Thursday 26 September 2013

Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 25 September 2013

The night of 25 September began warm (c. 18°C) with overcast skies, but by 05h00 it was almost cloudless and calm with a bright half-moon. At some time during the night a light rain had fallen and wetted the groundsheet and trap area. The temperature at 06h30 was a slightly cooler 8.1°C. As for previous nights, Golden Plover called as flocks passed overhead in the pre-dawn.

There were fewer moths outside the trap, but a couple of Dusky Thorns and a Canary-shouldered Thorn were conspicuous. Compared with previous nights, the trap seemed to be full of moths, all competing for space to hunker down amongst the egg-cartons. Most of these were Brown-spot Pinions and Beaded Chestnuts, tying with 26 apiece. I checked the hindwing of all the latter to exclude Lunar Underwing - and vice versa. Black Rustic numbers were down on the previous catch, but still pretty respectable at 17. New for the trap were a rather anaemic Angle Shades and a Mallow. Our garden has plenty of hollyhocks and mallows, which may have been the foodplant of the latter.

A fairly washed-out Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa.
Mallow Larentia clavaria.


Macro-moths (130 moths of 25 spp.):-

Idaea seriata Small Dusty Wave 2
Xanthorhoe fluctuata Garden Carpet 1
Larentia clavaria Mallow 1
Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 6
Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 2
Ennomos alniaria Canary-shouldered Thorn 1
Ennomos fuscantaria Dusky Thorn 2
Campaea margaritata Light Emerald 2
Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 1
Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 1
Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 5
Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 1
Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 3
Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 17
Dryobotodes eremita Brindled Green 2
Agrochola litura Brown-spot Pinion 26
Agrochola lychnidis Beaded Chestnut 26
Omphaloscelis lunosa Lunar Underwing 8
Xanthia togata Pink-barred Sallow 3
Xanthia icteritia Sallow 7
Phlogophora meticulosa Angle Shades 1
Hydraecia micacea Rosy Rustic 2
Gortyna flavago Frosted Orange 3
Rivula sericealis Straw Dot 1
Hypena proboscidalis Snout 6

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