andrew john lamb

@andyjlamb

@andy_j_lamb on Twitter as was. (Blue) Manc, living North of the Wall, south of the Border. Wildlife, cycling, science, City #FBPE

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andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 7h

I think last night’s #TeamMoth haul was my best so far since I started trapping last year, both in species and total numbers. UV trap, 82/38, #Northumberland Includes 4 new spp. for me (pictured), & further 11 NFY (although my last trap was mid-July, so not unexpected).

Pebble Hook-tip, a distinctively-shaped moth with strongly hooked and rounded forewings. The wings are predominantly yellow-brown, with indistinct wavy black cross lines and a large black spot and dark red straight line on the forewing. The wings are also edged dark red

Pebble Prominent, a chunky-looking moth seen from the side. It has very hairy body head and thorax and the wings, tented above the abdomen, are brownish grey. The end of the wing is filled with a large irregular maroon-edged silver oval

Six-striped Rustic, a mid brown Noctuid moth, with six darker cross-lines

A rather washed-out photo of Cydia splendana, a mid-sized Tortrix moth. The wings are mostly silver-grey, with the end quarter darker and marked orange, grey and black

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 11d

Annual cycle challenge up into Sierra Crevillente #Alicante today, a serious challenge (for this fat 50+ bloke), 70km round trip, sea level to 500m, 1200m of climbs. But as always a delightful day out, with incredible views & abundant Nature. Even spotted the (usually elusive) Bonelli’s Eagle pair.

View from near the top, Sierra Crevillente, looking South East towards Elche

A pause at the top, Sierra Crevillente, looking at the route down.

The start of the gravel tracks, Sierra Crevillente, looking back where I’ve come from

One of the pair of Bonelli’s Eagles that breed in the Sierra Crevillente, only my second sighting in the last decade!

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 13d

Three #butterflies from around #ElHondo nature reserve near Elche in Spain, from my early cycle ride today. Considering I only had my phone for these photos, I’m startled how well they’ve come out. #Lepidoptera #Mariposa

Scarce Iberian Swallowtail, Iphiclides feisthamelii, a large swallowtail butterfly with pale yellow wings marked with broad cross-stripes. The rear wings are edged with pale blue and have a distinctive dark tail

Plain Tiger Butterfly, Danaus chrysippus. A medium sized butterfly resting with wings closed showing the bright orange underside with a network of pale veins interspersed with black spots. The wing edges are black with white spots

Small White Butterfly, Pieris rapae, resting with wings closed, the underside of the wings is pale yellow with raised veins

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 16d

Seems to be a good year for Gull-billed Tern around #Alicante. Five small groups seen fly-catching over scrubland between San Fulgencio and Torrevieja yesterday. #birding #SpainBirding

Dreadful #RecordShot of a Gull-billed Tern swooping, mouth open, to catch insects. The tern has a black cap and stout black bill, and is flying over the terracotta-tiled roof of a barn among tall, scrubby vegetation. In the background, a pale outline of mountains

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 18d

Just noticed that this Darkling Beetle ( #Tenebrionidae ) seen in #Alicante province in Spain, is my 20,000th observation on @inaturalist.bsky.social!

A phone screenshot showing my last 5 records to take me to 20 thousand observations on iNaturalist. The headline numbers are 20,000 observations and 4,533 species. The last 5 are Spotted Flycatcher, Plain Tiger Butterfly, an unidentified bee, Gull-billed Tern and the Tenebrionidae darkling beetle species

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 19d

Back in Spain & a couple more for this year’s #LadybirdYearList, although I’m leaving the 1st at genus level as I’m not sure which species it is. 17. Henosepilachna sp. (angusticollis or Argus [Bryony LB]) 18. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (aka Mealybug Destroyer!) Both seen at La Marina, near Elche

Henosepilachna species of ladybird, a large all pinkish-orange ladybird with black spots

