Third night on the trot

With the weather still holding, I dragged my weary carcase out for another night out, this time at Kilburn woods. The temperature held up, but rather breezy, and with 3 traps out, managed another reasonable haul.  What was probably most notable was the number of micros that ended up in the fridge at home, still trying to work out what they are.  One new tortrix for me, a Ptycholomoides aeriferanus, only first discovered in the UK, in Cambridgeshire, in 1951, and the range has expanded to include Yorkshire.

Ptycholomoides aeriferanus

So, that was one I could put a name to, and here are some shots of a couple of Argyresthia sp., only 6mm long, with their curious tail-up stance, and another one of those bird-dropping moths thingies.

Argyresthia sp.

Argyresthia sp.

tortrix sp.

Another highlight, was several flocks of Crossbills flying around over the trapping site, giving reasonable if distant perched views.

A quick summary of catch at Kilburn (W) on 4 Jul 2011

Taxa
  Argyresthia species (Argyresthia sp.)  4
  Cnephasia species (Cnephasia sp.)  4
0410  Argyresthia brockeella  7
0460  Ypsolopha parenthesella  1
0970  Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana)  18
0971  Pandemis cinnamomeana  14
0977  Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana)  2
0987  Ptycholomoides aeriferanus  2
1011  Pseudargyrotoza conwagana  2
1032  Aleimma loeflingiana  11
1033  Green Oak Tortrix (Tortrix viridana)  4
1076  Celypha lacunana  14
1083  Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana)  7
1092  Apotomis turbidana  3
1136  Epinotia immundana  2
1168  Gypsonoma sociana  3
1293  Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)  5
1302  Crambus perlella  3
1334  Scoparia ambigualis  52
1344  Eudonia mercurella  8
1356  Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis)  2
1392  Udea olivalis  4
1405  Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis)  1
1640  Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)  3
1682  Blood-vein (Timandra comae)  1
1702  Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)  2
1708  Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)  1
1713  Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)  6
1713  Riband Wave [non-banded form] (Idaea aversata ab. remutata)  47
1727  Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)  8
1738  Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)  3
1758  Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata)  4
1768  Grey Pine Carpet (Thera obeliscata)  1
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  1
1777  July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata)  4
1802  Rivulet (Perizoma affinitata)  2

1803  Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata)  2
1817  Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)  2
1856  Larch Pug (Eupithecia lariciata)  5
1860  Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata)  2
1887  Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)  6
1893  Tawny-barred Angle (Macaria liturata)  25
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  11
1931  Peppered Moth [melanic form] (Biston betularia f. carbonaria)  1
1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  2
1941  Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata)  109
1947  Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata)  3
1955  Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria)  1
1956  Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata)  1
1958  Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata)  1
1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  23
1962  Barred Red (Hylaea fasciaria)  1
1981  Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)  5
1991  Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)  1
1994  Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)  1
1997  Sallow Kitten (Furcula furcula)  1
2007  Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)  1
2008  Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina)  1
2030  Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)  6
2050  Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)  4
2060  White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)  1
2089  Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)  7
2098  Flame (Axylia putris)  3
2102  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  4
2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  80
2120  Ingrailed Clay (Diarsia mendica)  1
2128  Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)  7
2138  Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina)  3
2150  Grey Arches (Polia nebulosa)  3
2160  Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)  2
2302  Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea)  1
2305  Small Angle Shades (Euplexia lucipara)  2
2312  Olive (Ipimorpha subtusa)  1
2314  Dingy Shears (Parastichtis ypsillon)  1
2318  Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina)  1

2321  Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha)  50
2327  Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion)  1
2337x  Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)  71
2340  Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula)  2
2343x  Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.)  7
2345  Small Dotted Buff (Photedes minima)  2
2381  Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)  11
2382  Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda)  2
2410  Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga)  1
2434  Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)  2
2442  Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina)  9
2443  Plain Golden Y (Autographa jota)  3
2477  Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)  3
2489  Fan-foot (Zanclognatha tarsipennalis)  1

In search of Wainscots...

The attraction of a couple of new Wainscot species meant a night out at Staveley again, but this time at the end in the reed-beds.  As the previous night, the temperature dropped quickly, and being a 'damp' site, seemed chillier than it actually was.  Only fair numbers of Smoky Wainscot, and just one Southern Wainscot, my first up here, but the actual highlights were a Gothic and a Blackneck, again my first in Yorkshire.  I had forgotten how beautiful the Blacknecks were, and typically when trying to photograph them this morning, that was the one that shot off before I could get a shot!

