It was the warmest evening in Derby for quite a few months and things got off to an interesting start with a fly invasion closely followed by a micro stampede and eventually followed by an influx of macros. A few of the micros I recognise but 2 of them I'm not familiar with so some ID help will be needed(bottom 2 photos). I got my first Pug(Brindled?) of the year, first Carpet moth of the year(Red-Green) and what turned out to be my first Tawny Pinion ever as well as at least one of almost every different moth species I have seen in the last few weeks.
The trap was out from 8pm till 3:30am
4 Emmelina Monodactyla
2 Amblyptilia Acanthadactyla
1 Double Striped Pug(ID thanks Ben)
7 Caloptilia Elongella(ID thanks Skev)
2 Epermenia Chaerophyllella.(ID thanks Skev)
1 Brindled Beauty
1 Early Thorn
1 Tawny Pinion(ID thanks Ben)
1 Red-Green Carpet
2 Hebrew Character
1 Clouded Drab
4 Early Grey
7 Common Quaker
Hi Ian
ReplyDeleteInteresting catch
I believe your Pale Pinion could be the even scarcer Tawny Pinion, see http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=5250
Your Pug is Double-striped
The micro at the bottom is Caloptilia stigmatella and the other micro could be a mompha species.
Thanks Ben, I hadn't considered Tawny Pinion but it does indeed look like that's what it is....I checked all the Mompha species on UKMoths and it looks like it's Mompha Subbistrigella....I doubt I'll ever get it right with the Pugs though :0).
ReplyDeleteFunny how it ends up this Light Brown Apple Moth has been here for nearly 50 years and not done any crop damage but the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) continues to go after $ 100's of Millions of taxpayer $$$ pretending that CDFA is needed for something regarding this insect.
ReplyDeleteWow Robert that's bizarre, it's a tiny moth so surely it would be easy enough to erradicate or at least keep the numbers down to an acceptable level but I've no doubt the CDFA are using the World Health Organisation as their mentors and raising money through panic.....'it might be called the Light Brown Apple Moth but it actually eats children'.....? :0)
ReplyDeleteI've had LBAM breeding in my garden for years with no real impact. However it is highly polyphagous and pretty much continuously brooded. It has spread through the UK relatively quickly, but I guess in a much warmer climate the spread and increase would be much more rapid. It is also classed as a pest in Australia where it is native.
ReplyDeleteSorry Ben and Ian - I think the micro IDs are not right. The first one is not M. subbistrigella - looks more like Epermenia chaerophyllella. The Caloptilia is elongella/betulicola - difficult to separate unless there is an absence of alder (which elongella feeds on) or birch (betulicola).
Hmmm thanks Skev, I can't argue with either of those....having looked at them on UKMoths...Elongella looks most likely. There are Birch and Elder in some of the gardens behind mine so it could go either way but Elongella looks closer to the right colour and shape of the moths I caught. As for LBAM, I only have Pear, Plum and Cherry in my garden, the garden right behind me has Apple so he might have a problem with them but I doubt it as he always leaves the apples to fall and rot anyway!.
ReplyDeleteI have no apple or pear (though a neighbour has plum). LBAM feeds on various stuff in my garden, including: lilac, cherry, rowan, an ornamental acer, birch, viburnum ..... if it has green leaves LBAM will use it (just about)!
ReplyDelete