|
|
|
| Nov.4th |
|
A Delicate and
two Harlequin Ladybirds were trapped
overnight.
|
| Nov.3rd |
|
Another Gem
and two Harlequin Ladybirds were
trapped overnight.
|
| Nov.2nd |
|
A Gem was
trapped overnight.
|
| Nov.1st |
|
Two Delicates were
trapped
overnight.
|
| Oct.28th |
|
A Delicate was
trapped
overnight.
|
| Oct.15th |
|
A Delicate and
a Yellow-line Quaker were trapped
overnight.
|
| Oct.13th |
|
Another new moth
species for the Observatory was trapped overnight
when a female Four-spotted Footman was
caught. Other migrants included a Delicate
and four Udea ferrugalis.
Four-spotted
Footman female
|
| Oct.12th |
|
Moth-trapping
overnight produced a new species for the
Observatory in the form a Dusky-lemon Sallow.
A Barred Sallow was also caught and is only
the seventh record for the Observatory.
Dusky-lemon
Sallow
|
| Oct.8th |
|
Two Delicate
moths were trapped overnight.
|
| Oct.5th |
|
A Delicate
was trapped overnight and a Clouded Yellow
butterfly was seen during the day.
|
| Oct.4th |
|
Three Delicate
moths were trapped overnight.
|
| Sep.30th |
|
A Dusky Thorn
was caught overnight.
|
| Sep.23rd |
|
Mottled Umber
and Dusky Thorn were the best of the nights
moth catch.
|
| Sep.22nd |
|
One Hummingbird
Hawk-moth was seen.
|
| Sep.21st |
|
Three Hummingbird
Hawk-moths were seen.
|
| Sep.14th |
|
One Clouded Yellow
was seen.
|
| Sep.13th |
|
The Anilocra
species featured on Sep.1st has now been
identified as a female Anilocra physodes
and is described as known from the English Channel
but not common.
|
| Sep.12th |
|
A Large Thorn
moth was trapped overnight and a Clouded Yellow
was seen during the day. One male Small
Red-eyed Damselfly was seen at the Long Pits.
|
| Sep.9th |
|
A Clouded Yellow
was seen.
|
| Sep.7th |
|
Another Holly Blue
butterfly was seen in the Old Lighthouse Garden.
 
Holly
Blue
|
| Sep.6th |
|
There were at least 33
(including five females) Small Red-eyed
Damselflies on the southern Long Pits where a Common
Emerald Damselfly was also found. A Holly
Blue butterfly was also seen.
|
| Sep.5th |
|
Three male Small
Red-eyed Damselfly was seen on the southern
Long Pit and a Clouded Yellow butterfly and
a Hummingbird Hawk-moth were
also seen
|
| Sep.4th |
|
A male Small
Red-eyed Damselfly was seen on the southern
Long Pit.
|
| Sep.2nd |
|
The first unusual
moths for some time were trapped overnight with a Golden
Twin-spot and a Rosy Wave being found.
Golden
Twin-spot
|
| Sep.1st |
|
A Clouded Yellow
was seen.
Not really an insect
but below are a couple of images of an isopod
taken from the head of a Black Bream caught
offshore. A search of the web suggests that it is
of the genus Anilocra and that it
may feed by sucking the brains out of it's host.
If anyone can identify it to species and provide
any details of it's occurrence in British waters I
would be very grateful.
For reference it
measures about 6cm in length.
|
| Aug.17th |
|
Three Small
Red-eyed Damselflies on the Long Pits, lots of
Harlequin Ladybirds in the bushes and a
Clouded Yellow at the at the northern end of
the Long Pits. A Red Underwing moth was
also found at the Observatory during the day.
|
| Aug.16th |
|
At least 18 Small
Red-eyed Damselflies on the Long Pits, lots of
Harlequin Ladybirds in the bushes and a
Holly Blue butterfly in the trapping area.
|
| Aug.13th |
|
Two Small Red-eyed
Damselflies were seen on the southern Long Pit.
|
| Aug.12th |
|
Only one Small Red-eyed
Damselfly was seen on the southern Long Pit.
Moth trapping produced a Cypress Pug. and there was a small increase in the number of Painted
Ladies.
|
| Aug.11th |
|
Two Small Red-eyed
Damselflies were seen on the southern Long Pit.
The micro-moth Yponomeuta
rorella was trapped overnight and is the
first Observatory record of this presumed migrant
species.
Yponomeuta
rorella
|
| Aug.10th |
|
Three Small Red-eyed
Damselflies were seen on the southern Long Pit
and there was a small increase in the number of Painted
Ladies.
|
| Aug.9th |
|
A Great Green
Bush-cricket was singing in the moat and is
the first Observatory area record, although it is
common on the RSPB Reserve and normally occurs as
close as the roadside bushes between the ARC and
New Diggings Pits.
Despite cool and
breezy conditions a quick check of the southern
Long Pit produced seven male Small Red-eyed
Damselflies.
Moth trapping
produced a Poplar Kitten (the fifth
Observatory record), a Least Carpet and the
pyralid Orthopygia glaucinalis.
Poplar
Kitten Dungeness
Harlequin
Ladybirds are now so abundant in the area that
it is barely worth mentioning sightings anymore.
For example, a 30 minute search of one Sallow bush
in the moat produced 12 larvae, 67 pupae and 27
adults.
|
| Aug.7th |
|
Another Harlequin
Ladybird was trapped overnight.
|
| Aug.6th |
|
A Harlequin Ladybird
was caught in the
moth traps overnight. There was still very little
evidence of moth migration but less common moths
trapped included a Small Waved Umber, a Silver-ground
Carpet, two Bordered Pugs, an Ash
Pug and three Dingy
Footman.
|
| Aug.4th |
|
Small Red-eyed
Damselfies were still present at the southern
end of the Long Pits with at least 28 being
seen.
