A duo of early June catches

Trying to catch up whilst we experience weather woes, but with much needed rain and looking ahead to warmer temperature next week.

Monday & Tuesday night featured smaller catch of between 25 and 45 species, but there were still a small selection of new faces present.

A mint early Common Emerald was a personal highlight, as was the smart Broad-barred White and the delicate Anania coronata. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 305 species

02/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Fern 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Anania coronata 1 [NFY]
Coleophora sp 1 (TBC)

03/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Broad-barred White 1 [NFY]
Common Emerald 1 [NFY]
Mottled Rustic 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Tortrix viridana 1 [NFY]

 

Fern

Anania coronata

Coleophora sp

 

Mottled Rustic

Luquetia lobella

Common Emerald

Broad-barred White

Tortrix viridana

 

A changeable start to June

Strong winds have been the focus of the first few days of June, it hasn't been particularly cold (even at night) but it's been rocky, and the moths have gone quiet as a result. 

 

Sunday night was still very good though, with lows of 15 degrees and a warmish day.

 

A total of 13 new species were recorded overnight, an excellent tally which brings me 1 short of 300 species for the year.

 

There were good and interesting moths as well.

 

Varied Coronet was good to see, an annual visitor here, as was the quite common for here, Luquetia lobella.

 

I got half a Light Arches which looked rather funny bless it (i've since had a complete one), and a dark Hawthorn Moth (Scythropia crataegella) was noteworthy as most are bright white here.

 

Even darker still was a cracking sooty-coloured Heart & Club. I get a few of these jet black variants, could it be due to the peat rich soil here in the fens? Probably not, but it sounds good! 

 

5 species of Hawk-moth was pleasing as well, headed by 13 Elephant Hawk-moths. 

 

I continue to run the trap, but i'll have a break tonight as it's a bit wild out there. 

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 299 species

31/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Beautiful Hook-tip 1 [NFY]
Clouded-bordered Brindle 1 [NFY]
Grey Pug 1 [NFY]
Light Arches 1 [NFY]
Pine Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Poplar Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Varied Coronet 1 [NFY]
Buff Ermine 1
Cinnabar 1
Clouded Silver 1
Common Pug 2
Common Swift 4
Common Wainscot 2
Double-striped Pug 1
Elephant Hawk-moth 13
Flame Shoulder 1
Green Carpet 1
Green Pug 1
Heart & Club 3
Heart & Dart 2
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Light Brocade 1
Light Emerald 1
Marbled Minor sp 5
Miller 1
Mottled Pug 1
Orange Footman 1
Pale Tussock 1
Peppered Moth 2
Privet Hawk-moth 1
Riband Wave 1
Rustic Shoulder-knot 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1
Sycamore 1
Turnip Moth 3
Vine's Rustic 1
V-pug 1
White Ermine 1
White-point 1
Willow Beauty 4

Micro Moths

Blastodacna hellerella 1 [NFY]
Chrysoteuchia culmella 1 [NFY]
Cydia fagiglandana 1 [NFY]
Cydia pomonella 1 [NFY]
Luquetia lobella 1 [NFY]
Scythropia crataegella 1 [NFY]
Aethes smeathmanniana 1
Celypha lacunana 1
Celypha striana 1
Epiphyas postvittana 3
Evergestis limbata 1
Neocochylis molliculana 3

Varied Coronet

Beautiful Hook-tip

Blastodacna hellerella

Clouded-bordered Brindle

Crambus pascuella

Cydia fagiglandana

Grey Pug

Heart & Club

Light Arches

Luquetia lobella

Pine Hawk-moth

 

End of May

After the warm and humid night of Friday, Saturday was still warm, but we rapidly lost the humid conditions, and it was very breezy. On paper, it didn't look worth it.

How wrong I was, with 40 species recorded (albeit half of the previous nights numbers).

Despite the gusty conditions, there were still 9 new ones for the year list, and a couple of pending species that will need dissecting.

Some big girls turned up, both Goat Moth and Leopard Moth, I was very pleased to get the Goat after not getting one last year although this could be to do with their extraordinary lifestyle whereby they stay as a caterpillar for upto 4 years!

Other goodies included Acrolepiopsis assectella, Mompha ochraceella and the stunning Netted Pug.

Things have started to get a bit quieter, but as I found out.. even in non-favourable weather, new species are still showing up in small numbers.

Only new for year species listed, as I ran out of time as it was a busy weekend.