Chilo phragmitella

Gothic

Southern Wainscot

Southern Wainscot (top) and Smoky Wainscot

The site has plenty to offer, although it is quite a long walk with a fully loaded barrow of equipment, but certainly deserves more effort in a couple more weeks, when the Wainscot species are at their best.

A record count of Four-dotted Moths

Not a bad night but cool after midnight, getting down to +8.  I chose Sessay wood near Pilmoor, the 2nd time I have trapped here, and ran 4 traps, all different bulbs and wattages.  The highlight of the night was the incredible count of Four-dotted Footman, 103 in total, amounting to nearly 20% of the total catch, and more than 5 times the previous County record.

Four-dotted Footman

The rest of the catch amounted to 75 odd species, with some families surprisingly absent or few in number, but had only my second ever White Satin Moth, and a new site for the Nb status Angle-striped Sallow.  Not a bad haul.

Angle-striped Sallow

Argyresthia brockeella

Grey Poplar

Suspected

White Satin Moth

As an addendum to this, my record of five Minor Shoulder-knot seemed to generate interest, so I add a picture of one of these, a very local and declining species in Yorkshire.

Minor Shoulder-knot

What a fantastic night...

With the forecast looking great, I thought I would give Staveley Nature Reserve a whirl, having sought the necessary permissions.  A super site, although a bit of a trek with all the equipment.  Having set up two traps in the wood, and the MVB over the sheet in the open area, I settled down to savour the last rays of sunlight on a beautiful warm and still evening.

Dawn at Staveley

It turned out to be a busy night with about 1000 moths of just over 100 species, including several new micros for me.  A pick of the best photos follows:

Leopard

Epiblema foenella

female Ghost

Eyed Hawk-moth and Elephant Hawk-moth

A pyralid which was new for me was Phlyctaenia perlucidalis of which I caught four, but as a moth was only first discovered in the UK in the Huntingdon fens in 1957.  It is still a scarce species with a mainly south-eastern distribution, but does occur in very small numbers in Yorkshire.

1380 Phlyctaenia perlucidalis

  Coleophora species (Coleophora sp.)  6
0014  Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli)  3
0016  Gold Swift (Hepialus hecta)  3
0161  Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina)  1
0937  Agapeta hamana  82
0946  Aethes rubigana  2
0970  Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana)  2
0977  Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana)  1
1063  Celypha striana  17
1076  Celypha lacunana  16
1083  Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana)  1
1175  Bramble Shoot Moth (Epiblema uddmanniana)  6
1183  Epiblema foenella  1
1197  Eucosma campoliliana  1
1201  Eucosma cana  9
1219  Lathronympha strigana  1
1290  Chilo phragmitella  1
1293  Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)  235
1301  Crambus lathoniellus  2
1334  Scoparia ambigualis  13
1336  Eudonia pallida  3
1345  Brown China-mark (Elophila nymphaeata)  14
1354  Small China-mark (Cataclysta lemnata)  2
1376  Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata)  5
1380  Phlyctaenia perlucidalis  4
1392  Udea olivalis  1
1405  Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis)  2
1428  Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)  2
1458  Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta)  4
1640  Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)  10
1653  Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides)  2
1654  Figure of Eighty (Tethea ocularis)  1
1669  Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)  2
1682  Blood-vein (Timandra comae)  2
1702  Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)  1
1708  Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)  2
1713  Riband Wave [non-banded form] (Idaea aversata ab. remutata)  6
1726  Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata)  2
1727  Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)  2
1757  Spinach (Eulithis mellinata)  1
1758  Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata)  8
1765  Barred Yellow (Cidaria fulvata)  1
1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  14
1777  July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata)  23
1825  Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata)  1
1860  Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata)  3
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1
1887  Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)  3
1904  Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria)  1
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  2
1922  Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)  4
1931  Peppered Moth (Biston betularia)  3
1941  Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata)  6
1947x  Engrailed/Small Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata/crepuscularia)  1
1955  Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria)  1
1956  Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata)  1
1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  6
1980  Eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata)  1
1981  Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)  9
1991  Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)  9
1992  Small Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus)  1
1994  Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)  5
2008  Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina)  1
2028  Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)  1
2030  Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)  1
2050  Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)  8
2060  White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)  1
2061  Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum)  1
2064  Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)  2
2069  Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae)  6
2077  Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella)  2
2089  Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)  47
2098  Flame (Axylia putris)  21
2102  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  6
2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  3
2120  Ingrailed Clay (Diarsia mendica)  1
2122  Purple Clay (Diarsia brunnea)  1
2126  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  1
2128  Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)  50
2134  Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)  17
2155  Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae)  1
2160  Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)  5
2173  Lychnis (Hadena bicruris)  2
2193  Clay (Mythimna ferrago)  5
2198  Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura)  34
2205  Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Mythimna comma)  1
2305  Small Angle Shades (Euplexia lucipara)  1
2314  Dingy Shears (Parastichtis ypsillon)  8
2322  Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea)  7
2330  Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa)  4
2337x  Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)  6
2340  Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula)  22
2381  Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)  35
2382  Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda)  19
2410  Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga)  1
2434  Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)  4
2442  Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina)  6
2450  Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)  2
2474  Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)  23
2477  Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)  5
2489  Fan-foot (Zanclognatha tarsipennalis)  4

