Garden mothing VC12 ~ 29-30/04/20 ~
The forecast for last night was rather wet and windy conditions, but something about the promise of spring made me risk it and set the trap up. Upon checking the trap at around 21.30, I was disheartened to see that the rain had started early, but a Great Prominent Peridea anceps hiding away on the back of the sheet was some consolation. Given that the rain was due to remain steady for an hour or so rather than getting any heavier, I decided to brave it and leave the trap out until the morning.
Despite getting to sleep around 2am, I somehow woke up before my 06.30 alarm and was out to check the trap at 06.00. The sheet next to the trap was soaking and the Great Prominent was nowhere to be seen, but a Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala was a nice surprise. Inside the trap was - as expected - pretty quiet, with two Red-green Carpets Chloroclysta siterata, a battered Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata and a single Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata. Right at the bottom, under the very last egg box was the highlight of my mothing year so far, and possibly the best moth to grace my garden since I began trapping in 2015... a beautiful Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae! It's my first one in Hampshire, and only my second one ever (the other being at Upton Fen, Norfolk last year). A real treat and a very unexpected one too!
Despite getting to sleep around 2am, I somehow woke up before my 06.30 alarm and was out to check the trap at 06.00. The sheet next to the trap was soaking and the Great Prominent was nowhere to be seen, but a Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala was a nice surprise. Inside the trap was - as expected - pretty quiet, with two Red-green Carpets Chloroclysta siterata, a battered Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata and a single Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata. Right at the bottom, under the very last egg box was the highlight of my mothing year so far, and possibly the best moth to grace my garden since I began trapping in 2015... a beautiful Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae! It's my first one in Hampshire, and only my second one ever (the other being at Upton Fen, Norfolk last year). A real treat and a very unexpected one too!
Species
|
Count
| |
Great Prominent
|
Peridea anceps
|
1
|
Lime Hawk-moth
|
Mimas tiliae
|
1
|
Oak-tree Pug
|
Eupithecia dodoneata
|
1
|
Poplar Grey
|
Subacronicta megacephala
|
1
|
Red-green Carpet
|
Chloroclysta siterata
|
2
|
Triple-barred Argent
|
Argyresthia trifasciata
|
1
|
 |
| Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae |
 |
| Great Prominent Peridea anceps |
 |
| Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala |
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