MOTHING NIGHTS

The moth trap was brightened up by this immaculate looking scarce silver-lines moth in the morning of Thursday 4th. Despite it being a widespread moth generally, it's been a few years since one of these graced the trap here and I'd forgotten how bright green they are. The moth is found in parklands and woodlands where the caterpillars feed on oak.

The warm weather over the last few nights have provided good opportunities for mothing sessions at the park.

The delicate bordered white looks more like a small butterfly with the brown markings and the wings being held upright. Luckily it is quite an obliging moth to photograph and stays still long enough to click a few images. A widespread moth although usually noted here just on a single occasion each year.

The distinctive and bulky looking swallow prominent is a common moth at the park. The first individual of the year was seen at the end of May and no doubt there will be others still to appear too.

The strangely cryptic pale prominent moth has some fairly dull markings but an amazing profile to mimic a piece of bark or a dead leaf. The head of the moth in this picture above is on the right.

Two traps were used on Sunday night with this Gardiner trap being brought out for the first time this season. It has three bulbs, including 150w halogen bulb, on top of a large perspex box, with the moths lured to the lights and then dropping down inside. The trap was checked at 4am before the birds were up, with about 150 macro-moths of 42 species were noted. Moths were then released back into long grass nearby.

Five species of hawkmoth was a pleasant surprise with small elephant, elephant, poplar, privet and eyed hawkmoths either in or on the trap.

Other moths of interest seen in recent nights have included blotched emerald, buff arches, marbled brown, riband wave, bordered pug, pale oak beauty, mottled beauty,  treble brown spot, barred straw, barred yellow, pebble prominent, maple prominent, poplar grey, short-cloaked moth, turnip, white-point, common wainscot, burnished brass, starwort and a brown rustic.