A trio of small catches

Well it seemed like someone flicked the switch off labelled 'Moth Productivity' because in a week that I had off from moth recording, I went from 60 to 80 species a night, to as low as 25 to 45! Crazy.

Also variety has tailed off now, usually I expect this to happen mid August, but it's certainly happened a bit earlier in my garden.

This could well be due to the unsettled weather at the start of August (Normal school holiday weather). With showery outburts and gusty winds, nevertheless it has still been warm and humid even at 20 degrees.

 

Here are 3 nights of catches listing the new ones.

On the 31st and the 1st, catches were pretty rubbish, with temperatures dropping nearly into single figures. 

On the plus side, the only new ones on both of those nights were migrant moths. 

 

The 2nd of August was much better, with 40 odd species and with again, just the one new species for the year, but a Coleophora and Phyllonorycter were retained, the Phyllonorycter looks quite good for mespilella.

 

The weather continues to be rather unsettled and stormy for August, picking up as we continue through the week.

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 596 species

31/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths

Udea ferrugalis 1 [NFY]

 

01/08/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths

Nomophila noctuella 1 [NFY]

 

02/08/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths

Argyresthis semifusca 1 [NFY]

 

Udea ferrugalis

 

Yellow Shell

Agriphila tristella

Argyresthia semifusca

Coleophora vestianella

Nomophila noctuella

Phyllonorycter mespilella? tbc

Turnip Moth

Chippenham Fen - East Cambs - Field Trip - 25th July

A month had gone by since I had last ran traps at my local nature reserve.

A warm day with (hopefully) a warm night was chosen as the date, and as I rolled up to the gate and got out, the temperature difference between the air-con of the car and outside was significant, I knew at that moment it was going to be a good night.

With a clear night on the cards, normally I wouldn't bother. But the air mass was warm, there was no moon and the only breeze was like a warm hair-dryer. 

4 traps were set-up as the muggy conditions made it a sweaty job and the constant tickling from the hundreds of Mosquitoes was rather irritating.

That was only the start, the Hornets have started to appear at the traps along with the odd wasp, so care in potting them up for the evening and then releasing at the end was the best idea.

 

What a night it was though, with no less than 236 species recorded over 5 hours.

 

Best moth of the night is a probable Endothenia oblongana, a tiny little moth the same size as an ustulana with dark highlights along the yellow banding, I reckon it's certainly worth dissecting to make sure. It's a moth I haven't seen before.

Migrant moths were evident, particularly to the trap out in the open in the grassy field, two Small Mottled Willows the pick.

Some species that came in 2's, were different forms and great to see, Ear Moth, Pyrausta despicata & Pediasia contaminella showing the variation in one particular species.

 

Macro moth of the night went to a cracking Alder Kitten, my 2nd this year after adding it to the garden list a month or so ago.

Two fark Pugs were checked for White-spotted, both are Golden-rod Pug, a Pug that seems to be on the increase at the fen.

Two Reed Dagger's were a close second though, a male & female to the same actinic trap. 

 

What a night!

 

25/07/25 - Chippenham Fen - East Cambs - 1x 125w Trap, 1x 250w Robinson Trap, 1x 40w/22w Bucket Trap & 1x 160w MBT Trap

 

