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Butterfly Conservation Upper Thames Branch Moth Sightings Archive - January to June 2010

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Butterfly Conservation Upper Thames Branch Moth Sightings Archive - January to June 2010 ~ Monday 28th June 2010 ~ Dave Maunder sent this report on 27th June: "On Friday evening (25th June) I went to the Bernard arms beer-garden in Gt. Kimble, Bucks and saw approx. 20-30 Scarlet Tiger moths flying around the garden - a lovely sight! They were also in the churchyard next door. Weekend moth trapping in my garden here in Aylesbury Friday/Saturday nights (26th/27th June) produced a total of 61 species, some of the better ones were:- Privet Hawk (1, a female, which gave me some eggs which hopefully I'll be able to rear to show my son!); Eyed Hawks (2); Lime Hawks (2); Elephant Hawks (3); Leopard moth (1); Lackey moth (first adult) (1); Buff-tip (1); Buff Arches (1); Figure of 80 (3); Coxcomb Prominent (1); Sycamore moth (1); Poplar Grey (1); Miller moth (1); Reddish Light Arches (1); Brown Rustic (1); Cinnabar moths (3); White Ermine (1); Swallow-tailed moths (7); Peppered moths (3); Blood-veins (3); Scorched Wing (1) and Blue-bordered Carpet (first adult) (1)." Scarlet Tigers Photo © Dave Maunder Peter Cuss ran his garden trap on 26th June in Caversham, Berks: "I was surprised to get a Scarlet Tiger, I always think of this as a species that has fairly distinct colonies, has anybody else seen it in this area? I also had Elephant Hawk, Green Silver-lines, Treble Brown Spot, Dark Arches, Light Emerald, Beautiful Hook Tip, Brimstone and Heart & Dart." Tim Watts reported the following on 26th June: "Our best ever garden moth sighting!! Colleen and I were delighted and amazed to find a Scarlet Tiger resting on our front door in Whitchurch, Bucks this morning, 26th. This is a moth we've never seen before, anywhere and one we'd dreamed of seeing!! The door is glass so the picture is of its underside taken from inside our porch, guess a full view of underside is unusual? We couldn't get out to see the front so carefully opened the door. It flew instantly and its brilliant red wings showed well in flight, it landed in a roadside Oak." Scarlet Tiger Photo © Tim Watts Tom Stevenson sent this report from Benson, Oxon on 26th June: "I put one of my 25w BB traps out overnight last night, 25th June, with the following results: Buff Ermine 1, Flame 1, Minor sp. 3, Heart & Dart 1, Clepsis spectrana (Cyclamen Tortrix) 1, Shoulder-striped Wainscot 3, Barred Straw 1, Agapeta hamana 1, Uncertain 1, Double Square-spot 2, Heart & Club 1, Common Carpet 1, Nemophora degeerella 1, Scoparia pyralella 1 and Straw Dot 1. Photos of some of the prettier ones attached (see below)." Barred Straw Double Square-spot_s_TStevenson Nemophora degeerella Photo © Tom Stevenson Photo © Tom Stevenson Photo © Tom Stevenson Keith Mitchell sent this moth trap report on 26th June: "Interesting moths from my garden trap in Stoke Goldington, Bucks on 25th June included year firsts: Celypha striana, Blotched Emerald, Common Emerald, Small Dusty Wave, Barred Yellow, Privet Hawk-moth, Common Footman, Double Square-spot and Dot Moth." Common Emerald Photo © Keith Mitchell Peter Hall reports Leucoptera laburnella leaf mines all over an old Laburnum tree in Great Missenden, Bucks on 24th June. Paul Bowyer sent the following on 24th June: "I would like to report a moth seen in my house in Flackwell Heath, Bucks - Aglossa pinguinalis (Large Tabby). I was in 2 minds about this as the book informs me that its larvae feed on sheep dung!" ~ Thursday 24th June 2010 ~ David Redhead sent the following on 23rd June: "I was disappointed by the numbers in my third garden moth trap for June on the 22nd. Just 59 macro-moths but from 33 species of which one was an all-time addition to my garden list - an Oblique Carpet - plus 15 new for 2010 - Barred Yellow, Beautiful Golden Y, Beautiful Hook-tip, Buff Arches, Currant Pug, Dark Arches, Dingy Shears, Double Square-spot, Green Pug, Light Emerald, Riband Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Smoky Wainscot, Snout & Treble Brown Spot." Dave Maunder sent these sightings on 22nd June: "Some moths found over the last few weeks in Aylesbury, Bucks were:- Scarlet Tiger (1, my first adult in Aylesbury - my son found it at Bearbrook school on 10th); Puss moth eggs (3, + 1 3rd instar larva on 20th); Pebble Prominent larva, also on 20th; Sallow Kittens (2, 7th); Maiden's Blush (1, on 9th - my first from Aylesbury). Also I've run my garden m.v. lamp a couple of times recently and some of the better results were:- Green Silver-lines (1); Buff Arches (1); Figure of 80 (1) - on 6th; Elephant Hawk (1) and Figure of 80 (2) - both on 12th; Poplar Hawk (1); Cinnabar (1); White Ermine (2); Buff Ermine (1); Clouded-bordered Brindle (1) and Pale Prominent (1) on 21st. Last night (21st June) at dusk I saw feeding on my garden Sweet william flowers: Varied Coronets (2); Broad-barred White (1); Silver Y (2), and Large Yellow Underwing (2). Still waiting to see if I'll get the