Hayes September Moths

Small Blood-vein, Scopula imitaria.  Hayes, 7 September 2014

 Just a few of the moths from my garden trap in September.  The first is a Small Blood-vein, nicely patterned and shaped.  The food plant is not well known, but the lrarvae have been found on garden privet and on honeysuckle, so it can be expected in suburban traps like mine.

Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner, Cameraria ohridella.  Hayes, 7 September 2014.

 A tiny moth, less than 5mm long, but the banding makes it stand out if you are on the lookout for micromoths.  This is the moth whose caterpillars turn our horse-chestnut leaves into dead brown crinkles before the end of the summer.  It is very common and often comes to light.

Black Rustic, Aporophyla nigra.  Hayes, 22 September 2014.

 Next, a couple of Rustics.  These two are typical late summer moths.  To the naked eye, the Black Rustic looks almost featureless except for those two cream smears.  The flash brings out some very familiar patterning that shows it belongs in the family Noctuidae.

Vine's Rustic, Hoplodrina ambigua.  Hayes, 13 September 2014.

This Vine's Rustic is marked very like its relatives The Rustic and The Uncertain, but they do not usually fly as late as September.  The oval and kidney-mark of the Noctuidae are very clearly outlined.

Tachystola acroxantha.  Hayes, 20 September 2014.

This is another micromoth, but small rather than tiny, sometimes nearly 1 cm long.  Those pointed wings with an orange fringe make it very easy to identify.

Large Ranunculus, polymixis flavicincta.  Hayes, 25 September 2014.

Finally, a pretty moth that came to my window rather than the trap.  It flew in when I opened a fanlight.  I have jars ready to lean out and catch any moths that walk up the outside of the window, but it's much safer if they are obliging like this one!  This way I don't have to climb up onto my computer table.