Honeydon verge nature reserve

Coleophora laricella

A rather interesting find at RSPB Sandy this afternoon - cases of C. laricella. The upper one has started feeding on a fresh needle. The lower one is still fixed in its winter resting position. (Photos: Melissa Banthorpe)

Dotted Border

Found this little lady had emerged from pupation today. She was collected from oak as a larva at Flitwick Moor on 21st May last year.

Dotted Border female                      Photo: Melissa Banthorpe

Ivy Bee

Here's my contribution to the Ivy Bee distribution map - two individuals were found on Ivy along Gypsy Lane at Broom today.  You can submit any records you have to BWARS here. And don't forget to let Alan Outen know too!

Oncocera semirubella x2

Oncocera semirubella, Luton, 21st July 2014. Only Bedfordshire's third (or perhaps fourth) record of this stunning micro moth.

Oncocera semirubella

Oncocera semirubella, Biggleswade, 21st July 2014.  Only Bedfordshires third (or perhaps fourth) record of this stunning micro moth.

Kent Black Arches

Yet another new macro-moth for the county this year - Kent Black Arches - which brings the total to five. This rather pretty moth was trapped last night (17th) at Biggleswade by Lionel Burgess, who kindly held onto to it so the county Recorders could see it this evening.

Kent Black Arches                     photo Melissa Banthorpe

Brown Lacewing surprise

New and previously unknown to me last night was this mini-beast on the garden shed in the reflected light of my moth trap in Luton. Identified from the trusty Collins Guide and then confirmed with the recorders as a brown lacewing, species Drepanepteryx phalaenoides. I am informed this is the third VC30 record, the previous being at Heath&Reach in 1987 and Tempsford in 1991.

Chicksands Wood 3rd July 2014

At least 3, possibly 4, male Purple Emperors and a single female sucking moisture/nutrients on the main path through Chicksands Wood late morning and early afternoon. Females on the ground would appear to be a rare sight. Three photos of the female which had a small tear near the tip of the left forewing, and one of a male.

Two interesting micro moth records from Flitwick Moor 28th June 2014

The Wildlife Trust for Beds,Cambs & Northants & The BNHS held their annual Invertebrates Day at Flitwick Moor on 28th June 2014. All was fine until it started raining just after midday which did not stop until after 3pm. As it started raining I was collecting leaf-mines from a Crab Apple in the meadow and found an interesting large Coleophoriid case that I did not recognise. On getting home I identified it as Coleophora siccifolia, a scarce species with five previous Bedfordshire records. Two of these were adults at Turvey Abbey in 2001 & The Cockayne Hatley Rothamsted trap in 2005.There are three previous larval records, two of feeding signs in N Beds in 1992 and 2005 and one larval case in 1992 in Sharnbrook. This then is the first record in 9 years and the first in the centre of the county.
The second find was whilst wandering round in the rain in the afternoon collecting leafmines for id later. One I had been looking for on Honeysuckle and happily found was Perittia obscurepunctella. The only previous record of this in the county was of an adult in a light trap at Apsley Guise in 1983.

Melissa took some nice photos of the Coleophora case and I scanned the Perittia mine, both ids have been confirmed by Beds Micro-moth Recorder David Manning.

Case of Coleophora siccifolia on Crab Apple, Flitwick Moor 28/06/2014. Photo by Melissa Banthorpe

Case of Coleophora siccifolia on Crab Apple, Flitwick Moor 28/06/2014. Photo by Melissa Banthorpe

Leafmine of Perittia obscurepunctella on Honeysuckle, Flitwick Moor 28/06/2014. Scan by Andy Banthorpe

Cranfield Uni bioblitz bonus

Andy and I ran two MV lights for a couple of hours at Cranfield Uni last night as part of their bioblitz weekend. Prospects weren't good as it had rained during the day and it hadn't been especially warm. We didn't catch large numbers of moths, or as many species as one might expect at this time of year. However, late on we found a single Double Dart, a moth species that hasn't been seen in the county for nearly 11 years and one which we thought we would never see in the county. So was a good end to the evening.

Double Dart                                      photo Melissa Banthorpe

Of the 5 Black Hairstreaks I saw in Marston Thrift today this one obligingly came down for a brief photoshoot.

A rather gruesome surprise

This year I have been making a concerted effort to record more lepidoptera larvae, and in particular moth larvae. To that end I have been visiting various sites with a beating tray to collect caterpillars off a selection of trees and shrubs. So far Andy and myself have managed to find nearly 50 species and I will post photos of some of the more interesting finds later in the year.

On Sunday I beat a Grey Shoulder-knot caterpillar off oak at MVCP during a BNHS meeting. I took it home as I didn't know what it was. On Sunday evening it was fine and I photographed it.

Grey Shoulder-knot                                                   photo Melissa Banthorpe

I checked it on Monday and it was still looking ok but it hadn't eaten much. On Tuesday evening I checked it again and got a bit of a shock.

Grey Shoulder-knot with added extras                      photo Melissa Banthorpe

It was no longer moving and appeared to be stuck to the leaf with several cocoons attached to it. I've seen parasitised larvae before where there have been a few cocoons but nothing quite to this extent.

Satin Lutestring new to Beds

A single Satin Lutestring came to MV light at Flitwick Moor last night (6th), which is a an addition to the county list. The moth was caught during a Beds Moth Group meeting at the site, which was a last-minute change of venue as we couldn't trap in Chicksands Wood, as advertised. Unfortunately, only myself and Andy got to see it as the others who had joined us for the evening had left by that point - in fairness it was found around 1am!

There is an unverified record of the species from 1934 noted in The Butterflies and Moths of Bedfordshire (1997). No specimen was seen and the date of early May was really too early to have been this, so it had not been accpeted.

