Miskolc Moths: March 2012

Saturday 31 March 2012

28th March 2012 - Tavaszi zöldbagoly

Tavaszi zöldbagoly Valeria oleagina Green-brindled Dot

Another species which is on the British list but unlikely to be seen in Britain - it is a southern European - west Asian moth in its distribution, extending north and west as far as the southern half of Germany. It was recorded from southern England in the 19th C but not since and those early records are regarded as dubious. Superb moth. Two came to actinic light on 27th-28th March but it took some time to name it. It superficially resembles the hadenine (or now noctuine), Dot Moth (Melanchra, http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2), which led me astray. I was looking in the wrong subfamily - it is actually in the Amphipyrinae (or Cuculliinae or Psaphidininae depending on what system is being followed!).

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Néhány tavaszi bükki lepke (I)

Zöldes Tavaszi-araszoló

Phigalia pilosaria

Pale Brindled Beauty

Változékony Fésűsbagoly

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

Vörös Őszibagoly

Conistra rubiginea

Dotted Chestnut

Vadgesztenye-araszoló

Alsophila aescularia

March Moth

Kis Fésűsbagoly Orthosia cruda Small Quaker

Télibagolylepke

Conistra rubiginosa

Black-spot Chestnut

Tölgyes-fésűsbagoly

Orthosia munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

Tölgy Tavaszi-araszoló

Agriopis leucophaearia

Spring Usher

Közönséges Fabagoly

Lithophane ornitopus

Grey Shoulder-knot

Aranysárga Téliaraszoló

Agriopis marginaria

Dotted Border

Kőrisfa-lebenyesaraszoló

Trichopteryx polycommata

Barred Tooth-striped

Tavaszi Kökényaraszoló

Theria rupicapraria

Anticlea badiata Shoulder-stripe

Foltos Fésűsbagoly Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character

Vörös Őszibagoly Conistra rubiginea Dotted Chestnut

Borzas Tavaszi-araszoló Apocheima hispidaria Small Brindled Beauty

Felemás Medvelepke Diaphora mendica Muslin Moth

Tölgyes-fésűsbagoly Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker

Mogyoróbagoly Colocasia coryli Nut-tree Tussock

Vörhenyes Tavaszibagoly Cerastis rubricosa Red Chestnut

Néhány tavaszi bükki lepke (II)

Közepes tavaszi-fésűsbagoly

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

Cserfa-púposszövő

Drymonia ruficormis

Lunar Marbled Brown

Rozsdabarna télibagoly

Eupsilia transversa

Satellite

Változékony fésűsbagoly

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

Friday 16 March 2012

14th March 2012 - Sleepers Awake!

Sword-grass (Xylena exsoleta) Szürke fabagoly

Since arriving in Hungary on 11th March I had noticed a few spring geometrids around the windows and settled on white-washed walls. The weather has been sunny but still with a chill in the air and cold at night and the vegetation is looking mostly quite wintry even on our S facing slope. On the 14th though a milder evening brought a large noctuid to the kitchen window at about 9pm. This was fairly easily enticed into the house and captured as it circled the lamp. It was the Satellite (Eupsilia transversa Rozsdabarna Télibagoly) awoken from its winter sleep. Half an hour later I came into the kitchen to find J in the act of catching another moth at the window - she had trumped me with this splendid beast - it dwarfed the Satellite and looked most impressive with its wings spread in the confines of the flat.

The Geometrids seen this week were as follows:

Theria rupicapraria Tavaszi kökényaraszoló

Agriopis marginaria Dotted Border (Aranysárga téliaraszoló)

Alsophila aescularia March Moth (Vadgesztenye-araszoló)