A Rare Treat

Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini.  Crowborough, 4 September 2018.

This is a Clifden Nonpareil, sometimes called Blue Underwing. It was once resident in the UK, but died out, and was then seen only as an occasional immigrant.  It is re-establishing itself, but still is only seen a few times a year away from the coast.  So I was lucky that this specimen appeared on my garden fence above the light of my moth trap.

I saw it from my kitchen window before dawn and thought I might have a Red Underwing.

Red Underwing, Catocala nupta.  West Wickham Common, 8 September 2016.

That would have been good because although these are not scarce, they rarely come to light, and I have only seen two, both at West Wickham Common.  But no!  It was bigger and better than that.

Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini.  Crowborough, 4 September 2018.

And it is big, one of our biggest moths.   The Old Lady is quite sizeable:

Old Lady, Mormo maura. Kelsey Park, 28 August 2015.

.. But it's not as big, and it lacks the flashy underwings.  For size, you might consider Hawk-moths; they are pretty big, like this Privet Hawk-moth that some trappers brought to Sevenoaks.

Privet Hawkmoth, Sphinx ligustri.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 7 July 2013.

I saw one at Hayes the next year.  These were very impressive.  Incidentally, blue is a rare colour among moths.  I only know one other in Britain with some blue, and it's another Hawk-moth:

Eyed Hawk-moth, Smerinthus ocellata.  Crowborough, 3 July 2017.

All of these were a real pleasure to see and handle.  But the Clifden nonpareil is the rarest.

Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini.  Crowborough, 4 September 2018.

Sevenoak Moths August 2018

Acleris emargana.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 2018

There was a reasonable collection of late Summer moths in the trap at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve this month.  One moth was sitting on top of the trap - this one, Acleris emargana.

Acleris emargana.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 2018

It's a species I have not seen before.  There is a confusion species, Acleris effractana, but as that lives in Scotland I think this identification is pretty safe.

Most of the others were quite common types.  This one:

Snout, Hypena proboscidalis.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 2018

Does not look the way we normally expect because it is a second generation specimen, darker than the first generation and lacking some of the normal markings. 

Square-spot Rustic, Xestia xanthographa.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 2018

The Square-spot Rustic is an autumnal species, basically brown but often with rich reddish undertones.  It's well named for its distinctive straight-edged spots.

Spectacle, Abrostola tripartita.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 2018

Spectacles crop up during most of the summer.  This side view shows the prominent crests, formed of long scales.

European corn-borer, Ostrinia nubialis.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 2018

This European Corn-borer is one I don't see very often so I was glad of the chance to get a good clear photo.  I took a mug-shot as well.  It was just an occasional migrant until the 1930s but is gradually getting established in the UK.  Over here, it actually lives on Mugwort rather than being a crop pest.

European corn-borer, Ostrinia nubialis.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 29 August 201

On the Fence

Moths on the fence near my light trap.  Crowborough, 14 July 2018.

On any good mothing night there is a collection of moths near, but not inside, the light trap.  It's interesting that the moths that have chosen to rest on the grey wood are more or less neutral in colour, with some patterning that might help to disguise their outlines.

Black Arches, Lymantria monacha.  On the fence near my light trap in Crowborough on 13 July 2018

Though, disguised or not, some of them, like this Black Arches, are quite worth a closer look.

Nearby, on a patch with a little bit of alga and lichen growth, was a moth with a more colourful pattern.

Sallow Kitten, Furcula furcula.  On the fence near my light trap in Crowborough, 13 July 2018.

A Sallow Kitten, the only one I have seen this year.

And here are a couple of photos from that night just because I like them

Udea olivalis.  In my light trap in Crowborough, 13 July 2018.

 A mugshot of Udea olivalis, which usually rests with its antennae flat along its back - here, it's become alert.

And when I released the moths, this Canary-shouldered Thorn decided to park upside down ...

Canary-shouldered Thorn, Ennomos alniaria.  From my light trap in Crowborough, 13 July 2018.

I'll do something non-mothy next time.

Country Park Butterflies

Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus.  Crowborough Country Park, 6 July 2018.

Crowborough Country Park is a small but scenic area managed by our local ranger.  It was a clay quarry as recently as 1980, and has since been improved as an amenity and nature reserve.  I walked round today and saw many butterflies.  We have had two weeks of hot dry weather, and yesterday a thunderstorm gave everything a thorough wetting.  The sun's back today and the butterflies love it.

The top photo is the first Gatekeeper I have seen this year.  It was in a pleasant glade.

Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus. Crowborough Country Park, 6 July 2018.

