Despite the cold night and the bright moon .....:
Hi Folks,
It wasn't spectacular last night, but given the conditions it was better than OK. More flavours of Autumn: Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa), Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) and Chionodes fumatella all being new for the year.
I think it was Mel B. asking about where all the Large Yellow Underwings (Noctua pronuba) have gone to ..... well it's not Elton. Thus far, we've had just 178. Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) are only doing slightly better, with 97 so far being 'OK'. Missed Light Arches (Apamea lithoxlaea) totally then ..... and also Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata) and Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe ferrugata ) too. In the latter case, its the first blank year since 1998.
Cheers,
Steve
Despite the cold night and the bright moon .....
-
melbellingham
- Posts: 834
- Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:00 pm
- Location: Great Sutton, Cheshire. Mapmate.
Re: Despite the cold night and the bright moon...
Hi,
Anyone who has seen my last few posts will know that mothing has not been spectacular in my garden this year.
Many moths (35 macro species and many micro's) that I had recorded by this date last year, are missing from my 2012 list. I imagine many recorders likewise find that their lists vary from year to year, but I find it rather strange that some species can be missing in one garden, but regular in another.
Taking three examples from Steve's 2012 'missing' list, this is my experience this year:-
Light Arches - 7 records of 8 moths (0 in 2011),
Flame Carpet - 22 records of 29 moths (37 in 2011), with 1 last night.
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet - 3 records of 3 moths (9 in 2011).
While the two Geometers are down, Light Arches has reappeared.
My records of Mouse Moth have always been low in number with 18 moths coming in only 5 of the last 10 years. It is missing this year.
The best moths last night were 5 Old Lady on sugar, with one at the trap at the same time.
Mel.
Anyone who has seen my last few posts will know that mothing has not been spectacular in my garden this year.
Many moths (35 macro species and many micro's) that I had recorded by this date last year, are missing from my 2012 list. I imagine many recorders likewise find that their lists vary from year to year, but I find it rather strange that some species can be missing in one garden, but regular in another.
Taking three examples from Steve's 2012 'missing' list, this is my experience this year:-
Light Arches - 7 records of 8 moths (0 in 2011),
Flame Carpet - 22 records of 29 moths (37 in 2011), with 1 last night.
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet - 3 records of 3 moths (9 in 2011).
While the two Geometers are down, Light Arches has reappeared.
My records of Mouse Moth have always been low in number with 18 moths coming in only 5 of the last 10 years. It is missing this year.
The best moths last night were 5 Old Lady on sugar, with one at the trap at the same time.
Mel.
- Old Lady (Mormo maura)
Re: Despite the cold night and the bright moon .....
Hi Folks,
This "its been trapped in your garden but not mine" situation is intriguing and sometimes annoying at the same time, especially when two locations are a stones throw away from each other. Just why it happens is difficult to say. I speak with Rog Parry from Willaston on a weekly basis and on exchanging news on what we've caught over the preceding week, the two lists are practically mutually exclusive. Over time, both sets of species are invariably caught at both sites, but we hardly ever match species for species during the same week ..... ! It's equally interesting to note that a fair few species here in Elton that occur in 'decent' numbers are scarce in Willaston, and vice-versa.
Cheers,
Steve
This "its been trapped in your garden but not mine" situation is intriguing and sometimes annoying at the same time, especially when two locations are a stones throw away from each other. Just why it happens is difficult to say. I speak with Rog Parry from Willaston on a weekly basis and on exchanging news on what we've caught over the preceding week, the two lists are practically mutually exclusive. Over time, both sets of species are invariably caught at both sites, but we hardly ever match species for species during the same week ..... ! It's equally interesting to note that a fair few species here in Elton that occur in 'decent' numbers are scarce in Willaston, and vice-versa.
Cheers,
Steve