Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 16 March 2014

After a warm, sunny day, the sky clouded over towards dusk, so the night was fairly mild: the forecast minimum temperature was 7°C, so 5°C is probably more realistic for the village. The full moon must have been quite well covered, but a moderate westerly breeze kept up all night. As usual, by 19h00, moths were buzzing around the trap, with Oak Beauty and Pine Beauty perched on the outside of the perspex. A smart Red-green Carpet rested on the nearby house wall. By morning a spruce Shoulder Stripe was on the outside of the trap. Within were good numbers of Orthosia species, with last week's Clouded Drabs being replaced by a lone Lead-coloured Drab: an apt name for a moth that is overwhelmingly plumbeous in hue. All of these species were new for the trap.

Shoulder Stripe Anticlea badiata

♂ Oak Beauty Biston strataria

♂ Lead-coloured Drab Orthosia populeti - note the feathered antennae

Macro-moths (43 moths of 12 spp.):-

Alsophila aescularia	March Moth	1
Anticlea badiata	Shoulder Stripe	1
Chloroclysta siterata	Red-green Carpet	1
Biston strataria	Oak Beauty	1
Agriopis marginaria	Dotted Border	2
Panolis flammea	Pine Beauty	1
Orthosia cruda	Small Quaker	4
Orthosia populeti	Lead-coloured Drab	1
Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	16
Orthosia munda	Twin-spotted Quaker	2
Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	12
Xylocampa areola	Early Grey	1