5 November 2012 - A month early...

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

The frost was thick this morning and the chances of finding anything in the trap seemed remote.  On first inspection there was nothing but then, on the white sheet that the trap is placed upon, two mothy shapes could be seen.  Both looked the same species but one not seen at Shandy Hall before.  They were cupped in my hands and placed carefully in the trap. What form of anti-freeze was keeping them alive?  When the egg-cartons were removed from inside the trap another similar moth was found - this one with clearly defined feathered antennae (see above) - the one in the photograph below looks quite bedraggled in comparison.  However, considering the fall in temperature it was exposed to last night, it had done well.  They were all December Moths (Poecilocampa populi) and their Latin name comes from the Greek meaning 'varied larva that lives on poplar' - apparently the caterpillar appears in a number of different patterns.  So here, a month early, is a new species. 

9 November 2021 - Muffled against the Cold

 

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

 

 

 

 

A reliable arrival, as soon as the weather begins to turn, is the December Moth.  Muffled against the cold it is able to survive despite the overnight frosts of November.

The scientific name makes reference to the larva (kampe in Greek) and its appearance, which is 'varied' (poekilos); populi is the name of the food plant - the poplar tree.  The female is much larger than the male but otherwise their markings are similar.  Eggs will be laid on the trunks of trees in the garden to overwinter and then will hatch in the Spring. 

Below is Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) a moth that was first recorded on the Isle of Wight in 1951.  Since then it has spread to the north and is now common as far north as Cumbria having been recorded there in 1996 and finally Scotland in 2001.  There were six of this species sheltering under the egg cartons in the trap

Apart from a lonely looking Agonopterix heracliana (an example of which can be seen using the search facility on the blog) the sum total was rather disappointing.  The crane flies and the caddis flies have disappeared; the wasps have deserted their paper nests in the quarry garden; the apples (larger and fewer than usual) have been collected for juice and the leaves are being collected

Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica)

 

23 April 2015 - Biorythms

Larva and eggs of December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

My biorhythms must be attuned to those of the December Moth or I wouldn't have searched out the egg-box (hen) with the eggs (moth) on its side this morning and wouldn't have seen that one had hatched.  That was at 7am this morning.  By the time I had had the opportunity to take a second look another six had nibbled their way out of their egg-cases and were wandering around in an adventurous manner.  Hawthorn and lime leaves have been placed close to the hatching caterpillars in the hope that they will begin to feed.  The books and UK Moths say 'variety of deciduous leaves' and 'especially lime, birch, oak and hawthorn' so these scraps of foliage should be ideal.  The hatched caterpillar is just to the left of centre in the image. 

These particular eggs were laid on 3 November 2014 (see the blogpost for that date) so they have been lying dormant for over five months.

24 October 2014 - Yorkshire Moths Flying Last Night

Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula)

Last night was warmer, the wind had dropped a little and there was good cloud cover. A thick pile of midges beneath the lamp and an extraordinary number of caddis flies - between thirty and forty in total - hiding somewhat malevolently on the underside of the egg cartons. A number of trembling insects on very long legs - barely able to balance until airborne - left the trap when the plastic cover was removed.  Flies with eyes like rubies and a couple of toffee-coloured ladybirds had also taken up temporary residence alongside the closed fans of lacewings.  And lots of moths.

Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)

I thought there might be two species here but the spattering of chocolate coloured spots on the wings of the moth below were just there to confuse me.  The submarine shape of a caddis, one of those ruby-eyed flies and a Merveille du Jour are also included in the photograph.  The Feathered Thorn at rest.  This might have been the moth that was battering at the window pane last night and I couldn't identify it.  The colour and the size point in this direction.

Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)

Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 

The Red-green Carpet comes in a variety of different intensities of colour.  The green is as rich a green as you will ever see when the moth is fresh (see below), but green is the fugitive colour in the moth world.  The moth above has not taken to the water, the dew is on the outside of the plastic cover and the moth was perched on the inside. 

Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

On close inspection there is something of the samurai about this moth.  It is chunky and hairy and seems prepared more for fight than flight.  There were four in the trap and the species seems to be doing well in Coxwold.

Aethes smethmanniana (Yarrow Conch)

Bowen identified this moth in August, just before he left to return to UPenn and, as I hadn't seen it before, I thought it was a new one for the list.  I was looking forward to identifying it and marking it as new (it is so well marked that an error would be unlikely) but it was not to be.

Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta puta)

Another moth already recorded at Shandy Hall, but only once before this year.

Merveille du Jour (Dichonia aprilana)

Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)

The Merveille du Jour was as beautiful as ever and the Satellite particularly well marked.

(Acleris)

Not sure which member of the Acleris family this is.  It could be laterana but then again it doesn't look brown enough.

Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)

This Snout should be second generation for this year but this one is not much smaller than usual.

Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura)

The Brown-spot Pinion is the last example from last night's trap.  The weather looks promising again on Saturday so a trap will be set in the quarry.  

The full list of species for last night has been recorded but the sample above shows how one night can be so different from another - the trap on Wednesday had one Red-line Quaker and that was all.

3 November 2014 - Eggs for December

December Moth eggs

Throughout the year the egg-cartons in the bottom of the trap have been checked (the inside and outside of the trap as well), just in case a moth has decided to lay a batch of eggs during its temporary confinement.  This has happened in the past and the responsibility then rests on Shandy Hall moth-trappers to either adopt the eggs and help them on their way or, try to remove them (not an easy task) and find a suitable place to put them in the garden.  The first course of action involves making sure the hatching larva are provided with the correct variety of food-plant.  Then care must be taken to see the caterpillars through to pupation or alternatively to release them in the garden.  The December Moth eggs shown above, won't hatch until April so I am in two minds - snip the section of egg-box with the eggs on and place it in a sheltered spot or wait until the eggs hatch and rear the caterpillars. 

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

Here is one of the adults - this the smaller male seen from the front and looking more and more like Toshiro Mifune.

December Moth (illustration)

December Moth larva (illustration)

The last drawing shows the caterpillar.  I've never seen one like that before so I think the decision will be to keep the eggs in a cool place and wait until Spring.

7 February 2015 - Miniatures

The woodpecker has been drumming all morning.  It has found a spot on a telegraph pole where some sort of metal plate is fixed, high up.  The plate amplifies the sound and presumably the bird is deeply satisfied.  Snowdrops and aconites are scattered over the garden.  No moths though.  A trap has been moved to the east of Coxwold in the hope of capturing a Small Eggar - the caterpillars have been identified - but nothing has turned up yet.

Here are two more haiku from the Moth Anthology project.  

Red Green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)

Nigel Hutchinson

summer's green carpet
now a bearded chestnut fall
the sun's arc passing

グリーンの火蛾現るる夕ごころ

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

Rebecca Farmer

moths in December

gather their cloaks about them -

shouldn't still be here

師走の蛾求む光のつゆ知らず