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| Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta concinnata) |
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| Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) |
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| Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) |
This weekend we tested two new strategies and decided to
continue with one but abandon the other. Please read on because we’d like to
save you the trouble of repeating our mistakes.
First the bad. On Friday we finally decided to start
setting the trap in the rain with the hope that we’d catch some new species.
The rain came down hard, but in the morning we were delighted to see that the
light bulb had lasted the night. Unfortunately, many of the moths were not in
such good condition. Some moths only made it as far as the white sheet. On an
ordinary night, this would be no problem, but in that night's storm they had had no cover
from the rain. They struggled with the water weight and fatigue and needed to a
safe place to dry for a few hours before they could fly. As a result
we have decided to not set any more traps in heavy rain, even if it means we might
miss out on some of the species more typical to wet nights.
On the bright side, we have made a progressive change. Dr.
Chesmore suggested that we start varying the locations of our trap each night.
At Shandy Hall, we have two distinct garden areas: one has open lawns with neat
rows of flowers and shrubs; the other grows more wildly in an old quarry behind
the west wall. The hope is that by alternating between the two gardens each
night, we will catch a greater variety of moths. In addition, it will lessen
the odds than an unfortunate moth will be caught two nights in a row. Only time
will tell if the former will occur… fingers crossed!
As for our overall results, we had some good finds in
the quarry. Saturday morning was one of my favorites thus far. We found a Flame
Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) and a
Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria). [See sidebar for a past picture of a Scorched Wing]. I was eager to find out the meanings of their Latin names since their English
names were so fiery. Plagodis means
slanting, which refers to the Scorched Wing’s inward slanting wings. Dolabria means pickaxe, which also
refers to its shape if you look at its protruding abdomen from a side view. As
for the Flame Shoulder, Ochropleura
means pale or sallow rib; this refers to the moth’s pale streak on its wing. Plecta means twisted rope and refers to the
same streak. I was a bit disappointed to find that the English names were more
exciting than the Latin.
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| Notocelia cynosbatella |
My three favorite moths of the weekend made for a colorful
assortment: the Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis
luteolata), the Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta
concinnata), and the Green Carpet (Colostygia
pectinataria). [See above for their photos]. The Latin of the former species refers to their colors, the
latter’s is a bit more interesting. Colostygia
means docked or stunted, and refers to the black rivulets of the River Styx
in the Underworld. Similar “rivulet” markings on the Green Carpet may be reduced
to spots on its wings. Pectinataria,
“toothed like a comb,” describes its antennae.
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| Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) |
Over the weekend, we had an abundance of Poplar Hawks, Common Swifts, White and Buff Ermines, Beautiful Golden and Silver Y’s, Carpets, Pugs, Heart and Darts, and Setaceous Hebrew Characters. We also found a few unfamiliar species but not all of these species have been confirmed. We can’t wait to tell you the verdict on their identities!**
*I realize that I've spelled "color" the American way. I've considered switching to the British spelling, but since it comes more naturally for me to spell things this way, I will be sticking to the American.
**The species have since been confirmed by Dr. Chesmore. The few unidentified moths were 3 Cloud-Bordered Brindles (Apamea crenata) and a Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens). In addition, the captions for the last two pictures have been added, stating their respective species names.
**The species have since been confirmed by Dr. Chesmore. The few unidentified moths were 3 Cloud-Bordered Brindles (Apamea crenata) and a Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens). In addition, the captions for the last two pictures have been added, stating their respective species names.
Post by Helen Levins
