[Closed] The Moth Man Cometh

[b]Moth Boffin[/b] : [i]So, what's your favourite illumination source...?
[/i]
[b]Elephant Moth[/b] : [i]Well, incandescent is okay, but if you really want to freak-out for the evening try and find a security HPS or something. That'll do me as long as it's not a PIR type, of course.[/i]

That type of thing, yes...

Literally on the edge of my seat.

Seriously it should be quite interesting.

How fabulous! You are very very lucky! Can't wait for the results!! 😀

Yep pictures as well please.

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/nocturnal-visitor ]My experience from a couple of weeks ago[/url] has made me a moth convert. I look forward to the pics!

tick.

Can't wait.
My grandpa was an entotologist and as a child I would go out on a warm summer's evening and help him put out his moth traps. The excitment of emptying the egg boxs on the morning after was great.

Moth Boffin : So, what's your favourite illumination source...?

I think it's some sort of Mercury Vapour lamp, it's very bright. He cautioned against looking directly at it, but typically I was drawn to it like a moth to a light. There is a lot of activity around the trap. It's a windless still dry night.

He's coming back at eight in the morning. I'll take some pics if there is anything he thinks is rare.

Moth trappings a great way to see what night time visitors you have around your home and it's a super way to be able to look at them close up.

You've got an ideal evening for it being still and hopefully mild.
He'll have you checking around the trap as some moths will settle nearby on trees, buildings,etc.

Have a fun morning checking the trap and be amazed at the vast array you'll no doubt find.

The trap i use is away at friends so my mothing is limited to what i can find around the local lights which is still rewarding.
I was out the other night with a Bat detector and heard at least 4 different species in the area hunting the moths.

Here's a few moths i've seen this week.

A Brimstone.
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Canary shouldered thorn
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Ruby Tiger
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Yellow tailed moth
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Female Oak Eggars.
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Chinese Character
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Dark arches.
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Hopefully this wind can die down here meaning a few more can be found tonight, and maybe the otter will pass through again..

Be good to here whatcha get and that no wasps or Hornets get in during early doors.

Fantastic pictures Sharki.

I see this moth about quite often and nearly always on something of a similar colour to itself...

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I called it the Dog-faced Moth, though it bears more resemblance to that weird flying thing from Neverending Story. Intriguingly, it's called The Miller.

Ed. Apologies for the poor picture quality...

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Cheers Timber.
Teasel, there's alot that look very similar to that, it's only when you really study them closely that you see some very subtle differences and suddenly you realise you've loads of different species there.

Ooops! The last one of my images is Black Arches, not Dark, rushed post as i wanted to get out.
Pointless really as it's blowing a hoolio and raining with it, so not a great night for it.

I've no doubt about that at all. I haven't got around to studying the moths yet, still got my hands full with mammals. Purely a hobby, though...

Same here, though the UK mammals, (most)birds, Amphibians, reptiles and Butterflies i'm sorted with, churning my way(slowly) through moths and when you get to the Micro's you've really got an obsession. LOL

Then there's beetles, flies, bee's, fungi, flowers, bryophytes, Lichen, etc..

Everyday does however become a school day. 🙂

It sure does. A short trip outside a short time ago revealed a group of slugs involved in what I can only describe as an orgy. It was all too voyueristic for me to take any photos.

I feel lucky to be right in the heart of the wild world for most of my time. Had a muntjac camped outside my door only yesterday - a deer stalker, if you will. I'll post a few piccies of the bugger tomorrow, if you're interested...

Why when I left a used bbq grill on the lawn did the slugs gather? When to get it in early hours and there were loads on it.

They were probably feasting on the one that got trodden on. Unless there's a certain amount of translucent tissue showing in which case they were mating or trying to. The problem sometimes occur that both slugs reveal their male genitals(slugs being hermaphrodites) after abit of intertwining of the penises, one slug chews of the others penis and normal service can resume. At least that's the jist of it from memory.
This is normal Service.

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I've yet to see a Muntjac, heard one yes and boy do they scream. SO lucky you and pics would be lovely, i'm sure other STWers would like to see it to.

Wild worlds are great aren't they?

BBQ grills? You've wasted beer on it ya drunkun yob 😉
Slugs like abit of most food so a touch of burger stuck to the grill was a enticing treat.

G'night.

Excellent - would be nice to see a species list for McMoonter towers, as it appears to have been a bad year for Lepidoptera

If you fancy sharing the information, you could enter the records on iRecord ( http://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/). They will be checked by experts and then will be put onto the NBN Gateway ( http://data.nbn.org.uk) for use by folk who need data for planning, agri-environment, climate change studies etc.