Several Henosepilachna ladybirds, large all pinkish-orange ladybirds with black spots, some only spotted very faintly. On hairy green “squirting cucumber” leaves

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, the Mealybug Destroyer Ladybird, a small black hairy ladybird with orange head and pronotum, and orange elytra tips

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 20d

Some moth species get names befitting their splendour. Grey Knot-horn is not one of them! A cracking little moth, maroon, purple and silver. #TeamMoth #Northumberland

Grey Knot-horn moth, a small Pyralid moth with richly coloured wings, mostly maroon-red with flashes of purple and black, and silver grey cross-bands

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 24d

About a third of the redcurrants from my garden “allotment”, last of the raspberries, lettuce and broadbeans. #Northumberland

A large plastic punnet of redcurrants on their stalks, and small dishes of shelled broadbeans and raspberries

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· 28d

Anyone any good with their Hoplodrina moths identification? I think I have three Uncertain and one Rustic. #TeamMoth #Northumberland

Hoplodrina moth, possibly The Uncertain. A mid-sized brown moth with darker oval markings and cross-band mid-wing

Hoplodrina moth, possibly The Uncertain. A mid-sized brown moth with darker oval markings

Hoplodrina moth, possibly The Rustic. A mid-sized grey-brown moth with darker oval markings

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jul 6

A few pickings from the garden allotment. Lettuces have all bolted (again) not sure what I do wrong, but rescued some leaves. Boysenberries (or are they loganberries?) having a bumper year. Got 7 in one go today! 😂

A blue ceramic bowl of raspberries, boysenberries and wild strawberries, next to 5 pea pods

A colander-ful of lettuce and salad leaves, mostly green leaves with some red leaves and some crinkly-leaved mizuma mustard leaves

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 29

Some of the day-flying moths seen this weekend in South East #Northumberland. Highlight was a Beautiful China-mark in my garden, a new moth for me, and pretty uncommon here. Burnet and Cinnabar moths always a delight to see, and several very fresh Yellow Shell moths found at the coast. #TeamMoth

Beautiful China-Mark moth, a bright white moth with ornately marked wings. The markings are thin dark brown lines and swirls forming irregular circles, and the wing edges are yellowish brown

Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet moth, a dark blue-black moth with large red spots on its wings and long black antennae that widen at the tip. The moth sits, head down, on a yellow Ragwort bud

A Cinnabar moth against a grassy background. The moth is black and red, the forewings predominantly black with a red stripe and spot, the hind wings mostly bright red.

Yellow Shell moth, an orange-yellow moth with a complex network of fine cross lines on its broad, triangular wings. The bands are alternately yellow, brown, orange, grey and white

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 28

Four of the Scopula/Eudonia moths last night. As usual, my brain can’t process subtle differences, so I’m still not convinced what I’ve got. At least 2 Eudonia lacustrata, I think, but two I’m not sure about at all: Eudonia mercurella possibly and Scoparia ambigualis? #TeamMoth #Northumberland

Eudonia lacustrata (I think), a small grey moth with black and white markings

Small grey moth with black and white markings, could be Eudonia mercurella

Small grey moth with black and white markings, and slight brown sheen, could be Scoparia ambigualis

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 24

First trap for a couple of weeks, best of the year so far, 48 of 17, although half were Chrysoteuchia culmella. #TeamMoth Got a query about this Tortrix. Is it Grapholita janthinana? Several NFY: Barred Yellow Red-barred Tortrix Middle-barred Minor Sandy Carpet Green Carpet Riband Wave SD Wave

A Tortrix moth with brown and buff-pink markings, yellow-orange shoulders and wing tip, and a hint of a grey band. Tentative ID is Grapholita janthinana

Barred Yellow, a distinctive Geometrid moth with orange yellow wings. The wings have two broad bands, a pale band and a white-edged irregular dark band

Sandy Carpet, a pale Geometrid moth, mostly creamy white with some brownish yellow markings and (unusually) darkened outer edge