Macro Moths

Alder Kitten
Black Arches 
Bordered Beauty 
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Buff Footman 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Cloaked Minor 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Wave 
Common White Wave 
Copper Underwing 
Coronet
Coxcomb Prominent 
Currant Pug 
Dark Arches 
Dark Sword-grass 
Dark Umber 
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
Dingy Footman
Dingy Shell 
Double-striped Pug 
Drinker 
Dun-bar 
Dusky Sallow 
Dusky Thorn 
Ear Moth 2
Early Thorn 
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Fen Wainscot 
Flame Shoulder 
Ghost Moth 
Gold Spot 
Golden-rod Pug 2
Grey Dagger 
Gypsy Moth 
Haworth's Pug 
Hoary Footman 
Iron Prominent 
Knot Grass 
Large Emerald 
Large Twin-spot Carpet 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath 
Least Carpet 
Least Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Cream Wave 
Lesser Yellow Underwing 
Lime-speck Pug 
Lychnis 
Maiden's Blush 
Maple Prominent
Maple Pug 
Marbled Clover 
Marbled White-spot 
Mere Wainscot 
Miller
Nutmeg 
Oak Eggar 
Oak Processionary 
Pale Prominent 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Pebble Prominent 
Peppered Moth 
Pinion-streaked Snout 
Plain Pug 2
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Pretty Chalk Carpet 
Purple Bar 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Reed Dagger 2
Reed Leopard 
Riband Wave 
Rosy Footman 
Rosy Minor 
Round-winged Muslin 
Ruby Tiger 
Sallow Kitten 
Scalloped Oak 
Scarce Footman 
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Shaded Broad-bar 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Single-dotted Wave 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 2
Small Phoenix 
Small Rufous 100
Small Scallop 
Snout 
Spectacle 
Straw Dot 
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Twin-spotted Wainscot 
Uncertain 
Vapourer Moth 
Vine's Rustic 
White Satin 
White-point 
White-spotted Pug 
Willow Beauty 
Wormwood Pug
Yellow Shell 
Yellow-tail 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris comariana/laterana
Acleris variegana 
Acompsia cinerella 
Acrobasis advenella 
Acrolepia assectella
Adaina microdactyla 
Aethes rubigana 
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agonopterix ocellana 
Agriphila straminella 
Agriphila tristella 
Anacampsis blattariella/populella
Anania hortulata 
Anania lancealis 
Ancylosis oblitella 
Apotomis betuletana
Archips podana 
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia brockeella 
Argyresthia goedartella 
Bactra lancealana 
Blastobasis adustella
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Bucculatrix bechsteinella
Bucculatrix cidarella 
Caloptilia cuculipennella 
Caloptilia populetorum
Calybites phasianipennella
Cameraria ohridella 
Carcina quercana 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria falsella 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha rosaceana 
Celypha striana 
Chilo phragmitella 
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis consimilana 
Clepsis spectrana 
Cochylidia implicitana
Cochylidia rupicola
Cochylimorpha straminea 
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Coleophora hemerobiella 
Crambus perlella 
Crassa unitella 
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia splendana 
Dichrorampha simpliciana 
Dioryctria simplicella
Ditula angustiorana 
Elachista maculicerusella 
Emmelina monodactyla 
Emmetia marginea 
Endothenia ericetana
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana
Endothenia oblongana (TBC)
Endotricha flammealis 
Endrosis sarcitrella 
Epiblema foenella 
Epinotia nisella 
Epinotia ramella 
Epinotia tenerana 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Ethmia quadrilella 
Eucosma cana 
Eucosma conterminana 
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eucosma obumbratana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia pallida 
Euzophera pinguis 
Evergestis forficalis 
Evergestis pallidata
Grapholita funebrana 
Helycystogramma rufescens 
Hypsopygia glaucinalis 
Limnaecia phragmitella 
Lobesia abscisana 
Mompha subbistrigella 
Monopis weaverella 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nephopterix angustella
Nomophila noctuella 
Notocelia roborana 
Nymphula nitidulata
Oegoconia sp 
Orthotelia sparganella
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Pandemis corylana 
Pandemis heparana 
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 
Parornix sp 
Patania ruralis 
Pediasia contaminella 
Phalonidia manniana 
Phycita roborella 
Phyllonorycter stettinensis
Platyptilia gonodactyla
Plutella xylostella 
Ptherophorus pentadactyla 
Pyrausta aurata 
Pyrausta despicata 2
Pyrausta purpuralis 
Rhopobota naevana 
Rhyacionia buoliana
Scoparia subfusca 
Scrobipalpa costella 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Scrobipalpa sp
Sitochroa verticalis
Sorhagenia sp 
Spilonota ocellana 
Stenoptilia pterodactyla 
Teleiopsis diffinis
Tinea trinotella 
Udea lutealis
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Ypsolopha scabrella 
Zelleria hepariella
 

Trap at Dusk

Acleris laterana comariana

Alder Kitten

Caloptilia cuculipennella

Cochylidia implicitana

Cochylidia rupicola

Ear Moth

Ear Moth

Endothenia oblongana pos

Golden-rod Pug

Orthotelia sparganella

Pediasia contaminella

Pyrausta despicata

Pyrausta despicata

Reed Dagger

Small Mottled Willow

 

Last garden catch before a break

Previous to last night, I hadn't ran my trap since the 24th of July, a full week with no mothy action at all.

