Svensson's Copper Underwing

A rather large and time-consuming moth catch overnight included some excellent moths among the 269 moths of 65 species. Cream-bordered Green Pea (Earias clorana) is nationally scarce and there are not that many records of Bordered Pug (Eupithecia succenturiata) in Hunts.

The other good find was a largish moth: Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra berbera). This is very hard to distinguish from the Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides) but close examination of the underside of the hindwing shows the copper colour extends fully along the length of the wing. On Copper Underwing the copper is restricted to the posterior third, the rest being cream coloured. The moth was chilled so it could be handled to inspect the underside and released unharmed.

The underside of the hindwing is only a guide (although a good one) but a diagnostic test is to take a close look at the palps. In the final two pictures the palps are visible and look largely dark with neat tiny pale tips. On Copper Underwing these are largely pale along the front edge and thus lack the contrasting pale tips.

This also helped take the garden moth list to over 300 species in just under a year of recording.

Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra berbera)




Nikon CP995

Juvenile Song Thrush

Mothing has its by-products. Often things are heard at night and many other species other than moths are attracted, all of which adds to the interest. In this case it was a barely fledged Song Thrush that had chosen a very exposed roosting perch low down and rather vulnerable to predators, especially illuminated by the moth light. I moved it to a less dangerous position after taking the photo where it soon settled back off to sleep.

Juvenile Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

Nikon CP995 with internal flash.

Six-Spot Burnets

Many Six-Spot Burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae) were on the wing in the morning at Dogsthorpe Star Pit.


An otherwise relatively unproductive trip to Ring Haw three days earlier also had a few cooperative individuals.

Nikon CP995.

Lunchtime on the western Nene Washes

A bike around the Bradley Fen and Padholme Pumping Station area east of Peterborough provided the opportunity to photograph the moths and butterflies below (all at the latter site). There were plenty of other leps there including a Silver Y and Gatekeepers. An Emperor dragonfly was near Bradley Fen and single Redshank, Snipe and Greenshank were all on the High Wash floods just a bit further east.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)


Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)


The pyralid moth Udea lutealis

Nikon CP995.

More Little Egrets

And then there were two. In fact a day later there were four. Perhaps Dogsthorpe Star is finally starting to live up to the expectations raised since it has been drained.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
 
 
 
 
Digiscoped with the Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 and 20x eyepiece.

Bugs, bugs, bugs

Not everything that arrives in a moth trap is a moth. Here are some recent visitors to the garden light trap.

A small Ichneumon perhaps Diplazon sp.


A Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus investigator)


One of the many forms of 2-Spot Ladybird, Adalia bipunctata


This large Ichneumon fly is a regular at light traps and the bad news for the moths is that it is ectoparasitic on their larvae.
Netellia testaceus




Capsid Bug

Nikon CP995.

Weedon's Slug Theory debunked?

Not making any friends here I suspect but this whopping slug on the house wall appears to be a very clean example, which seem to refute the mucky-end theory proposed by my (former?) friend Mike Weedon. The exception that proves the rule?!

Swaddywell Insects

Picking the only sunny day for ages Katie Fuller, Mike Weedon and I headed to the excellent local nature reserve at Swaddywell for some top quality insects. Common Darter, Four-spotted Chaser, Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer dragonflies, several pyralid moths that were probably Udea lutealis and a Silver Y also showed.

First another of those top insects: the longhorn beetle Agapanthea villosoviridescens




Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet is a grassland species flying in June and July and was the highlight of the visit.




Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)



Skipper sp. probably Essex (Thymelicus lineola)


Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)


Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)


Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata)

Elton Bridge Insects

The weather continues rather cool and breezy so when we set off for a walk to look for White-letter Hairstreaks around the abundant Elms near Elton Bridge we were not very hopeful. As expected there were few insects about but a large, sheltered bramble bush hosted masses of bees, hoverflies and other insects including these.

A Speckled Bush-cricket nymph (Leptophyes punctatissima)



Male and Female Scorpion Flies (probably Panorpa communis)



Most ragwort was infested with Cinabar Moth caterpillars (Tyria jacobaeae)


Ladybird pupa (Coccinellidae)


A striking spider (Enoplognatha ovata)

Phew, what a whopper!

Found this huge snakeskin on an otherwise uneventful visit to Ferry Meadows Country Park. Measures in at well over a metre (about 3'6") so must be from a pretty well full-grown Grass Snake.

Dogsthorpe Star Pit birds

A regular morning check of Dogsthorpe Star Pit (which has revealed very little lately) on the way into work this morning brought a couple of surprises in the shape of an adult Black-tailed Godwit and an adult Little Egret. The birds were a little distant for digiscoping but I stretched a point to get these pics using the Nikon CP995 and 32x lens on the Leica APO 77.

A Purple Patch (at least if you ignore the photography)

Oh dear! The quality of the photography has taken a nosedive. I think this indicates more digscoping practice is needed. In any case this was a much more successful lunchtime outing and, in addition to as many as 8 Purple Hairstreaks (pictured), a couple of White Admirals and a few White-letter Hairstreaks showed very nicely. The area, about half way up the western track at Bedford Purlieus, had a fairly mature Elm with Oaks and other trees and a varied and luxuriant understory. This spot was also heaving with birds including Blackcap, Willow Warbler, tits and Treecreeper feasting on the abundant insect life.

Bloodsucker

You see these little fellows around everywhere in summer. Rhagonycha fulva is a Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae). The common name relates to the colour.

Know your larvae

So you come across a caterpillar. But is it lepidopterous (a moth or butterfly) or symphytous (one of the sawflies)? The answer is to count the legs. Ignore the true legs near the head, there will always be three pairs of them. Count the prolegs, which normally start a little way behind the true legs. Butterfly and moth larvae have four or five pairs whereas those of sawflies generally have six or more. There are a few sawfly larvae with fewer prolegs but they tend to be those that tunnel inside plants. So which of the following are lepidopterous and which are not?





They are:
1. The Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) - a moth
2. Tenthredo mandibularis - a sawfly
3. An unidentified micro moth
4. An unidentified sawfly larva

If you can help with either of the unidentified beasts, please comment.