Invertebrates in May

Well, up to and beyond the middle of the month, I didn't see many invertebrates at all. Those that had been out and about had probably been so when I wasn't - mainly because when it hadn't been raining it had looked as though it might. It was only on Monday 21st that the weather seemed to change, then it changed drastically - to hot. It continued pretty much that way until the end of the month.

 On 8/9th May the moth trap in Lakehouse attracted 12 moths of six species (and a large caddis-fly):

2 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
1 Emmelina monodactyla  Common Plume 1524
1 small, very pale micro, unidentified as yet.

1 Brindled Pug 1852
2 Brimstone 1906
5 Pale Mottled Willow. 2389. Some of these were tatty beyond belief. However, even when they lose colour the black dots on the leading edge of the wings seem to be a giveaway.

A Brindled Pug 1852 was also caught in the Capel Road trap on 9/10th May (pic)

There were many rainy nights and other reasons why neither of the moth traps could be put out, but butterflies seen during the first two weeks of May included a number of Orange Tips, Small White, Speckled Wood, Peacock and Holly Blue. On 15th May, there was a Holly Blue and a micro-moth, Anthophila fabriciana, sometimes called a Nettle-Tap, which is common around nettles. (click here)

On 16/17th the Capel Road trap attracted: 

1 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998

1 Small Dusty Wave 1707 (click here)
1 Common Pug 1834 (click here)
1 Least Black Arches 2078 (click here). This small, dark moth had me stumped until it was suggested that it may be a partly melanistic form of the Least Black Arches. On 17/18th I caught a more typical form of this species and I am now convinced that they are the same. 

 On 17/18th the Capel Road trap had:

1 Shuttle-shaped Dart (click here)
1 Least Black Arches (click here)  Nola confusalis 2078.  This is a new species for the area

On 18/19th the Capel Road trap had:

3 Early Grey
1 Pale Mottled Willow
1 Common Pug
1 Double-striped Pug

On 19/20th the Capel Road trap had:

1 Common Pug 1834
1 Early Grey 2243

and Lakehouse had:

1 Endrosis sarcitrella  White-shouldered House Moth 648
1 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998

8 Early Grey 2243
8 Pale Mottled Willow 2389
1 Silver-Y 2441

On the 20th May the Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group organised a walk looking for butterflies, dragonflies and flowers. The weather was not May-like: somewhat overcast and temperatures just about reaching double-figures, so butterflies and dragonflies were hardly at their peak. In fact, so far off their peak were they that apart from one damselfly and one micro-moth we had no sightings of either of those groups. The one damselfly was a Large Red, Phyrrosoma nymphula, newly emerged and hanging on to a Flag-Iris in Perch Pond (click here). There were a few damselfly exuviae (click here) - which are the empty larval-cases - on Flag-Iris, indicating that some at least damselflies had emerged. The micro-moth was Adela reaumurella - commonly called a Longhorn Moth. There are a few species of longhorn-moths and they are so-called because of their particularly long antennae. The term "micro-moth" is a commonly used term for one of the smaller moths, of which there are many and which can be particularly difficult to identify. Adela reaumurella is one of the easier ones: its antennae and bronze colour makes it quite distinctive. (click here)

A few other invertebrates were noted during the day, including spiders, slugs, flys and bees, some ladybirds - both 7-Spot and Harlequin - and just a couple of hoverflies, including the Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus. Some of the group visited the Gatehouse Pantry at the City of London Cemetery afterwards, and a Hairy-footed Flower Bee Anthophora plumipes (click here) was seen on the Solomon's Seal in the garden there. We also noted that some of the leaves of this plant had been eaten, and it is likely that this will have been the work of the larvae of the Solomon's Seal Sawfly, Phymatocera aterrima. Worth keeping an eye on this one.

