Author Topic: Marvellous Moths  (Read 101296 times)

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Marvellous Moths
« on: 12 April, 2013, 11:43:00 am »
Warning, this post contains pictures of MOTHS, so best not look if they give you the heebie-jeebies!  :o

Had my moth trap out last night:


Common Quaker:


Hebrew Character:


Ahh, bless the wee cute face, (Hebrew Character)


 ;D

Equipment used:  Skinner moth trap with UV Blacklight (catches moths unharmed, which are then released later in the day)
Photos taken using Pentax K100D, with 18-55mm kit lens, +2 and +4 close up lenses and MeiKe LED Macro Ring Flash.
Not terribly sharp photos, need to practice more with macro!


clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #1 on: 12 April, 2013, 11:51:04 am »
Beautiful!

I'd never heard of the Common Quaker.  What a lovely little fellow he is.

Nice photos, btw.  Thanks for telling us your set up.  I got some auto extension tubes yesterday, so will be doing some close up soon (though probably not moths).
Getting there...

LindaG

Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #2 on: 12 April, 2013, 11:56:00 am »
Oh, wow. Beautiful animals, beautiful photos. Thanks Brian. He is cute isn't he - surprisingly furry. Aww.

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #3 on: 26 April, 2013, 09:17:19 am »
Some more moth pics! (Not a great haul from the trap last night...., only 4 moths, 2 species...  3 Hebrew Character, 1 Early Grey...)

Early Grey:

(Forewing span 15-18mm, to give indication of scale)

**Note to self.  Need a better invertebrate macro setup.  I've been using Pentax K100D with 18-55mm kit lens, Kood 4x close up filter, and an ebay special macro led ring flash.   Think the weak part is the lens with close up filter.....

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #4 on: 26 April, 2013, 11:28:50 am »
Don't you have auto extension tubes?
Getting there...

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #5 on: 26 April, 2013, 11:34:27 am »
Don't you have auto extension tubes?

I have el-cheapo Ebay non auto extension tubes, so aperture & focus not passed onto lens from camera. This means if I were to use my kit lens on them, the aperture would shut down to something like f22....   :(

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #6 on: 26 April, 2013, 12:08:47 pm »
Hie thee to ebay and collect a nice manual lens in a moderate focal length for a not considerable quantity of beer tokens. Works a charm. e.g http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SMC-Pentax-M-100mm-f2-8-lens-K-Mount-/121098744558?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item1c320c32ee

With the flash set to manual you should get some great results.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #7 on: 26 April, 2013, 12:16:03 pm »
Hie thee to ebay and collect a nice manual lens in a moderate focal length for a not considerable quantity of beer tokens. Works a charm. e.g http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SMC-Pentax-M-100mm-f2-8-lens-K-Mount-/121098744558?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item1c320c32ee

With the flash set to manual you should get some great results.

..d

Cheers, David. looks like a good option.   :thumbsup:

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #8 on: 28 April, 2013, 07:48:02 pm »
Hie thee to ebay and collect a nice manual lens in a moderate focal length for a not considerable quantity of beer tokens. Works a charm. e.g http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SMC-Pentax-M-100mm-f2-8-lens-K-Mount-/121098744558?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item1c320c32ee

With the flash set to manual you should get some great results.

..d


Cheers, David. looks like a good option.   :thumbsup:
Missed out, it went for £104 :o

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #9 on: 12 May, 2013, 08:51:44 am »
Usual suspect in the moth trap this morning:  Hebrew Character

Pentax K100D, Pentax SMC-A 50mm f/2.0, 30mm extension rings, 1.5x Tcon, Meike led ring flash.

Still not quite all in focus....  Macro photos of moths is tricky! 

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #10 on: 04 June, 2013, 08:11:54 pm »
A mothtastic session with my moth trap last night:
Heart & Dart:


Pale Shouldered Brocade:


Scalloped Hazel:


Flame Carpet:


clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #11 on: 04 June, 2013, 09:21:31 pm »
Just beautiful
Getting there...

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #12 on: 04 June, 2013, 11:04:47 pm »
Good stuff  :thumbsup:

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #13 on: 05 June, 2013, 12:14:33 am »
I'm thinking of fettling a moth attracting thingummy..

Sounds funnn.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #14 on: 05 June, 2013, 08:49:33 am »
I'm thinking of fettling a moth attracting thingummy..

Sounds funnn.

It's a 15W Actinic skinner trap I use:  http://www.nhbs.com/240v_15w_actinic_skinner_moth_trap_tefno_181352.html
This gives off a UV Blacklight which attracts the moths.

I got given the wooden box for the base by a fellow moth enthusiast, and I bought the electrics myself:
http://www.nhbs.com/15w_actinic_moth_trap_electrics_set_240v_tefno_181370.html

The other alternative is to use a 125W mercury vapour bulb - not particularly neighbour friendly though...

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #15 on: 05 June, 2013, 09:43:23 am »
Great thread with fine photos.
Some more moth pics! (Not a great haul from the trap last night...., only 4 moths, 2 species...  3 Hebrew Character, 1 Early Grey...)

Early Grey:

(Forewing span 15-18mm, to give indication of scale)
No wonder that tea tastes a bit odd.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #16 on: 05 June, 2013, 10:13:25 am »
What UV wavelength is required? I was thinking of a UV LED based one.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #17 on: 06 June, 2013, 08:32:30 pm »
What UV wavelength is required? I was thinking of a UV LED based one.

..d

The trap electrics I bought came with a Sylvania 15W T8 UV Blacklight 350nm tube.

It will be interesting to see if you could get LEDs which would work, as I'm thinking about fettling a portable trap which runs off batteries.  LEDs would mean less power required compared to a uv tube.

RJ

  • Droll rat
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #18 on: 06 June, 2013, 08:53:01 pm »
Moths have brilliant names, don't they?

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #19 on: 06 June, 2013, 11:03:55 pm »
What wavelengths do you need? 350nm is starting to get into the dangerous end of the spectrum. Loads around in the 400+ nm range
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #20 on: 11 June, 2013, 09:33:18 am »
What wavelengths do you need? 350nm is starting to get into the dangerous end of the spectrum. Loads around in the 400+ nm range

Thats an interesting question David. I'm not entirely sure, except the blurb which came with the trap electrics & bulb said to avoid looking at the light, and minimise skin exposure when on.....   :o

The other type of moth traps use mercury vapour bulbs, typically 125W  and above, which again, emit UV light, as well as lots of white light in a neighbour annoying wattage (hence my opting for a actinic tube in my trap which I use in my back garden)

I'm certainly interested to see how you get on, as a LED based portable trap may be quite convenient if I ever try trapping in some local woods....

Anway a couple of pics from today:

Small Angle Shades:


And, first time for me, a Brimstone of fire Moth:


David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #21 on: 11 June, 2013, 01:26:37 pm »
Maybe we should try some experiments. UV LEDs in the 400nm range are cheap.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #22 on: 11 June, 2013, 01:31:28 pm »
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #23 on: 11 June, 2013, 06:23:57 pm »
Toilet block, Long Meadow camp site, Sunday
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

Re: Marvellous Moths
« Reply #24 on: 11 June, 2013, 07:05:17 pm »

Poplar hawk moth?