Small Ranunculus like last year!" Elephant Hawkmoth Photo © Dave Maunder Adam Bassett reported the following: "Thanks to Peter Hall for confirming a batch of records from my garden (in Marlow Bottom, Bucks) - the following are currently new for the UTB year list: 3 records of Acleris logiana, 2 from November 2009 and a 3rd from 20th March 2010 constitute the first records for Bucks. This species was previously only known in Scotland, but has been recorded in southern counties in recent years. Narrow-winged Pug (15/4), Caloptilia elongella (24/4), Parornix devoniella (24/4), Deltaornix torquillella (30/5). The only other recent moths new for the year from some poor sessions in the cold are: Cydia fagiglandana, Argyresthia pruniella (19/6) and Blastobasis adustella (20/6). Lastly, some moth records from 23/6: Argyresthia sorbiella - new for the garden, thanks again to Peter for identifying this, and new for the year: Parachronistis albiceps, Pandemis cinnamomeana, Archips podana, Mocha, Dwarf Cream Wave and Scarce Footman." Acleris logiana Photo © Adam Bassett Nigel Partridge sent this record on 21st June: "Isotrias rectifasciana, 20-06- 10, Loosley Row, Bucks. Thanks to Peter Hall for confirming the ID." Anni Byard sent this report on 21st June: "Just thought I'd report my first ever sighting of a Scarlet Tiger Moth, in Long Wittenham, Oxon today, 21st. Unfortunately it had suffered severe damage to one of its wings, but this meant I could return home and get my camera; it hadn't really moved since I first spotted it." Scarlet Tiger Photo © Anni Byard Peter Hall sent this update: "An addition to the report for Incombe hole on the 16th June for me and Dave Wilton - the daytime sighting of Merrifieldia leucodactyla." David Redhead reports seeing a Hummingbird Hawkmoth at Otmoor, Oxon on Thursday 17th June. Derek Brown reported the following: "We had a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in our garden at Beenham, Berks on 13th June." ~ Saturday 19th June 2010 ~ David Redhead sent the following today: "My overnight garden moth trap in Littlemore, Oxon on 18th June produced one of my lowest returns ever for June with just 22 macro-moths from 18 species. However, they did include my first Round-winged Muslin moths of the year, a pair." Dave Wilton sent another report from mid-Bucks: "Trapped in my garden at Westcott on 8th June were Scrobipalpa costella and Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer). A night-time expedition to Pilch Fields near Great Horwood on 9th June produced nearly 80 species, including several Ghost Moths, a Maple Prominent and a Dark Sword-grass, while Metzneria metzneriella, Agapeta zoegana & Small Dotted Buff may still be new to the UTB list. Seen during the daytime at Finemere Wood on 11th June was Argyresthia spinosella, while at Westcott that night I added Dusky Brocade to my garden year list. Peter Hall and I visited the Ivinghoe area on 16th June and found two newly-emerged Six-spot Burnets on Pitstone Hill and several Chimney Sweepers at Incombe Hole and on the Beacon itself. Disturbed while mowing the lawn at Westcott later that day were Crambus pascuella and Pterophorus pentadactyla (White Plume). Peter and I trapped in Bernwood Forest on 17th June. Apart from an invasion of Tortrix viridana (Green Oak Tortrix), arrivals at the four lights seemed very slow as it was yet another cold night, so it came as some surprise to find that our combined lists totalled more than 100 species. Those which might still be new to the UTB list include Argyresthia glabratella, Argyresthia brockeella, Choristoneura hebenstreitella, Spatalistis bifasciana, Aleimma loeflingiana, Pseudosciaphila branderiana, Apotomis turbidana, Epiblema uddmanniana, Drinker (first adult), Blotched Emerald, Four-dotted Footman, Double Dart, Minor Shoulder-knot and Grey Arches. It was very pleasing to see several Orange Moths as well." Orange Moth Four-dotted Footman Double Dart Photo © Peter Hall Photo © Peter Hall Photo © Peter Hall ~ Thursday 17th June 2010 ~ Danny Howard sent the following yesterday: "Thought I would report my first sighting of two adult Scarlet Tiger Moths this morning (16th June) at the colony on Cowley Road, Oxon near the Plain roundabout." This report came from Tom Stevenson: "A colleague, Alan Brampton, sent me a photo of a Red-belted Clearwing found in his house in Benson, Oxon on 13th June." Red-belted Clearwing Photo © Alan Brampton Dave Wilton sent this report on 15th June: "A Bucks Invertebrate Group field meeting was held at BBOWT's River Ray Reserves on Saturday 12th June. Moths seen during the daytime at Gallowsbridge Farm included Glyphipterix thrasonella (in large numbers around juncus), Celypha lacunana, Crambus lathoniellus, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Opsibotys fuscalis, Pyrausta purpuralis, Lackey (a fully-grown caterpillar), Blood-vein, Yellow Shell, Grass Rivulet, Middle-barred Minor, Burnet Companion, Mother Shipton, Silver Y & Straw Dot, while Small Yellow Underwing was added to the list at Leaches Farm.
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