June 2012
Part 3 : Moths attracted to my garden light trap
Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Towards the end of what turned out to be the wettest June on record, we had a couple of dry nights when I was able to put out the light trap in my garden.
Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
The numbers of moths caught per night was not particularly large but the variety was pretty good with about 30-40 species per night and a total of just under 80 species for the month. Not bad considering I was only able to put the trap out on 4 occasions in June...
Eyed Hawkmoth (Smerinthus ocellata) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
One night was particularly good for the large, spectacular species with 3 species of hawkmoth (Elephant, Eyed and Poplar) plus an immaculate male Puss Moth.
Eyed Hawkmoth (Smerinthus ocellata) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Peppered Moth and Mottled Beauty are beautifully camouflaged when resting on lichen-covered rocks.
Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Green Arches' vibrant green colouration blends in well against moss-covered stones.
Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Cream-bordered Green Pea is the scarcest moth I have trapped so far this year. This beautiful little noctuid could easily be mistaken for the much commoner Green Oak Tortrix.
Cream-bordered Green Pea (Earias clorana) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Lychnis (Hadena bicruris) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Lozotaeniodes formosana was one of the prettier micro-moths that came to the light this month. The larvae of this relatively large tortrix moth feed on Scots Pine.
Lozotaeniodes formosana - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Bramble Shoot Moth is an unsurprising resident in my garden due to the abundance of Bramble bushes along the railway embankment that separates my garden from Attenborough Nature Reserve.
Bramble Shoot Moth (Notocelia uddmanniana) - Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
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