All caught up

Finally caught up with my moth records.

This cooler spell has allowed a bit of much needed downtime, as it has been so chaotic these past few months!

I haven't run my trap much over the weekend, skipping Friday night and last night, as it was just too cool and breezy.

A little milder and calmer from now on, but nothing amazing. 

 

The new species have dried up a bit now, with just a smidgen of new ones.

 

Some nice variations of Cloaked Minor were nice to see, including a really white individual. 

 

A couple of common moths made their first appearances. Eucosma hohenwartiana is very late, usually appearing before the other regular 3 species that I see here. 

Saturday night yielded two 2nds for the year in the shape of a beautiful Cream-bordered Green Pea and the uncommon Dark Spinach.

Warming up once more as the week progresses, but bearable at the same time.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 618 species 

 

16/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths 

 

Agriphila tristella 1 [NFY]

Eucosma hohenwartiana 1 [NFY] 

 

18/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths

Clavigesta purdeyi 1 [NFY]

 

Agriphila tristella

Cloaked Minor

Eucosma hohenwartiana

Small Ranunculus

Dark Spinach

Cream-bordered Green Pea

Clavigesta purdeyi

 

 

 

 

Wicken Fen - Field Trip - 14th July

I made a return trip to Wicken Fen last week, and after a warm, but breezy day it was expected to just about hold up warm enough overnight.

16 degrees was to be the low, as I left the site at around 2am.

But... the wind did not seem to abate sadly.

 

Wicken Fen is obviously quite an open and flat site, so any breeze gets felt fully. 

Luckily there are some little nooks & crannies to tuck the traps into, just about enough to combat the howling breeze.

 

Numbers were well down compared with the previous effort, possibly due to the lower humidity levels.

 

Once again, it only takes a few species to make the late night and early mornings worth it.

 

For starters there were two new species for my records, one Macro I've been after for nearly 2 decades, the Wormwood, or what we previously called it, the Wormwood Shark (Remembered from Richard South volumes which I use to study meticulously at bedtime in my 20's). 

What a moth though! I did try for it at several known sites over the years, on the Essex coast, at Ashwell Quarry and at other seemingly suitable sites, but to no avail.

 

There are quite a few records for Cambridgeshire, spanning from 1961 to 2021, with 1 previous record from Wicken Fen exactly 20 years ago!

 

The second new species was a moth that is expanding its range, a beautiful looking Pyralid Uncinus obductella, which I sadly fumbled with out of the pot when I went to take a photo of it, drat! Thankfully I managed a few pot shots with my mobile phone, sadly they would have to suffice.

It is a new species for Wicken.

 

Other good moths included Clepsis spectrana, a stunning 'blushed' Cryptoblabes bistriga, Eudonia truncicolella, a cracking Waved Black (Never common) and an Ear Moth, showing the difference between the last Ear species we trapped (Which surely must be Saltern). 

 

The next heatwave we get? possibly early August? I hope to return. 

 

 

