Ermine Moths

Purbeck District, England, UK

Garden first Eyed Hawk meets it's peril :(A very pleasing night with good night time temperatures and plenty of cloud cover. Unfortunately it did rain during the night, and this morning it was drizzling a little.Still I was rewarded with a garden first Eyed Hawk-moth, unfortunately a Garden Spider had got to it before me and had already delivered the fatal bite :( Puss moth was also new, after rearing 3 Males recently, this one was a female and another garden first, delighted!Stigmella aurella was certainly the smallest moth in the catch, a moth I recorded earlier on in the year as a tenanted mine within Brambles at the back of the garden.Also Pseudoswammerdamia combinella was a good new micro for the garden, and despite letting go one from last weeks catch at Roughdown Common, thinking this was initially the same individual....after a photo of the same side it clearly has different markings.Catch Report - 05/05/14 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson TrapMacro Moths1x Eyed Hawk-moth [NFG]1x Puss Moth (F) [NFG]1x Orange Footman [NFY]2x Red-green Carpet [NFY]1x Buff-tip [NFY]1x Spruce Carpet 2x Brindled Pug1x Flame Shoulder1x Nut-tree Tussock2x Brimstone Moth3x Shuttle-shaped DartMicro Moths 1x Pseudoswammerdamia combinella [NFG]1x Syndemis musculana [NFY]1x Argyrotaenia ljungiana [NFY]1x Stigmella aurella1x Agonopterix purpurea1x Endrosis sarcitrella1x Epiphyas postvittana

Roughdown Common and Gadesprings Field Trip report - 30/04/14I was joined by Roger and Lucy last night at Roughdown Common, for our first trip to this fantastic mixture of open chalk grassland with intersecting woodland.This is the earliest in the year that we have trapped this site, and we waited with baited breath to see what might turn up to the lights.Conditions were quite good with a faint breeze and a temperature of around 15c at dusk, dropping to 10c when driving home.We set 1 light up overlooking the lower grass field, the second one along the edge of the woodland and the third (MV) within the wood itself and under a large Oak.Interestingly my Mercury blended bulb did quite well on the edge of the field and attracted a good variety of species, equal to that of the Mercury vapour (this isn't always the case!)It was slow going at first, with a few Waved Umber's and Green Carpet's first to the trap, then the variety performance turned up and we started to accumulate a nice list.Lights were on at 8.45pm and by 11.15pm we were ready to pack up as there was a distinct chill in the air and the sky had cleared.In 2 and a half hours of trapping with 3 lights we had amassed 70 moths roughly of 38 species, a very pleasing result.Moth species were also very specific to which light they went to. Only Small Phoenix, Powdered Quaker and Sallow Kitten went to the Actinic.Most of the Brimstones favoured the 160w Blended bulb.To the MV we had Knot Grass.Common Marbled Carpet was my earliest ever, and I didn't expect a Twin-spotted Quaker either having last seen them a few weeks back now thinking that they had finished.All in all a very pleasing catch and nice to add some Spring species to the site list.On our way back from Roughdown Common, we checked to see how the trap had fared at Gadesprings...we couldn't believe it. Although there was only 14 moths present, 7 species were recorded here that did not feature in the catch at Roughdown Common!I look forward to coming over again soon.Thanks to Roger and Lucy for helping me set up, and for Roger being with me as always until the bitter end!Catch Report - 30/04/14 - Roughdown Common - Hemel Hempstead - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Robinson Trap & 1x 80w Actinic Suitcase Trap.Macro Moths8x Brimstone Moth5x Green Carpet5x Red Twin-spot Carpet4x Waved Umber1x Streamer1x Knot Grass1x Common Pug1x Common Carpet2x V-pug3x Hebrew Character4x Least Black Arches2x Small Phoenix1x Common Marbled Carpet1x Common White Wave2x Scorched Carpet1x Spectacle1x Pebble Hook-tip1x Twin-spotted Quaker2x Brindled Pug1x Grey Dagger1x Yellow-barred Brindle1x Lesser Swallow Prominent1x Powdered Quaker1x Sallow Kitten1x Clouded Border1x Garden Carpet1x Light Brocade2x Nut-tree Tussock1x Shuttle-shaped Dart1x Coxcomb ProminentMicro Moths 2x Phyllonorycter quercifoliella2x Cochylimorpha straminea2x Alucita hexadactyla2x Phyllonorycter harrisella1x Nematopogon swammerdamella1x Agonopterix arenella2x Parornix sp1x Pseudoswammerdamia combinella----------------------------------------------------Catch Report - 30/04/14 - Gadesprings - Hemel Hempstead - 1x 125w MV Robinson Macro Moths1x Pale Tussock2x Pebble Prominent1x Grey-pine Carpet2x Clouded Drab3x Brindled Pug1x Oak-tree Pug1x Flame Shoulder1x Nut-tree Tussock1x Scalloped HazelMicro Moths None recorded!

