Saturday 31 March 2012

Dusking forays

Still relatively early in the mothing year but a few more micros are starting to turn up during dusking forays including:

Agonopterix alstromeriana
A. arenella
Alucita hexadactyla
Epermenia chaerophyllella
Emmelina monodactyla


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Agonopterix arenella
Agonopterix arenella


Epermenia chaerophyllella
Epermenia chaerophyllella


Alucita hexadactyla
Alucita hexadactyla

Thursday 22 March 2012

Early stages: Bucculatrix nigricomella

Another one to watch out for right now:

Found several active mines of Bucculatrix nigricomella on Ox-eye Daisy and some of these have already moved to the free-living larvae stage.

Bucculatrix nigricomella mine
Mine


Bucculatrix nigricomella tenanted mine
Tenanted mine with well-grown larva.  Windowing from grazing is visible near the tip of the leaf.

Bucculatrix nigricomella free-living larva
Free-living larva

Dave


Three more to the trap

A few more micros added to the garden year list over the last week or so:


Eudonia angustea
Eudonia angustea

Diurnea fagella
Diurnea fagella

Epiphyas postvittana
Epiphyas postvittana

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Almost always finds to be had....

On the dog walk this morning was grubbing around underneath a Horse Chestnut tree and spotted the obvious yellow-white cocoons of Cameraria ohridella on the decomposing leaves from last year. I'm always amazed at how something so small endures the winter so well, good old Mother Nature (or maybe not in this case if you happen to be a Horse Chestnut tree!). Cameraria ohridella pupae and cocoon Cameraria ohridella pupae Cameraria ohridella pupa Dave


Tuesday 20 March 2012

Of Teasel and Burdock

Each winter I like to collect a bag or two of the seedheads of both Teasel and Greater Burdock in hope of rearing the three species of moth mentioned below.

On Teasel, I check seed heads for the larvae of Endothenia marginana and E. gentianaeana - studying the larvae closely allows me to separate the two: http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1099.  This way I can be sure of an accurate ID of the adults.  These larvae are often very numerous and not at all difficult to locate.

Endothenia marginana
E. marginana - reared ex teasel seed head (larvae examined)

Endothenia gentianaeana
E. gentianaeana - reared ex teasel seed head (larvae examined)

I also always have a bag or two of Greater Burdock seedheads for rearing Metzneria lappella - I don't bother looking too closely, just harvest a few handfuls and then wait... Metzneria lappella
M. lappella reared ex burdock seed head

Dave