Literate herring, this way.: Migrants

Tuesday, 16 September 2025

Migrants

Moths migrate, and they may travel a very long way. Recently, here in Mid-Perthshire, see previous posts, I've recorded several Rush Veneer and a single Rusty Dot Pearl. On 9th September I trapped a Dark Sword-grass.

Dark Sword-grass

Today, however, whilst talking to the roofers who are currently mending our house a neighbour came across and showed me a photo on her phone. Wow! Convolvulus Hawk-moth. Disturbed whilst moving their lawn. I grabbed the camera and hot-footed it over to their garden where I was just in time to see (and hear, the buzzing of wings) as it took flight and headed off into the distance.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Pix IC)

Many thanks to IC for alerting me to this exciting find, I think this is the third record for VC88 (Leverton and Cubitt 2024). Needless to say, despite the less than ideal conditions, clear and cold but becoming cloudy and rainy I have two light traps out tonight.

Birds are also migrating. There have been a few days at home where the hirundines and Meadow Pipits have been clearly on the move. One day I saw nine different Spotted Flycatchers, one group of which may have been a lingering family party but others were likely migrants, also seen recently at home were Whitethroat, and quite a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. The last Sand Martin (so far) was on 1st September.

We stayed in Melrose for a few days last weekend and there was more obvious vismig there on the northern side of the Eildon Hills. Mostly hirundines but some Mepits, and Siskin also.

Most of the time in Melrose I was looking at plant galls though. There was a small plantation and the oaks Quercus sp were particularly impacted. New for me were Neuroterus numismalis Silk Button Spangle Gall and Andricus foecundatrix caused by the Artichoke Gall Wasp. I'm still working on a few others.

Andricus foecundatrix

Cynips quercusfolii surrounded by Neuroterus quercusbaccarum.

Neuroterus numismalis

There are now some excellent books on plant galls, but also have a look at the website listed in the side panel under Parasites. All the above galls are caused by Hymenoptera.

One evening in Melrose we came face to face with a young Badger, a while since I've seen one of them as they are apparently not present where we stay in Perthshire.

Following on from dissecting the supposed Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra berbera, the dissection seemed to prove that despite the black palps with obvious white tips, this was Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea.

Aedaegus with few cornuti would strongly indicate A. pyramidea.

A photo of the underside of the spread hind wing in better, more even light also points to A.pyramidea.

The shape of the uncus, to my eye, is more typical of A. pyramidea, although this is quite a subtle feature.

A reminder of the palps of this animal.

Amphipyra pyramidea the same animal as the dissection and hind wing above. I think these images prove that the palps feature is variable, as the Evans-Hill paper strongly suggested and not a useful feature for the identification and separation of these two species.

I've dissected a few other moths recently as well. Ear moth species are not possible to identify without dissection on the whole, although geography and local landscape can be very helpful. The two I dissected turned out to be pretty typical of their species externally.

Female Amphipoea lucens Large Ear.

Close up of the costal process.

Amphipoea oculea Ear Moth, a male. The costal process has two arms of approximately equal length.

My search for Common Rustic Mesapamea secalis in the garden continues to be unrewarded as yet another dissection gave me a male M. didyma. They all seem to be M. didyma in this neck of the woods.

Dissection of a Marbled Minor proved it was indeed that species and a very worn pug turned out as expected to be Juniper Pug Eupithecia pusillata.