14/07/26 - Wicken Fen - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap & 1x 30w Led/Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches 
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Brown-line Bright-eye 
Brown-veined Wainscot 
Bulrush Wainscot 
Burnished Brass 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Chinese Character 
Cloaked Minor
Clouded Border 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Swift 
Copper Underwing 
Cream Wave 
Cream-bordered Green Pea 
Crescent 
Dark Arches 
Dark Umber 
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
Dewick's Plusia 
Dingy Footman
Dotted Fan-foot 
Double Lobed 
Drinker 
Dun-bar 
Dusky Sallow 
Dusky Thorn 
Dwarf Cream Wave
Ear Moth 
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Fen Wainscot 
Flame Shoulder 
Ghost Moth 
Gold Spot 
Grey Dagger 
Heart & Dart 
Iron Prominent 
Jersey Tiger 
July Highflyer 
Knot Grass 
Large Emerald 
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 
Mere Wainscot 
Mouse Moth 
Nutmeg 
Nut-tree Tussock 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Peppered Moth
Pinion-streaked Snout
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Purple Bar 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Reed Dagger 
Riband Wave 
Rosy Minor 
Rosy Rustic
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic
Sallow Kitten 
Satyr Pug 
Scalloped Oak 
Scarce Footman 
September Thorn 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Slender Pug 
Small Blood-vein 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Rufous 
Smoky Wainscot 
Southern Wainscot
Spectacle 
Straw Dot 
Swallow Prominent 
Turnip 
Twin-spotted Wainscot 
Waved Black
White-point 
Wormwood Pug
Wormwood Shark 
Yellow Shell 
Yellow-tail 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris variegana 
Acompsia cinerella  
Acrobasis suavella 
Adaina microdactyla 
Aethes cnicana 
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agonopterix arenella
Agonopterix ocellana 
Agonopterix purpurea 
Agonopterix subpropinquella 
Agriphila straminella 
Anania lancealis 
Ancylosis oblitella 
Apotomis lineana 
Aproaerema anthyllidella 
Archips podana 
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia brockeella 
Argyresthia goedartella
Aspila funebrana
Aspila janthinana 
Bactra furfurana 
Blastobasis adustella 
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Bryotropha affinis 
Bucculatrix albedinella 
Calamotropha paludella 
Caloptilia cuculipennella 
Caloptilia semifascia 
Carcina quercana 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha lacunana 
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis spectrana 
Cnephasia sp 
Cochylimorpha straminea 
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella 
Crambus pascuella 
Crambus perlella 
Crassa unitella 
Cryptoblabes bistriga
Cydia splendana 
Ditula angustiorana 
Donacaula forficella
Elachista maculicerusella 
Emmelina argoteles
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana
Endothenia quadrimaculana 
Endotricha flammealis 
Endrosis sarcitrella 
Epiblema foenella 
Epinotia nisella 
Ethmia quadrilella 
Eucosma campoliliana
Eucosma cana
Eucosma conterminana 
Eucosma obumbratana 
Eudemis profundana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia truncicolella
Euzophera pinguis 
Evergestis extimalis 
Evergestis limbata
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Limnaecia phragmitella 
Lobesia abscisana 
Mompha epilobiella 
Monochroa conspersella
Monopis crocicapitella 
Neocochylis atricapitana 
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nomophila noctuella 
Nymphula nitidulata
Oegoconia sp 
Oncocera semirubella 
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Pammene fasciana 
Pandemis dumetana 
Pandemis heparana 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Parornix sp 
Pediasia contaminella
Phalonidia manniana/udana 
Phycita roborella 
Pleuroptya ruralis 
Plutella xylostella 
Ptherochroa inopiana 
Pyralis farinalis 
Pyrausta purpuralis 
Sciota adelphella 
Scoparia subfusca 
Scrobipalpa acuminatella
Scrobipalpa costella 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Teleiodes vulgella 
Udea ferrugalis 
Uncinus obductella
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad 
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Zeiraphera isertana

 

Wormwood Shark

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Clepsis spectrana

Corixidae en masse

Cryptoblabes bistriga

Ear Moth

Epinotia nisella

Epinotia nisella

Eudonia truncicolella

Pinion-streaked Snout

Scrobipalpa acuminatella

Uncinus obductella

Waved Black

 

Wicken Fen - Field Trip - 09th July

I made a trip down to Wicken Fen on the 9th of July, and was joined by Mark Welfare whom was on a road trip down south, travelling from Northumberland.

It had been a very warm day with highs of 34 degrees and it was set to be a very mild night hovering just below 20 degrees by the time we were packing up, an almost tropical night.

We both setup traps in different areas to cover as much ground as we could.

Warm, humid and it didn't matter that the sky was clear because we had no bright moon to contend with and with a warm airflow, lows of 18c were expected by dawn. 

Unfortunately the wind was a bit gusty at times, and one of my traps was rather exposed to this, trays kept falling over, the groundsheet kept flicking up, and moths were scattering several metres beyond the trapping area, making it difficult to find them amongst the grass.

I ended up packing away by around 2.30am, Mark still had a few traps to go, but I had to shoot off because of work the next day. 

Mark continued to add extra species that didn't feature on my list and was exceptionally pleased to get the only Lappet of the night to his trap.

All in all Mark managed possibly over 20 new species for his records and drove home the next day happy indeed.

 

For me personally there were several star moths.

 

On the larger moth front I was well pleased with some of the scarcer species such as the (Not so common) Common Lutestring, plenty of Reed Dagger's, both forms of Brown-veined Wainscot and an Ear Moth species that stood-out to me.

I retained the specimen for a photograph and and comparing it to a Saltern Ear that I have taken on the North Norfolk coast before, it certainly looks spot on for that species.

 

The moth will be dissected and if correct would be the first record for Wicken Fen and possibly Cambridgeshire.

 

Another good find amongst the hundreds of moths crashing around the bulb was a small Blastobasis species.

On the night there was only one Blastobasis adustella, they hadn't really got going yet this early, so the other moth I potted up did not look right for this species.

Further investigation and comments from others have said that it is probably vittata, another possible new species for Wicken Fen!

