Well here goes, for better or worse, another year of moths. The old thread is here https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/196070/mostly-moths-2018/1221500#1221500
To start us off a couple of silly ones that came to greet the first trap of the year on the night of the 1st to 2nd january. It was around 6-7°C all night & frosts ever since so I gave it a go.
A Double-striped Pug
& same one closed
& White Speck
Nothing earth-shattering, but a start!
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
Catch up with Garden Tiger larvae after first serious clean out yesterday very carefully lifting each & every leaf with tweezers, speedy little monsters (vid is in real time)
Day 5
Close up of a wanderer in the lid
Day 6 ... grown some more
Seem to be thriving on mix of plantain & dandelion leaves!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
WendyBartter said:Diamond-back on my Sunflower? (courtesy of bird food waste!)
Yup, nice sunflower too.
Glad to see your caterpillars are coming on nicely. Our Convolvulus HM's are around the "Belle de Nuit" each evening now around dusk or later. Not had a Deaths head yet, usually Autumn I think so yours should be OK.
More Oak Eggars hatched today, maybe 7 of the 11 eggs now including this one which was obviously only just out with another starting nearby ...
Couple of the others, escapees in the lid as usual
Will have a head count later this evening when I put fresh leaves in ... drying out between layers of kitchen towel just now as it's rained most of the day here!
Had to turf out Garden Tiger larvae again today, lots of poo & chewed leaves ... same procedure removing one leaf at a time & searching for these tiddlers ... counted 36 this morning!!!
They are very good at curling the moment they feel the paintbrush touch thir hairs which is a great help as I can then gently roll them back into the pot ... this vid shows how quickly they unfurl
Day 10 for Garden Tiger larvae & still quite tiddly with the biggest only 9mm ... dig out today for clean bed & new leaves but only counted about 28 ...
Day 5 for Oak Eggar larvae sees 10 out of 11 have hatched ...
WendyBartter said:
You really are a glutton for punishment, only 28.......
Good to see the Oak Eggars are out too, & haven't they grown quickly, I suppose they are bigger moths.
I have 3 caterpillars in a pot, found munching our Sweetcorn cobs in the garden. I think they are double-striped Pug but am trying to raise them as they don't normally eat Sweetcorn. They are tiddly things & difficult to extract from the pieces of cob I put in when it's time to change them. Will try & sort some pics out!