Agonopterix

Gladsaxe Municipality, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Gladsaxe Municipality, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Hexton Chalk Pit - Field Trip - 01/07/14Roger and myself ran 3 traps at Hexton Chalk Pit on Tuesday evening, with Steve turning up at dusk for some moral support and staying with us until midnight.The reserve is a lovely habitat with a multitude of wildflowers growing on the chalk grassland. There are patches of bare chalk, but there could be more, as Bramble is starting to take over certain areas of the chalk grassland.The day had been mild and breezy with a high of around 21 degrees, but by dusk the sky was still crystal clear and the breeze was on the cool side and coats were worn pretty much from the off in fact hats wouldn't have felt out of place! with a low of 8 degrees when I was on my way home at 3am we were totally blown away by what we did manage to catch...For starters I managed 3 new Macro moths for me, Grey Arches, Reddish Light Arches and Royal Mantle (previously seen in Slovenia for the first time).Even better were some of the Micro's that turned upFirstly we had two Agonopterix liturosa, which currently is quite scarce in Herts with a handful of records.Secondly we had I would say 20+ of the Pyralid, Paratalanta hyalinalis. I had two, but one escaped whilst photographing them, typically only a photo of a battered one. One is with Roger.No records since 1937, confirmed! And a very good moth indeed.Other notable species included Satyr Pug, Dark Umber, Shark and 5 Wood Carpets (Only having previously seen one before, to record 5 in a single trip is quite overwhelming).On the Pyralid front we got Paratalanta hyalinalis in great numbers, along with 5 Ebulea crocealis and 5 Sitochroa verticalis.To round this post off, the session was an incredible insight in to just how important this habitat is despite it's small size and relative remoteness.A micro-climate indeed... I shall be going back!Catch Report - 01/07/14 - Hexton Chalk Pit - Hexton - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Robinson Trap & 1x 80w Actinic Suitcase Trap.Numbers below are approximate87 Macros and 44 Micros ( 131 species)Macro Moths3x Barred Straw1x Beautiful Golden-Y20+ Blackneck5x Bordered Sallow7x Bright-line Brown-eye5x Brimstone Moth5x Brown Rustic2x Brown Scallop4x Brown-line Bright-eye4x Buff Arches1x Buff Ermine1x Buff-tip3x Burnished Brass2x Cinnabar5x Clay10+ Clouded Border2x Clouded Brindle10+ Clouded Silver5x Common Carpet6x Common Footman1x Common Rustic2x Common Wainscot1x Common Wave6x Common White Wave15+ Dark Arches1x Dark Umber1x Dot Moth10+ Double Square-spot1x Double-striped Pug2x Dun-bar1x Dusky Brocade4x Dwarf Cream Wave7x Elephant Hawk-moth2x Fan-foot25+ Fern3x Flame1x Flame Shoulder1x Freyer's Pug1x Garden Carpet2x Green Pug1x Grey Arches [NEW!]3x Haworth's Pug2x Heart & Club20+ Heart & Dart1x Iron Prominent2x July Highflyer5x Large Yellow Underwing1x Lesser Yellow Underwing10x Light Arches5x Light Emerald3x Marbled Minor1x Marbled White Spot10x Mottled Beauty5x Mottled Rustic2x Peach Blossom6x Peppered Moth5x Pretty Chalk Carpet3x Purple Bar2x Reddish Light Arches [NEW!]7x Riband Wave2x Royal Mantle [NEW!]1x Ruby Tiger2x Rustic1x Satyr Pug15x Scarce Footman2x Setaceous Hebrew Character5x Shaded Pug1x Shark8x Shears4x Short-cloaked Moth1x Shoulder-striped Wainscot4x Small Elephant Hawk-moth2x Small Emerald4x Small Fan-footed Wave1x Small Phoenix1x Small Waved Umber1x Small Yellow Wave8x Smoky Wainscot5x Snout2x Straw Dot3x Swallow-tailed Moth2x Tawny Marbled Minor2x Tawny-barred Angle1x Turnip Moth10x Uncertain3x Valerian Pug2x Willow Beauty5x Wood CarpetMicro Moths2x Agonopterix liturosa [NEW!] 1x Bryotropha senectella [NEW!]2x Epagoge grotiana1x Stenoptilia pterodactyla5x Ebulea crocealis1x Marasmarcha lunaedactyla4x Udea prunalis1x Udea olivalis1x Metzneria metzneriella5x Celypha lacunana1x Paraswammerdamia nebulella1x Elachista atricomella2x Archips xylosteana2x Archips podana2x Eurrhypara hortulata2x Cnephasia sp1x Phycitodes binaevella1x Eucosma hohenwartiana1x Eucosma cana1x Cacoecimorpha pronubana3x Pseudargyrotoza conwagana1x Hedya pruniana3x Hedya nubiferana1x Coleophora sp3x Marasmarcha lunaedactyla1x Merrifieldia baliodactylus-leucodactyla?20+ Paratalanta hyalinalis5x Scoparia ambigualis1x Tinea semifulvella3x Acleris forsskaleana1x Dipleurina lacustrata 2x Ephestia parasitella1x Blastobasis lacticolella2x Ancylis achatana5x Sitochroa verticalis1x Phycita roborella1x Epiblema uddmanniana1x Epiblema trimaculana1x Agapeta hamana1x Agapeta zoegana5x Eudonia mercurella4x Chrysoteuchia culmella2x Pandemis cerasana2x Pandemis heparana

