here as is The Drinker. There have been a couple of Heart & Clubs, which aren't that usual either (note the feathered antennae except for about the last quarter, this and dark hindwing separate it from Heart & Dart or Turnip Moth).

Lime Hawk-moth used to be the most frequent hawk-moth in the garden but in recent years has been absent or down to a single record so that's pretty scarce too these days.

Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae

Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor

Lilac Beauty Apeira syringaria

The Drinker Euthrix potatoria

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria

Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria

Figure Of Eighty Tethea ocularis

Heart & Club Agrotis clavis

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Moths of late June

Some notable moths appearing in the garden trap in the past week or so. Orange Footman is only the second record and Heart & Club only the fourth but the micro is a first. I've gone for A. spinosella rather than A. subfusca as it is a month earlier than my records of the latter and the upper wing has less contrast and more strongly defined strigulae.

I've also included a medley of hawks and a prominent here.

Argyresthia spinosella

Orange Footman Eilema sororcula

Heart & Club Agrotis clavis

From the top: 2 Small Elephant Hawk-moths Deilephila porcellus, 2 Privet Hawk-moths Sphinx ligustri, a Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi and an Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus

Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Lesser Stag Beetle and Tree Bees

A couple of six-legged stars of the garden at the moment. The Tree Bees are nesting in a bird box.

Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus

Tree Bee nest Bombus hypnorum

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

More Garden Moths

The warm muggy conditions continue to deliver some excellent moths.

Eyed Hawk-moth Smerinthus ocellata

The Miller Acronicta leporina

Shoulder-striped Wainscot Leucania comma

Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus

0332a Firethorn Leaf Miner (Phyllonorycter leucographella) 1
1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana) 1
1682 Blood-vein (Timandra comae) 1
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 7
1832 Currant Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1887 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1
1904 Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria) 1
1980 Eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata) 1
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 1
1992 Small Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 1
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 2
2089 Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 13
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2157 Light Brocade (Lacanobia w-latinum) 1
2205 Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Mythimna comma) 1
2280 The Miller (Acronicta leporina) 1
2302 Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea) 3
2330 Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa) 1
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 2
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 1
2380 Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica) 1
2450 The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 2
Black Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus humator) 1
Water Beetle (Ilybius sp.) 1

Photos: Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Hairy Sex

A quick look at March Farmers this lunchtime revealed little remarkable in the way of birds (although 66 Little Egrets in a relatively small area is pretty impressive). There were a few insects about though, including quite a few Silver Y moths and these mating Hairy Dragonflies. Note the Red-eyed Damselfly trying to get in on the action at one point.

Hairy Dragonflies Brachytron pratense

and with Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Riverside insects, Elton

Tooka quick look along the River Nene at Elton Bridge this lunchtime and was rewarded with views of Scarce Chaser, Hairy Dragonfly and Red-eyed Damselfly (none sitting for photos) as well as these. There were also masses of Dark Bush-cricket nymphs.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens eating a mayfly (probably Ephemera vulgata)

And now the full horror in HD:

Xanthogramma pedisequum

Myathropa florea

Melangyna umbellatarum

(Thanks to Roger Morris for the correction of this id)

All photography Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Moth pulchritude

This week has seen a significant rise in night time temperatures and the moths have responded by bouncing back with some good numbers flying in the garden. Beautiful golden Y and Poplar Kitten have both only occurred twice before.

Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina

Poplar Kitten Furcula bifida

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi

Moths for June so far:
Bucculatrix nigricomella
Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
Brown House-moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)
Phtheochroa rugosana
Syndemis musculana
Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana)
Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis)
Pyrausta aurata
Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata)
Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)
Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)
Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)
Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)
Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata)
Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata)
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)
Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)
Poplar Kitten (Furcula bifida)
Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)
White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum)
Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)
Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)
Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi)
Light Brocade (Lacanobia w-latinum)
Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)
The Lychnis (Hadena bicruris)
Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)
The Coronet (Craniophora ligustri)
Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea)
Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata)
Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa)
Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)
Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)
Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica)
Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)
Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)
Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina)
The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)

Photos: Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Wasp Beetle

The 1000 speceis for 1km sq challenge has taken a bit of a battering this year. Poor weather and lots of other activities at weekends have limited the time available for recording. So the list has only just crept up to 250 and the 250th was this corking Wasp Beetle sitting in our herb patch this morning.

Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis

Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Light Brocade

A garden first. After 10 years of recording in the garden new moths keep appearing. After taking this one on the 11th I was surprised to catch another (definitely a different individual) the following night. Moth numbers still very low with only about 10 species per night and most singletons or just two or three.

Light Brocade Lacanobia w-latinum


The Coronet Craniophora ligustri f. coronula


Canon Powershot SX50 HS