HowdonMoths: September 2016

Tom Tams and I held a Moth Trapping session at Big Waters on 5 September 2016 between 20.15 - 23.15hrs. We had 5 Traps out, 2 x 30w Actinic (in field to the west of dipping pond just behind the gate), 1 8w Heath in the Feeding Station, 1 x 125mv on the viewing point on the boardwalk and a 125mv freestanding light on platform next to the dipping pond.

The best performing trap was the one on the Viewing Point but at one stage it was absolutely covered with Midgies, Mosquitos, Caddis and Crane Flies and even Big Brave Tom wouldn't touch it. So at the end of night I just carried it to the van (because I am a fully trained soldier afraid of nothing (except the wife)) and went to his house at 06.30 in the morning and emptied it with him. The worst performing trap was the one in the Feeding Station which did not have 1 single Moth in it, just loads of Caddis Flies. The one by the dipping pond we used as a netting point with a large white sheet on the ground which eventually looked like a bacchanalian orgy of Crane Flies with moths wandering around in between their mass pile-ups.

Here are the full results from last nights trapping session at Big Waters

A total of 149 Moths of 28 Species

Taxa
Acleris laterana/comariana 3
16.001 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 24
20.012 (Argyresthia goedartella) 1
35.123 (Scrobipalpa costella) 1
38.039 (Elachista maculicerusella) 2
41.002 (Blastobasis adustella) 3
49.039 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 5
49.249 (Epinotia ramella) 3
62.035 (Acrobasis advenella) 2
63.038 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 1
70.061 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 6
70.090 Chevron (Eulithis testata) 1
70.094 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 2
70.097 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata) 5
70.226 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 4
72.002 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 3
73.063 Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra berbera svenssoni) 1
73.119 Crescent (Helotropha leucostigma) 1
73.134 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa) 2
73.136 Bulrush Wainscot (Nonagria typhae) 2
73.144 Small Wainscot (Denticucullus pygmina) 1
73.187 Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura) 2
73.219 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago) 2
73.334 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 6
73.342 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 14
73.343 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
73.357 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 51

The following pictures are of some of the above moths which are from the Northumberland Moths site which is run by Tom Tams and is one of the best around for photographs (if you wish to check any out just click on the link here Northumberland Moths

Bird-cherry Ermine