What news McMoonter??

Update

Good and bad news.

The conditions were perfect until after midnight when it poured with rain. One of the traps was flooded, the other stayed dry.

The count in the wet one was high and varied but the moths were wet, we are just starting the dry one.

A Light Emerald has been the most exciting find so far.

Sharki, your pics are fantastic.

The Moth man has just gone, he's been here since eight o'clock.

It really is a fascinating subject. he caught around 650 and there were forty species he could name.

There was one he couldn't. It's going to need some more research.

My photos were hopeless, but he is going to take some better ones and mail them to me, with a full analysis of the survey, I'll copy it here when it arrives.

Other than the one he couldnt identify the most interesting were a Crescent Scotica and a Bee moth. The latter being a huge micro moth that was as big as a macro moth.

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moth-tastic!!

all manner of moth spotting related shenanigans (scotland) here
http://www.eastscotland-butterflies.org.uk/mothrecords.html

Fantastic.
How are the butterflies doing this year? does anyone have info?

Cheers, that's a fair old haul giving an insight to just how much is flitting about over our heads at night. And that was all during an unsettled night weather wise.

So, you'll no doubt be looking at the Anglian Lepidoptera site and building up a trap of you're own 😉

I'll look forward to the list, i trust he'll submit the list to the local Moth recorder.

Great stuff.

Bunnyhop - Member

Fantastic.
How are the butterflies doing this year? does anyone have info?

We have an enormous buddleia that used to be covered with butterflies each summer over the past 3 years they have become fewer and fewer, this year we've only had a handful despite the bush being covered in blooms.

I always thought slugs were grim, sharki just confirmed they are even more grim-er than I thought

bleurgh

Bunny. Not great i'm affraid, though we really won't know the extent of how damaging this weather has been on them till next year when those that have just one brood hatch or or go through complete Metamorphosis.(This varies across the species).
Hopefully the results from the Big Butterfly count http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/ will aid in giving us a better idea of how down on numbers we are. You've still got till the end of this month to do some counts so get on it.

My monthly surveys from May started terribly as it struggled to provide the correct conditions in which to get an accurate survey done, with just one session providing a healthy numbers of varied species.
Meadow Browns and Ringlets seem to have enjoyed another good year, marbled whites seem to be having a reasonable year and Gatekeepers are in good numbers right now.

All three whites are now emerging as a second brood and seem in good numbers.

Of the commonly seen larger Butterflies, Peacocks are finally appearing in their numbers, and thankfully are gracing the Buddleia's after what appeared to be a poor show early on. Red Admirals this year aren't having such a great start, but as they are a tough butterfly, they can do well in poor weather.
Small Tortoiseshells really seem to be struggling this year, so few of these once common sightings are being reported.
Migrants like the clouded yellow and painted lady are having a quiet year from what i see of it.

Woodland species are fairing ok, but still nothing like ideal, so again, only time will tell.

Species that colonise only need a window of opportunity in which to find a mate so Common blues, Brown Argus, etc should be fine.

It's all not perfect for them, but they battle on. Just a shame to not see meadows of them bustling with life during the summer months, instead they just hide out under a leaf, or on a stalk. waiting, waiting, waiting..

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Beautiful photos Sharki.

Thanks Sharkie, very informative.

Is it just me or does the top one in Sharki's last post look like an X-wing!? It looks fast!

Sharki

He had a book which catalogued the disposition of every species found across the country. When we looked up the Crescent Scotica, we saw that only one other had been recorded in Fife in St Andrews. He was going to add it to a database which I presume is the one you referred to.

I'm very excited about the one he couldnt identify, he said if he couldn't find it from his reference books he'd ask on a specialist site, I doubt he rode a bike so it may not be here.

LOL.

One of the traps was flooded,

The previous LOL was for this remark.

he'd ask on a specialist site, I doubt he rode a bike so it may not be here.

😆

Mafiafish.I thought more of a Stealth bomber, guess i'mnot watching too many Sci-Fi's now i've hit 40 to see that comparison 🙁

Mcmoonter. That's pretty cool, potentially finding a rare of new the UK species. Many are hard to ID without looking at their genitalia and then there's the colour variations seen on many species causing confusion in ID.

I've no doubt you're moth expert knows his stuff better than i and if a Specialist site can't ID it, perhaps he's kept the Specimen to be checked out properly.

Have a great weekend all whatever ya'll get up to.
I'll be out deer tracking as the Stags here will be in Velvet and ripe for photographing.
Sharki.

