Last month I started using the new MV light for the first time. Fortunately our garden is not overlooked and I think I have found a couple of places where the light doesn't disturb the neighbours too much. So how does the MV rate against the actinic? No contest!
After a warm March, winds switched round to northerlies for much of April and temperatures plummeted, especially for last week where nighttime temperatures dropped to just above freezing! Very few moths turned up at the light, but as I don't usually start trapping until later in the year and so nine species were new for the garden list.
Many thanks to Douglas Boyes, Billy Dykes, Steve Gale, Richard Lewington, Alan Martin and Stewart Sexton for help with the identification of some of these.
1 April
1 Frosted Green Polyploca ridens (first garden record)
7 April
1 Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata (first garden record)
13 April
1 The Seraphim Lobophora halterata (first garden record)
1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta
1f Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana
15 April
1 Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana (first garden record)
1 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea
20 April
1 Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli (first garden record)
3 Least Black Arches Nola confusalis (first garden record)
1 Narrow-winged Pug Eupithecia nanata (first garden record)
1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata (amazingly, the first garden record)
1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana (first garden record)
3 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta
2 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana
After a warm March, winds switched round to northerlies for much of April and temperatures plummeted, especially for last week where nighttime temperatures dropped to just above freezing! Very few moths turned up at the light, but as I don't usually start trapping until later in the year and so nine species were new for the garden list.
Many thanks to Douglas Boyes, Billy Dykes, Steve Gale, Richard Lewington, Alan Martin and Stewart Sexton for help with the identification of some of these.
1 April
1 Frosted Green Polyploca ridens (first garden record)
7 April
1 Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata (first garden record)
13 April
1 The Seraphim Lobophora halterata (first garden record)
1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta
1f Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana
15 April
1 Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana (first garden record)
1 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea
20 April
1 Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli (first garden record)
3 Least Black Arches Nola confusalis (first garden record)
1 Narrow-winged Pug Eupithecia nanata (first garden record)
1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata (amazingly, the first garden record)
1 Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana (first garden record)
3 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta
2 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana
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| Frosted Green Polyploca ridens, Worcester Park, 2 April 2017 |
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| The Seraphim Lobophora halterata, Worcester Park, 14 April 2017. Usually flying in May and June, it seems a few species are flying a few weeks earlier than usual this year. |
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| Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli, Worcester Park, 21 April 2017 - the first record for the garden |
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| Least Black Arches Nola confusalis, Worcester Park, 21 Aprl 2017 - the first record for the garden |
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| Narrow-winged Pug Eupithecia nanata. Worcester Park, 21 April 2017 - a heathland and moorland species, so what it's doing in Worcester Park is anyone's guess? |
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| Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata, Worecester Park, 21 April 2017. Note the tiny discal spot, weak cross-lines with a double angle in the post median band, the slight ochreous ground colour, white tornal spot and white sub-terminal line, that all together distinguish from White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria. |
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| Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata, Worcester Park, 14 April 2017 - slowly getting my head around the tricky identification of Oak-tree and Brindled Pugs - not easy! |
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| Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata, Worcester Park, 21 April 2017 - fairly worn but note the prominent discal spot and pale area immediately behind. |
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| Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Worcester Park, 21 April 2017 |
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| Female Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Worcester Park, 14 April 2017 - the patterning on the females is very varied |
