15 June 2016

13 June 2016 – Wet Weekend

Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi )

In the wild garden, the bucket of rain that had collected from our Japanese rain chain (kusari doi) shows that it rained plenty the night before. Even so a total of 17 species turned up in our trap in the garden on the morning of 10 June, including one example of the theme for this year’s National Moth Night, the Poplar Hawk Moth (Laothoe populi).

Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)

Although all the other species seemed to replicate the result of our last trap, it was my first time seeing a Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis), the most recorded species in Yorkshire at this time of year. A petite Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata) was playing elusive by resting in all kinds of positions and almost had us think it was a species we hadn’t seen before. Also in the trap: Brimstone Moth, Bee Moth, Green Carpet, Buff Ermine, White Ermine, Silver-ground Carpet, Orange Swift, Pale Tussock, Sandy Carpet, Diamond Back, Beautiful Golden Y, Clouded-Bordered Brindle, Small Square-spot, and a couple of  pugs. 

Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata)

The following two nights were drenched in storms, making it to difficult to do anymore trapping. Although moths will fly in the rain there are too many drowned casualties in and around the trap to justify the action. We are hoping to set one up tonight, but again nature will have the last say.

Post : Tung Chau (UPenn)