Friday Night's Moths

I had the highest catch of the year on Friday by way of the number of indiviudal moths trapped and there were several new species for this year and a couple of possible garden ticks.

There were at least 22 Heart and Darts (some whizzed away as I was potting them). In hindsight, I really should be checking some of these more thoroughly in case I am missing Heart and Club and Turnip which are superficially similar.

A few of the Heart and Darts straight from the trap



One of the dreaded pugs - is this Freyer's??? There was also a very worn pug but I let it go more or less straightaway due to the struggle I have identifying even a well marked specimen like the one below!

Edit - Many thanks to Stewart (from the "Orthosia Enthusiast") for confirming my tentative id of Freyer's. A new garden tick!



Dark Arches - new species for the Year (if id is correct!)
Edit - Many thanks to Dean (DDD please see link under Blog list to the right of the page) for confirming my id.



Common Marbled Carpet (new species for the year)



I am finding it hard to id the moth in the photo below. I was hoping that the dark band at the base of the wing was distinctive but it appears not to be! The closest I can get is a possible Minor species. Tawny Marbled Minor? Although apparently it is almost impossible to separate Marbled, Rufous and Tawny Marbled Minor without checking out the differences in genitalia! Sorry, couldn't kill a moth just to confirm id let alone carry out the dissection!

Of course, it could well just be one of the Rustic species (another group of moths that give me a headache!)

Its quite a small moth (wingspan from wingtip to wingtip is around 10 mm)

Edit - Yet more huge thanks to Dean for identifying this moth as a Pale Mottled Willow (a new species for the year)



Setaceous Hebrew Character (a new species for the year). Have cheated a bit here and used a photo I took last year when I managed to get it to "pose" on a leaf.



As always if I have misidentified any of the moths please feel free to correct me!



Summary of Moths Trapped Friday, 27th May, 2011

9.15 p.m. until dawn

Minimum temperature 9.2 degrees centigrade

15w Actinic Skinner Trap

Heart and Dart x 22
Setaceous Hebrew Character x 1 (New for Year)
Shuttle-shaped Dart x 1
Dark Arches x 1 (New for Year)
Common Marbled Carpet x 1 (New for Year)
Edit Pale Mottled Willow x 1 (New for Year)
Edit Freyer's Pug x 1 (New for Garden)

plus

Freyer's Pug?? Edit ID now confirmed by Stewart
Mystery Moth - Minor/Rustic sp?? Edit - Now identified by Dean as Pale Mottled Willow

Edit

Garden Species - 106
2011 Garden Species - 26 (slowy creeping up!)

I'll try and put out the trap again tonight or tomorrow as there are several species I had trapped by this time last year that haven't yet appeared. I live in hope of a Hawk-moth!