Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 4 October 2013

The night of 4 October was overcast and mild with a very light breeze. Dusk temperature was about 17°C (at 19h00) and had only dropped to 13.7°C by dawn at 07h00. The trap reflected this with a large number of caddis flies, shield bugs and several species of ladybird as a good crop of moths. There were seven new species, partly a product of having not been able to trap for a week. They were the striking Feathered Thorn (2), Grey Shoulder-knot (immediately separable from the Blair's Shoulder-knot by its resting posture), three fresh Green-brindled Crescents, Red-line Quaker and Yellow-line Quaker, Barred Sallow and a Beautiful Hook-tip. Beaded Chestnut was the most numerous species, comprising a third of the total catch.Oddly there were no Lunar Underwings - and I checked every last Beaded Chestnut.

For the first time in three weeks, Golden Plovers were not moving as I inspected the trap. Instead half a dozen Meadow Pipits and a couple of Mistle Thrishes flew over and a solitary Chiff Chaff called and then sang as it moved southwards through the pre-dawn garden.

♂ Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria, with a different resting posture to the Ennomos thorns.

Grey Shoulder-knot Lithophane ornitopus   

Green-brindled Crescent Allophyes oxyacanthae   

Red-line Agrochola lota & Yellow-line A. macilenta Quakers   

Barred Sallow Xanthia aurago

Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula   

 

Macro-moths (117 moths of 24 spp.):-

Larentia clavaria	Mallow	2
Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	13
Thera obeliscata	Grey Pine Carpet	1
Colotois pennaria	Feathered Thorn	2
Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald	2
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	2
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	2
Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	1
Aporophyla nigra	Black Rustic	7
Lithophane ornitopus	Grey Shoulder-knot	1
Lithophane leautieri	Blair's Shoulder-knot	9
Allophyes oxyacanthae	Green-brindled Crescent	3
Agrochola lota	Red-line Quaker	3
Agrochola macilenta	Yellow-line Quaker	1
Agrochola litura	Brown-spot Pinion	13
Agrochola lychnidis	Beaded Chestnut	40
Xanthia aurago	Barred Sallow	6
Xanthia togata	Pink-barred Sallow	2
Xanthia icteritia	Sallow	2
Hydraecia micacea	Rosy Rustic	1
Gortyna flavago	Frosted Orange	1
Rhizedra lutosa	Large Wainscot	1
Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	1
Laspeyria flexula	Beautiful Hook-tip	1