On the way up to the glade I saw this Holly Blue on the path.  I had to follow it round to get this photo.  That is true of almost all my butterfly photos and all the day-flying moth shots, too.

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria. Crowborough Country Park, 6 July 2018.

The glade was being shared by Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Speckled Woods like this one, Gatekeepers like the one at the top, some white butterflies - some definitely Large Whites, some might have been Small Whites but they didn't stop near enough for me to tell.  And this big orange beauty feeding on a Marsh Thistle:

Silver-washed Fritillary, Argynnis paphia.  Crowborough Country Park, 6 July 2018.

A male Silver-washed Fritillary.  It was keeping high and I could not get really close, but this photo shows it nicely.  These Fritillaries are not really rare, their population is fairly stable, but they are still marked as of some concern, so it's good to see them. 

Also in the glade was a small moth, a Straw Grass-veneer:

Straw Grass-veneer, Agriphila straminella.  Crowborough Country Park, 6 July 2018.

Properly called Agriphila straminella.  This and other similar moths do not fly by day by choice, but they are very easily disturbed and they fly around to look for another resting-place.

On my way out I passed one of the park's ponds and photographed this Large Red Damselfly:

Large Red Damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula.  Crowborough Country Park, 6 July 2018.

There were no dragonflies there at that time, but I had seen one earlier and I was told there were nymphs in the pond, so I'll probably see more later.

A Boxful

Moths from a garden light trap in an egg box.  25 June 2018.

When I have counted and photographed moths from my garden light trap, I tap as many as I can into one or two of these small egg boxes and then tap them out over concealing plant life.  If I am not careful, blackbirds scour the fence and the ground and pick off what they can.  In fact I have to get out just as it gets light or the blackbirds beat me to it.

Some species will fly off when tapped or persuaded out of their resting place, but many more don't seem to have the energy.  This selection includes 8 Noctuidae, 5 Geometridae, 2 Erebidae and one Sphingidae.  That relates to the numbers in the trap as well as their normal energy levels.  Noctuidae tend to just sit there, and sometimes lie on their backs.  Sphingidae hang on grimly but will fly if they can warm up.  Many Geometridae are quite frisky, and some usually escape before they can be counted.

To continue ...

Swallow-tailed Moth, Ourapteryx sambucaria.  In my garden light trap set on 22 June 2018

Nearly two months since my last post!  I keep getting material together and thinking it's not yet complete enough.   That isn't working, so I'll just post ... some stuff.  Starting with moths.

This is a Swallow-tailed Moth, one of our larger and prettier species.  Above it's on my finger.  Here it's on my garden fence:

Swallow-tailed Moth, Ourapteryx sambucaria.  In my garden light trap set on 22 June 2018

I've been running my garden trap three times a week in the warm weather, and seeing some interesting moths, including several I have not seen before.  For example:

Bordered White, Bupalus piniaria.  On the fence near my garden light trap set on 20 June 2018

A Bordered White, which would not open its wings while at rest, rather like a butterfly in that respect.  There have also been a few with plush upholstery, like this Purple Clay:

Purple Clay, Diarsia brunnea.  In my garden light trap set on 20 June 2018.

And this Rustic Shoulder-knot.

Rustic Shoulder-knot, Apamea sordens.  In my garden light trap set on 12 June 2018

Moths got the name "shoulder-knot" for those dark streaks beside the shoulder fur.  Knots they are not, but "shoulder" is reasonably accurate.

So, this is not a very well organised post, but at least it is one.

Another Thorn!

Purple Thorn, Selenia tetralunaria.  In my garden light trap on 21 April 2018.

Thorns are my choice for the UK's most dramatically beautiful moths.  This one was in my light trap, but flew out and landed on my fence while I was looking in.

I have had a few colourful species recently - about time, after such a slow start to the year.  Here's a Pine Beauty:

Pine Beauty, Panolis flammea.  In my garden light trap on 21 April 2018.

It's the first time I have seen one.  But I knew it as soon as I saw it.  It's unmistakeable.

Herald, Scoliopteryx libatrix.  In my garden light trap on 21 April 2018.

This Herals is an old favourite.  It's one of those moths that hibernates in garages and outbuildings.  There were two in my trap this time.

Finally ...

Early Thorn, Selenia dentaria.  In my garden light trap on 21 April 2018.

An Early Thorn, more brightly coloured than the one I showed in March.  I'll stop repeating Thorns now.

Sevenoaks Moths for March

Oak Beauty, Biston strataria.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 24 March 2018.