Last Thursday was quite a good night, but species and numbers were evidently tailing off as we come out of peak mothing season.

It was nice to get a Dog's Tooth, a regular moth here usually in early May, but missing out on the first brood this year.

A lovely fresh and early Acleris sparsana was nice to see, and a few more welcome small fry in the shape of Bryotropha domestica & Phyllonorycter trifasciella.

Another new species of grass moth was also present, clinging to an external egg tray, the first Agriphila tristella of the year. Amazingly I did not record this species last year in the garden.

 

6 new ones was pretty respectable for late July.

 

The next outing would be on the 31st. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 593 species

24/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Dog's Tooth 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Acleris sparsana 1 [NFY]
Agriphila tristella 1 [NFY]
Bryotropha domestica 1 [NFY]
Phyllonorycter trifasciella 1 [NFY]
Plutella porrectella 1 [NFY]

Plutella porrectella

Acleris sparsana

Agriphila tristella

Bryotropha domestica

Dog's Tooth

Least Yellow Underwing

Parapoynx stratiotata

Phyllonorycter trifasciella

 

Wells-next-the-Sea - Field Trip - 17/07/25

I made a trip to the north Norfolk coast with Leslie Gardiner back on the 17th of July.

It was a very warm day and the night ahead looked warm, even by the coast! Indeed it stayed lovely and mild, but we got gusty winds from the east about half an hour after dark, which hampered two of the traps that were positioned in the breeze. 

It didn't matter though, because the other two traps were absolutely heaving with moths, particularly Noctuid moths with many 10's of every type of Underwing.

When we arrived in thre car park, we walked down a track and came to a few open fields adjacent to the saltmarsh. We assessed the track and I decided to drive my car down the narrow bramble-laden track. There were no signs, so assume it was open access.

With 4 traps all running, it was time to sit back and have a drink and a chat.

Within 5 minutes of darkness, the best moth of the whole evening turned up, a cracking Ground Lackey, only the 2nd record for Norfolk, a female was found out of habitat in Norwich in 2013.

Other good moths included Garden Tiger, Crescent, Webb's Wainscot & Pediasis contaminella.

There were lots of Bactra, mostly fufurana and robustana (robustana is a new moth for me) and a couple of lancealana.  

3 Scrobipalpa species were retained, possibly two species and assuming both will be new species for me.

An excellent night with huge numbers of moths, but less species than expected. 

 

17/07/25 - Wells-next-the-Sea - North Norfolk - 1x 125w Trap, 1x 250w Robinson Trap, 1x 40w/22w Bucket Trap & 1x 160w Trap

Macro Moths 

Blood-vein
Broad-barred White
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Brown-line Bright-eye
Brown-tail
Brown-veined Wainscot
Buff Ermine
Buff Footman
Burnished Brass
Campion
Chinese Character
Cloaked Minor
Common Rustic
Common Wainscot
Copper Underwing
Crescent
Dark Arches
Dark Sword-grass
Dingy Footman
Dog's Tooth
Dotted Fan-foot
Double Square-spot
Drinker
Dun-bar
Dusky Sallow
Dusky Thorn
Ear
Elephant Hawk-moth
Fen Wainscot
Flame Shoulder
Garden Tiger
Gold Spot
Grey Dagger sp
Ground Lackey
Kent Black Arches
Knot Grass
Large Yellow Underwing
Latticed Heath
Least Carpet
Least Yellow Underwing
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Lesser Cream Wave
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Lesser-spotted Pinion
Lime-speck Pug
Lychnis
Marbled Clover
Mouse Moth
Nutmeg
Oak Eggar
Pebble Hook-tip
Peppered Moth
Phoenix
Poplar Hawk-moth
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Reed Dagger
Riband Wave
Rosy Minor
Rosy Rustic
Round-winged Muslin
Ruby Tiger
Rustic
Scalloped Oak
Shaded Broad-bar
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Silky Wainscot
Single-dotted Wave
Small Blood-vein
Small Dotted Buff
Small Fan-footed Wave
Smoky Wainscot
Southern Wainscot
Spectacle
Straw Dot
Tree-lichen Beauty
Turnip Moth
Twin-spotted Wainscot
Uncertain
Webb's Wainscot
White-point
White-spotted Pug
Willow Beauty
Wormwood Pug
Yellow-tail

