Vapourer Moth added to year list.

Thursday 4th August 2022.

My first Vapourer Moth of the year in my moth box this morning. 

A drier dawn than yesterday, I was up a bit earlier than normal and therefore made my way downstairs for another check of the moth box and see what goodies it might bring this morning. Yesterday was interesting as some of us ‘Lazee Birders’ have been putting moth photos on the Whatsapp site and I think a few individuals are getting a bit bored of it. However, I must stress that a lot of ‘birders’ do have other ‘natural history’ interests and would like to share that enthusiasm with other birders, though you cannot please everybody. True, there is some fantastic birds knocking about currently in Hampshire (Whiskered Tern on Fishlake Meadows and a Lesser Yellowlegs (still!) at Pennington Marshes, but to share your photos on any site does please the majority of people and if not, educate them?

An impressive 15 Garden Tiger moths were counted this morning. I think the local House Sparrows have taken a liking to them as I did find a few wings scattered on the patio!

Incredibly, there was only one moth species that was new for the year, a smart looking Vapourer moth. I think I have seen them during the day earlier this year, with their distinctive spiraling flight pattern, but this was the first one this year in my moth box. At least 15 Garden Tiger moths were also present, easily the highest number in my garden so far this year, of which it seems I am competing with local Moth-er Mike Wearing for high numbers of this distinctive, beautiful moth. 

A Willow Beauty and a Common Rustic agg. in my moth box. The latter moth can only reliably be identified by dissection.

There was also both Mullein Wave (probably the same one as yesterday) and a Knot Grass to keep me interested. The micro moths this morning included the attractive Acleris forsskaleana and the stunning Mother-of-Pearl. I still have four more micros to ID which I shall add later to my blog entry.

Acleris forsskaleana. One of our more attractive micro moths.

A total of 81 moths of 32 species were recorded this morning and additional insects included a Ladybird and several Lacewings. Local Birder/Moth-er James Cutting (another Lazee Birder!), had a fine looking Oak Eggar moth by his trap and also a Copper Underwing species yesterday.  

Knot Grass. Possibly my 5th of the year so far.

This mornings moths included the following:

• 15 Garden Tiger
• 1 Vapourer (NFY)
• 1 Marbled Green
• 1 Marbled Beauty
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 2 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Vines Rustic
• 1 Turnip Moth
• 2 Cabbage Moth
• 3 Brimstone Moth
• 4 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 3 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Grey Dagger
• 5 Pale Mottled Willow
• 2 Common Rustic agg.
• 1 Knot Grass
• 1 Mullein Wave
• 2 Silver Y
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 11 Common Plume
• 6 Blastobasis adustella
• 2 Blastobasis rebeli
• 1 Anania coronata
• 2 Swammerdamia pyrella
• 1 Garden Pebble
• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 2 Clepsis consimilana
• 4 Brown House Moth
• 1 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Mother-of-Pearl
• 1 Acleris forsskaleana

James Cutting had this superb Oak Eggar Moth to his garden yesterday.