Lesser Earwig (and some moths)!

Some super moths in the trap this morning, but they were upstaged by my first ever Lesser Earwig! The full list as follows:

Jersey Tiger 8

Flame Shoulder 1

Shuttle-shaped Dart 4

Brimstone 1

Ruby Tiger 1

Uncertain/Rustic 1

Copper Underwing sp. 1

Marbled Green 5

Buff Ermine 1

Mint Moth 3

Ermine sp. 1

Cloaked Minor 1

Knot Grass 1

Common Rustic 1

Large Yellow Underwing 1

Light Brown Apple Moth 1

Blastobasis adustella 1

Acrobasis advenella 1

Chrysoteuchia culmella 1

Apart from the guest appearance from the Lesser Earwig, there was a Honey Bee, a tiny crab spider, several Common Wasps, a tiny beetle (probably a Bradycellus sp.) and a Birch Shieldbug in the trap together with the usual hoards of Caddisflies and Harlequin Ladybirds.

Moffs, wasps and spiders!

Some good moths in the trap this morning including a few new ones for me. Highlights were a Herald and a Buff Arches, both 'firsts'.

Herald 1

Buff Arches 1

Brimstone 1

Swallow-tailed Moth 1

Shuttle-shaped Dart 2

Bright-line Brown-eye 1

Marbled Beauty 1

Marbled Green 1

Flame Shoulder 1

Common Rustic 1

Copper Underwing/Svensson's Copper Underwing 1

Knot Grass 1

Silver Y1

Gold Triangle 1

Small Dusty Wave 1

Tachystola acroxantha

Agriphila straminella

? Acrobasis sp.

There were inevitably some rather cold and dopey Common Wasps in the trap because of the nearby nest, but I was surprised to see a male False Widow Steatoda grossa just outside the window!

Wasp nest and three more moths!

I have a wasp nest in my dormer roof. Over the last couple of weeks I have seen lots of comings and goings from these stripy rascals. These nests have occurred on and off every few years and on these occasions I keep my windows closed. I usually have a few wasps in my moth trap too. Sadly one wasp was found drowned in my kitchen sink this morning - it is a Common Wasp judging by the black 'anchor' mark on its face.

Although my catches have been appalling of late, I have at least caught interesting moths - this time a brand new one, a Broad-barred White - very attractive. The larval foodplants include sow-thistles which are very common in Montpelier. Also in the trap was a Marbled Green - I only catch one or two per year - and an Uncertain/Rustic. 

              

  

       

 

 

 

Moth Broth

It was a nice warm night last night so I put the moth trap in the window-sill and it produced the following:

Marbled Beauty - 6 or 7

Marbled Green - 1 or 2
Brimstone 1
Garden Carpet 3
Willow Beauty 1
Yellow Shell 1
Copper/Underwing sp. 5
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Mother of Pearl 1
Rustic/Uncertain 2
Square-spot Rustic 1
Light Brown Apple Moth 1
Small Dusty Wave 3
Double-striped Pug 1
Large Yellow Underwing 2
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 3
Mint Moth Pyrausta aurata
Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix 1

Also a couple of Birch Shieldbugs and a Green Lacewing agg. in the trap.

Birch Shieldbug

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix

Copper Underwing sp.

Double-striped Pug

Large Yellow Underwing

Heart and Dart

Green Lacewing

Garden Carpet

Light Brown Apple Moth

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Marbled Beauty

Marbled Green

Small Dusty Wave

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Rustic/Uncertain

Mother of Pearl - it could fly well despite the wing deficit!

Square-spot Rustic

Yellow Shell

Montpelier Station

This morning the only bird of note was a Jay which flew into the trees on the disused platform.

The wall near the tunnel produced yet another new True Bug for the patch, and one I've never seen before - it looks very much like Deraeocoris flavilinea. The wall also played host to a lovely Marbled Green moth and the usual motley collection of woodlice, harvestmen and snails. They were joined by a rather lovely Greenbottle fly.

Deraeocoris flavilinea

Greenbottle

Marbled Green

Dark Sword-grass

I was thrilled to see my first ever Dark Sword-grass moth in the flat last night after I put my trap up by the window - this is a migrant species and although not particularly rare, was a real treat. Also an Uncertain/Rustic, 2 Marbled Greens, a Flame, a couple of Bright-line Brown-eyes, a Garden Carpet and a Swallow-tailed Moth. A Green Lacewing also paid a visit.

Dark Sword-grass

Garden Carpet

Green Lacewing

Marbled Green

Swallow-tailed Moth