I thought I'd start a new thread for 2017 & THIS is a link to the previous thread. To newcomers, all are welcome & you can post your moths, identified or not, on here. Any items related to moths too & of course caterpillars (all contributions of caterpillars welcomed by Wendy who is their substitute mum!)
Here are my first of the year, one from yesterday morning on the door, White-speck,
Which encouraged me to do a trap under the garden table & the White-speck came back along with a Black-spotted Chestnut
Unfortunately they were both dead, no sign of the spider, but it may be living under the garden table. Ah well, I suppose we all have to eat! I don't think I'll be doing another one for a while, this is just 2 or 3 warm days before it gets cold again.
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
Hi H, Happy New Year & thanks for starting us off ... rescued this one from the bath last night, very lively & fuzzy pic through glass tumbler!
Only a House Moth but at least alive! Lol
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Hi Wendy & happy New Year to you & yours too!
What do you mean ONLY a House moth!! Anyway, I think it's more like an Agonopterix but it may end up as sp because it's a bj. Have a look here www.ukmoths.org.uk/.../depressariidae
Ha ha ... lots to learn still teacher!!
Still in my kitchen somewhere ... will try to find & get a better pic!
I think you might need a sharp knife to sort it out! LOL
Oh no!! Not one of those investigative procedures H ... Let's just have 'best guess's! Lol
Yup! Mine all still have their bit's & pieces in tact!
I managed a trap at the end of January under the garden table & got an Early Grey
I did another trap 2 days later & got the same one plus a couple of micros, Eudonia angustea, around a lot in the winter. I think the weather needs to get a bit better, it's been very cold & now it's wet & very windy. Roll on Spring!
That's posh H ... nowt here (not even in the bath), couple of mild but wet nights followed the freeze but now back to very cold & frosty for a while! Quite missing the activity!
The last few days have been very springlike & moths are coming out in force, a few from home traps,
a Pale Brindled Beauty
a Mottled Grey
Many-lined
& a new micro for me Acleris literana
I also went out to the reserve with the intention of staying staying the night in the camper but the temperature plummeted to 3°C & the moths dried up so I came home, but I had a chance to try out my new bulb 40W 12V runs straight off the battery, its a power saving bulb so much more powerful,
It should work well on warmer nights! I had my other trap too & jogged between the 2 to keep warm, but not much new apart from this lovely Salamander that came to see what was going on
I had to be very careful not to run over it when I left! Then last night I put out 2 traps at home to compare their performance & got a few more different one's,
a March moth
Spring Usher
Oak Beauty
& Waved Umber
& finally a Common Quaker
So that's it folks, the season has well & truly kicked off. Hurrah!
Well H, what a haul ... am sooo green here!
Read a few reports with pics on Twitter too, must get my act together especially as it's turned milder & light winds here, must try out my new bulb!
Checked on my 'Elephant' tonight, never looks anything but dead so I gently pressed his 'tummy' & he wiggled his tail!!! Made me jump of course! Lol