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 287 species

31/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Goat Moth 1 [NFY]
Leopard Moth 1 [NFY]
Netted Pug 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Acrolepiopsis assectella 1 [NFY]
Clepsis consimilana 1 [NFY]
Eudonia pallida 1 [NFY]
Mompha ochraceella 1 [NFY]
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 1 [NFY]
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 1 [NFY]
Bryotropha sp 1 (TBC)
Phyllonorycter sp 1 (TBC)

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

Acrolepiopsis assectella

Bryotropha sp

Clepsis consimilana

Eudonia pallida

Goat Moth & Leopard Moth

Leopard Moth

Mompha ochraceella

Netted Pug

Phyllonorycter sp

 

Fantastic Friday

Friday night was an excellent night for the end of May in my garden, it was a warm one too with highs of 24 degrees and lows of 16 degrees, it couldn't get much better.

And indeed it didn't, with a record May tally of 80 species! Including 18 new species and two brand new species for the garden list, one of which was new for me.

The two new species were the gloriously marked Alder Kitten (completing the Kitten species now for the UK) and a rather smart Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta), a widespread and common species, just not in my garden it would appear.

 

These two crackers were backed up by local specialities such as Eucosma metzneriana, Crombrugghia distans and Silky Wainscot.

 

There is one Coleophora species that awaits dissection.

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 278 species

30/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Alder Kitten 1 [NFG] 
May Highflyer 2 [NFY]
Middle-barred Minor 1 [NFY]
Pretty Chalk Carpet 1 [NFY]
Silky Wainscot 1 [NFY]
Straw Dot 1 [NFY]
Brimstone Moth 2
Buff Ermine 1
Burnished Brass 1
Cinnabar 1
Clouded Silver 1
Common Carpet 1
Common Marbled Carpet 1
Common Pug 1
Common Swift 5
Common Wainscot 2
Coronet 1
Dark Arches 1
Elephant Hawk-moth 6
Figure of Eighty 1
Flame Shoulder 1
Garden Carpet 1
Green Pug 1
Heart & Club 1
Heart & Dart 5
Large Nutmeg 1
Large Yellow Underwing 2
Light Brocade 1
Light Emerald 1
Marbled Minor 12
Mottled Pug 2
Orange Footman 1
Riband Wave 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Small Dusty Wave 1
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1
Small Square-spot 2
Spectacle 1
Toadflax Brocade 1
Treble Lines 3
Turnip Moth 1
Vine's Rustic 1
White-spotted Pug 1
White-point 1
Willow Beauty 4

Micro Moths

Achroia grisella 1 [NFY] 
Blastobasis lacticolella 1 [NFY]
Borkhausenia fuscescens 1 [NFY] 
Celypha rosaceana 1 [NFY]
Crombrugghia distans 1 [NFY]
Ditula angustiorana 1 [NFY]
Epinotia bilunana 1 [NFY] 
Eucosma metzneriana 2 [NFY]
Euzophera pinguis 1 [NFY]
Evergestis limbata 1 [NFY]
Myelois circumvoluta 1 [NFG] 
Pyralis farinalis 1 [NFY]
Agapeta hamana 1
Anania hortulata 1
Argyresthia cupressella 3
Bryotropha terrella 1
Celypha striana 1 
Cochylis molliculana 1
Cochylis nana 1
Coleophora sp 1 TBC
Crambus lathoniellus 1
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Ephestia sp 2
Epiphyas postvittana 4
Eudonia angustea 1
Hedya pruniana 1
Homoeosoma sinuella 2
Lyonetia clerkella 1
Mompha subbistrigella 2
Monopis crocicapitella 1
Neocochylis molliculana 1
Notocelia trimaculana 1
Platyedra subcinerea 2
Plutella xylostella 1
Thyraylia nana 1

Silky Wainscot

Achroia grisella

Alder Kitten

Blastobasis lacticolella

Celypha rosaceana

Coleophora sp

Crombrugghia distans

Ditula angustiorana

Epinotia bilunana

Eucosma metzneriana

Euzophera pinguis

Myelois circumvoluta

 

A starter before the main course

A brief post about the moths on Thursday night, less species at around 45, but still it was nice to record some new species for the year, but things were about to get really good.

The most exciting thing was recording a further 3 Tinagma ocnerostomella, making it 4 over two nights, unbelievable.

The night was a little cooler and breezier but despite this, it was definitely worth running the trap.

Highlights were a garden first Coleophora laricella.

 

Sandy Carpet was pleasing seeing as I dipped on one last year.

 

Another visually identifiable Coleophora turned up, Coleophora albitarsella, and the first of many (usually dead by dawn) Acentria ephemerella, a sad little life of just one day in most cases of this strange water-born species.

The next day was set to be a warm day and night, it certainly went a bit mad as a result. 

 

New species only, listed below. 

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 260 species

29/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Sandy Carpet 1 [NFY]    

Micro Moths

Acentria ephemerella 2 [NFY]
Coleophora albitarsella 1 [NFY]    
Coleophora laricella 1 [NFG]
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana 1 [NFY]
Hedya nubiferana 1 [NFY]

Sandy Carpet

Acentria ephemerella

Coleophora albitarsella

Coleophora laricella

Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana

Hedya nubiferana

 

A big end of May catch & 3 new garden moths!

