Saturday 14 July 2018

July Round-up - So Far.......

Saturday July 14

Le quatorze juillet.......... final execution for the English football team. 2-0 loss to Belgium in the 3rd place play-off. Beyond my expectations but reality bit in.
We seem to have spent much of the month so far moth-ing. It's high season with many Butterfly Conservation and GB organised Tuesday meets around the county. Natural Surroundings will not see Pam and I until August 21st. 

July 1
The month started with Abbey Farm Open Day and moth trap opening on Sunday July 1. Disappointing compared with last year, overnight conditions were not conducive for lepidoptera. Most disappointing was the dearth of Royal Mantle for the group members who'd missed them last year.
Unable to walk some usually inaccessible areas of the farm, we drove to Snettisham Pits where we saw..........very little. The mud was virtually empty, even the Shelduck had deserted.  

July 3 at National Surroundings
DN brought in an Oak Nycteoline and a Maple Prominent, both new for us and many others.
Our minute micro which looked like dust at the bottom of the trap was identified by AD as a memnber of the Nepticulidae family, very difficult to Identify. I managed a pretty poor photo of a moth less than 1 cm in length.


Friday July 6
England beat Sweden to go through to the last four of the World Cup. And........Pam checked the lure trap and found TWO Yellow-legged Clearwings waiting. Euphoria. I alerted our group, this Macro was a new moth for all apart from Pam and I , J Lowen brought one to YBC for us when he gave a talk. There's nothing quite like trapping your own though.


I never did manage a photo of one out of the pot, successfully keeping it alive until Foxley.


July 10   Foxley NWT reserve 
A Butterfly Conservation meet. 
Brought in: Muslin Footman, Blackneck and Dark Umber.
So many moths, the traps were full. Highlights for me were : Small Dotted Buff, Willow Tortrix, 


Lunar Yellow Underwing, Box-tree Moth (an adventive first found last year in Norwich by MC), Syncopacma larcenella and Wormwood (the second I've seen).

Thursday July 12
Greg brought in this lovely Citron Plume, identity confirmed by AD later. 




July 14 Holme NOA
After overnight easterlies,Sophie apologised for the low number and variety of moths caught in three traps. It was well attended, including nine members of our usual group. Tony brought in a Coronet and a Small Rivulet. Richard an Athrips Morffetella. Shore Wainscot was the pick of the catch even if it was very worn.
After a very pleasant coffee with S and I and R and J, we left for home and a rest after a very early morning.

Some highlights from our own garden trap.

Bordered Pug

Leopard Moth - worn wings

Barred Yellow

Blue-bordered Carpet

Argyresthia brockeela

True Lover's Knot
 No ID as yet for this tiny insect Pam had crawling on her hand at Foxley.








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