Lifting the lid

There hasn’t been much to report from the moth trap for most of the season and, surprise surprise, there still isn’t. A quick look in the moth trap this morning revealed the first and possibly my only December Moth of the autumn. I never catch many and nearly all my records are of singles. A Feathered Thorn and a Blair’s Shoulder Knot were the only other moths caught.
 

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)

A queen Wasp is trying to hibernate in the trap and has been there since mid-October. It has hooked onto the fibres of the egg tray and has stayed put while the tray has been lifted in and out each day. I am not fond of these critters as they can be a real nuisance in some seasons but I am interested to see how this one gets on and if she survives.
 


hibernating Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)