Update Update

I just got the survey results from the moth meister.

I had to copy and paste the spreadsheet, I hope you can follow it.
The two different numbers following the species are for each of the two traps in different locations.

Here is a wee summary of his findings.

'The moth you photographed for identification by the bikers was probaly a Heath Rustic - not seen by me before and surprising for a garden - the food plant is heather and the moth likes tall heather moorland. There were two other interesting species (Crescent and Large Wainscot) that normally frequent boggy moorland and carr with food plants like Flag Iris, Great Fen-Sedge, Common Reed etc - again surprising for a garden. Clearly Glassmount has many diverse habitats.'

Title Name Gerald Lincoln
MV trapping Glassmount Walled Garden
Grid ref 16-Aug-12
Total Ref Species Taxon Location Rec Ver ID Trap Trap Trap Trap Trap
1 2 3 4 5
Bold = local/new for Gerald old new
front house walled garden
1 1702 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata Kinghorn GL 2
2 1713 Riband Wave Idaea abersata Kinghorn GL 2 2
3 1722 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata Kinghorn GL 5
4 1727 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata Kinghorn GL 1
5 1742 Yellow Shell Camptogramma biliniata Kinghorn GL 1
6 1752 Purple Bar Cosmohoe ocellata Kinghorn GL 1
7 1754 Phoenix Eulithis prunata Kinghorn GL 1
8 1759 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata Kinghorn GL 1
9 1762 Dark Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta citrata Kinghorn GL 2
10 1764 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclystra truncata Kinghorn GL 2 15
11 1777 July Highflier Hydriomena  impluviata Kinghorn GL 2
12 1802 Rivulet Perizoma affinitata Kinghorn GL 2 1
13 1803 Small Rivulet Perisoma alchemillata Kinghorn GL 1
14 1838 Tawny Speckled Pug Eupithecia icterata Kinghorn GL Photo 1
15 1906 Brimstone Opisthograptis lutolata Kinghorn GL 1
16 1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata Kinghorn GL Photo 1
17 2082 Garden Dart Euxoa nigricans Kinghorn GL Photo 1
18 2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba Kinghorn GL 93 61
19 2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes Kinghorn GL 24 18
20 2110 B B Yelllow Underwing Noctua fimbriata Kinghorn GL 1 2
21 2111 L B B Yellow Underwing Noctua janthe Kinghorn GL 26 50
22 2130 Dotted Clay Xestia baja Kinghorn GL 12 17
23 2133 Six-striped Rustic Xestia sexstrigata Kinghorn GL 3
24 2134 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthrographa Kinghorn GL 4
25 2135 Heath Rustic Xestia agathina Kinghorn GL Photo 1 1
26 2192 Brown-lined Bright eye Mythimna conigera Kinghorn GL 1 4
27 2198 Smoky Wainscot Mythimna impura Kinghorn GL 4 8
28 2199 Common Wainscot Mythimmna pallens Kinghorn GL 3
29 2293 Marbled Beauty Cryphia domestica Kinghorn GL 1
30 2299 Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis Kinghorn GL 1
31 2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa Kinghorn GL 1
32 2318 Dunbar Cosmia trapezina Kinghorn GL 2 1
33 2321 Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha Kinghorn GL 13 7
34 2322 Light Arches Apamea lithoxylaea Kinghorn GL 1 1
35 2337 Marbled Minor Oligia agg Kinghorn GL 1
36 2342 Rosy Minor Mesoligia literosa Kinghorn GL 1
37 2343 Common Rustic Mesapamea secalis Kinghorn GL 57 27
38 2361 Rosy Rustic Hydracia micacea Kinghorn GL 1 1
39 2368 Crescent Celaena leucostigma Kinghorn GL Photo 1
40 2375 Large Wainscot Rizedra lutosa Kinghorn GL Photo 1
41 2382 Rustic Hoplodrina blanda Kinghorn GL 1
42 2434 Burnish Brass Diachrysia chrysitis Kinghorn GL 1 6
43 2442 Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina Kinghorn GL 7 3
44 2444 Gold Spangle Autographa bractea Kinghorn GL 1
45 2477 Snout Hypena proboscidalis Kinghorn GL 7 3
46 2489 Fan-foot
Zanchognatha tarsipennals
Kinghorn GL 4 2
Species total
Micros (unclassified) 112 73
Total 381 335
Grand Total 716

I've always liked the names of moth species e.g.:

Water Veneer
Death's-head Hawk-moth
Rhomboid Tortrix
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Green-brindled Crescent
Twenty Plume
Beautiful Plume Moth
Copper Underwing
Mouse Moth
Nettle-tap
Light Arches
Dark Arches
Timothy Tortrix
Autumn Green Carpet
Small Wainscot
Blotched Emerald
Lunar-spotted Pinion
Maiden's Blush
Oak Lutestring
Dingy Footman
Frosted Orange
Double-striped Pug
Hawaiian Beet Webworm

To name but a few...