Once a month (usually) I go to Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve to unpack a moth trap that has been set out behind the visitor centre the evening before.  (These traps are harmless and the moths and any other visitors are all released.)

Here are some from the March catch that are all different from those I have had so far in Crowborough.  First, an Oak Beauty, one of the prettier early moths.

Early Thorn, Selenia dentaria.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 24 March 2018.

An Early Thorn.  Thorns are my favourite moths for looks.  This species sits with its wings clasped above its body, like a butterfly.

Yellow Horned, Achlya flavicornis.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 24 March 2018.

These are Yellow Horned.  They look only faintly yellow to the naked eye, and not really very horned, but enough of both for a good name to be found.  The one on the left is only showing its underwings because it has been disturbed.

Twin-spotted Quaker, Anorthoa munda.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 24 March 2018.

A Twin-spotted Quaker.  This moth is common in areas of deciduous woodland.

Brindled Beauty, Lycia hirtaria.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 24 March 2018.

A Brindled Beauty, showing off its antennae like huge eyebrows.

We also had this visitor in the trap:

A ground beetle, Carabus nemoralis.  Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, 24 March 2018.

A large ground beetle, Carabus nemoralis.  This is a carnivore, and although moths are not its normal diet (it likes slugs and worms) it will happily eat them if they come down to ground level.  I am pleased to say that I did not find any half-eaten specimens or discarded wings.  In my Hayes trap I often found left-over wings in the summer.  That was down to the local ants, which came in through cracks in my trap.  Lots of small creatures can be as dangerous as one large one.

moths moths moths

Small Brindled Beauty, Apocheima hispidaria.  In my light trap in Crowborough on 4 March 2018.

The moths are back!  Here are a few that have turned up in my garden light trap in Crowborough.  Some of these are moths I haven't seen before - they may well be common around here, but I haven't trapped in Crowborough at this time of year before.

This first one is a Small Brindled Beauty, one of those which are new to me.  Here's another new one:

Grey Shoulder-knot, Lithophane ornitopus.  In my light trap in Crowborough on 11 March 2018.

A Grey Shoulder-knot.  Moths with stripes on their shoulders like this one were called shoulder-knots.  There are three others in this country, though one of them has only been seen once.

Hebrew Character, Orthosia gothica.  In my light trap in Crowborough on 11 March 2018.

Unlike this Hebrew Character, which is extremely common.  It gets its common name from the resemblance of its marking to the Hebrew letter Nun.

Here's another common one:

Common Quaker, Orthosia cerasi.  In my light trap in Crowborough on 11 March 2018.

A Common Quaker.  This shows in its simplest form the typical wing markings of the family Noctuidae, usually called the oval and the kidney-mark, though I often see the kidney-mark referred to as the reniform stigma, which means exactly the same but in language which says "I am an expert, so you have to believe what I say."

The Hebrew Character above has exactly the same markings, but they are disguised by the rest of its wing pattern.  You can also see them on the Grey Shoulder-knot, but again they are mixed in with the rest of the pattern.

Small Quaker, Orthosia cruda.  In my light trap in Crowborough on 11 March 2018.

On this Small Quaker, you can see the kidney-mark clearly, but the oval is almost completely invisible.

These last three moths are not only in the same family, Noctuidae, but belong to the same genus, Orthosia.

Marbled Carpets

Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata.  Luxford Lane, Crowborough, 26 September 2017.

This is a Common Marbled Carpet.  It's quite variable in colouration, but consistent as to shape and general markings.  Some colours are identical to the related Dark Marbled Carpet and you need to look underneath the wings to tell them apart, but if they have the big orange-brown blotches shown by this one, the are always the Common species.

Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata.  Luxford Lane, Crowborough, 26 September 2017.

Common again, but you need to look underneath to be sure.

Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata.  Luxford Lane, Crowborough, 26 September 2017.

Yet another Common Marbled Carpet.  Here's the underside:

Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata.  Luxford Lane, Crowborough, 26 September 2017.

That dark line across the wings, although spiky, is more or less curved.  If it were more angular, almost a right angle bend, this might be a Dark Marbled Carpet.  Here's a specimen from a couple of years ago:

Dark Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma citrata.  Hayes, Kent, 4 September 2014.

And the underside:

Dark Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma citrata.  Hayes, Kent, 4 September 2014.

I think that's a pretty subtle difference and I am only 90 per cent sure that this one is a Dark!  Examination of the genitals would be a sure method of identification, but I don't want to learn how to dissect moths.  I always let them go.

Both these moths like to rest somewhere near the light, and rarely actually go into the trap.