Poplar Lappet (Gastropacha populifolia)

France Trip - Las Descargues - 27/06/16 to 01/07/16 - Part One - Macro's

Hello all.

I recently got back from a really enjoyable 5 nights of Moth trapping, Butterfly and Bird watching in the Midi-Pyrenees.

I went with good friends Roger and Steve whom accompany me on many trips out in our County or Hertfordshire.

It was decided at the end of last year that we should go for a short week away to sample some of the Moths that would be on offer in South-Wast France.

 

The article below is copied from Robin Howard's Lot Moths website. He describes it perfectly so didn't feel the need to re-write it!

 

"The Gite that we stayed in lies in a stunningly beautiful part of the Haute Quercy in the Lot southwest France. Located at the end of a ridge overlooking the Bave Valley it is surrounded by rolling, wooded hills, deep, river-cut gorges and on the nearby Causse, limestone pavement. The proximity of the limestone Causse de Gramat and volcanic Massif Central have produced a complex local geology that has formed the basis for a mosaic of habitats supporting a diverse flora with a rich moth and butterfly fauna. Over 1820 species have been recorded so far from the immediate area with more than 1600 species taken from the environs of the farm alone.

Mercury vapour and actinic traps are run throughout the year in and around the farm with weekly forays made onto the limestone pavement and local poplar plantations, whilst the nearby volcanic peaks are regularly visited during the summer months for the more esoteric species.

For further information regarding holidays and research opportunities at our farm and for a full description of the area and available accommodation please visit our sister site at www.lasdescargues.com or email us for a comprehensive information pack".

 

Robin and Sue are both fantastic hosts and could not do enough for you, I urge anyone to go there and experience the amazing wildlife that is on offer there.

 

The species site list is in excess of an incredible 2000 species of Moth! In 16 years that is incredible, and shows how special this habitat really is.

 

Our target was 300 species and with over 200 Macro's we may just get to the 300 mark with the Micro's still to sort.

 

We ran 2 static traps in the garden (Both MV 125s) and I brought my 160w MBT Blended bulb on a tripod.

We then had access to a further two traps, an MV Robinson and an Actinic Midi-Robinson which we could take further afield, in fact we tried three further sites.

 

Macro Moths listed so far...

Species in red are completely new to me

The Micro's are still pending and a lot are so far unnamed!

 

212 Species

 

Adactylotis contaminaria

Alchymist

Alder Kitten

Alder Moth

Alychmist

Anaplectoides prasina

Angle Shades

Angle-striped Sallow

Atypha pulmonaris

Balsam Carpet

Barred Hook-tip

Barred Red

Barred Yellow (only at Causse)

Beautiful Golden-Y

Beautiful Hook-tip

Bird's Wing

Black Arches

Black V-moth

Blood-vein

Bordered Beauty

Bright-line Brown-eye

Brimstone Moth

Brindled White-spot

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Broken-barred Carpet

Brown Rustic

Brown Silver-lines

Brussels Lace

Buff Arches

Buff Ermine

Buff Footman

Buff-tip

Burnished Brass

Caradrina aspersa

Chequered Wave

Clay Fan-foot

Clouded Border

Clouded Magpie

Clouded Silver

Common Carpet

Common Emerald

Common Footman

Common Wainscot

Common White Wave

Coronet

Cream Wave

Cream-spot Tiger

Dagger sp

Dark Arches

Dark Umber

Delicate

Dingy Footman

Double Square-spot

Double-striped Pug

Dun-bar

Dwarf Cream Wave

Eastern Bordered Straw

Elephant Hawk-moth

Engrailed sp

Fan-foot

Feathered Footman

Festoon

Fiery Clearwing

Flame

Flame Shoulder

Four-dotted Footman (only at Causse)

Four-spotted Footman

Fox Moth

Foxglove Pug

Gnophos furcatus

Goat Moth

Grass Emerald

Great Oak Beauty

Green Arches

Green Pug

Green Silver-lines

Grey Arches

Grey Pug

Grey-pine Carpet

Guernsey Underwing

Handmaid

Heart & Club

Heart & Dart

Heart Moth

Herald

Hoary Footman

Hoplodrina respersa

Horse Chestnut

Humming-bird Hawk-moth

Idaea deversaria

Idaea macilentaria

Idaea moniliata

Idia calvaria

Iron Prominent

Isle of Wight Wave

Ivory Footman

Jubilee Fan-foot

Lace Border

Lackey

Lamprosticta culta

Large Emerald

Large Yellow Underwing

Latin

Latticed Heath

Least Carpet

Least Carpet

Leopard Moth

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Lesser Cream Wave

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Lesser Treble-bar

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Lewes Wave

Light Emerald

Lilac Beauty

Lobster Moth

Lycophotia erythrina

Marbled Brown

Marbled Minor

Marbled White-spot

Mediterranean lace border

Miller

Minor Shoulder-knot

Mottled Rustic

Nut-tree Tussock

Oak Hawk-moth

Oak Hook-tip

Orache Moth

Orange Footman

Orange Moth

Pale Mottled Willow

Pale Oak Beauty

Pale Oak Beauty

Pale Shoulder

Passenger

Peach Blossom

Pebble Prominent

Pebble Prominent

Peppered Moth

Perigune narbonea

Perizoma lugdunaria

Petrophora narbonea

Phalera bucephaloides

Pine Hawk-moth

Pine Processionary

Pine-tree Lappet

Plain Wave

Plum Lappet

Poplar Lappet

Portland Riband Wave

Powdered Rustic

Privet Hawk-moth

Purple Bar

Red-necked Footman

Rhodostrophia calabra

Riband Wave

Rosy Footman

Rosy Marbled

Ruby Tiger

Rufous Minor

Rustic

Scallop Shell

Scarce Blackneck

Scarce Footman

Scarce Merveille du-jour

Scarce Silver-lines

Scarlet Tiger

Scorched Carpet

Scorched Wing

September Thorn

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Shaded Annulet

Shaded Fan-foot

Shark

Shears

Short-cloaked Moth (only at Causse)

Silver-Y

Single-dotted Wave

Single-dotted Wave

Small Angle Shades

Small Blood-vein

Small Dusty Wave

Small Emerald

Small Fan-foot

Small Fan-footed Wave

Small Purple-barred

Small Ranunculus

Small White Wave

Snout

Southern Wainscot

Speckled Beauty

Speckled Yellow

Spectacle

Straw Belle

Swallow-tailed Moth

Swarthy Annulet

Tawny Prominent

Tawny Wave

Tawny-barred Angle

Tephronia sepiaria

Toadflax Brocade

Treble Brown Spot

Turnip Moth

Uncertain

Vine's Rustic

V-moth

V-Pug

White Ermine

White-point

Willow Beauty

Yellow Shell

Yellow-tail

Done