Matt Ames

Aha! Yes I do as a matter of fact, that was seen in the fields below Culverwell during a really productive ring-reading session. Lots seen that week including birds from the Channel islands and southern Norway. Good to hear it's still going strong! :)

Surprisingly still plenty of flowers around for this week's #Wildflowerhour Nice to see Holly (Ilex aquifolium), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium) and Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis semperviens) among others on walks on a couple of the less damp and breezy days.

Managed to get out for a brief walk today. A quick look at the Brambles turned up 2 Coleophora potentillae cases. VC30 Bedfordshire
#teammoth

Fingers crossed you find something of interest there soon. I often nip out for a quick mooch around the garden with my torch in the evenings to get my nature fix. Oftentimes it's quiet but just occasionally something turns up to make it worthwhile.

Galeruca tanaceti in good numbers on my patch recently. Bucking the trend of many of it's Chrysomelidae 'cousins' in going for a rugged, punctured finish, as opposed to the more usual metallic sheen.

Dark Swordgrass made a nice addition to the 'on the garden Ivy' list this evening, a couple of Common Plume keeping it company.
Bedfordshire VC30
#teammoth

A macro photo of a moth, seen from the side, on brown bark. The moth has white wings with lots of dark speckles, and a pattern of four orange vertical stripes, plus a row of dark spots above, with reflective scales in the centers. The effect creates a pattern that looks like a jumping spider seen face-on; the orange stripes mimic legs, and the dark spots mimic a jumping spider's row of large eyes.

For #Arachtober, here is a spider that's not a spider. It's Petrophila jaliscalis, a jumping-spider-mimicking moth - see the face-on spider pattern, with orange legs and sparkly dark eyes? I love finding these - I think they breed in my small goldfish pond, because the caterpillars are aquatic. 🌿🐙

Quite a few to choose from for this week's #Wildflowerhour including Dwarf Mallow (M. neglecta) and Musk Mallow (M. moschata), still some Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) on show, and a single Pale Persicaria (Persicaria lapathifolia) on arable margin, glandular hairs checked. Bedfordshire VC30

Good luck. It's always a bit hit and miss, so best to just take loads of pics and hopefully there'll be something half decent when you go through them afterwards!
I sometimes use a torch instead of the flash, I find this helps with Geometridae as they seem to get startled quite easily.

Montage showing coloured illustrations of moths and the envelope in which they’re kept. There is blue handwriting on the envelope, which might read: ‘Frohawk’s drawings [o]f Melan[istic] Leps’.

Excited to find drawings of moths by FW Frohawk (1861-1946) in the archive of biologist William Bateson @theul.bsky.social.

They’re catalogued as ‘27 drawings of Milan Leps’, but think this should be ‘Melan[istic] Leps’? Do they look right for showing melanism, #TeamMoth? MS Add. 8634/J.3 #EntHist

Glad I could inspire some mothing and glad you got some moths! Pink-barred Sallow is high on my want list.
Night photography with phone is awkward! I touch the screen to focus and a brightness bar comes up, I turn it down a bit so the flash isn't so bright.

Losiento.. Sorry to point out that there's a problem with the name on this one.
Nice poster though and a really good idea.

Cloudy and mild last night with lots of activity on the garden Ivy..
3 Large Yellow Underwing,
2 Green-brindled Crescent,
2 Common Plume,
Ypsolopha mucronella,
Eudonia angustea with Brick being the highlight, new for the garden here in Bedfordshire VC30.
#teammoth

This seems to be a female Ichneumon extensorius wasp that I found in my back garden today in Wadebridge. There's only 1 prior record for it in Cornwall from 1906, so any knowledgable insect person's input would be most welcome.

Phew! For a moment I was worried I'd been overlooking something. :)

I'd have put that down as E. angustea, what confusion species are you thinking of?

I agree on the left hand ones, strong central crease. Have you tried shining a light behind the others to see if there's any internal details?

Behind the scenes from our day of filming. Here I’m crouched down in one of the grassland areas looking at an orchid, with camera operator Gavin and producer Charlotte.

Back in June, we hosted a team from #GardenersWorld to share how we’ve been improving the grounds of the National Museums Collection Centre for biodiversity. 🎬 🐞🪰🌿🌼

Catch it here:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

#NMCCbiodiversity

I was really happy with that one, only seen them in Dorset before. Was fortunate as I only noticed it as I was packing away, it was tucked away outside the trap on a frame I hang the sheet off. Nervous few moments trying to pot it!

Decent returns from the moth trap last night, 71 of 31 species. Great variety, autumn species, late (2nd brood) 'summer' moths plus migrants. Highlights inc Sallow ab.flavescens, L-album Wainscot, Barred Sallow and probable Ancylosis oblitella.
Bedfordshire VC30.
#Teammoth

Definitely I'd say, classic 'tadpole' mine :)

Highlights from my local patch this week include my 1st Clouded Yellow of the year, present for at least 3 days favouring a set aside field, and a patch-tick Grass Snake. Seen sunbathing on a grass verge, I only managed to get a record shot but exciting to see nonetheless. VC30

Still lots in flower around my local patch this week, making the most of it whilst it lasts. Hoary Ragwort (Jacobaea erucifolia) and Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) both putting on a fine show here in Bedfordshire VC30
#Wildflowerhour

Ah yes I see what you mean, sometimes tricky to tell if details are artefacts of the photo. I think in this case it looks to me like a uniform yellowish stripe, and as you mentioned the abdomen isn't a deep vibrant red, so I think Common Darter is more likely.

I'd say it's a Common Darter. The legs appear black but if you look closely you'll notice a pale stripe along them, in Ruddy Darter they're completely black.

It does seem quite plausible, but I also think some autumn birdsong might be to do with practice as you suggested. For example in autumn Blackcap never seem to deliver their usual bold song but can often be heard in sub-song, quietly muttering away to themselves.

I often hear Chiffchaff in the autumn, always a bit surreal. Theories suggest it's to do with a response to light levels being equivalent to those of Spring. Some other autumn birdsong is apparently to do with setting up of winter territories but obviously doesn't include migrants on passage..

That's great, thanks.

Forgot to add you @vc30moths.bsky.social
I've entered the record on iRecord under the genus name as species isn't listed yet with a note in the comments, hope that's ok.