12 June 2014 - Meadow Neb

(Metzneria metzneriella)

This moth was a puzzle.  Fortunately Charlie Fletcher recognized it as Metzneria metzneriella for, had he not done so, we would still be trying to discover its identity.  It is more easily identifiable from above when the spots on the fore-wings are more apparent.  It is named after Herr Metzner - a civil servant and enthusiastic moth collector who died in Germany in 1861.  The moth feeds on knapweed and is known as the Meadow Neb.  I can't find it illustrated in Westwood/Humphreys so when it was first identified is a mystery to me.  Helen Levins had posted this species on our blog two years ago and I missed seeing it.  Not a new species, but not a bad photograph.

Bowen Chang (our U of Pennsylvania intern) is beginning to get used to the routine of setting the trap and his help will be invaluable as there are three set for tonight - a garden in Marygate (York), the Museum Gardens (York) and the old quarry (Coxwold).  It isn't windy, it isn't raining, so all we have to do is set the alarm.

13 July 2012 - Dry Night brings New Delights

Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata)

We had a great catch last night that included four new species. This brings our current count to 208. I’m not sure what made the difference… could it have been the lack of rain for once? Perhaps we simply did a better job of opening the trap carefully so we wouldn’t lose the energetic flyers.

The first one to fly out was the Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata). It was so elegant and impressive that we instantly recognized it as a new species. Skotos (darkness) and pterux (a wing) refer to the markings on the forewings, just as the case with its English name. Its larvae feed on clover which is abundant in the grasses of Shandy Hall. When I return home to America I’ll need to explain to all the pesticide-happy homeowners why they need to let the clover thrive in their “perfect” crabgrass and clover-free lawns. Save the Shaded Broad-bar!

Metzneria metzneriella

Next we uncovered the Metzneria metzneriella, a rather unfortunate name. Both names derive from the name of a German entomologist, Herr Metzner. I have to keep that in mind if I ever find an unnamed moth. The Lepidoptera world needs a Levins Levinsella more than the Whiskered Levins I tried to name on 29 June.

Eudonia truncicolella 

Scoparia ambigualis

The next two moths looked similar at first glance but I was delighted to find out that they were two separate new species. The Scoparia ambigualis was found first. It’s name comes from scopae (twigs or a besom) because its namers thought it resembled the bottom of a broom (and in one case, the end of a paintbrush). You can probably guess ambiguous came from the difficulty in differentiating it from other species, much like I initially did this morning.

The other moth, also black and white, looks to be the Eudonia truncicolella. It’s name comes from heudo (to rest), trunucus (tree trunk), and colo (to inhabit) from the moth’s habit of resting on tree trunks during the day. This information strengthens the similarity between the two species because the Scoparia ambigualis is also often found resting on rocks and tree trunks by day.

We had some other beautiful varieties that warrant a photograph, even if they are not new. The July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata: hudria + meno means ‘to remain in a water-pot', furca is a two-pronged fork which describes its wings’ markings) had incredible shades of green and purplish grey. The Bird-Cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) glimmered in the sun with its sleek, dalmatian-like coat. Its name comes from huponomeuo (to make underground mines) because its labial palpus resembles a miner’s pickaxe. Evonymella derives from Euonymus, the genus of the spindle tree that was incorrectly assumed to be its larvae’s foodplant.

July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata)

Bird-Cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella)

Before I go, I’d like to share an article from last month’s Nature Studies section of the Independent that I came across today: Michael McCarthy’s Moths are just as worthy of our wonder as butterflies. It’s a great read for any moth enthusiast and the print version features an illustration of the Bird-Cherry Ermine who we’ve just photographed today (see above).

Post by Helen Levins

24 July 2012 - The Leopard of North Yorkshire

Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina)

After clearing out all the Caddis flies and midges, we made some great discoveries: five new species! Current Count: 218.

The Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina) was resting on the sheet nearby the trap. This is typical of its behavior as it’s a nocturnal moth but can often be found out in the open during the daytime. It doesn’t seem very safe for such a conspicuously colored moth. Zuezera is a misspelling for ‘zanzara’ (Italian for gnat) in respect of its larva’s bite. The larvae mine into the wood of living trees, an impressive feat for such small mouths. Pyrina (pear) is one of the types of trees that the larvae eat.

White Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis)

The White Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis) was strikingly white and had a furry head. With its clean and soft appearance, it could be the poster child for luxurious living… if only such establishments were more welcoming of insects. Leucoma means ‘white hair’ and salicis comes from Salix, the larvae’s foodplant.

Agapeta zoegana

We were thankful to find the Agapeta zoegana because we prematurely released one earlier in the week, thinking it was just the Agapeta hamana with a more saturated yellow coloring. Agapeta (beloved or desirable) comes from its attractive appearance. Zoegana is derived from J. Zoega, a Swiss entomologist who trapped the moth while he was staying at Carl Linnaeus’ residence. Linnaeus, as you may know, was an eighteenth century scientist responsible for the binomial nomenclature system. Some people have all the connections!

Aspilapteryx tringipennella*

Next we found the Aspilapteryx tringipennella. Patrick pointed this micro-moth out to me, because I’d overlooked it. Aspilapteryx means ‘spotted wing’ and tringipennella means ‘Tringa wing’ for the wing of the sandpiper bird’s genus which it was thought to resemble.

Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana)

Finally, we come to the Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana). It only stayed for a moment, so the photograph is not the best quality. Ditulos means ‘with two humps’ because of the two sections made by the crest marking on its thorax. Angustior means ‘more narrow’ because it is narrow in comparison to similar species.

There were a few other beautiful moths this morning. They were not new, but I couldn’t resist posting their photographs. The Mother of Pearl looked like a macro-moth but it is actually classified as a micro. The Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing has a green head, yellow underwings, and a pinkish underside. Its incredibly colorful for a moth that just looks dark black at first glance.

Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe)

-Post by Helen Levins

*may be Metzneria metzneriella - Jane Wu

18 June 2017 - They Toil Not

(Eucosma campoliliana)

There are both good and bad sides to this heat wave. The good is that there is greater moth activity so more likelihood of moths coming to our trap. The bad news is that I may have developed sunburn from my long walk on Saturday. From our trap, which was set up Saturday afternoon, it was evident that the number of moths being trapped is increasing. I’ve been told that there can be hundreds later in the year. While we didn’t get any monstrously big moths like the hawk-moths, we had a large variety of smaller ones, including a number of micro moths.

One was Eucosma campoliliana. Eucosma means ‘graceful’ or ‘well-adorned’; campoliliana means ‘a field of lilies’. It references the biblical verse and chapter Matthew 6:28 and describes the beauty of the moth. The distinctive features of Eucosma campoliliana are the black and brown spots on its chalky, white wings, almost like drops of paint on a blank canvas.

The larvae feed on the seeds and stems of ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). In the United Kingdom, ragwort is considered a weed and is not particularly liked due to it being poisonous when consumed by animals such as horses, sheep, and cows. However, it is important ecologically to many insect species, thirty of which feed only on ragwort and of those, ten are rare or threatened.  There are no Ragwort plants in the garden at Shandy Hall so this moth must be in search.

Eucosma campoliliana (or Marbled Bell) is another new species for Shandy Hall which makes our count 410.

(Eucosma campoliliana) - close-up

Other moths included : Ghost Moth, Small Magpie, Middle-barred Minor, Green Carpet, Spectacle, Silver Y, Beautiful Golden Y, White Ermine, Buff Ermine, Straw Dot, Metzneria metzneriella, Green Pug, Common Pug, Silver-ground Carpet, Heart and Dart.