Herts rare, 7th or 8th record for the County.

Hexton Chalk Pit Field Trip report - 09/04/14Last night I was joined by Colin Plant and Roger Prue at Hexton Chalk Pit in probably the most North-westerly part of Hertfordshire as we could get, Bedfordshire was literally just over the road.We of course were in search of Northern Drab and trying to add another site for this rare moth (Having previously been caught the night before on chalk downland..I was hopeful)But to cut a long story short we didn't find it.Conditions were perfect, calm cloudy and mild for about an hour after dusk then it noticeably got a lot cooler and coats were zipped up and hats adorned! The sky still stayed thick with cloud.At about 11.30pm the sky cleared and it was time to start packing up.Not a huge amount of moths but a nice variety nevertheless with the bulk of the catch made up of Common Quaker's and Hebrew Character's. 10 examples of Red Chestnut were also nice to see, one that I haven't had in the garden yet.The micro's were where the interest was with 2 Agonopterix pallorella's turning up near the end of the session, an over-wintering Agonopterix and were actually last seen in the County at this very site...13 years ago in 2001.No doubt there may have been a few more records since? But I will have to enquire.Another little micro that was new for the year was Scrobipalpa acuminatella, which was narrowed down to the early flight season, it was so fresh and very shiny. All in all a lovely site, quite compact and easy to set-up traps once you have traversed the 45 degree climb into the pit!Catch Report - Hexton Chalk Pit - 09/04/14 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Robinson Trap and 1x 80w Actinic TrapLights run from 8.00pm until 12.00amMacro Moths28x Common Quaker2x Double-striped Pug2x Water Carpet14x Hebrew Character2x Purple Thorn4x Nut-tree Tussock10x Red Chestnut1x Early Thorn1x Waved Umber5x Clouded Drab1x Small Quaker1x ChestnutMicro Moths1x Agonopterix pallorella [NEW!]1x Scrobipalpa acuminatella1x Agonopterix alstromeriana1x Mompha subbistrigella

Hexton Chalk Pit Field Trip report - 09/04/14Last night I was joined by Colin Plant and Roger Prue at Hexton Chalk Pit in probably the most North-westerly part of Hertfordshire as we could get, Bedfordshire was literally just over the road.We of course were in search of Northern Drab and trying to add another site for this rare moth (Having previously been caught the night before on chalk downland..I was hopeful)But to cut a long story short we didn't find it.Conditions were perfect, calm cloudy and mild for about an hour after dusk then it noticeably got a lot cooler and coats were zipped up and hats adorned! The sky still stayed thick with cloud.At about 11.30pm the sky cleared and it was time to start packing up.Not a huge amount of moths but a nice variety nevertheless with the bulk of the catch made up of Common Quaker's and Hebrew Character's. 10 examples of Red Chestnut were also nice to see, one that I haven't had in the garden yet.The micro's were where the interest was with 2 Agonopterix pallorella's turning up near the end of the session, an over-wintering Agonopterix and were actually last seen in the County at this very site...13 years ago in 2001.No doubt there may have been a few more records since? But I will have to enquire.Another little micro that was new for the year was Scrobipalpa acuminatella, which was narrowed down to the early flight season, it was so fresh and very shiny. All in all a lovely site, quite compact and easy to set-up traps once you have traversed the 45 degree climb into the pit!Catch Report - Hexton Chalk Pit - 09/04/14 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Robinson Trap and 1x 80w Actinic TrapLights run from 8.00pm until 12.00amMacro Moths28x Common Quaker2x Double-striped Pug2x Water Carpet14x Hebrew Character2x Purple Thorn4x Nut-tree Tussock10x Red Chestnut1x Early Thorn1x Waved Umber5x Clouded Drab1x Small Quaker1x ChestnutMicro Moths1x Agonopterix pallorella [NEW!]1x Scrobipalpa acuminatella1x Agonopterix alstromeriana1x Mompha subbistrigella

Gastes, Aquitaine, France

Gastes, Aquitaine, France

1 of 2 tonight.