Of the other invertebrates, the spider was also on the flag-iris leaves: a Long-jawed Orb Weaver,Tetragnatha extensa. This likes damp places, and if alarmed sits with its four front legs and its four back legs stretched out fore-and-aft in line with its body. It also has the capability of walking on water, which apparently it can do faster than on land. On an adjacent leaf was a non-biting midge of a group called Chironomids. (click here). There was a cranefly, too - possiblyTipula vernalis. (click here)

The night of 21st/22nd had the following in the Lakehouse Trap:

2 Endrosis sarcitrella  White-shouldered House Moth 648
3 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
2 as yet unidentified micros

2 Oak-tree Pug 1853
2 worn and unidentified pug sp.
1 Brimstone 1906
1 Knot Grass 2289
5 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

The Capel Road trap had nothing apart from a mirid bug - Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus - quite possibly because the lamp failed to ignite!

A walk across Wanstead Flats on 22nd saw the first two Small Coppers; in Wanstead Park a pair of Speckled Wood butterflies were dancing in dappled shade by Perch Pond, and in Aldersbrook Exchange Lands, a 14-Spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctata, a Soldier Beetle Cantharis rustica, Orange Tip butterflies, one or two unidentified blue butterflies, some Small Whites and the second species of damselfly this year - a Banded Demoiselle (click here) - were seen. There were also some shield-bugs including the Dock Bug Coreus marginatus and a pair of Bishop's Mitre Aelia acuminita. This increase in activity was much due to a warming of the weather, and a bright, sunny day.

Capel Road's moth trap overnight on 22/23rd:

2 possible Pandemis cerasana Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix 970
1 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 1428

1 Green Carpet 1776
2 Early Grey 2243

On 23rd May in the garden (Capel Road) there was the annual visit of the Large Red Damselflies - about three, a courting Speckled Wood couple and by the pond - seeing off everything - the hoverfly Helophilus pendulus. Also in the garden was a new species of hoverfly for the area: Merodon equestris eqestris (click here), the Nettle -tap moth Anthophila fabriciana , the Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and the longhorn moth Adela reaumurella (click here). There were numbers of these settling on Red Valerian and Yellow Archangel. There were also - incidentally and doubtless feeding on invertebrates - ten basking Common Frogs by the pond and an uncounted number that jumped in as I approached.

The 23rd May was - like the day before - a hot one, with temperatures up to 25.C. Wanstead Park produced a number of insects, notably a Brimstone butterfly which - as usual - didn't stop for a photograph. Other butterflies were a number of blues - again, not stopping even for i.d. - plenty of Orange Tips, Speckled Woods and two Small Coppers on the Plain. Moths seen were a new species for the area 0652 Alabonia geoffrella (click here), which was on tree-leaves at the edge of Northumberland Avenue, numbers of Adela reaumurella (the longhorn) and a Mother Shipton on the Plain. This last is so-named because part of the wing-pattern is said to resemble a well-known Yorkshire witch (of old). Landing actually on the surface of the Perch Pond was a Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata. There were also plenty of damselflies in evidence at last, many freshly emerged of course, and these included Blue-tailed, Azure and Large Red Damselfly Pyrhosoma nymphula . Beetles noted were Gastrophysa viridula by Perch Pond and Malachius bipustulatus on May-flowers on the Plain.

In the Capel Road trap on 23/24th:

1 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
1 Cydia pomonella, Codling Moth 1261
1 unidentified tortrix

1 Lime-speck Pug 1825
1 Bright-line Bright-eye 2192
1 Early Grey 2243
1 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

The Lakehouse trap did much better:

1 Nemophora degeerella 148
1 Esperia sulphurella 649
19 Epiphyas postvittana  Light Brown Apple Moth 998
2 Celypha lacunana: 1076 This is a new species for the area
1 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 1428

1 Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscatia 1768. This is a new species for the area
2 Oak Tree Pug 1853
1 Double-striped Pug 1862
1 pug sp.
3 Knot Grass 2289
2 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

The catch at Capel Road on 24/25th:

1 Syndemis musculana  986 This is a new species for the area. (click here)
1 Codling Moth Cydia pomonella 1261
1 unidentified micro (click here)

1 Satin Wave 1709 (click here)
1 Lime-speck Pug 1825
1 Early Grey 2243

and  a crane-fly species (click here)

1 Endrosis sarcitrella  White-shouldered House Moth 648
15 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
1 Cydia pomonella  Codling Moth 1261
2 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 1428
3 other small micros, which haven't been figured out yet; also 3 Tortrix which may not be Light Brown Apple Moth.

