Saturday 31st May 2008 Beltinge
Night 30/5 - a few moths at the trap last night,
species that occurred for the first time this year were, Shaded Pug,
Mottled Pug, Sharp-angled Peacock, Light Emerald, Common Carpet, Common
Wainscot and Blood-vein. (Barry H)
Thursday 29th May 2008
Beltinge
Night 28/5 - as expected a
reasonable night last night, 30 species of macro- moth which included two
site ticks, firstly a Barred Umber which decided to fly off while I
gathered a pot and secondly was a Narrow-winged Pug. Migrant moths
were the two common ones at the moment and the numbers were up to 3
Silver Y and 11 Diamond- backed Moths. New species for the year,
besides the two already mentioned, were The Snout, Purple Bar,
Common Swift, Clouded Border, Common Marbled Carpet, Satin Wave, Lychnis
and several Setaceous Hebrew Character. Other moths included a Fox
Moth and the other regulars. Pyralids saw the first Small Magpie
of the year and a Garden Pebble. Loads of micros but 90% of them were
Light Brown Apple Moths. Not to sure if I experienced excitement
though, but I'll report when it happens. (Barry H)
Wednesday 28th May 2008
Beltinge
Night 27/5 - as is the
norm now in this month a easterly breeze sprung up to spoil what looked like
a decent night for moths. Woken up at 2am by a pretty spectacular
thunderstorm with torrential rain but the easterly wind had dropped away. As
a result a few moths made it into the trap. Migrant types were a Silver Y
and a Diamond-back Moth. New species for the year were Tawny
Marbled Minor and 3 Buff Ermine. Least Black Arches and
Swallow Prominent were the only other semi-decent moths. Shock sets in
when a night with a southerly wind has been forecast maybe a better catch
tonight! (Barry H)
Sunday 25th May 2008 Pegwell Trap
As with Barry, a brief break in the relentless NE winds
at the end of the week produced a flurry of moths, particularly at Pegwell
before once again the NE wind resumed. Nothing to get excited about (what is
that emotion anyway?), a few Shears, White-points, L-album Wainscot,
Small Elephant Hawk, Marbled Minors, Light Emerald etc added variety to
the catch. Slightly more in the way of micros, most notably Eupoecilia
ambiguella (Vine Moth) although that is a regular at Pegwell and a
Dioryctria abietella which seems very early.
Aspilapteryx tringipennella is a common but none the less nice micro
occurring where-ever Ribwort Plantain is found. (F Solly)
Saturday24th May 2008
Beltinge
The last few nights have
seen a few moths in the trap most noteworthy was a male Poplar Kitten,
which was new for the site, some new species for the year included
Cinnabar, Dark Spectacle, Small Dusty Wave, Fox Moth, Mullein Wave, Pale
Tussock, Vine's Rustic and the gruesome twosome Heart and Dart
and Large Yellow Underwing. (Barry H)
Wednesday 21st
May 2008 Beltinge
Night 20/5 - found some
strange furry insects in the trap this morning, apparently they are called
moths, only four though a Yellow Belle, a Hebrew Character and
a couple of Shuttle-shaped Darts. (Barry H)
Monday 12th
May 2008 Kingsgate & Pegwell Traps
As with the others, mothing
as finally picked up over the last four-five nights (apart from my garden of
course). Kingsgate has been a bit hit and miss depending on the easterly
breeze (looks like a miss for the rest of the week) but Pegwell has been
more productive. Pegwell in the last few days has produced; Swallow,
Maple and Iron Prominents, Eyed, Poplar and Lime
Hawks, Sharp-angled Peacock, Willow Beauty, Peppered,
Figure of Eighty, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, Puss
Moth, Marbled Minor and Herald along with the usual dross.
