Not super busy in the moth trap this morning but the first hawkmoth of the year is definitely worth getting out of bed for.
I considering trying to pose the moth actually on the cat, but the risk:reward ratio of ‘cute photo’ vs ‘moth getting eaten’ didn't seem great.
Not a bad night in the moth trap, starting to move from early spring moths into spring moths proper. Several new for the year, including Frosted Green (not really green), Scorched Carpet (not really a carpet), and this Muslin Moth which lived up to its name by fainting like a Regency debutante.
#moths #TeamMoth #ukmoths #VC17
Pretty good moths last night. One new species, Small Brindled Beauty. One which is probably new but might need dissecting to be certain — I think it's either Caloptilia elongella or C. betulicola, either of which would be new for the garden. And I've thrown in a pic of a Dotted Chestnut bc it's pretty.
#moths #TeamMoth #VC17 #ukmoths
Here’s one for #CrapWildlifePhotography or whatever the hashtag is. It’s a new moth species for me, and a fairly good record… if the county moth recorder is willing to take my word for it.
This was probably the best moth in the trap though — Ethmia quadrillella; until recently a very scarce moth in the UK, apparently it has been spreading but it was still new for my garden. The caterpillars feed on comfreys, lungworts and Common Gromwell, which is a great selection of plant names.
Lots of stripy Jersey Tiger moths at the trap this morning.
This is Raspberry Clearwing, the 8th species of clearwing moth I’ve recorded in the garden this year, all attracted to pheromone lures. There are still a couple more species that are possible, but they will have to wait until next year.
Very worrying. I reopened my bag of compost and found these caterpillars hiding in it.
I oddly instantly recognise them as spongy* moth caterpillars. These jerks fully defoliated trees back home in the states. Apparently they can do the same here. It felt kinda bad squishing them but it's for the good of the trees. I can still remember how weird it was to have naked trees like winter, in July. #UKMoths #moths #caterpillar
*These still have a derogatory name in the UK; I refuse to use it.
Some green-ish moths from last night. The first is Green Oak Tortrix, which there were 29 of; my previous highest count was five, so that was unexpected. Then a Lime Hawk-moth (lime as in linden, not the stuff you put in a daiquiri). And finally a Bee Moth; the caterpillars do in fact live in bee and wasp nests.
Moth numbers have been really bad this year, even allowing for poor weather conditions. I only had 5 species in the trap this morning; these two are Toadflax Brocade and a longhorn called Nematopogon swammerdamella.
As every gentleman of distinction will know, it's not the quantity, but the quality of what you've got that matters. Just 5 in/near the trap this morning, but what belters, including two new for garden species:
1) Alder Kitten
2) Marbled Brown
Also were this Muslin Moth and Yellow Barred Brindle. The fifth was a Brimstone moth (not shown)
Best moth in the trap this morning was probably this Early Grey. It’s not at all rare but it does have a very elegant outfit.
