It's Getting Better

It was pretty chilly night, but that didn't put off the number of moths on the wing last night, with a few venturing into the moth trap. This morning there were 24 moths of 11 species, including another new species for my Port & Wey moth list. This time a Tawny Shears Hadena perplexa

  *First for year

**New for P&W moth list

Moths recorded:

#1       Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x7

#2       Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea x4

#3       Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x3

#4       Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x1

#5       V-Pug Chloroclystis v-ata x1

#6       Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata x1

#7       Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x1

#8    **Tawny Shears Hadena perplexa x1

#9      *Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha x1

#10     Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x3

#11    *Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria x1

#1 The unusual pattern on this Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana.........

....................is one of many variations found with this species.

#1 And yesterday I believed I had a Tawny Tortrix agg. Acleris ferrugana/notana on the Guelder Rose. Today it or another was in the moth trap. Having been contacted by someone who has caught quite a few variations with female postvittanas I now realise that this is also a Light Brown Apple Moth.

#1 Another Light Brown Apple Moth which is more in line with the colour and pattern I'm use to seeing.

#2 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea

#3 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea

#4 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#5 V-Pug Chloroclystis v-ata

#6 A very worn Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

#7 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#8 Tawny Shears Hadena perplexa

#9 Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha AKA Australian Orange-tip

#10 Muslin Moths Diaphora mendica

#11 Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria

Also in the moth trap were 2 species of Ichneumon wasps.

In the moth trap was this Netelia wasp Netelia infractor, identified by the.........

.............................areolet (small spot) in the wing.

Another Netelia wasp

And also in the trap was this Death Wasp Zele deceptor or something very similar.

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Back garden

It was another afternoon spent in the garden, with the following insects noted in the glorious sunshine.

Bees Recorded:

Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum

Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa

Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis

Common Furrow-bee Lasioglossum calceatum

Hoverflies Recorded:

The Footballer Helophilus pendulus

Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae AKA Migrant Aphideater

Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans.............

........................it also goes by the name of Spring Smoothtail

Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris - form bulborum

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Celery fly Euleia heraclei

Blowfly Calliphora sp.