 

Eupoecilia ambiguella, the Vine Moth was good to get again, and a much better conditioned specimen than my previous two.

The smallest but prettiest moth of the night went to the tiny 10mm Chrysoesthia drurella. Until you get a close-up of it, you cannot appreciate its true beauty.

 

259 species in total was excellent for just two intrepid trappers. 

 

I look forward to returning when we get another warm and settled evening. 

 

 

09/07/26 - Wicken Fen - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Clear MV Trap, 2x 125w MV Traps 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap, 1x Actinic Bucket Trap & 1x 30w Led Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches 
Bordered Beauty 
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Brown-line Bright-eye 
Brown-veined Wainscot 
Buff-tip 
Bulrush Wainscot 
Burnished Brass 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Chevron 
Clay
Cloaked Minor 
Clouded Border 
Common Carpet 
Common Emerald 
Common Footman 
Common Lutestring
Common Rustic 
Coronet
Cream-bordered Green Pea 
Crescent 
Dark Arches 
Dark Umber 
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
Dewick's Plusia 
Dingy Footman 
Dog's Tooth 
Dotted Fan-foot
Double Lobed 
Double Square-spot 
Drinker
Dun-bar 
Dusky Sallow 
Dusky Thorn
Dwarf Cream Wave
Ear sp (probable Saltern TBC)
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Fan-foot 
Fen Wainscot 
Ghost Moth 
Gold Spot 
Goat Moth
Grey Dagger 
Grey Pug 
Heart & Dart 
Iron Prominent 
Jersey Tiger
July Highflyer 
Kent Black Arches 
Knot Grass
Lappet 
Large Emerald 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath
Least Carpet 
Least Yellow Underwing 
Leopard Moth
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Yellow Underwing 
Lesser-spotted Pinion
Lime-speck Pug 
Lunar-spotted Pinion 
Magpie Moth 
Maple Pug 
Marbled Clover 
Mere Wainscot 
Mouse Moth 
Nut-tree Tussock 
Nutmeg
Oak Eggar 
Oak Hook-tip 
Pale Prominent 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Pebble Prominent 
Peppered Moth
Pine Carpet 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Reed Dagger
Reed Leopard 
Riband Wave 
Round-winged Muslin 
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic 
Scarce Footman 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Shaded Broad-bar 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Slender Pug 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Rufous 
Small Seraphim 
Smoky Wainscot 
Southern Wainscot 
Spectacle 
Straw Dot 
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Uncertain 
White Satin
White-spotted Pug 
Wormwood Pug 
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 

Acleris cristana
Acleris ferrugana/notana
Acleris forsskaleana
Acrobasis advenella
Acrobasis repandana 
Acrobasis suavella 
Adaina microdactyla 
Aethes cnicana
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Aglossa pinguinalis 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agonopterix arenella 
Agonopterix conterminella
Agonopterix kaekeritziana
Agonopterix nervosa 
Agonopterix propinquella 
Agonopterix purpurea 
Agonopterix subpropinquella 
Agriphila tristella 
Anacampsis blattariella/populella
Anania coronata 
Anania hortulata
Anania lancealis 
Anania perlucidalis 
Ancylis badiana
Ancylosis oblitella 
Aphomia sociella 
Apotomis capreana 
Apotomis lineana 
Aproaerema anthyllidella 
Archips podana 
Archips rosana 
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia goedartella 
Aspila janthinana 
Batia lunaris 
Batrachedra praengasta 
Blastobasis adustella 
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Blastobasis vittata
Brachmia blandella 
Bryotropha affinis 
Bryotropha basaltinella 
Bryotropha senectella
Bryotropha terrella 
Bucculatrix nigricomella 
Calamotropha paludella 
Caloptilia falconipennella
Caloptilia stigmatella 
Cameraria ohridella 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha striana 
Chilo phragmitella
Chrysoesthia drurella
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis dumetana
Clepsis spectrana
Cochylimorpha straminea
Cosmopterix lienigiella 
Crambus lathoniellus 
Crassa unitella 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia pomonella 
Cydia splendana 
Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana 
Dichrorampha simpliciana 
Ditula angustiorana 
Ectoedemia intimella
Elachista consortella
Elachista maculicerusella 
Elachista utonella
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endothenia ericetana 
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana
Endotricha flammealis 
Endrosis sarcitrella 
Epiblema foenella
Epinotia cruciana
Epinotia nisella
Ethmia quadrilella
Eucosma campoliliana 
Eucosma cana
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eucosma obumbratana 
Eudemis profundana 
Eudonia lacustrata 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia pallida 
Eupoecilia ambiguella
Euspilapteryx auroguttella
Euzophera pinguis 
Evergestis limbata 
Gelechia muscosella
Gelechia soroculala
Grapholita/Aspila janthinana
Gynnidomorpha alismana
Gypsonoma aceriana
Gypsonoma dealbana
Gypsonoma sociana 
Hedya salicella 
Helcystogramma rufescens
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Hypatima rhomboidella
Hypsopyqgia glaucinalis 
Limnaecia phragmitella
Mompha epilobiella 
Monochroa palustrellus
Nemapogon koenigi
Neocochylis atricapitana
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Niditinea fuscella/striolella
Nomophila noctuella 

