Farthing Downs August Moths

Gill Peachey's moth trap on Farthing Downs. 31 August 2011.

In an act of great generosity, Gill Peachey offered to put her trap out at Farthing Downs again and show me what it caught, to help me to learn how to distinguish between them. I had had great difficulty with the moths caught in my own little trap in Hayes.

I enjoyed Farthing Downs, a large open space, mostly meadow. It was quite warm on the morning of 31 August and even though it was early, there was lots of insect activity.  There were flies and bumblebees and some butterflies, Meadow Browns and Small Heaths. There were also flocks of micromoths, easily disturbed by walking through the grass, and I dropped to the ground to attempt a photo. I'll show some of the micros later.

The trap is a professional-looking Robinson design. It does not need to be actually in the fields to attract moths. I could see straight away that there were some interesting catches. Gill untrapped them slowly, taking them from their resting places on and in the egg boxes, and let me photograph them. She recorded them and put a couple of dozen in clear plastic pots for me to work on.

Indoors, I managed to identify them all, with help and hints from Gill. I learned quite a lot and I am now confident of identifying some of them, at least, without further assistance.

Here are a few of the pretty Geometers from the trap.

Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata.  A Geometer.
From Gill Peachey's moth trap at Farthing Downs, 31 August 2011.

This pretty Brimstone Moth is common. Its caterpillars live on Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Rowan. I now have a row of Hawthorns in my garden, so maybe I will see more of these.

Pretty Chalk Carpet, Melanthia procellata.  A Geometer.  Gill Peachey's moth trap at Farthing Downs, 31 August 2011.

The Pretty Chalk Carpet lives on chalky soils, so its name is not just a clue to its colour. Its caterpillars eat wild Clematis.

Green Carpet, Colostygia pectinataria.  A Geometer.  Gill Peachey's moth trap at Farthing Downs, 31 August 2011.

This Green Carpet is not quite fresh. It starts out bright green, and like many other moths, its colour fades over a few days. It can be found anywhere in Britain and its caterpillars eat Bedstraws.