2 Small Dusty Wave 1707
1 Garden Carpet 1728
1 Grey Pine Carpet 1768
1 White-spotted Pug 1835  Eupithecia tripunctaria This is a new species for the area
1 Oak-tree Pug 1853
2 Brimstone 1906
2 Willow Beauty 1937 (male and female)
2 Shuttle-shaped Dart 2092
1 Knot Grass 2289
2 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

On 25/26th in Capel Road trap:

1 Double-striped Pug 1862
2 Willow Beauty 1937
1 Bird's Wing 2301
1 Marbled Minor or Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia sp. 2337 - this could be Marbled Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor or even a Rufous Minor, the difference really only ascertainable by examination of the genitalia - which I am loathe to do. It would annoy the creature and be fiddly for me. (click here)

In the garden on 25th was new species of beetle in the area, the longhorn beetle Strangalia melanura

26/27 May catch at Capel Road:

1 Tinea trinotella  Bird's-nest Moth 247 - a new species for the area (pic)

1 Common Swift 17 (click here)
1 Common Pug 1834
1 Willow Beauty 1937
1 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

2 Hofmannophila pseudospretella Brown House Moth 647
2 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
unidentified micros, several

1 Garden Carpet, 1728
1 Common Marbled Carpet, 1764
1 White-spotted Pug 1835
2 Willow Beauty 1937
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart 2092
1 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

In the garden on the 29th it was cooler - up to about 22.C - cloudier, but still invertebrate-quiet; a few Speckled Wood, one bright Red Admiral - the first of the year - and a few of the common damselflies. Quite a few bees, and just one Marmalade Hoverfly. A tiny, pale blue flying creature landed on my foot and stayed long enough for a photo-shoot. I assume it was a species of Wooly Aphid. (pic.) This prompted a look for some other aphids, which were quickly found on the leaves of roses. These were green ones. (pic.)

The Capel Road trap provided a Common Marbled Carpet and a Double-striped Pug, in addition to two micros. There were Holly Blues and Speckled Wood occasionally in the garden, and the first Red-eyed Damselfly on Alexandra Lake.

 Overnight 29/30th, Capel Road accumulated

1 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
1 Common Swift 17

1 Marbled Carpet 1764
1 Green Pug 1860
1 Double-striped Pug 1862
1 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria 1936. This is a new species for the area.
1 Willow Beauty 1937
2 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

The Lakehouse trap had:

2 Hofmannophila pseudospretella Brown House Moth 647
1 Endrosis sarcitrella  White-shouldered House Moth 648
5 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998
1 Cydia pomonella  Codling Moth 1261
1 Pyrausta aurata  1361
1 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella 1428

1 Common Marbled Carpet 1764
2 White-spotted Pug 1835
1 Green Pug Pasiphila chloerata 1860 (partly melanistic) (pic.)
1 unid. pug sp.
3 Willow Beauty 1937
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart 2092
5 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

The night of the 30/31st at Capel Road:

1 Hofmannophila pseudospretella Brown House Moth 647

1 Common Swift 17
1 Currant Pug 1871
1 Double-striped Pug 1862
1 Pale Mottled Willow 2389
1 Waved Umber 1936 This is a new species for the area

31 May/1st June in Capel Road:

1 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 998

1 Common Swift 17
1 Currant Pug 1871
2 Willow Beauty 1937
1 Large Yellow Underwing 2107
1 Lychnis 2172
2 Pale Mottled Willow 2389

List of Invertebrates recorded in May for the first time this year, in order of appearance:

Pale Mottled Willow - 8/9th May, Lakehouse moth trap

Common Plume - 8/9th May, Lakehouse moth trap

Anthophila fabriciana, Nettle-Tap - 15th May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands (click here)

Peacock - 16th May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands

Common Pug - 16/17th May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

Small Dusty Wave - 16/17th May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

Least Black Arches Nola confusalis (2078) - 16/17th May, Capel Road moth trap (click here). This is a new species for the area 

