Kilmarnock Moths

[AlistairMurdoch]

Hi everybody,

turned to rain last night but in trap this morning:

Heart & Dart 3
Large Yellow Underwing 3
Double square-Spot 1
Minor Sp.1
Riband Wave 2
Silver Ground Carpet 1
Dotted Clay 1
The Clay 1
Shoulder-striped Wainscot 1
Smoky Wainscot 1
The Rustic 1
Bee Moth 3
Scoparia subfusca 1

Also lots of grass moths C. culmella and several LB Apple Moths.

Alistair.

[AlistairMurdoch]

Hi everybody,

went out to set the trap this evening and found a pair of mating micros on Feverfew. I am confident of them being a Dichrorampha sp. Maybe unable to give 100% ID, but the feverfew grows next to Ox-eye Daisy which is the foodplant of D. alpinana. The other similar species D. petiverella and D. flavidorsana favour foodplants not in my garden. All three species scarce or local in Scotland.

Alistair.

[AlistairMurdoch]

Hi everybody,

it turned coldish last night and few moths in trap this morning. Usual macros for this time of year, plus two micros both NFS:

Lozotaenia forsterana
Udea prunalis

Alistair.

[AlistairMurdoch]

Hi everybody,

small numbers of moths still trickling through the garden trap. This morning had:

Large Yellow Underwing - 12
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Riband Wave
Single Dotted Wave
Dark Arches
Smoky Wainscot
Marbled Beauty
Spruce Carpet

Micros included:

Bee Moth - 5 ( a similar number sitting around the trap - all females )
Ermine Sp. Possibly Orchard Ermine, very few spots
Agriphila tristella
Blastbasis adustella

plus lots of C. culmella

Garden list now about 70 species. Better than I thought for what appeared an unpromising urban area.

Alistair.

[AlistairMurdoch]

Hi everybody,

usual underwings etc. in the garden trap this morning, but also a Brown China-Mark. No ponds anywhere nearby, unless a small garden pond could hold larva for this species.

Alistair.

[ron]

Hi Alistair,
Re : Brown China-Mark about 3 years ago i had the same situation and exactly the same thoughts. I think garden ponds are just too small i think what we both trapped were visitors on reflection i think reservoirs would be more suitable. Kilmarnock Reservoir where once i used to fish would be ideal ( if it is still there ) and i`m sure there must be other small fisheries around today. Distance wise Silver Y travels why not Brown China=Mark.
Ron

[AlistairMurdoch]

Hi Ron,

yes, I would think that a certain proportion of the population on hatching would disperse, otherwise new sites would never get colonised. I have also had a dragonfly in my garden this year probably for the same reason. I am afraid Kilmarnock reservoir has been drained, and over the last while has been subject to controversial planning applications for house building.

Alistair.