Middle-barred Minor, a small Noctuid moth, mostly pale cream coloured but with a central white-edged darker bar stretching half way across the wing

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 21

What a beast! Spotted this stunning Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina) at Xixi Wetlands near Hangzhou yesterday. The world’s largest hornet, which generated a similar sized hysteria, I was happy to watch this enormous wasp go about its business with no interest in me. #hymenoptera #hornet #Xixi

Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina), a large wasp with yellow head, dark thorax and yellow abdomen, hovering by a purple flower

Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina), a large wasp with yellow head, dark thorax and yellow abdomen, feeding a purple flower

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 21

Last hurrah for China, with another lifer (ladybird 40) and another for my #LadybirdYearList: 16. Coelophora saucia About a dozen found together at Xixi Wetlands near Hangzhou.

Coelophora saucia, a mostly black, medium-sized ladybird. Viewed from above, it is very round, with a rim around the elytra, which also each have an elongated red dot

Coelophora saucia, a black-and-red ladybird, on a bamboo leaf

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 19

2 more for my #LadybirdYearList in 🇨🇳 this week, including another (very cute) lifer*, Coccinelid no. 39 for me. 14. Propylea japonica (2 forms) - Shanghai 15. Platynaspis maculosa* - Hangzhou Latter looks to be v. localised, spotted adventively when a bee I was trying to photograph flew off!

Platynaspis maculosa, a small, pilose ladybird, red with 4 large black blotches and a dark mid-line

Propylea japonica, unusual form which is pinkish with white-bordered black dorsal stripe and 4 black spots.

Propylea japonica, common form, yellow with connected black dots

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 16

His slightly more awkward European cousin…

White-headed Duck, a chestnut brown “stifftail” duck with a white head and bulbous pale blue bill

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 15

Back in China with work, and a Sunday afternoon stroll around Century Park in Shanghai (in constant drizzle to make me feel at home). The butterflies stayed hidden, but managed to find an addition to my #LadybirdYearList: 13. Six-spotted Zigzag Ladybird, Cheilomenes sexmaculata

A Six-spotted Zigzag ladybird on a leaf. This beetle is quite variable, the photo showing a mostly black variant with 4 irregular red markings at the “corners” of the elytra

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 12

Still very few moths, but a small tortrix moth in the UV trap this morning gave me a surprise lifer. Eucosma campoliliana looks to be quite uncommon away from the coast in #Northumberland, so also nice to get this some 12km inland. #TeamMoth

Eucosma campoliliana, a small, narrow moth, with a white head and mostly white wings. There are several black markings at the top of the wings, one third the way down and at the tips, with two chestnut brown patches near the tips. The moth rests on a piece of yellow sandstone

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 7

Orchids everywhere I looked in #Northumberland this weekend. Bee-orchids and Northern Marsh Orchid from Lynemouth, Common Spotted Orchid from Linton Lane NR @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Bee-orchids in a meadow, one tall orchid with multiple blooms in the foreground, another smaller orchid in the background

Close-up view of a Bee-orchid flower: three pink triangular petals outline the central flower, an ornate bumble-bee-shaped maroon and yellow structure.

Northern Marsh Orchid, a spike of pink, loved flowers with intricate purple markings. The long green leaves are - unusually for this species - spotted

Common Spotted Orchid, a spike of pale pink flowers among green foliage and grass

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· Jun 7

Some cracking moths at Linton Lane NR in #Northumberland today. Highlights were: Blood-vein, at least 6 Yellow-barred Longhorn, 15-20 Plum Tortrix, Hedya prunania, 2 Micropterix spp. - calthella and aruncella #TeamMoth

Blood-vein moth, a large buff-yellow Geometrid moth with pointed wing tips. The bottom of the wings is edged pink and there is a distinct straight blood-red line across each wing, making a shallow V

Yellow-barred Longhorn moth, a small, triangular moth with metallic green-gold wings, each with a dark-edged yellow bar. This male moth also has very long antennae, around 4 times the length of the moth itself

