Moths « Assynt Field Club

Mothing in Assynt

Assynt’s diverse range of habitats offers wide scope for those with an interest in moths, whether day or night flying species. Several Assynt residents trap moths with a number doing so regularly throughout the year.

The Assynt Moth List, forming part of the moth section on this website, is very much a work in progress as new species are frequently added throughout the year.

One of Assynt’s more regular moth trappers is Lyn Fairchild from Baddidaroch who has been mothing regularly since 2009 and her records not only contribute to the Assynt list but are also forwarded to the county moth recorder.

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Assynt Moth List – a work in progress

List of Moth species recorded in Assynt

Assynt Field Club extends its thanks to everyone who has submitted records or aided in identification

Angle-barred Pug Eupithecia innotata Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa Angle-striped Sallow Enargia paleacea Anomalous Stilbia anomala Antler Moth Cerapteryx graminis Apple Fruit Moth Argyresthia conjugella Archer’s Dart Agrotis vestigialis Argent & Sable Rheumaptera hastate hastate Autumn Green Carpet Chloroclysta miata Autumnal Moth Epirrita autumnata Autumnal Rustic Eugnorisma glareosa Barred Chestnut Diarsia dahlii Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana Barred Red Hylaea fasciaria Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina Beautiful Yellow Underwing Anarta myrtilli Bee Moth Aphomia sociella Beech-green Carpet Colostygia olivata Birch Mocha Cyclophora albipunctata Black Rustic Aporophyla nigra Bordered Beauty Epione repandaria Bordered White Bupalus piniaria Brick Agrochola circellaris Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata Brindled Ochre Dasypolia templi Broken-barred Carpet Electrophaes corylata Broom Moth Melanchra pisi Brown China-mark Elophila

Continue reading Assynt Moth List – a work in progress

Poplar Hawk Moth Caterpillar

By Mark Snowden

This is a lovely photograph of well-grown larva of the poplar hawkmoth, the only hawkmoth we seem to have up here on a regular basis. You can see the distinctive yellow-striped ‘horn’ at it’s tail end which is diagnostic (with the rest of body pattern). It is not usually so destructive as the puss moth on our native aspens.

Puss Moth

This Puss Moth Cerura vinula was caught in a moth trap at Clachtoll on the 3rd May 2010 by Fiona Phipps

Puss Moth

Lime Speck Pug

This Lime speck Pug moth was caught in a moth trap at Clachtoll by Fiona Phipps. It was caught on 24th June 2009.

Some moths from May 2010

May in Assynt can sometimes be a great month for moths especially large day flying moths like the fox moth and northern eggar.

Fox Moth taken by Fiona Phipps at Clachtoll 19th May

Poplar Hawk Moth taken by Fiona Phipps at Clachtoll 19th May 2010

Moths discovered in June

It has not been a good month for moth trapping. The evenings have been cold, wet and windy but there have been a few good ones:

White Ermine taken by Agnes Dickson at inverkirkaig June 2010

Heart and Dart Moth

This Heart & Dart moth was caught in a moth trap by Fiona Phipps, one of our moth experts in Assynt. It was caught on 24th April 2009. There are several people in Assynt who regularly put out moth traps in Assynt.

Heart & Dart Moth Clachtoll 24 April 2009