This morning I found 3 individuals of Lunar Underwing - new for year.
Photos of two of the Lunar Underwings
Summary of Moths Trapped 21st September 2013
Minimum Temperature 13.9 degrees centigrade
15w Actinic Skinner Trap
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 12
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 6
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) x 3 (New for Year)
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chlorocylsta truncata) x 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) x 1
Still no Copper Underwings though - I usually trap dozens of these late summer so their non-appearance this year is rather a mystery. It looks as though we are in for a few more mild, dry nights so I will leave the trap out each night.
Ivy flowers are appearing in the garden and will provide a great nectar source for insects flying in the autumn. Am hoping one of these days to see an Ivy Bee!
Cosmos is still flowering profusely and plants are full of buds so we should get flowers for a while yet as long as we don't get any heavy overnight frosts.
Verbena bonariensis is still attracting butterflies, bees and hoverflies.
Michaelmas Daisies (one of my favourites) are starting to flower
and so are the sedums.
The mini wildflower meadow is now past its best with just a few ox-daisies, red campion and scabious still flowering. The plants will be cut down in a few weeks now flowers have had chance to set seed.
We have a huge crop of rowan berries in the garden - the most I have ever seen. Blackbirds and Wood Pigeons are enjoying a feast and the Whitebeam tree is full of berries too.
A pristine Speckled Wood basking in autumn sunshine on the kitchen window frame this afternoon.
10 comments:
The Honeybees are really buzzing around the flowering ivy here although I admit I don't know much about Ivy Bees. Hopefully it will stay warm for a while longer for the pollinators. It's great to see all the berries in your garden for the birds to feed up on!
Thanks for sharing what is around your garden at the moment. Love the Speckled wood ad the flower shots
Wendy - Thanks :) Ivy Bees were only discovered as a species in 1993 and arrived here in 2001. Here's a link http://www.bwars.com/sites/www.bwars.com/files/info_sheets/01_Colletes_hederae_20100908.pdf
Appears to be mainly seen in the South of England so would probably be lucky to get sighting here.
Margaret Adamson - Many thanks. Hoping this year there are so many berries that some might get left for winter thrushes but we will see!
What an interesting bee-not good that it only feeds on ivy and has quite specific nesting needs. Lovely flowers in your garden still providing nectar. The moth name Lunar Underwing is brilliant!
I hadn't heard of Ivy Bees either - fascinating. Ivy flowers are so unassuming, it's easy to forget they flower at all.
We have been living in a cloud for the last few days.....so much for the heat wave!
Hope the Copper Underwings arrive at your trap this week then, Caroline. Along with a Red Underwing or two.
Lovely Lunars :-) I've had copper underwings here, wonder why they haven't made it to you? You have many of the same plants flowering in your garden as we have here- lovely to see them all :-)
SeagullSuzie Many thanks. I love the names of moths - just one of the things I find so fascinating about them :)
Em Parkinson Many thanks. Its been hot and humid here - sunny yesterday but cloudy and damp today :( Hope weather improves for you soon.
Dean Stables Many thanks Dean. So pleased I had two Copper Underwings this morning :) Would so love Red Underwing - would be a first for me :)
Countryside Tales Many thanks. Finally Copper Underwings have appeared - very late usually start to appear July. Great minds think alike - re: flowers :)
Fabulous post! I do think that Lunar underwing has pretty markings!
Our cosmos flowers are also flowering, bring a flash of colour to the fading garden!
Lou Mary - Thank you so much. Lunar Underwings are one of my favourites - so delicately attractive :)
Cosmos was the discovery of the year last year when we grew it for the first time - brilliant plant:) It flowers for so long and so profusely and pollinators just adore it :)
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