Square-bashing

In addition to my interest in natural history, I have always been fascinated by maps.  I have spent hours pouring over OS Explorer maps, and with the fantastic Google Map resource, you can zoom in and identify good areas of habitat, and potential trapping sites.  Being fairly new to Yorkshire, it took some time to find good sites close to home, and was spurred on by the maps in the Yorkshire lepidoptera reports which initially just identified those squares with less than 100 species, and more recently gave the total of both micro and macro moths for each square.   In 2009, I focused on the three 10km squares running up the west end of the North Yorkshire moors (SE47,48 and 49), which was rewarded with good records of Devon Carpet (new to Yorkshire), and Red-necked Footman (first for over 100 years).  In 2010, three more squares targeted, one near Hovingham, and two on the norther side of the NY moors, two were increased to well over 100 and the third just snook in at 99 species.  This year, nine squares identified as needing some recording effort, which unfortunately are some distance from home, so will have to be extremely good weather to make the effort worthwhile.

...I'm just trying to figure out how to attach a map....

Another 10km square bites the dust...

Following the theme to target under-recorded 10km squares, especially those with less than 100 species, it was the turn of Scarth Nick wood in NZ40 on the northern edge of the North York Moors.  Unfortunately it was cool and rather breezy, and with only 48 moths of 21 species, but probably all the species were new for the 10km square.  A quick check shows the number of species for the square is now 112.  On top of all that, as an added bonus, a Grey Scalloped Bar was a new moth for me.

Grey Scalloped Bar

0018  Map-winged Swift (Hepialus fusconebulosa)  2

0970  Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana)  1

1451  Pyla fusca  1

1722  Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)  1

1727  Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)  7

1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  2

1873  Welsh Wave (Venusia cambrica)  1

1954  Bordered White (Bupalus piniaria)  1

1969  Grey Scalloped Bar (Dyscia fagaria)  1

2008  Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina)  1

2061  Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum)  8

2098  Flame (Axylia putris)  1

2102  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  1

2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  1

2118  True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea)  2

2120  Ingrailed Clay (Diarsia mendica)  6

2122  Purple Clay (Diarsia brunnea)  1

2138  Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina)  1

2163  Broom Moth (Melanchra pisi)  2

2302  Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea)  6

2442  Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina)  1

+ 2 pug sp not counted in total

Welsh Wave

..followed by a good night in the woods

Following the visit a couple of days ago to Low Wood and Sessay Wood, Pilmoor, the warm humid night of Tuesday was too good to miss, and I spent the night with 3 traps split between the two woods.  The total numbers were only 262, but 66 species, including a good crop of micros.  As with all micro hauls, I took loads of photos to assist in identification, some of which have only just been resolved, including several new ones.

Tischeria ekebladella

Blastobasis adustella

Aleimma loeflingiana

Ancylis laetana

All of the above are micros, which by definition means small.....none are more than 1cm long, and the first one is no more than 5 or 6mm in length!
Oh, and the highlight of the early hours of Wednesday was hearing a Cuckoo, a bird that I just had not heard so far this year, something I had only commented on the previous evening, following an item on Springwatch.