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Thursday 17 January 2013

A Tissue,...Triphosa dubitata

I found this today in Bare Head tunnel ,at the top of Shibden Valley,It over winters as an adult in tunnels and caves and this is the first time it has been recorded in calderdale since the early part of last century...also in the tunnel were 12 Herald moths(below).Click on image for a better view..... ,

10 comments:

  1. A brilliant record Andy, clearly overwintering there. The records suggest it's rare in the north..another sign of "global warming"


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  2. They can be found in the caves around malham tarn ,where in one cave there are upto 200 +.

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  3. If anyone wants a trip up to Bare Head Tunnel, get in touch.

    Can you be there to show us Andy? If so, what times best are for you?

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  4. I can Steve but not this weekend as i am working but any time after that.There may well be more ...??

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  5. Sorry all a correction,the Tissue was recorded in the early part of the last century but not since then....It is regarded as a rare resident of Yorkshire.
    There is reference to this species in Collinson on page 57..it is called Common Tissue and therfore does not show under T in the index.sorry for my mistake.

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  6. Still a good record Andy.

    Further to my suggestion of a trip to the tunnel - it's not dangerous. It's a paved footpath through a short rectangular tunnel through a judd wall ( old quarry spoil. ) Does that describe it, Andy? I haven't been there for so long I might not be able to locate it straight away.

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  7. I wouldn't mind going for a look but I have no idea where exactly the tunnel is!

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  8. A friend of mine at work's father has done extensive research on hibernating Tissue Moths (and Heralds) in a cave in Littondale in the Yorkshire Dales, for anyone interested he is speaking about this very subject at Cross Hills Naturalists on Saturday night, see http://www.crosshillsnats.co.uk/events.html

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  10. Five of us were up there this afternoon. Thirteen Heralds were hibernating but sadly we couldn't relocate the Common Tissue Moth.
    Bare Head Tunnel could also be a good bat site. It's quite a unique construction, being a passage for walkers through a judd wall and under the quarry waste placed on the field long ago.
    They are so prominent in Thornton that locals call them "the Walls of Jericho". The wall on Beacon Hill overlooking Halifax with the flag painted on is another one.

    22 January 2013 20:52

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