Saturday 4 May 2013

Leaf-rollers from hawthorn and hazel

Among the array of techniques employed by lepidopterists to find moths and their larvae is beating branches with a stick and catching what falls off on a tray. I went a-beating this morning for the first time this year, and with leaves well-on on most of the good moth foodplants, I was hopeful for a find or two in Clarendon Park and Glencairn Park. Using my net as a beating tray (and its detachable handle as a stick), I was able to find two larvae which I've taken home to rear. The likelihood is I'll only be able to find out exactly what they are if I can successfully get them to adulthood. Here goes!

Daytime Observation (Beating)

4 May 2013 | @ Clarendon Park & Glencairn Park HVC39 J3075 


New Project 37A

Unidentified #266

In the woods of Clarendon Park, beside the Forth River, was this little grub on a hawthorn bush.

Unidentified larva (U#266) on hawthorn

New Project 38A

Unidentified #267

A bigger fellow, knocked from hazel in Glencairn Park.

Unidentified larva (U#267) on hazel

Both larvae are now feeding away at the leaves in their pot, hiding in spinnings in the typical Tortrix way.

Update on Project 31A

A few weeks ago, I'd given up hope on my Coxcomb Proninent pupa (which I collected as a larva from Murlough last summer) when I found green discoloration on it, and had left the pupa out in a planter. But after being washed in the rain it's actually still looking pretty healthy, so I put it in the jar of soil with the Brimstone Moth pupa.

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