Moth Trap: 21st May 2022 - Much better tonight!

Sharing the results from my latest Moth Trap Session. I have written posts about setting up a moth trap and on collecting the results if you want some more background info on how and why I use a Moth Trap

Date: 21st May 2022

Weather:

Well, after yesterdays disappointing session... I was determined to have another go. I wouldn't normally trap 2 nights in a row, but yesterday was so poor (mostly due to the strong winds). Tonight's weather looks better, warmer, drier and only a light breeze instead of a howling gale!

Besides, I'm on holiday anyway so I don't really have anything else better to do haha!

While setting up in the evening, I spotted this lovely little Mint Moth flitting around near the Erysimum Wallflower. It was the first time I have recorded these this year, and I took it as a Sign from the Moth Gods that tonight will productive

Fingers crossed!

Mint Moth - Pyrausta aurata

Results: 36 moths of 16 species

Summary of Results:

And it turns out I was right!

Last night the conditions had been too poor for the moths to appear. All it took was slightly warmer temperatures and significantly less windy I basically did 3x better than yesterday. 36 moths compared 10 indivduals yesterday and 16 species recorded compared to just 7 yesterday

There were several species NFY (new for year) including:

Waved Umber - Menophra abruptaria

The Shears - Hada plebeja

Common Marbled Carpet - Dysstroma truncata

There are several different colour forms of the Common Marbled Carpet to see, the orange one below is my favourite

Common Marbled Carpet - Dysstroma truncata

Ruby Tiger - Phragmatobia fuliginosa

And last but not least, this striking Ruby Tiger moth

So overall it was a good evening, and well worth lighting up a second night in a row. Satisfied with what I found, I turned the trap off at 1:30AM and brought it all inside.

Bonus pictures for this week:

No Bonus this week, instead I want to share an image of a moth called a Kentish Glory:

Source

This is a rather rare moth here in the UK, and it's numbers are decreasing. It is now restricted to just a few places in the highlands of Scotland, and as luck would have it, that is precisely where we are going in a couple of days. It isn't the main reason we are visiting the area, but it would be a great opportunity to 'tick off' such a rare species while we are there.

On that note I will sign off, and will return soon with hopefully some beautiful pictures of the wildlife we see, and the landscapes we explore...

I guess I had better start packing!

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Notes on Pictures: Since I started moth trapping 5 years ago, I have been slowly building up collection of Library Images. The idea being that once I have taken a picture of a particular species of Moth, I don't need another picture of the same species a year later. It’s a waste of time and energy. I only take pictures of new species, or of moths that are difficult to ID, so I can get the records verified.

While in my care, all individuals are looked after, and after Photographs have been taken, they are all released safely outside.

All names confirmed and checked via Wikispieces
Further Research from UK Moths and NatureSpot

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All Photos taken by @dannewton unless otherwise stated.
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