Satin Lutestring                               photo: Melissa Banthorpe

Lunar Yellow Underwing - a surprise moth in Bedfordshire

An excellent find by Robin & Fiona Wynde on Friday morning in their Potton moth trap was this Lunar Yellow Underwing, Noctua orbona. There have been reports of this in the county in the past but none of the historic records have a supporting voucher specimen so they are in doubt due to the confusion with other Yellow Underwing species. In the photos below the black sub-apical mark on the upper wing and the black crescent on the hindwing are the diagnostic features that separate this species from Large & Lesser Yellow Underwing.

Photos by Melissa Banthorpe

Stewartby Lake sunrise

A few sunrise photos taken on the MVCP dawn chorus walk... M

Balsam Carpet - new to Bedfordshire

Mike and Marg Harrison caught this moth in their Bromham garden on 3rd April 2014. We have now seen the moth and confirmed that it is the first Bedfordshire record of Balsam Carpet Xanthorhoe biriviata. It is completely unexpected in the county as though the foodplant (Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis) is present along the River Ouse in the area, the nearest colony of the moth is probably on the Hertfordshire/Middlesex border near Watford where it is present along the river Colne. The moth flies in the afternoon and evening as well as night and can be netted around it's foodplant. It is double brooded with adults flying from late April to June and again from July to September.
Photo by Melissa Banthorpe

Scarlet Tiger moth larvae found in Bedfordshire

Scarlet Tiger moth larvae were found in Bedfordshire for the first time today (31st March 2014). These were feeding on Anchusa azurea and garden Forget-me-not in Mandy Holloway's Heath & Reach garden.
They feed on the plants above in gardens and verges and can also be found on Comfrey.
Please look for them in the county during April and early May 2014. If you find them please not numbers, what they are feeding on, date, location and send with a photograph to macromoths@bnhs.org.uk.
Over subsequent days they have been found on Comfrey at Flitwick Moor and Anchusa azurea near Potsgrove

The photo below was taken by Mandy

Death's-head Hawk-moth in a Flitwick garden

A Death's-head Hawk-moth, Acherontia atropos, was found dead in a Flitwick garden on 3rd December 2013. It was collected from the finder and is now in the possession of the county macro-moth recorders, Andy & Melissa Banthorpe. We do not know how long it was there but when found it had several snail trails covering the wings.

This is the 24th county record and the first since ones in Sandy & Stotfold in 1996. A picture is below and thanks to the finder, Dave Simpson, for reporting it to us.

Rare/scarce moths from Totternhoe Quarry 6th July 2013

The Beds Moth Group / Wildlife Trust field meeting at Totternhoe Quarry on the evening of 6th July 2013 was very successful. 112 species seen and great to have over 50 lekking male Ghost moths - a county record!
The best finds are listed below followed by photos of some of them:-

550  Coleophora silenella – first county record – a case feeder on the seed of Bladder Campion. Identified by David Manning by dissection.

595  Elachista biatomella – 3^rd county record – a leafminer of grasses. Identified by David Manning by dissection.

727a  Metzneria aprilella – 4^th county record and first since 1998  - feeds on Greater Knapweed (prev records from Cockayne Hatley RIS trap in 1986, 89, 98)

732 Eulamprotes unicolorella – 2^nd county record and first since 1983 – supposed to feed on St John’s Wort (prev record Cranfield in 1983). Identified by David Manning by dissection.

1240 Grapholita caecana – 2^nd county record – feeds on Sanfoin (prev record swept at Totternhoe Qry in 2009)

1518 Hellinsia lienigianus – 3^rd county record and first since 1999 – potted by Mike Harrison and id by Andy Whitney – feeds on Mugwort (prev records Luton airport & Cockayne Hatley RIS trap in 1999)
1843 Thyme Pug - 2^nd county record and first since two collected at Sharpenhoe in 1948. This one was a female and was identified by dissection. This feeds on Wild Thyme.

Metzneria aprilella

Grapholita caecana

 Hellinsia lienigianus

 Thyme Pug

East Hyde Wader Scrape

1409a Diaphania perspectalis - new "micro" moth to VC30

1409a Diaphania perspectalis - Luton 30th August 2013, first for Bedfordshire
With a wingspan close to 40mm this was larger than many macro-moths in the trap

From VC30 Micromoth recorder, David Manning: This is a species first recorded in UK in 2008. It is a pest of Buxus (Box) and is presumed to have arrived via the horticultural trade [from Asia]. Recorded to date in eight counties, the most northerly being Herts, Bucks and Glos.

Clouded Yellow

Not the best image, but the first I have captured of this species. This individual was on the site of the old Brogborough tip on Saturday 7th Sept.

Gold Spot

This photo really doesn't do this species any justice. They almost glow in the sunlight! One of the most striking moths in Britain.

Gold Spot- Upper Caldecote- 4th September 2013

Wasp Spider at Broom GPs

This was found today by the sharp-eyed Ian Woiwood during a guided walk around the gravel pit complex at Broom. It's the first time I've seen this species.

Wasp Spider- Broom GPs- 18th August 2013

Sharp-angled Carpet

Sharp-angled Carpet,  The Lodge, 22nd July 2013

Variable Damselfly found on the R Ivel at South Mills by Ian Dawson

Caterpillars

Some caterpillars are more impressive than the flying moths that come after. Here are two I discovered while exploring around MVCP on Saturday morning, captured on my phone.

 Drinker

Mullein

Purple Emperor

Purple Emperor, Chicksands Wood, 13th July 2013.  A couple more here.

Dotted Rustic and Dark Arches

Dotted Rustic, Biggleswade, 5th July 2013

Dark Arches of the form f. aethiops, Biggleswade, 7th July 2013