Thursday 27 August 2015

Creigiau 25 August

put the box out on Tuesday night but had to bring it in just after midnight because it was in danger of being flooded and blown over as the wind strengthened and the rain was torrential! Still managed to attract 67 moths of 23 species.

One of these, Tebenna micalis (as posted yesterday) was new for the garden and me.


Tebenna micalis
 Three others were new for the year, but I'm not sure on two of them - a late first appearance of a Twenty-plume Moth (which refused to settle outside the pot), Apple Ermine (I think) and Copper Underwing agg.. I've looked closely at the latter and it appears to have dark palps with pale tips, but I can't see the extensive copper colouring on the underwing so I'm not sure on this hence the 'agg'

Apple Ermine query



Coper Underwing agg

4 comments:

  1. Howard, the light palps suggests it's a Copper Underwing.

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  2. Svensson's I think. Pale tipped darl palps, etc...

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  3. Head on the palps of Copper u/w are light (creamy coloured), Sven Copper u/w are overall dark brown with a very small light tip - head they look dark. The moth in question has light tips, but they do appear light overall. Check UK moths. Or is it a case of genitalia otherwise an agg. sp.

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  4. Thanks both.

    I was inclined to go with Svensson's because the palps are 'darker' with pale tips - they do not appear to be 'pale throughout' as indicated on UK Moths. Is this feature now considered to be diagnostic?

    The moth was released after I'd taken the images so I can't go back to it, so maybe I'll just stay with Copper Underwing agg.

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