The previous two mornings I had found wings from moths that birds had predated but did not find any on the wall adjacent to the trap. So, last night I set my timer to switch off at 3.30am (while still dark) and to do an early inspection just prior to switch off, if I was awake.
This morning I was at the trap at 3.15am and the first moth I found was my new species. A Scarlet Tiger was on the wall along with about 8 other species. The moths in the trap were very mobile, so I blocked the funnel, and set about collecting a few moths to inspect later.
I was back at the trap at 6.00am but many of the moths were still active, so I left it for a while hoping they would settle. Most did but I still lost a few when I opened it.
However, with a Scarlet Tiger resting in the fridge, I did not really care.
The final count was 62 species, which included a nice selection of FFY species, some of which I had not recorded for many years.
Macro’s – Magpie Moth, Small Dusty Wave (6), Foxglove Pug (3), Middle-barred Minor (3), Yellow Shell, Poplar Grey, Barred Yellow, Double Square-spot (2), Mottled Beauty (4), Setaceous Hebrew Character (2), Purple Clay, Common Emerald (2) and Small Angle Shades (2).
Micro’s – Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix, Argyresthia bonnetella, Anania coronata, Zeiraphera isertana, with possibly Tischeria ekebladella and Bucculatrix ulmella.
I know Scarlet Tiger is now recorded at Burton Mere Wetlands, but I just wonder where mine came from.
- Scarlet Tiger - 16/06/2022