Plum Tortrix moth, a small triangular moth with intricately marked wings. The top 2/3 are dark with some white speckles and blue-grey bands. The bottom third is mostly white with some dark marks and edges

Two Micropterix calthella moths on a buttercup. These tiny moths are copper-gold metallic with black heads

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 31

A couple of uncommon #Northumberland moths this weekend, both new species for me. First was a Chinese Character to the UV trap on Saturday night, and then today, while taking a rest out on my bike, this longhorn moth, Cauchas rufimitrella, was fluttering about over sunny hedgerows. #TeamMoth

Chinese Character moth, a small moth with rounded triangular wings held tent-like. The wings have a dark semi-circle on the leading edge, and a grey patch with fine white “writing”

A small golden-coloured moth with black head and antenna - as long as the moth’s wings - curving out to the side. The moth sits on a bright yellow brassica flower

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 29

Another “exotic” addition to my #LadybirdYearList (and, in fact my life list, too, species 38): 12. Ceratomegilla notata Found on my travels yesterday, in Chamonix, France.

Ceratomegilla notata, a medium-sized ladybird, mainly red with large, fused black dots

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 27

At last a decent #TeamMoth trap on Friday night in South East #Northumberland, with 4 lifers and a further 7 NFYs, including my first garden Poplar Hawkmoth. The 4 new moths for me in the captioned photos.

Buff-tip moth, a chunky, elongated moth looking rather like a piece of broken off twig - mottled silver-grey wings have black and brown cross bands and a buff patch at the tip while the head is silver-grey with a furry yellow “face”

Clouded Silver moth, a predominantly white-winged Geometrid moth, resting on a window wings out flat in a rough diamond shape. The wings have a black spot and an indistinct darker band.

Knot Grass, a mottled black and grey moth with a paler band mid-wing just below a small black spot ringed with white and black

Red-green Carpet moth, a triangular shaped Geometrid moth with dark green, finely marked wings

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 20

Andrena scotica, the Chocolate Mining Bee, in #Northumberland today. #WorldBeeDay

Andrena scotica mining bee, a mid-sized black bee around the same size as a honeybee worker. It has extensive pale yellow hairs on its thorax and hind legs, and stripes of pale hairs on its abdomen. It rests on the pale green leaves of an oregano plant

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 14

Not sure if herons are strictly waders, but anyway here’s a Grey Heron on our neighbour’s roof for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #WadersOuttaWater.

A Grey Heron on the corner of a tiled roof. The heron is mostly grey with black wing edges and a yellow bill, and it seems to crouch forward with its long grey neck crooked into an S shape

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 11

Zilch in the UV trap over the weekend, but consolation came along in several shimmering Green Long-horn at Havannah NR, #Northumberland on Sunday. Also, a caterpillar I haven’t yet quite worked out (likely came off Scots Pine). #TeamMoth

A Green Long-horn moth, a small, metallic yellow-green winged moth with one-and-a-half body-length antennae curled out to the side.

A medium-sized caterpillar with speckled eyes. The grey-brown body, which is arched in typical caterpillar style, is very distinctive: two rows of orange spines tipped with black hairs, speckled and spotted sides, and white hairs along the lower sides.

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 10

The lovely, intricate, vibrant yellow flowers of Broom for this week’s #WildflowerHour theme of #CarrotsAndPeas. Havannah NR, #Northumberland.

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 9

A Whimbrel and 9 Purple Sandpiper at North Blyth #Northumberland was some consolation on a miserably cold and wet bike ride this morning. Gannets and Sandwich Terns passing close by, too. To cap it all, a calling cuckoo at West Sleekburn in the cemetery. #NEbirding

andrew john lamb@andyjlamb· May 6

A couple of micros knocked from plants in my #Northumberland garden today: Mompha subbistrigella (from Ivy) Argyresthia trifasciata (from ornamental cypress) #TeamMoth