 

Micro Moths

 

Acentria emphemerella
Acrobasis advenella
Agapeta hamana
Agdistis bennetii
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Agonopterix heracliana
Agonopterix subpropinquella
Agriphila straminella
Aproaerema anthyllidella
Bactra furfurana
Bactra lancealana
Bactra robustana
Blastobasis adustella
Blastobasis lacticolella
Blastodacna hellerella
Brachmia blandella
Calamotropha paludella
Calybites phasianipennella
Cameraria ohridella
Cataclysta lemnata
Catoptria falsella
Catoptria pinella
Celypha lacunana
Chilo phragmitella
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Clepsis consimilana
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Coleophora sp (TBC)
Crassa unitella
Dichrorampha simpliciana
Elachista canapennella
Endothenia quadrimaculana
Epiblema costipunctana
Epiblema foenella
Eucosma cana
Eucosma hohenwartiana
Eudonia mercurella
Eudonia pallida
Euzophera pinguis
Gelechiidae sp (TBC)
Grapholita janthinana
Helycystogramma rufescens
Limnaecia phragmitella
Lobesia abscisana
Mompha epilobiella
Neocochylis atricapitana
Neocochylis molliculana
Notocelia roborana
Pandemis heparana
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella
Patania ruralis
Pediasia contaminella
Phalonidia manniana
Phycita roborella
Phyllonorycter leucographella
Plutella xylostella
Ptherochroa inopiana
Rhopobota naevana
Ringed China-mark
Scoparia ambigualis
Scrobipalpa sp 3 (TBC)
Sitochroa verticalis
Spilonota ocellana
Stenoptilia pterodactyla
Udea prunalis
Yponomeuta evonynella
Yponomeuta rorrella
Ypsolopha scabrella
Zeiraphera isertana
Zelotherses paleana 

 

Wells-next-the-Sea

Agdistis bennetii

Bactra robustana

Busy Moth Trap Egg Tray

Crescent

Dog's Tooth

Garden Tiger

Ground Lackey

Scrobipalpa sp

Scrobipalpa sp

Scrobipalpa sp

Webb's Wainscot

 

Stalled

That's been it for a week now as we continue to have work done in our garden.

I'm hoping to run my garden trap on Thursday night, but that may be pushed back to Friday night.

 

Last Tuesday there was just one new for the year species, but it was a good one. Anania verbascalis with just a few county records.

Other notables included second examples for the year of Adaina microdactyla & Aethes smeathmanniana, both uncommon here.

Another Ancylosis oblitella was noteworthy, the third in a week.

 

Hoping to get out somewhere tomorrow night. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 587 species

22/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths 

 

Anania verbascalis 1 [NFY]

 

Ancylosis oblitella

Adaina microdactyla

Aethes smeathmanniana

Anania verbascalis

 

Less new ones, but a big WOW!

The weather started to cool down at the start of last week and although it was still pleasant by day, the nights lost the humidity and were coupled with breeze and sporadic rain showers.

On the 19th, species dipped to just above 50 overnight, with lots of repeats.

 

However, it only took one moth to be worth the early morning sort through, a fantastic Jersey Mocha! 

It was to be the 2nd county record for Cambridgeshire, with the 1st one recorded in 2019 in Stretham.

 

It is a moth i'm not very familiar with, having only ever seen one before in 2016, which was a county first for Hertfordshire with Ian Bennell nearly a decade ago.

It's most probable that it dispersed from a population along the south coast with brisk southerly winds in place, it could have also been a genuine migrant.

 

Two other species were new for the year, both have been regular this past week, they were Marbled Beauty & Oak Processionary. 

 

There was one more garden catch on a favourable night on the 22nd, and then that's it now until our patio is finished. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 586 species

19/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths 

 

Jersey Mocha 1 [NFG]

Marbled Beauty 1 [NFY]

Oak Processionary 1 [NFY]

Oak Processionary

Jersey Mocha

Marbled Beauty