EDIT: You should be able to find pics (not as good as Sharki's) of most of them [url= http://www.animalphotos.me/moth-.htm ]here[/url]

Fantastic. Quite a few i've yet to see there and many that i'm surprised not to see. Perhaps the rainfall halted the trapping of even more species.

So you've no Heathland or moorland close to you? they've a bit of a journey to find a suitable egg laying site if that's the case.

So you've no Heathland or moorland close to you? they've a bit of a journey to find a suitable egg laying site if that's the case.

We have an oasis of a walled garden surrounded by trees, Then a tree lined boundary. Outwith that is mixed intensive arable farming. A field away is some mixed heathland which I understand has some protected grasses, there are boggy sections among it.

Sharki I'll send you a link so you can get a better picture.

Love this forum when threads like this pop up.

Good stuff!

Cheers Mcmoonter. I'm only interested to add to my basic knowledge of things.

Nice to know there is boggy land and heath land nearby, so looks like a probable case of either wind blown moths or them just looking for more and got attracted to the MV.

I've just been out to check the weather and it's looking good, quite alot of micros about already and ruby tiger is settled on a lamp and a tawny owl calls in the distance.
I'll hopefully have my trap over here next week, so looking forwards to a full nights collection rather than hanging about under street lights....
😆

Gary. Yeah, much better than the usual on here, hence why i'm not on here much these days.

Disappointed theres no Venezuelan Poodle Moths on that list

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Disappointed theres no Venezuelan Poodle Moths on that list

Mac - I'm relieved I didn't find a Venezuelan Poodle Moth, it looks pretty scary, just how big is it.

This was my favourite find of the night, A Light Emerald.
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Ace! so who was moaning about off-topic threads again?!

It's certainly been a pretty poor year for butterflies, very few small tortoiseshell around, but I was pleased to see this beauty last Sunday:

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A fresh hatching, judging by the brilliance of the colours, and no damage.

Off later to get the field guide out and look up mcmoonters list.
Oh and that link looks good hamishthecat.

I had another email from the Moth Boff this morning, it's quite exciting.

'According to the distribution map the Heath Rustic has only been previously recorded in Fife at Tentsmuir. This makes the record for Glassmount rather special.'

Because of the traps allowed rainwater in some of the moths were damaged. We are keeping an eye on the forecast and will have another go in two different locations. I'm optimistic as the rain which fell on Saturday morning wiped out half our potential catch.

Good Indicator of climate change and Moths advancing their range north?

Lets hope it stays dry all night for you,you'll get a full evening catch that way.

Still around a Month of good mothing left. 🙂

Good Peacock there count. Lots about now but still far to few Small Tortoise shells, a one time common sight.

tawny owl calls in the distance.

I checked mcmoonter's list with my guide and only spotted 2 moths. A bit of googling is in order later.

Mac - I'm relieved I didn't find a Venezuelan Poodle Moth, it looks pretty scary, just how big is it.

You can ride it like a horse. This is what it looks like when its not wearing Bono's sunglasses

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We've not moth trapped at work for a while now, though last year had a fantastic emerald in the tractor after brushing it from its sleeping place whilst fencing. This year we've seen a fantastic small yellow moth that I can't remember the name of. About the size of my thumb nail at its biggest and vivid colours.

Those that have done our butterfly transects this year have had a poor count, but then their opportunities have been limited. We still seem to see a good number whilst working the woods and the boundaries.

Have done some bat surveying this summer and the guy from the Vincent wildlife trust has given a great description of how a particular species catches it's prey in its wings and stuffs its face.

Timber, yellow shell?

I think our local transects have also been poor, i know i've only had one in favourable conditions. Though on part of my transect but not during a survey, a large buddleia was teaming with them, 10 species on it. Hopefully the weather remains next week when i'm on rota to do it.

Has the moth boff flooded more at mcmoonters?

The Moth Man Cometh back tonight. We are going to try two new spots with different habitats further from the house.