Into September....a week lateHello fellow bloggersFinally getting time to update my blog again, I have four catch reports pending, 2 from the garden last week, a trip to Hemel Hempstead last week and a visit to Dungeness last night.I will get there in the end!For starters I trapped on the 1st of September and managed a decent haul of moths including a fair few nice species including a garden first Agonopterix arenella (Always a regular on field trips).Also a year first Toadflax Brocade which seems to be annual in the garden, a second brood Nutmeg and a beautiful Frosted Orange which was definitely the icing on the trap.More to follow soon, I hope everyone else is ready for Winter I mean Autumn! the car is certainly ready with a new heavy duty battery all connected up...o what a drag.Catch Report - 01/09/14 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson TrapMacro Moths1x Frosted Orange [NFY]1x Toadflax Brocade [NFY]1x Old Lady [NFY]2x Angle Shades8x Brimstone Moth2x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing1x Burnished Brass3x Common Rustic4x Common Wainscot2x Double-striped Pug1x Dusky Thorn 3x Flame Shoulder5x Garden Carpet72x Large Yellow Underwing5x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing7x Lesser Yellow Underwing3x Light Emerald1x Maidens Blush1x Marbled Beauty1x Nutmeg1x Nut-tree Tussock6x Orange Swift1x Pale Mottled Willow4x Riband Wave1x Rosy Rustic11x Setaceous Hebrew Character1x Shuttle-shaped Dart2x Small Square-spot1x Small White Wave1x Snout1x Spectacle48x Square-spot Rustic2x Straw Dot3x Straw Underwing1x Uncertain25x Vine's Rustic8x Willow Beauty1x Yellow ShellMicro Moths1x Agonopterix arenella [NFG]4x Agriphila geniculea2x Pleuroptya ruralis2x Evergestis forficalis1x Eudonia mercurella1x Chrysoteuchia culmella1x Argyresthia pruniella4x Epiphyas postvittana5x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla3x Hofmannophila pseudospretella2x Emmelina monodactyla2x Blastobasis adustella1x Cydia splendana1x Plytella xylostella2x Agriphila tristella2x Pandemis corylana1x Carcina quercana1x Celypha lacunana

Found inside home. Searsmont, Maine, 1/5/13

Searsmont, Maine, United States

Searsmont, Waldo Co., Maine - 4/5/13.

A scarce species for Essex.

Last night of the month yields something special....With all the moths from the previous two nights still in pots, I set the trap up again under cloudy and still conditions.We did get a spattering of rain during the night though and this morning clear and still 7 degrees.among the usual new for year's were Early Thorn (2), Alucita hexadactyla (1) and Agonopterix alstromeriana (1) but as I turned over the second to last egg tray, wht's that tiny moth...Agonopterix purpurea, quick pot!This is why I was excited, it is my first Hertfordshire record and only my second one, I previously caught one way back in 2009 at Hatfield Broad Oak in Essex.Post HEREOther than that bit of exciement it was the usual Orthosias, although all my moaning of no Early Grey's diminished last night with another 4 added to the year total!Catch Report - 31/03/14 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson TrapMacro Moths2x Early Thorn [NFY] 2x Brindled Pug6x Double-striped Pug10x Hebrew Character13x Common Quaker 6x Small Quaker2x Clouded Drab3x Chestnut1x Oak Beauty4x Early Grey3x Brindled Pug1x SatelliteMicro Moths1x Agonopterix purpurea [NFG]1x Agonopterix alstromeriana [NFY]1x Alucita hexadactyla [NFY]2x Emmelina monodactyla1x Diurnea fagella

Gen/det by Peter Hall.Cradley, Malvern, Worcs. SO729470

Catch Report - 21/02/12 - Farmland/Back Garden - HertfordshireThings are slowly getting exciting! with 2 more new species for the year but what was supposed to be a very mild night with minimal wind turned out to be sporadically windy and quite chilly and down to 6c this morning.Tomorrow and Thursday evening look the best nights this week to get some more Moth action.Catch Report - 21/02/12 - 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/FarmlandMacro Moths1x March Moth [NFY]1x SatelliteMicro Moths1x Agonopterix heracliana [NFY]

Gladsaxe Municipality, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Gen/det Peter Hall. Cradly Malvern Worcs, SO729470

Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States

We had easier access this time to Bovingdon via a gate the otherside of the site and decided tosetup 4 traps as usual.The weather was warm and mild, and only hampered by the fact that it was a clear night with quitea bright moon (which set at 2.00am) Interestingly after the moon had set, moths were evidentlyflying in far greater numbers. As we were packing up it was a little chilly at the lower points ofthe site.It was still business as usual with lots and lots of moths, particularly micros.We were very pleased to get 3 Garden Tigers, our target species for the night. We also managed 15+ Coronets and 2 Purple Clays.Good micros were the Depressid, Agonopterix kaekeritziana, 10+ Pyrausta purpuralis and a singleexample of the scarce Thiotricha subocellea.18/07/13 - Bovingdon Brick Pits - Hemel Hempstead - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Trap & 1x 80w Actinic Trap run from 9.45pm until 2.30amMacro Moths2x Angle Shades5x Beautiful Hook-tip1x Blue-bordered Carpet8x Bordered Sallow2x Bright-line Brown-eye2x Brimstone Moth1x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing5x Brown-line Bright-eye10x Buff Arches4x Buff Footman2x Burnished Brass1x Cinnabar8x Clay1x Clay Triple-lines1x Clouded Border1x Clouded Brindle20x Clouded Silver2x Common Carpet3x Common Emerald5x Common Footman2x Common Marbled Carpet3x Common Rustic1x Common Wainscot4x Common White Wave15x Coronet10x Dark Arches2x Dingy Footman1x Dingy Shears6x Dot Moth10x Double Square-spot2x Drinker1x Dun-bar1x Dusky Brocade2x Dwarf Cream Wave2x Early Thorn5X Elephant Hawk-moth1x Engrailed2x Fan-foot6x Flame5x Flame Shoulder1x Garden Carpet3x Garden Tiger5x Ghost Moth4x Green Pug1x Grey Dagger2x Heart & Club10x Heart & Dart1x Iron Prominent6x July Highflyer3x Large Twin-spot Carpet3x Large Yellow Underwing1x Least Yellow Underwing1x Leopard Moth2x Light Arches5x Light Emerald1x Lime-speck Pug1x Lobster Moth5x Marbled Minor3x Marbled White Spot3x Miller5x Mottled Beauty2x Mottled Rustic2x Oak Nycteoline2x Peach Blossom8x Peppered Moth1x Phoenix2x Plain Golden-Y2x Poplar Grey1x Poplar Hawk-moth1x Privet Hawk-moth2x Purple Clay1x Red Twin-spot Carpet10x Riband Wave1x Ruby Tiger8x Rustic1x Scalloped Oak3x Scarce Footman1x Setaceous Hebrew Character3x Shaded Broad-bar5x Shaded Pug1x Short-cloaked Moth5x Shoulder-striped Wainscot1x Silver-Y1x Single-dotted Wave1x Slender Brindle2x Slender Pug1x Small Angle Shades2x Small Elephant Hawk-moth1x Small Emerald1x Small Fan-foot2x Small Fan-footed Wave1x Small Rivulet2x Small Yellow Wave5x Snout1x Spectacle5x Straw Dot10x Swallow-tailed Moth2x Sycamore2x Tawny Marbled Minor1x Treble Brown Spot2x Uncertain3x V-Pug2x Willow Beauty2x Yellow ShellMicro MothsAgonopterix kaekeritziana [NEW!]Thiotricha subocellea [NEW!]Aleimma loeflingianaArchips podanaCelypha lacunanaCnephasia spCochylis hybridellaCrambus pascuellaCrambus lathoniellusAgriphila straminellaPandemis cerasanaPandemis heparanaAcleris forsskaleanaMarasmarcha lunaedactylaEuzophera pinguisScoparia ambigualisScoparia pyralellaEpiblema UddmannianaEucosma canaAcleris schallerianaPyrausta purpuralisHedya prunianaHedya nubiferanaCatoptria falsellaPhlyctaenia coronataPhycitodes binaevellaDitula angustioranaChrysoteuchia culmellaUdea olivalisPlutella xylostellaEucosma hohenwartianaDipleurina lacustrataEndotricha flammealisAethes cnicanaTeleoides vulgellaPhycita roborellaLozotaeniodes formosanusBlastodacna hellerellaPleuroptya ruralisLathronympha striganaArchips xylosteanaMompha epilobiellaYponomeuta eveonymellaEmmelina monodactylaMetzneria metzneriellaEudonia pallidaPterophorus pentadactylaEpiblema rosaecolanaCrambus perlella