After a poor spring, both for numbers and for variety of moths, June has offered some better nights with more interesting catches.
Where better to start than a Small Ranunculus. A species that was thought to have gone extinct in the UK in the early part of the 20th Century but now making a come back. However, numbers are still low and this is the first one I have seen. The shape of the wings look a bit odd, possibly a new emergence where the wings have not fully opened yet.
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| Small Ranunculus - Hecatera dysodea |
The next a Large Yellow Underwing, a common enough moth but one where I am used to seeing worn examples, meaning I had to check it against the book to make sure I wasn't missing anything.
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| Large Yellow Underwing - Noctua pronuba |
A Lime Hawkmoth. These show variable marking and colouring but are easily recognised. A green background and markings is the most common with brown markings often seen in the females. This dark red/brown colour looks a little unusual.
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| Lime Hawkmoth - Mimas tiliae |
Willow Beauty, another common moth. I see them most nights but this one was in pristine condition and really something to be seen. The picture does not do it justice.
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| Willow Beauty - Peribatodes rhomboidaria |
Looking a bit tatty but still good to see in the trap, a Burnished Brass. I will be hoping for a better specimen somewhere amongst the future catches.
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| Burnished Brass - Diachrysia chrysitis |
The Flame Carpet was a new species for me but unfortunately seen whilst staying up in Bromley. I would have liked it on the garden list.
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| Flame Carpet - Xanthorhoe designata |
A more docile species, the Pale Prominent. A regular in the trap and quiet happy to pose sitting on your finger as in my last mothing blog.
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Pale Prominent - Pterostoma palpina
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Lackey, it's not rare but it's also one I don't see in the garden very often. I always think it looks like a child's toy that would be nice to stroke.
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| Lackey - Malacosoma neustria |
A few Micro Moths. Nothing special but the Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix and Variegated Golden Tortrix were new for me although again caught up in Bromley rather than in the garden.
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| Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix - Pandemis cerasana |
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| Common Rose Bell - Notocelia rosaecolana |
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| Marbled Orchard Tortrix - Hedya nubiferana |
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| Variegated Golden Tortrix - Archips xylosteana |
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Privet Twist - Clepsis consimilana
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Four more from the Bromley catch. All but the Shears would have been additions for the garden list.
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| Shears - Hada plebeja |
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| Common White Wave - Cabera pusaria |
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| Maple Prominent - Ptilodon cucullina |
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| Dog's Tooth - Lacanobia suasa |
Finally, a few actually caught in the garden. The best being the Long-legged Tabby, the only one new for the garden list, although I had seen one a couple of years ago in Suffolk.
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Dwarf Cream Wave - Idaea fuscovenosa
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| Elephant Hawk-moth - Deilephila elpenor |
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| Privet Hawk-moth - Sphinx ligustri |
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Long-legged Tabby - Synaphe punctalis
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So a couple of good nights but the winds on the coast have been too strong most nights to make it worth putting the trap out. July Forecasts don't look much better.
