10 April, 2015

Garden moth update

In the garden mothing calender, April is somewhat of a transitional period. The Common Quakers and Hebrew Characters that make up the bulk of my catch in March are beginning to tail off, but they haven't quite made way for the late-spring emerging species, leaving the trap disappointingly lacking in species diversity.

It's at this time of year that dusking really comes into its own. Many of the species that spent the winter as dormant adults will be looking for suitable weather windows to get back into the air, and a mild evening spent in the garden with a hand net can be surprisingly rewarding - this Mompha jurassicella (part of a genus that isn't readily attracted to light) was flying at dusk the other evening; the 541st species recorded in the garden.

Mompha jurassicella - the 1st garden record of a species that appears to be rapidly increasing its range.

Gracillaria syringella 

Epermenia chaerophyllella

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Eudonia angustea

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