Monday 3 September 2018

Clifden Nonpareil and other moths

Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini
Last Thursday around 11pm I checked for moths round our balcony light and was amazed to find a large moth (6x4.5cm) settled into a corner near the light. I saw a small patch of blue and hurried to the computer with photos. I soon identified it as a Clifden Nonpareil (Catocala fraxini) aka Blue Underwing. This rare and beautiful immigrant moth is the one I have long wondered about due to its fame and being Victorian collector's classic target. We now know what all the fuss was about! Also seen: Silver Y, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-Spot Rustic, Double-striped Pug, Lime-speck Pug.
Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini

Clifden Nonpareil

Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Lime-speck Pug, Eupithecia centaureata

Square-Spot Rustic, Xestia xanthographa
Starry Pearl, Cynaeda dentalis
This is my best record for August. The Starry Pearl is usually seen in East Sussex with few records from West Sussex.

other balcony moths and invertebrates seen in August:

Cloaked Minor, Mesoligia furuncula
tiny Poplar Bent-wing, Phyllocnistis unipunctella

Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata

The Uncertain, Hoplodrina octogenaria
Common Plume, Emmelina monodactyla

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer, Agriphila geniculea

Heart and Dart, Agrotis exclamationis

Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Marbled Beauty, Bryophila domestica

Silver Y, Autographa gamma

Small Fan-footed Wave, Idaea biselata

water scavenger beetle, Sphaeridium lunatum
Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniceata

Dark Sword-grass, Agrotis ipsilon

Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum

Skin Moth, Monopis laevigella
Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner, Cameraria ohridella in Sheffield
Bright-line Brown-eye, Lacanobia oleracea

Clouded Border, Lomaspilis marginata

False Black Widow, Steatoda grossa
Beautiful Plume, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Dingy Dowd, Blastobasis adustella

Marbled Green, Cryphia muralis

Twenty-plume Moth, Alucita hexadactyla

Twin-spot Honey, Aphomia zelleri

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