Adult Harlequin
Ladybirds were found in the moth trap and in
the trapping area.
Two Hummingbird
Hawk-moths and four Painted Ladies came
in off the sea during the afternoon.
|
| Aug.3rd |
|
The highlight of the
day was a male Lesser Emperor Anax
parthenope which was seen on a couple of
occasions on the southern Long Pit before it was
chased off by an Emperor Dragonfly. Small Red-eyed
Damselfies were still present in good
numbers with at least 50 individuals at the southern
end of the Long Pits.
|
| Aug.2nd |
|
Despite
the cloudy and windier conditions there were
still small numbers of Small Red-eyed
Damselfies to be seen on the southern
Long Pit.
|
| Aug.1st |
|
A
Roesel's Bush Cricket Metrioptera
roeselii was found singing at the Long
Pits and is believed to be the first record for the
Observatory area and Long-winged Coneheads
Conocephalus discolor were heard
singing for the first time this summer.
Similar numbers of Small Red-eyed
Damselfies were seen again on the southern
Long Pit.
Roesel's
Bush Cricket Dungeness
|
| July
31st |
|
A
sudden emergence of Erythromma viridulum
seen at the Long Pits where at least 46
individuals could be seen. An Emerald
Damselfiy Lestes sponsa was
also seen at the northern Long Pit.
Erythromma
viridulum Dungeness
In addition, a
large gathering of Harlequin Ladybirds
involving larva, pupa and adults was found in
the trapping area.
|
| July
30th |
|
One
Humming-bird Hawk-moth was trapped
overnight and another two were seen during the
day. |
| July
29th |
|
A
Humming-bird Hawk-moth came in off the
sea at the fishing boats. |
| July
22nd |
|
A
Humming-bird Hawk-moth was seen at the
Observatory. |
| July
18th |
|
A
Clouded Yellow was seen in the Desert. |
| July
13th |
|
The
pyralid moth Perinephala lancealis
was trapped overnight - a new species for the
Observatory moth trap. A
Humming-bird Hawk-moth was also seen. |
| July
1st |
|
Two
Humming-bird Hawk-moths were seen. |
| June
28th |
|
Large
numbers of Harlequin Ladybirds were
found. |
| June
27th |
|
A
Delicate and a Bordered Straw were trapped overnight. |
| June
23rd |
|
Two
Delicates were trapped overnight. |
| June
22nd |
|
Another
Clouded Yellow was seen at the Long
Pits. |
| June
21st |
|
Unusual
moths trapped overnight included a Pine
Hawk-moth and a Barred Yellow. An Eyed
Ladybird was also trapped and a Clouded
Yellow was seen at the Long Pits. |
| June
18th |
|
Another
Striped Hawk-moth was trapped overnight
along with a single Udea ferrugalis. |
| June
17th |
|
The
first Marbled White of the year was
seen. |
| June
15th |
|
Highlight
of the overnight moth-trapping was a superb Striped
Hawk-moth - the fourth Observatory record.
|
| June
14th |
|
Good
numbers of moths trapped overnight included a Toadflax
Pug, two Delicates and a Dark
Spectacle of interest.
Delicates |
| June
12th |
|
Recent
days have seen up to 12 Painted Ladies
in the area whilst last nights moth trapping
showed a distinct improvement in numbers and
variety and included a Scallop Shell
(the 2nd Observatory record), a Figure
of 80, a Water Ermine and the
pyralid Dioryctria abietella.
Scallop
Shell
|
| June
2nd |
|
A
Delicate moth was trapped overnight. |
| May
24th |
|
A
Painted Lady butterfly and a Mother
Shipton moth were of interest during the
day. |
| May
23rd |
|
The
only migrants in the moth trap were three Plutella
xylostella and a Udea ferrugalis.
A Red-veined Darter was seen in the
Desert. |
| May
22nd |
|
Two
Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen during
the day and a Harlequin Ladybird was
found. |
| May
2nd |
|
Good
numbers of dragonflies at the Long Pits with
the first Red-eyed, Common Blue
and Azure Damselflies and Four-spotted
Chasers of the year. The first Brown
Argus, Common Blues and Small
Heath butterflies were also new for the
year. |
| Apr.16th |
|
A
Brimstone butterfly was a notable
record for the Observatory whilst the
overnight moth catch included an Engrailed. |
| Apr.15th |
|
The
first Grizzled Skipper butterfly of the
year was seen. |
| Apr.14th |
|
The
first Hairy Dragonfly of the year was
seen along with at least 60 Peacock
butterflies. |
| Apr.6th |
|
The
first Small Copper butterfly of the
year was seen. |
| Apr.5th |
|
A
Light Orange Underwing moth was seen at
the Long Pits. |
| Apr.4th |
|
The
first Speckled Wood butterfly of the
year was seen. |
| Apr.2nd |
|
A
small bee found at the Long Pits has been
identified as Nomada fabriciana
and is a new species for the area.
|
| Apr.1st |
|
The
first Small White butterfly of the year
was seen. |
| Mar.13th |
|
A
Silver Y moth was feeding in the
garden. |
| Mar.12th |
|
The
first Comma of the year and five Peacocks
were seen. |
| Mar.11th |
|
The
first Small Tortoiseshell of the year
was seen. |
| Mar.3rd |
|
A
Peacock butterfly was seen in the
trapping area. |
| Feb.26th |
|
Some
exciting news from last year involves a
nondescript pyralid moth caught on Sep.15th
which has now been identified as an example of
Eccopisa effractella and is the
second British record. |
| Feb.3rd |
|
A
Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen. |
| Jan.30th |
|
One
Red Admiral was seen. |
| Jan.21st |
|
One
Red Admiral was seen. |
|
|
|