Shuttle-shaped Dart - 17/18th May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

Double-striped Pug - 18/19 May, Capel Road moth trap

Silver-Y - 19/20th May, Lakehouse moth trap

White-shouldered House Moth, Endrosis sarcitrella - 19/20th May, Lakehouse moth trap

Large Red Damselfly - 20th May, Perch Pond, Wanstead Park

Long-jawed Orb Weaver,Tetragnatha extensa - 20th May, Heronry Pond, Wanstead Park

Brimstone moth - 21/22nd May, Lakehouse moth trap

Oak-tree Pug - 21/22nd May, Lakehouse moth trap

Small Copper, 22nd May, Wanstead Flats

14-Spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctata - 22nd May, Aldersbrook Exchange Land

Soldier Beetle Cantharis rustica - 22nd May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands

Ichneumon wasp, possibly Pimpla hypochondriaca - 22nd May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands

Banded Demoiselle - 22nd May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands, by Roding (click here)

Dock Bug Coreus marginatus - 22nd May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands

Bishop's Mitre Aelia acuminita - 22nd May, Aldersbrook Exchange Lands

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella - 22/23 May, Capel Road moth trap

Green Carpet - 22/23 May, Capel Road moth trap

hoverfly Merodon equestris eqestris - 23 May, Capel Road garden

Nettle -tap moth Anthophila fabriciana - 23 May, Capel Road garden

Longhorn Moth Adela cuprella - 23 May, Capel Road garden (click here)

Alabonia geoffrella (0652) - 23 May, by Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead Park (click here) This is a new species for the area

Mother Shipton - 23 May, The Plain, Wanstead Park

Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata - 23 May, Perch Pond, Wanstead Park

Blue-tailed Damselfly - 23 May, Wanstead Park

Azure Damselfly - 23 May, Wanstead Park

Gastrophysa viridula - 23 May, by Perch Pond, Wanstead Park

Malachius bipustulatus - 23 May, on May flowers on the Plain, Wanstead Park

Lime-speck Pug - 23/24 May, Capel Road moth trap

Bright-line Bright-eye - 23/24 May, Capel Road moth trap

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella - 23/24 May, Capel Road moth trap

Nemophora degeerella - 23/24 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Esperia sulphurella - 23/24 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Celypha lacunana (1076) - 23/24 May, Lakehouse moth trap.  This is a new species for the area

Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata (1768)- 23/24 May, Lakehouse moth trap.  This is a new species for the area  

Double-striped Pug - 23/24 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Knot Grass - 23/24 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Garden Carpet - 24/25 May, Lakehouse moth trap

White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria (1835) - 24/25 May, Lakehouse moth trap.  This is a new species for the area 

Willow Beauty - 24/25 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Syndemis musculana  986 - 24/25 May, Capel Road moth trap. This is a new species for the area.

Satin Wave - 24/25 May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

crane-fly species - 24/25 May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

Longhorn Beetle Strangalia melanura - 25 May. This is a new species for the area.

Bird's Wing - 25/26 May, Capel Road moth trap

Marbled or Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia sp. -   25/26 May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

Common Swift - 26/27 May, Capel Road moth trap (click here)

Broad-bodied Chaser - 27th May, Capel Road garden. (click here)

Light Emerald - 26/27 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Spruce Carpet Thera britannica (1769) - 26/27 May, Lakehouse moth trap.  This is a new species for the area 

Poplar Hawkmoth - 26/27 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Large Yellow Underwing - 26/27 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Common Marbled Carpet - 28/29 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Red Admiral - 29 May, Capel Road garden

Pale Tussock Callitera pudibunda (2028) - 29/30 May, Lakehouse Estate. This is a new species for the area 

Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria (1936) - 30/31 May, Capel Road moth trap. This is a new species for the area

Lychnis - 30/31 May, Capel Road moth trap

Pyrausta aurata - 30/31 May, Lakehouse moth trap

Green Pug - 30/31 May, Lakehouse moth trap  (pic.)

for invertebrates in June click here

 Paul Ferris, May 2012

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