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Peglio, Lombardia, Italia

Another blooming successful catch!August is upon us, and the mild weather looks set to continue, with a few outbreaksof rain here and there expected over the next week. Today was hot and humid and witha high of 34 degrees, it would have been rude not to set the trap up!Despite clear skies the temperature was still 19 degrees at 6am this morning. Mothswere absolutely everywhere, in the trap, on the wall and within the long grass. Ittook just over an hour of sorting. Unfortunately quite a few had passed away, possiblyto do with 4 dead wasps in the trap and a combination of high temperature and the sheeramount of Dot Moths and Dark Arches, the latter numbering close to 80 individuals.Best Macro moths were Barred Hook-tip, Campion, Slender Brindle and the long awaitedSwallow Prominent (having had Lesser Swallow on numerous occasions)Best Micro moths were 3 Limnaecia phragmitella, Clavigesta purdeyi and the tiny Epinotia nanana. Adding 3 new Micros to my all time list was very pleasing indeed.I will be trapping again on Sunday night.Catch Report - 01/08/13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson trapMacro Moths1x Barred Hook-tip [NFG]1x Swallow Prominent [NFG]1x Campion [NFG]1x Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet [NFG]1x Slender Brindle [NFG]2x Maple Pug [NFG]3x Dusky Sallow [NFG]1x Scorched Carpet [NFG]2x Oak Hook-tip [NFG]2x Orange Swift [NFY]2x Black Arches [NFY]3x Flounced Rustic [NFY]3x Square-spotted Clay [NFY]4x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing [NFY]3x Copper Underwing [NFY]13x Bright-line Brown-eye2x Brimstone Moth1x Cabbage Moth1x Clay2x Cloaked Minor1x Clouded Border2x Common Carpet1x Clouded Silver10x Common Footman13x Common Rustic72x Dark Arches1x Dingy Shears52x Dot Moth11x Double Square-spot6x Dun-bar2x Early Thorn1x Fan-foot1x Flame2x Flame Shoulder1x Grey Dagger2x Heart & Dart2x July Highflyer2x Large Yellow Underwing1x Least Carpet5x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing6x Lesser Yellow Underwing1x Light Arches2x Marbled Beauty2x Mottled Rustic1x Nut-tree Tussock8x Peppered Moth2x Red Twin-spot Carpet15x Riband Wave2x Ruby Tiger2x Shuttle-shaped Dart12x Silver-Y2x Single-dotted Wave9x Small Fan-footed Wave1x Spectacle4x Straw Underwing2x Swallow-tailed Moth5x Uncertain2x V-pug4x White Satin Moth19x Willow Beauty2x Yellow-tailMicro Moths1x Ancylis badiana [NFG]1x Bucculatrix thoracella [NEW!]3x Limnaecia phragmitella [NFG]1x Yponomeuta padella [NFG]3x Eudemis profundana [NFG]1x Clavigesta purdeyi [NEW!]1x Spilonota laricana [NEW!]1x Epinotia nanana [NFG]1x Phlyctaenia coronata [NFG]2x Argyrotaenia ljungiana [NFY]2x Pandemis corylana [NFY]1x Agonopterix alstromeriana [NFY]4x Cydia splendana [NFY]3x Spilonota ocellana1x Hypsopygia costalis2x Caloptilia alchimiella3x Bryotropha terrella2x Blastobasis adustella1x Trachycera suavella3x Trachycera advenella1x Mompha propinquella2x Aphomia sociella2x Archips podana1x Pandemis heparana2x Batia unitella3x Phycita roborella2x Tischeria ekebladella46x Agriphila straminella2x Hofmannophila pseudospretella2x Acleris forsskaleana5x Pleuroptya ruralis4x Endotricha flammealis8x Carcina quercana8x Agriphila tristella2x Dipleurina lacustrata

Phylum: ArthropodaSubphylum: Hexapoda BLAINVILLE, 1816Class: Insecta (Insects, Insekten)Subclass: PterygotaInfraclass: Neoptera MARTYNOV, 1923Order: Lepidoptera LINNAEUS, 1758 (butterflies & moths, Schmetterlinge)Suborder: GlossataInfraorder: HeteroneuraSuperfamily: YponomeutoideaFamily: Yponomeutidae (Ermine moths, Gespinst- und Knospenmotten)Subfamily: YponomeutinaeGenus:Yponomeuta LATREILLE, 1796Yponomeuta padella LINNAEUS, 1758 (Orchard or Bird-cherry Ermine, Zwetschgen-Gespinstmotte oder Traubenkirschen-Gespinstmotte)Germany, Berlin: Hasenheide Park, 30-50m asl., 02.09.2011IMG_4450

The Burren, Co. Clare, Ireland

Also known as Cherry Ermine, its a striking little moth, but is an introduced species from Europe.

