Uncertain (Hopladrina octogeneria)

I worked with neighbours to run a moth event at the Community Woodland. What seems like a spiffing idea, in practice, whilst enjoyable, and producing three or four new species for me led to a fair bit of fatigue. I've caught up now. 

The other aspect is whilst I can leave identifications pending for my own private mothing, I feel I should get it all done and dusted identification-wise for the event. This would seem to be straightforward, except that there were a few complicated species.

Firstly, this super minute beast. Unfortunately it died in the pot, but I would have euthanised it anyway as without dissection it was beyond my identification abilities.

Borkhausenia fuscescens

I'd expected it to be Gelechelidae, but when I completed the dissection, which happily went well, the male genitalia looked nothing like anything in that family. Fortunately my enquiry in the Moth Dissection FB Group was answered and AG suggested I take a look at Borkhausenia spp. These are Oecophoridae, a different family. There are just two UK species and the other one is fairly distinctive so an identification and a life tick were achieved.

My other lifers were Slender Brindle and the Tortix Epinotia brunnichanna. In fact the Epinotia is also a bit of a tricky ID and I should have probably retained and dissected it, however, the individual did look like one of the more clear-cut ones, hopefully that was a good judgement.

Epinotia brunnichanna, hopefully.

We caught four Slender Brindle in the end, a smart looking Noctuid.

Slender Brindle.

I'd not led a moth event before and it was a bit of a learning curve, everyone was very helpful, and I think/hope enjoyed the event, but being away from a fridge meant subduing lively moths for photos was tricky. And keeping track of all the pots so that no specimens I wanted to keep were released was also a consideration. In the end I brought a fair few pots home to photograph later, after a spell in the fridge.

The other issue were the time honoured Mesapamea secalis/didyma (Common/lesser Common Rustic) conundrum, and the Hoplodrina octogeneria/blanda (Uncertain/Rustic) issue. There were fifteen Mesapamea, of which I took three. Two have turned out to be male didyma, I'm still working on a female as I'm struggling to locate the essential bits, the KOH having not done enough of a job - note - leave Noctuids to stew a bit longer. I've no Aga to cook them on any more so a bit more time is required.

The two male Mesapamea worked out fine, but it still takes a good while to get the bits out, check and double check against the web pages, as the differences in males are subtle, and then take the evidential photos for the verifier.

Aedaegus and clavus, of Mesapamea didyma.

 

The one  Hopladrina I'd dissected previously had turned out to be a female, so the genitalia are useless for identification, however it had grey hind wings, so it had to be Rustic H. blanda, but that was from our garden, and this is a different site. This new one really does look H. octogeneria, I've posted it on the Moth Dissection FB Group pages. It's a male so the genitalia are of use for identification, although the differences are subtle. Help with this one would be much appreciated by anyone who sees a few of these.

Aedaegus

Aedaegus dissected to show the cornuti.

Whole shooting match, so to speak.

Upperwings

Whole moth, at the moment uncertain of Uncertain - help requested!

It's probably time to "phone a friend" or two, or three....

It's not all been dissection, I've been out in the field and have a pile of photos to sort. I'll just throw in some of the things I've seen and identified or have had identified for me.

Crossoserus quadrimaculatus

Phasia hemiptera, a parasite of bugs.

Tabanus sudeticus - the grout is 7mm, to give an idea of size

Andrena denticulata

Bombus hortorum

Comma

These were all in the garden. The garden list is currently 238, but that's just what I've managed to add to the PSL site, there are quite a few outstanding, including the Conops quadrifasciatus I found today. (Photo to be processed.)

Did I mention I added Kestel to the bird list? Flew over the garden as I hung washing out. Spotted Flycatchers still around, but perhaps the Swifts left yesterday?