Nymphula nitidulata
Opostega salaciella
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Pammene fasciana 

Pandemia dumetana
Pandemis heparana 
Parachronistis albiceps
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Patania ruralis 
Pediasia contaminella 
Phalonidia manniana/udana 
Phycita roborella 
Phyllonorycter comparella
Plutella xylostella 
Ptherochroa inopiana 
Pyralis farinalis 
Pyrausta aurata 
Pyrausta purpuralis 
Rhopobota naevana 
Schoenobius gigantella
Sciota adelphella 
Scoparia subfusca 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Spilonota ocellana
Stathmopoda pedella
Thiotricha subocellea
Tinea columbariella 
Tinea pellionella
Tinea trinotella 
Vitula biviella
Yponomeuta evonynella
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Zeiraphera isertana

Thiotricha subocellea

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Acleris hastiana

Agonopterix kaekeritziana

Blastobasis vittata

Bulrush Wainscot

Chrysoesthia drurella

Common Lutestring

Ear Moth sp

Ectoedemia intimella

Epiblema costipunctana

Eupoecilia ambiguella

More catches to catch up on

Whilst the weather remained warm and dry (sadly a bit too dry now as we haven't had rain for nigh on a month now here in the East), the weather turned rather unseasonably windy and a little chilly towards dawn on some nights over the weekend and into this current working week.

Catches have decreased as a result, and new species have slowed to a crawl. This is expected as so many species have already turned up 2 to 3 weeks early this year. 

Below are the highlights of 3 recent catches as It's been a stupidly busy week I am keeping it brief.

Best moths included Plain Pug (2nd garden record), my 2nd Depressaria chaerophylli of the year, a 2nd brood of Dog's Tooth, the uncommon Peach Blossom, and the even scarcer Agriphila inquinatella.

Platytes alpinella was a new garden moth, a moth associated with coastal areas but can wander inland, sadly just a phone picture as I lost it using my camera!

A cool East wind is now blowing into the garden, so the evenings aren't ideal.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 615 species 

 

10/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Lesser Common Rustic 1 [NFY] 

Plain Pug 1 [NFY]

Small Emerald 1 [NFY]

 

 

12/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Peach Blossom 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Platytes alpinella 1 [NFG]

 

 

13/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap 

Macro Moths

  

Twin-spotted Wainscot 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Agriphila inquinatella 1 [NFY]

 

 

Depressaria chaerophylli

Garden Dart

Lesser Common Rustic

Limnaecia phragmitella

Plain Pug

Scrobipalpa atriplicella

Small Emerald

Platytes alpinella

Peach Blossom

Twin-spotted Wainscot

Agriphila inquinatella

Some more new species for the year

More moths and another good catch, with the previous nights moths emptied down the road, it was nearly a completely new set of species (Bar the common ones, Leopards, flammealis, Least Carpets all still going strong). 

New species are slowly tailing off now as we approach mid-summer, a lot of species are already finishing or may go for either 2nd or a 3rd brood dependant on species, especially if this warm weather continues. But we desperately need some rain!

Amongst the macros, Mouse Moth was extremely early, and my earliest garden record by 2 weeks.

During the day, a cracking Raspberry Clearwing came to the TAB lure, probably the last Clearwing species this year I guess?

We keep the warm weather, but it is slightly more bearable now thank goodness. 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 609 species 

 

09/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Dark Sword-grass 1 [NFY]

Dusky Thorn 1 [NFY]

Mouse Moth 1 [NFY]

Raspberry Clearwing 1 [NFY] 

 

Micro Moths

Coleophora conspicuella 1 [NFY]

Dioryctria abietella 1 [NFY]

 

Scoparia sp

Acleris literana

Coleophora conspicuella

Dark Sword-grass

Dusky Thorn

Mouse Moth

Raspberry Clearwing