Garden Moths, Bees and Butterflies

I've reverted back to trapping once a week mainly due to lack of time at the moment for potting and identifying moths. I put the trap out last Friday as it was Garden Moth Scheme Night and one of the Moth Nights for 2013. This year's theme for the latter event was Tiger Moths. Unfortunately, I have never trapped a Tiger Moth in 4 years although they were common when I was young. I used to raise moths from the caterpillars. I did manage four new species for the year though.

Marbled Beauty - very pretty, tiny moths in camouflage colours. I always trap a lot of these.

First new species for the year was Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Hasn't it got a cute face? When freshly emerged the LBBYYU's have a pale green collar.

Orange Swift - also new for year

Common Wainscot (hopefully - I always struggle over the Wainscots) New for Year

I really am not sure about the id of these rather cute moths - Wainscot species I think but which ones not sure

The trap seemed full of worn lbj's of the moth world - such as the one below which I think might be Straw Underwing

Underside of one of the moths - have managed to forget which one!!!!

And I'm still working on the id of the micro below. I let most of the micros go unless they look distinctive and just pot a couple to have an attempt of identifying. One of these days (or years) I'll have the time to spend hours trying to get to grips with micro id. Although to be fair I still struggle over many macros!!!

I did another Butterfly Count last weekend - the buddleias are now flowering and full of Whites, Commas and Peacocks - just a few record shots as the butterflies were mainly feeding on the higher blossoms making photography rather difficult!!!

Comma

One of the white-tailed Bumble Bee species

Peacock

Summary of Moths Trapped Friday, 9th August

Minimum Temperature 13.9 degrees centigrade

15w Actinic Skinner Trap


2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) x 2 (New for Year)

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 9

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) x 1

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) x 1

2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) x 5

1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) x 2

2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) x 1 (New for Year)

2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) x 8 (New for Year)

2318 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina) x 1

0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) x 1 (New for Year)

2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) x 1

2303 Straw Underwing (Thalpophila matura) x 6

2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) x 1

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 6

2343 Common Rustic (Mesapamea secalis) x 2

2198 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) x 1