A absolutely incredible catch of moths on Wednesday night after a warm day, thick cloud rolled in and the temperature did not drop below 14 degrees all night. At midnight it was still 16c, and so the moths were back.

Still not huge numbers of anything, but the diversity always astounds me, with 69 species noted.

 

Before the night kicked off and well before dark, my boy spotted a moth on the french door, I ran over and saw that it was a large green Coleophora species (meaning that it was either trifoli or amethystinella) jumping back for a pot and under a hand lens it was confirmed as a garden first Coleophora amethystinella, with it's distinct orange eye coupled with orange eyelashes, superb! He now has 2 moths to his name in the garden that only he has found (Feathered Ranunculus being the other one). 

 

Dusk netting was hard work and I had to really be patient. Just 8 moths of 5 species was all I could muster over the hour, but two were new for the year which was nice.

 

of the 69 species, 18 were new for the year, and 3 of them were new records for the garden!

 

An overdue Paraswammerdamia caesiella was the 2nd, I get the copper-tinged pyrella annually in small numbers but it was nice to record another species from the family.

 

The best moth of the night was the rare and tiny Tinagma ocnerostomella, with it's fairly plain grey speckled wings and it's distinct 'Terminator' eye. The eye proved very hard to get a photograph of, and the moth was a nightmare itself to calm down, then I lost it! with just a pot photo gah.

 

The next night (last night) the trap was on again, and I couldn't believe it when I saw that it had came back! and then there was another, and 2 more. So I ended up with 4 over 2 nights. There is only one previous record in Cambs, although in neighbouring Suffolk, it is regular on the Brecks. 

 

On the macro front, a Minor was dissected as Rufous which is new for my garden, and a rarely seen Lychnis was very pleasing for here.

 

Best looking moth of the night went to the striking Recurvaria leucatella. 

 

After all that excitement, I needed a rest and postponed a field trip because of bad wind on Thursday night.

 

The current weather is warm and humid, perfect for some more new moths. 

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 254 species

28/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Cabbage Moth 1 [NFY]    
Heart & Club 1 [NFY]    
Lychnis 1 [NFY]    
Riband Wave 1 [NFY]    
Rufous Minor 1 [NFG]    
Bright-line Brown-eye 1    
Brimstone Moth 2    
Buff-tip 1    
Cinnabar 1    
Clouded Silver 4    
Common Carpet 2    
Common Swift 5    
Common Wainscot 1    
Elephant Hawk-moth 2    
Flame Shoulder 1    
Garden Carpet 1    
Green Carpet 1    
Green Pug 2    
Heart & Dart 1    
Light Brocade 2    
Large Nutmeg 1    
Light Emerald 2    
Marbled Minor 2    
Mottled Pug 1    
Pale Mottled Willow 1    
Pebble Hook-tip 1    
Pebble Prominent 1    
Peppered Moth 1    
Poplar Grey 1    
Rustic Shoulder-knot 1    
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1    
Spectacle 1    
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1    
Treble-bar 1    
Turnip Moth 3    
Waved Umber 1    
White-point 2    
Willow Beauty 3    

Micro Moths

Acompsia cinerella 1 [NFY]    
Argyresthia trifasciata 2 [NFY]    
Cedestis subfasciella 1 [NFY]    
Coleophora amethystinella 1 [NFG]    
Ephestia sp 1 [NFY]    
Eucosma cana 1 [NFY]    
Grapholita janthinana 1 [NFY] (netted)   
Grapholita tenebrosana 1 [NFY] (netted)    
Ostrinia nubilalis 1 [NFY]    
Pandemis cerasana 1 [NFY]     
Recurvaria leucatella 1 [NFY]    
Swammerdamia caesiella 1 [NFG]    
Tinagma ocnerostomella 1 [NFG]    
Agapeta hamana 1    
Alucita hexadactyla 1    
Anania hortulata 1    
Anthophila fabriciana 3 (netted)    
Aphomia sociella 3    
Argyresthia cupressella 2    
Bryotropha basaltinella 1 (netted)     
Caloptilia cuculipennella 1    
Coleophora sp 1    
Crambus lathoniellus 2    
Epiphyas postvittana 4    
Homoeosoma sinuella 1    
Mompha subbistrigella 2 (netted)    
Monopis crocicapitella 2    
Notocelia trimaculana 1    
Platyedra subcinerea 1    
Paraswammerdamia caesiella 1    
Plutella xylostella 1    

Riband Wave

Tinagma ocnerostomella

Acompsia cinerella

Cabbage Moth

Cedestis subfasciella

Coleophora amethystinella

Ephestia sp

Eucosma cana

Grapholita janthinana

Grapholita tenebrosana

Heart & Club

Lychnis

Ostrinia nubilalis

Recurvaria leucatella