The only thing of note - as far as Thanet is concerned was a
Narrow-winged Pug last night (11/5). A few more micros appearing
including; Caloptilia stigmatella, Aspilapteryx tringipennella,
Pyralis farinalis, Nephopterix angustella, Argyresthia
trifasciata, Elachista argentella, Bucculatrix ulmella and
Hedya pruniana. (F Solly)
Monday 12th May 2008
Beltinge
Night 11/5 again more
rubbish here a single Broad- barred White the only worthwhile moth of
note. Still at least with a forecast drop in temperature and strengthening
north easterly wind I know its going to be crap. (Barry H)
Sunday 11th May
2008 Dumpton Thanet
The night of 10th
May 2008 my 1st Lime Hawkmoth of this year, others of
note: 2 Garden pebbles, 1 Small Square spot and a Garden
Carpet but overall very few moths in the trap. (Gadget)
Sunday 11th May
2008 Beltinge
Night 10/5 - Another poor
night here, New this year were White Ermine and 3 Lime-speck Pug.
A Pine Beauty was the only other moth worth a mention. (Barry H)
Saturday 10th May 2008
Beltinge
Night 9/5 - to be honest
given the conditions and temperature, a bit of a let down last night, 19
species of macro-moth, new for the year were singles of Poplar Hawk Moth,
Ruby Tiger, Latticed Heath and Yellow-barred Brindle, other bits
included 4 Waved Umber, 2 Knot Grass, Streamer and
Common Pug, also 2 Garden Pebble and 34 Epiphyas
postvittana (Barry H)
Friday 9th May 2008
Dumpton Thanet
Night of8th May 2008 the
best night in the garden this year, 26 species total 48 moths best of the
bunch 1 Orange Footman, 1 Common Marble Carpet, 2 Spruce
Carpet, 1 Flame Shoulder, 3
White-spotted Pug, 1 Epiblema
cynosbatella and 1
Phlyctaenia coronata (Gadget)
Friday 9th May 2008
Beltinge
Night of 8/5 - back to the
usual last night, virtually nothing, Spectacle and Turnip were
new this year. Iron Prominent and 4 Muslin Moth the only other
half decent moths. (Barry H)
Thursday 8th May 2008
Beltinge
Night 7/5 - a much better
night due to the Easterly breeze almost dropping out, A staggering 20
species of macro-moth but only 43 moths in total. New for the year were
Sallow Kitten, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Least Black Arches, Waved Umber and
Mullein. A Silver Y was the only migrant trapped, Best of the
rest Muslin Moth, White-spotted Pug and Red Twin-spot Carpet.
Plenty of micros too but I have to say I couldn't be bothered to do them.
(Barry H)
Wednesday 7th
May 2008 Pegwell Cliff-top
Lunchtime along Pegwell cliff-top
failed to excite (nothing new about that). A few clusters of the 'long horn'
Moth - Adela reaumurella were flying over the Alexanders in
the warm sunshine was about it. (F Solly)
Wednesday 7th May 2008 Pegwell Trap & Cliff-top
Night of 6/5, Kingsgate and Pegwell both affected by the persistent and
annoying Easterly breeze, Slightly better variety but still pitiful numbers
in the Pegwell trap, the pick of which was a Red Chestnut - scarce on
Thanet and fairly late. (F Solly)
Tuesday 6th May 2008
Beltinge
Night 5/5. A Silver Y
and 2 Diamond- back Moths were in the trap last night. The only other
thing of note was the first Knot Grass of the year. (Barry H)
Monday 5th May 2008
Clowes Wood
4/5/2008. Passed by Clowes
Wood in the afternoon so decided to have a brief look. Very little going on,
The only moths were a cluster of about 20 Micropterix calthella
on Creeping Buttercup, Other than that, larva/mines of Eriocrania
sangii, cicatricella and semipurpurella on Birch -
some small Birches having all three and larval cases of Coleophora
serratella also on Birch (F Solly)
Sunday 4th May 2008
Pegwell Trap
Night of 3/5. A few more
moths at last - species not numbers, although the usual suspects. Pick of
the bunch was a Chocolate-tip at Pegwell - a scarce but seemingly
increasing species on Thanet. (F Solly)
Friday 2nd May 2008
Beltinge
Night 1/5 - still poor
here, new for the year Swallow and Iron Prominent amongst the
staggering total of 14 moths, 2 Powdered Quaker were the only other
moths worthy of a mention. The next few days look interesting indeed, some
long awaited migrant conditions at last! (Barry H)
