Saturday 28 April 2018

Backyard moth count for the 28th April

11 moths of 4 species in the light trap this morning.  6 of these were Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass (Xylena curvimacula).  The most I’ve had of this species in one night.  There were 3 Speckled Green Fruitworm (Orthosia hibisci) and the new species for the year was, a not unexpected, Western Swordgrass Moth (Xylena thoracica).

Added a photo from a birding trip last week NE of Calgary.  Always nice to see the return of Long-billed Curlews.

Western-SwordgrassSpeckled-green-fruitworm

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Friday 27 April 2018

First backyard moths for 2018

Last night, I put my backyard light trap out for the first time this year and was pleased to find 5 macro moths of 5 species in the trap.  Nothing new but only my second Thaxter's Pinion .  I photographed 4 of them before they departed.  These are all stacked images i.e. multiple images of each moth that have been combined.

Great to get the mothing year started!

Thaxter's Pinion Moth (Lithophane thaxteri)
Gooseberry Stretchia (Stretchia muricina)
Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass (Xylena curvimacula)
False Pinion Moth (Litholomia napaea)
Speckled Green Fruitworm (Orthosia hibisci)

Thaxter's-PinionGoosebury-StretchiaDot-and-Dash-SwordgrassFalse-Pinion