Gladsaxe Municipality, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Gastes, Aquitaine, France

What a night!With the MV Robinson Trap back in action, it was time to see what graced the trap come Monday morning.I was pretty darned pleased to say the least, there were literally loads of moths.Unfortunately the birds still beat me to a few of the bigger moths. I got up at 6 to find a year first Swallow-tailed Moth wings, but luckily the best was in the trap! Nearly 200 moths last night with 22 New species for the year...probably a record catch for the garden.Again mostly micros but it was certainly a Wave night with Small Dusty, Common White, Riband, Small Fan-footed, Dwarf Cream, Treble Brown Spot and Single-dotted Wave!Elephant Hawk-moth, Haworths Pug, Dingy Shears and Epagoge grotiana were pick of the bunch. But best of all, both of the micros Argyresthia cupressella and Swammerdamia caesiella were new ones for me. Argyresthia cupressella if correct will be the 4th County record for Hertfordshire. All these new ones suddenly sees me at 240 species for the year though still some way to beat 385 species I had last year, still things are still possible as out of the 240 species so far this year an amazing 36 species have been new for the garden I had a night off last night as it had teamed it down for a few hours before darkness and the vegetation was sopping.Catch Report - 21/06/14 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 160w MBT Robinson TrapMacro Moths1x Common Emerald [NFY]1x Swallow-tailed Moth [NFY]1x Haworth's Pug [NFY]1x Light Arches [NFY]1x Elephant Hawk-moth [NFY]1x Dingy Shears [NFY]2x Barred Yellow [NFY]1x Small Fan-footed Wave [NFY]1x Single-dotted Wave [NFY]1x Clay [NFY]3x Marbled Minor2x Dwarf Cream Wave1x Small Dusty Wave7x Treble Brown Spot5x Dark Arches 2x Willow Beauty2x Common White Wave1x Common Pug2x Green Pug 2x Buff-tip1x Buff Ermine1x Beautiful Hook-tip1x Common Wainscot 1x Flame1x Cabbage Moth1x Double-striped Pug2x Peppered Moth 2x Grey Pug 6x Common Footman 3x Flame Shoulder 1x Bright-line Brown-eye 2x Heart & Club 2x Fan-foot 3x Dot Moth 1x Brimstone 22x Uncertain 6x Mottled Beauty 3x Riband Wave 4x Light Emerald 4x Double Square-spot 29x Heart & Dart 19x Mottled Rustic1x Vine's Rustic1x SnoutMicro Moths 1x Argyresthia cupressella [NEW!]1x Swammerdamia caesiella [NEW!] 2x Scythropia crataegella [NFG]1x Ancylis achatana [NFG]1x Argyresthia goedartella [NFY] 1x Yponomeuta evonymella [NFY]1x Carcina quercana [NFY]2x Oegoconia sp [NFY] 1x Epagoge grotiana [NFY]1x Hypsopygia costalis [NFY]1x Pterophorus pentadactyla [NFY]1x Argyresthia pruniella [NFY]3x Phycita roborella1x Phyllonorycter coryli 2x Udea prunalis1x Agapeta hamana1x Endotricha flammealis1x Coleophora sp 5x Udea olivalis 3x Aphomia sociella 7x Aleimma loeflingiana 3x Tortrix viridana15x Chrysoteuchia culmella 2x Ditula angustiorana 1x Eurrhypara hortulata3x Hedya pruniana1x Celypha striana 3x Epiblema uddmanniana 2x Celypha lacunana1x Archips podana 5x Scoparia ambigualis2x Epiphyas postvittana1x Dipleurina lacustrata4x Emmelina monodactyla

Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Saligos, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Stony Cross, England, United Kingdom

Touquin, Ile-de-France, France

Saligos, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Damm, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Braughing Farmland - East Herts

Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Cradley Malvern Worcs SO729470

Cradley, Malvern, Worcs. SO7347