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.

An Interesting Moth Today

Moths

Well we have had some very sunny days of late, but today, despite a sunny start, it turned very cloudy, before the sun returned mid-afternoon..

With light winds again, the trap went out last night and this morning there were 13 moths of 7 species. New for year was a Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia

  *First for year

**New for P&W moth list

#1    Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x2

#2    Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x5

#3    White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella x1

#4    Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x1

#5  *Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia x1

#6    Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi  x1

#7    Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea x2

#1 Muslin Moths Diaphora mendica

#1 Muslin Moths

#2 A Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, with a Muslin moth looking on.

#2 Another Light Brown Apple Moth

#2 One more Light Brown Apple Moth

#2 And last one, another Light Brown Apple Moth with a slightly different wing pattern!

#3 Beneath this Muslim moth is a White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

#4 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#5 Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia

#6 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi 

#7 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea

Also in the trap was this Running Crab Spider Philodromidae sp.

A Running Crab Spider Philodromidae sp.

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Back garden

And just like the past few days, I spent all afternoon working in the back garden, ticking off the jobs on my "to do list", which I'm pleased to say is nearly complete.

And of course I had a few breaks and on one occasion disturbed a small moth, which landed on one of the leaves on the Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus. After taking a couple of photos, I got back to work.

Later I used the Obsidentify App and discovered that my moth was either a Tawny Oak Tortrix Acleris ferrugana or Tawny Birch Tortrix Acleris notana. Unfortunately the two species are so similar, that the only way to separate them is by dissection of the genitalia.

The only thing I would say is that there are no Birch trees on Portland, but there are 4 Oak trees within 200 metres from the cottage, including a 5 year old tree in our garden. The larvae of the Tawny Oak Tortrix feed mainly on Oak Quercus sp. in a spinning between leaves. Hmm!!

It would be tempting to say, that it is a Tawny Oak Tortrix Acleris ferrugana, but I have no evidence to back it, so it will be a Tawny Tortrix agg. Acleris ferrugana/notana.

NOTE

It appears that what I believed to be a Tawny Tortrix agg. Acleris ferrugana/notana, is in fact one of many variations in colour and pattern of the female Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana. You live and learn!!

Still Slow Going

Moths

As the wind was a lot lighter than the past few days, I decided to put the moth trap out last night.

The numbers trapped however were still low, with just 14 moths of 6 species, including a new moth for my P&W moth list which now sits at 232 since 30 May 17. The new moth was a Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea.

   *First for year

**New for P&W moth list

Moths recorded:
#1   *Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea x3
#2     Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x4
#3     Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x1
#4 **Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x1

#5   *Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata x1
#6    Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x4

#1 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea

#2 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#3 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

#4 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea

#5 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

#6 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#6 And three more Common Quakers, with a rufous coloured individual in the centre.

Also in the trap was another Non-biting midge Chironomidae sp.

Non-biting midge Chironomidae sp.

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Back Garden

This afternoon I spent working in the garden for the third day running. It's amazing how much work is needed to keep on top of everything.

However one has to have a break, and there were many today in the lovely warm weather we are having. And during those breaks there was plenty to see. Below are a few insects noted this afternoon.

An Ashy Mining Bee Andrena cineraria....................

....................flying around the lawn.

Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa

A Nomad Bee Nomada sp...................

..................have a brush up.

Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea

Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans

St Mark's Fly Bibio marci

Root Maggot Fly Anthomyia procellaris

The nymph of a Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

Jumping Spider Heliophanus sp.

Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis

What Is Going On

Well it is quite obvious by last nights trappings in the moth trap, that the strong easterlies are playing a big part in the reduction of moths flying at night.

The night before last there were just 5 moths in the trap, and last night there was just the one Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi.

Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

Also in the trap was this very distinct looking nonbiting midge Chironomidae sp. However not that distinct that I can name the exact species.