Mothing in Őrség national park with Peter Davey - sat 24 jul

I regularly use data from Goričko park moth report 2015 made by Peter Davey to check species presence in Slovenija. The report is great, but it's of course without raw data, it will be just too long otherwise. So I tried my luck and contacted Dorset moth group, to get in touch with Peter and ask for raw data. Not only Peter kindly responded and gladly shared all his data from 2014-2018 for Goričko, I was also pleasantly surprised that he lives just a kilometer from Slovenian border in Hungary and still actively surveys moths for Őrség national park. Peter is moths and butterflies expert who started collecting and recording moths in England from his teenage years and also started Dorset moth group. He also greatly contributed to Butterfly atlas of Goricko and Őrség.

Once border restrictions were lifted Peter invited me to his survey, he suggested a location near Őrimagyarósd (Q. cerris, B. pubescens, J. communis, P. pyraster, P. tremula, etc.)  where he recorded 306 (165 macros) three weeks before with three lights (250W MQ and 2x36W blacklight). I think this is astonishing, because I only heard of few surveys above 150 species in Slovenia. 

Unremarkable location but rich in bio diversity

So this saturday i went. At first, we meet at Peter's house which he shares with his lovely partner Carola and drank a cup of proper English tea. At night there were huge numbers of moths on light and sugar bates. Peter recorded over 270 species and also showed me what to photograph, but there were so many different species of moths that my battery on camera went out. At one o'clock at night thunder was getting louder and closer, so we quickly packed up.   

Peter going through cardboards and recording moths

Thank again to Peter for a great night and for sharing his extensive knowledge and methods with me.

Mimas tiliae, Smerinthus ocellata, Deilephila porcellus, Tethea or,
Sphinx pinastri, Laothoe populi, Apoda limacodes, Heterogenea asella

Watsonalla binaria, Sabra harpagula, Euplagia quadripunctaria, Lymantria monacha,
Drepana falcataria, Drepana curvatula, Thyatira batis, Sphrageidus similis

Odonestis pruni, Phyllodesma tremulifolia, Dendrolimus pini ♂, Dendrolimus pini ♀,
Gastropacha quercifolia,  Euthrix potatoria, Lasiocampa quercus ♀, Cerura vinula

Eilema depressa ♂, Eilema griseola, Miltochrista miniata, Drymonia obliterata,
Eilema sororcula, Lithosia quadra ♀, Eilema pseudocomplana, Gluphisia crenata

Phalera bucephala, Harpyia milhauseri, Furcula bicuspis,
Nola aerugula, Meganola albula, Phragmatobia fuliginosa

Melanchra persicariae, Acronicta alni, Euplexia lucipara, Acronicta rumicis,
Polyphaenis sericata, Spatalia argentina, Craniophora ligustri, Acronicta leporina

Deltote pygarga, Rivula sericealis, Cryphia algae, Euclidia glyphica,
Deltote bankiana, Acontia trabealis, Earias clorana ♂ gen., Colocasia coryli

Paracolax tristalis, Pechipogo strigilata, Polypogon gryphalis, Mythimna albipuncta,
Cosmia affinis, Cosmia trapezina, Noctua fimbriata, Mythimna ferrago

Panthea coenobita, Catocala promissa, Catocala fulminea, Acronicta strigosa,
Pseudoips prasinana, Mormo maura, Mesapamea secalis/secalella, Amphipyra berbera

Mesoleuca albicillata, Lomographa temerata, Plagodis pulveraria, Plagodis dolabraria,
Lomaspilis marginata, Cabera pusaria, Lomographa bimaculata, Ematurga atomaria

Selenia tetralunaria, Macaria alternata, Perizoma alchemillata, Perizoma lugdunaria,
Selenia dentaria, Macaria signaria, Chiasmia clathrata, Eupithecia centaureata

Cyclophora punctaria, Scopula ornata, Cyclophora albipunctata, Timandra comae,
Cyclophora quercimontaria, Cyclophora porata, Cyclophora ruficiliaria, Scopula nigropunctata

Cyclophora linearia, Idaea emarginata, Idaea ochrata, Asthena albulata,
Idaea aversata, Idaea muricata, Asthena anseraria, Idaea dimidiata

Thalera fimbrialis, Jodis lactearia, Euchoeca nebulata, Stegania cararia,
Epirrhoe tristata, Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata, Catarhoe rubidata, Aethalura punctulata

Hypomecis punctinalis, Meganola strigula,
Biston betularia, Anticollix sparsata