Trapping at Pilmoor, VC62, night of 24th June

Pilmoor at his time of the year is always hard work due to the insects...the biting type!  Armed with my full-strength insect repellent I gave it a go.  There was a stiff breeze from the west so at least the trees either side of the old railway track would offer some protection from the wind.  I had three traps set, the 160w MVB over a white sheet on the main track under the aspen trees, the 125w MV Robinson in the woods and a 2 x 22w Gladiator trap again on the main track.  As it turned out, not a bad night with over 550 moths of at least 86 species being a fairly respectable haul including two new moths for me: a Beautiful Carpet and a Willow Tortrix Epinotia cruciana  The micro barely resembled the illustration in Sterling and Parsons and had me stumped all day but with the powers of the internet within minutes had a reply identifying it.  A trawl of photos of that species confirmed it and it is a very scarce moth in Yorkshire as a whole with possibly just a couple of previous records in VC62. Also of note were my first Four-dotted Footman for five years, just two recorded, but bearing in mind I have had them just into three figures and certainly many dozens on previous occasions in the same area.

This species Ancylis laetana is a real rarity in Yorkshire with only a couple of recent sites and with three trapped there I have now had 12 of them under the aspen trees at Pilmoor.

Ancylis laetana

 This is the Willow Tortrix, again with very few recent records in Yorkshire.

Epinotia cruciana

 For what is just a 'brown' moth this has to be one of the most beautiful.

Scallop Shell

Wormwood Pug

Grey Arches

Clay

Rustic Shoulder-knot

This next photo is either lancealana or lacteana which would require gen.det. to be really sure; a shame as a well marked specimen.

A Bactra sp.

And finally just a record shot of the Beautiful Carpet which made a dash for freedom while trying to photograph it.  I don't often get new macros these days so this was a welcome find, and certainly lives up to its name.

Beautiful Carpet

And finally, I had three female glow-worms trying to compete with my rather bright lights, and indeed attracted at least three flying male glow-worms who must have been highly disappointed on arrival....  I did not get a photo of any of the males but it gives me an opportunity to show a previous female from the same site.

Glow-worm, female

Two nights in Kilburn woods, VC62

Having a week off and choosing the best midweek nights for trapping I chose a new location on an existing site in Kilburn woods not far from the White Horse.  Wednesday night was dry but breezy and turned out to be a night of exceptional quality micros, and this success prompted a return visit last night some 200m away in slightly different habitat on a calm and biting midge-filled night.

Night of 31st May, just over 300 moths of 70 species, but what quality!  The comments on rarity underneath are using not quite up-to-date information but certainly a reflection on their scarcity.

0128 Phylloporia bistrigella = 1st since 1883 in VC62

0481 Epermarnia falciformis - 3rd VC62 record (the other two are mine too)

0906 Blastodacna atra - only 3 Yorkshire records, the first in VC62 since 1921

as above

1132 Epinotia subocellana - I had two, 5th and 6th VC62 records

1242 Pammene populana - only 6 Yorkshire records - the first in VC62 since 1954

as above

Night of 1st June, over 470 of 68 species, the highlight being four Clouded Magpie which are simply stunning and I have only had a couple before.

0968 Cochylis nana

1885 Clouded Magpie

1887 Clouded Border ab. - a variable species but I have never seen one like this

2043 Orange Footman

2150 Grey Arches

In addition to all the moths I was lucky enough to have some Glowworms totalling 12 females and one male over the 200m stretch over the two nights.  Always a pleasure to see and duly reported to the recording scheme.

Two nights at Pilmoor

With the continued unsettles weather it really is down to looking at the latest forecasts to see if there is a window of opportunity.  Sunday night looked dry until mid-morning so it was Pilmoor Wood that was the chosen site, and the aspen grove was favourite.  Typically the rain started in the early hours so a quick pack up was required, but a modest haul of 91 moths of 30 species was recorded.  Highlights were mainly micros, with another Cochylis nana although this one much more subdued marked than the one a few weeks ago.   

Paraswammerdamia nebulella

Cochylis nana

Epinotia demarniana

Eucosma cana

With such a muggy night on Wednesday night, no wind and again no rain forecast till the morning,  it was Pilmoor again but nearer the road in the damper woodland, with the hope of getting Mere Wainscot like last year.  Rather stupidly I forgot to pick up my 160MVB bulb so only ran the 125MV Robinson trap, but it certainly seemed to pull in good numbers, about 450 moths and good selection of c.75 species; just think I could have doubled this total if I had remembered all the equipment.....  Highlights were the third VC62 record of the colourful but diminutive Pammene aurana (5mm in length), seven Epinotia demarniana, and the ever beautiful Lilac Beauty.  

A walk along the old railway line at 2345 produced at least 11 female Glow-worms displaying and two males were attracted to the trap.  Oddly enough, a walk along the same route at 0130 and none at al were seen, perhaps influenced by two brief appearances of the moon which popped out from behind the cloud for several minutes.

Pammene aurana

Barred Straw

Lilac Beauty

See the light

A cool  night at Pilmoor, the old railtrack running through the birch woods east of Boroughbridge.  Still, it kept the biting midges at bay, but the most significant insect of the night was two glowing female Glow-worms among the long grass.  

female Glow-worm

These were the first I had seen for some years, and on checking the internet found the details of the Glow-worm recording site, and duly submitted my record.  I had a response this morning suggesting it was a significant record, the nearest  previous record being at Strensall Common in 2005.  The site can be found on www.glowworms.org.uk   

Glow-worm distribution from NBN 

Of course, the main purpose of the visit was to trap moths, and numbers were kept low by the cool temperatures but did include only my second Birch Mocha.

Birch Mocha

Also, trapped was the rather beautiful pied Apotomis turbidana, another of those bird-dropping type moths, but at least gave an opportunity to test out the Clifton and Wheeler guide.

Apotomis turbidana

0970  Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana)  4

1092  Apotomis turbidana  1

1334  Scoparia ambigualis  31

1392  Udea olivalis  1

1648  Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria)  1

1677  Birch Mocha (Cyclophora albipunctata)  1

1727  Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)  9
1764  Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)  1

1776  Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)  11

1887  Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)  1

1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  2

1947x  Engrailed/Small Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata/crepuscularia)  2

1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  2

1994  Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)  1

2006  Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma)  2

2007  Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)  1

2008  Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina)  1

2011  Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina)  1

2040  Four-dotted Footman (Cybosia mesomella)  2

2060  White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)  1

2061  Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum)  6

2089  Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)  3

2102  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  3

2128  Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)  1

2199  Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)  1

2302  Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea)  4

2305  Small Angle Shades (Euplexia lucipara)  1

2326  Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata)  1

2337x  Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)  1
2340  Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula)  1

2450  Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)  1