16: YPONOMEUTIDAE, 17: YPSOLOPHIDAE, 18: PLUTELLIDAE

16.001 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) nest, Cunnery wood, July 5th 2014, originally found by Chris Sutcliffe. I decided to take this nest home to determine the species as there was some uncertainty about the tree's identity. With just a couple of larvae present I thought it shouldn't be too much of a handful!

16.001 Bird-cherry Ermine  (Yponomeuta evonymella) larva, pupa and pupal cocoons, July 5th. After opening up the nest I soon realised there was a central nucleus of many pupal cocoons. Opening one up revealed a healthy moth pupa, all bodes well.

16.001 Bird-cherry Ermines  (Yponomeuta evonymella) emerging July 9th 2014. Three days later I was pleased that two adults had already emerged, but that didn't prepare me for the events of the following day when there was a constant stream of nearly 30 adults emerging from the pupal hub. They were everywhere in differing stages of drying off. It was all a bit overwhelming so out they all went in to a sheltered corner of the garden where they were left to their own devices.

16.001 Bird-cherry Ermine  (Yponomeuta evonymella) July 9th. The host tree was originally identified as a willow species but after the moths started to emerge it was soon clear that it could only be a Bird Cherry.

16.002 Orchard Ermine (Yponomeuta padella) one of two to MV light at Clifton Fishing Lake, Brighouse on July 25th 2024.

 

16.003 Apple Ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus) larval spinnings on cultivated apple at Park Wood crematorium, July 18th 2017.

16.005 Willow Ermine to MV light at Turgate Delph, Norland on Aug. 11th 2022. As seems to be the case with this species it landed nearby without entering the trap.

16.020 Hawthorn Drab (Paraswammerdamia nebulella) to MV light at Clifton Fishing Lake, Brighouse on July 25th 2024.

16.020 Hawthorn Drab (Paraswammerdamia nebulella) captured by day on my garage at Skircoat Green, July 10th 05. 

New Bridge at Hardcastle Crags on Mar. 21st 2023. After recent strong winds there are quite a few Scots Pine boughs on the ground which facilitates checking for the feeding signs of micro moths. See below for a pleasing result.

16.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella) larva and mine found on the Scots Pine branch pictured above. The needles are about 1mm wide.

16.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella) larva and mine found in a Scots Pine needle at Hollin Hall, Hardcastle Crags on Apr. 3rd 2023. The black thoracic legs and brown head are just visible.

A perfect visual representation of what moth larvae do best, fresh, green vegetation going in one end and brown waste coming out of the other.

6.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella) larva. Eight days after the mine was collected the larva has now emerged and is resting before pupation.

16.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella) pupa on Apr. 24th 2023. Eight days after vacating the mine the larva has finally pupated.

6.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella) pupa on May 5th, details above. Eleven days later and the pupa is developing nicely.

16.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella) pupa on May 8th, details above. The wing pattern is showing through clearly now, emergence is not too far off.

16.022 Barred Needle-miner (Cedestis subfasciella), May 10th, details above. The moth has finally emerged with not a scale out of place.

17.003 Honeysuckle Moth (Ypsolopha dentella) in my garden at Skircoat Green, July 13th 05. Captured by day.

17.005 Tufted Scallop (Ypsolopha scabrella) in my kitchen at Skircoat Green, Aug. 2nd 2010. Captured at night.

17.009 Long-barred Ochre (Ypsolopha sylvella) to MV light at Bower's Mill, Barkisland on Sept. 8th 2024.

17.010 White-shouldered Ochre (Ypsolopha parenthesella) at North Dean meadow on July 15th 06. This was back in the day when I used to photograph moths in the early morning gloom with a Cool Light attached to my Nikon Coolpix. Happy days!

17.011 Varied Ochre (Ypsolopha ustella) at North Dean wood on Sept. 14th 09. Captured by day.

17.012 Pied Rabbit Moth (Ypsolopha sequella), North Dean wood, Sept. 1st 08. Captured by day. 

18.001 Diamond-back Moth disturbed by day at Hollas Lane Nature Reserve, May 19th 2019.

18.003 Streaked Diamond-back (Plutella porectella) at a canal-side field near West Vale on May 21st 2014. A field observation on Common Nettle. Considering the large amount of the moth's foodplant, Dame's Violet, growing on the site it's not surprising to find this species here.