Yesterday I went over the hill in the Land Rover to see if we could get all the gear up to the heathland and bog. He'll need a generator to power the lights. It was a bit of a Camel Trophy drive, but it will be good to know what is up there. It's never been cultivated or seldom grazed, there are some protected grasses and lots of gorse.

I first thought you said Camel toe drive.... 😆

🙂

Likewise.

And that piccie of the slugs is exactly what was happening, only there were more involved. Like I wrote - an orgy, if I wasn't mistaken.

That Light Emerald resembles an ivy leaf - superb disguise! And the "looks fast" line had me chuckling because, indeed, it does. Good stuff, folks.

*I'll leave the deer pics for another thread because I simply haven't time to upload at the moment...

Ooh looking forward to tomorrows results from the moth chap.

Sorry Bunnyhop, rain has stopped play. When we get a dry night we'll try again.

The Moth Boff has just set up the traps. Fingers crossed the weather holds. Do moths have fingers?

Almost a year on and the Moth Man Cometh back again.

He caught just shy of 400 moths. Key finds were a Shark of which there have been few sightings in Fife, and two others. One he couldn't decide was micro or macro and and a second he needed help in identifying.

I will see if I can get some pics of them for those here who may be able to help.

It's been a great season for the insects here, the garden provides a huge biodiversity which attracts a lot. Even the little new 'meadow' is teaming with bees and butterflies.

This is so interesting.

Our garden is full of insects this year, plenty of young birds to feed and of course bats love a moth or 2.
Many moths have found their way indoors too due to the windows being open and a light on at night.

Looking forward to the photos mcmoonter.

I planted a Lavender hedge this year and it attracts bees all day and Moths at night, so you get 24/7 wildlife coverage!

Any chance you could load the records onto irecord ( http://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/)?

I hate moths. Proper phobia of them

<runs away and hides until daylight>

outdoors- this is an interesting topic with some fascinating species.

Indoors- and add in the light fitting- then i'm with ir_bandito. Run for your lives<shudder>

An update on the two mystery moths.

One was a Muslim Footman which has near transparent wings due to sparse scales, and a Pinion streaked Snout, one of the smallest Macro moths.

Gerald forwards his finds to the Fife Recorder who puts them on the national database. He said there have been a lot of new finds this year with the unusually hot and dry summer.

Wait, you caught a shark?!

Bet he didn't catch this one..

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The Grand Moff Tarkin! Ba-doom-tish, I'm here all week folks...

Watcha doing this weekend?
Mothing. Absolutely Mothing.

Gerald forwards his finds to the Fife Recorder [b]who puts them on the national database[/b]. He said there have been a lot of new finds this year with the unusually hot and dry summer.

Excellent - as long as they are being made available to the folk who can use them, it doesn't matter which route they go.

out on a ride in Surrey yesterday, I was surprised at the number of butterflies. is this a particularly good year for them, or is this peak season?

One was a Muslim Footman which has near transparent wings due to sparse scales, and a Pinion streaked Snout, one of the smallest Macro moths.

Darn spellcheck, that should be Muslin Footman.

Brilliant stuff Mcmoonter, I have visions of the Moth boffin looking like Dumbledore but maybe with embroynic wings.

I had an ex who was scared of moths she would scream "arrrrggghhh flappy thing" and run out of the room 😐

I have had a good look around the garden and spotted very few, then realising most of them are in full camouflage have found one or two beauty's. It takes a keen eye as they are so hard to spot.

I had an ex who was scared of moths she would scream "arrrrggghhh flappy thing" and run out of the room

My missus leaves the room screaming exactly the same thing but it's got bugger all to do with moths.

Saw a very weird flying beastie yesterday, have no idea what it was - so whispy I couldn't get the camera to focus - very slender black body with a strange long black 'tail-like' thing with a white tip extending from its back.

They're here, I tell ya...

The Moth Man, Gerald, came back for another count last night.

Total catch 788.

Highlights were a Copper Underwing & Bullrush Wainscot - a giant female.

Biggest surprise of the night were 280 Brown Spotted Pinions. The most he'd ever seen in one go.

Several migratory moths too including Silver Y and Diamond Backed Micros.

I have visions of the Moth boffin looking like Dumbledore but maybe with embryonic wings.

Here's a link to the nature trail he's built.
https://sites.google.com/site/puddledubnature/nature-trail

The moth man came back again. Last night's rare find was a Slender Brindle one of three found in Fife, one f the others was in his garden a mile or so away.

I love this thread.

We had a huge moth, biggest I've ever seen, on the window last night. Must have been the size of a chocolate digestive.

Plain or milk chocolate?