Back to Weekly Reports Page 

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae). This flew around, landed on ground, then flew onto the flowerhead and began feeding. It then started to rain so I could not get anymore shots of it. Taken on 02/09/09

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). This is not a great shot, but it was not easy to get a shot at all because this kept moving. Taken on 02/09/09

Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago). I have seen this moth in previous years here, but never in good numbers, only ever one or two at a time. Taken on 05/09/09

Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe). Most of the ones I found were a bit worn and had a little wing damage like this one. Taken on 05/09/09

Silver-Y (Autographa gamma) A darker variation of this moth that is the result of being bred in a cooler climate, probably not form nigricans which is dark like this. Taken on 05/09/09

2nd: Found 5 Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) and 1 Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) on buddleia in my garden. (See gallery above for images)

5th-6th: Put out two 6w Heath traps in my garden in Mountstewart, Co Down, Northern Ireland. (Map Reference: J556699) The weather was not that great. The sky was clear for a while then it started to rain a bit, but what I did get was a surprise. I thought I would not get anything at all. Here is a list of what I caught (See gallery above for images):

8 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)
6 Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe)
2 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)
1 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago)
1 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea)
1 Silver-Y (Autographa gamma)
2 Crane Flies

14th: I started getting sick so I can't go out and look for butterflies/moths like I wanted, but the night before I put out a 6w Heath trap and caught:

1 Angle Shades(Phlogophora meticulosa)
2 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa), one Dark Form
2 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)
1 Small Wainscot (Chortodes pygmina)
2 Square-Spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) - These are common around my garden and two I found were very worn.

20th: I am still a little sick, so have not been able to get out like I wanted, but I have seen a single Silver-Y (Autographa gamma), resting on the outside of my bedroom window during the day.

27th: Not a lot of butterflies on the wing anymore since the days have been getting slowly shorter and the colder air is coming in. Only a few Red Admirals (Vanessa atlanta) about. I put a 6w heath trap in Mountstewart, Co Down, Northern Ireland (Map Reference: J559699) and put it in an area beside a field that had a few trees, one being a poplar tree, one oak, one beech, a walnut and a sweet chestnut tree. I found a few moths, one species I had not seen before, the Black Rustic (see the link below for the images of it). Here is a list of what I caught:

1 Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) Male
3 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)
1 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)
4 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra)

Page last edited: 04/10/2009 15:39