Smouldering

Absolutely roasting out there, with days still topping out at the high twenties. 

Saturday night saw lows of 17 degrees, another warm night and a huge amount of species once more, especially for my garden.

Buff Footman was very pleasing, a seemingly uncommon moth in these parts for me. I haven't seen one since 2023 in my garden, this record representing only my 2nd garden record! Out and about I've seen it only in singles at most sites. 

 

The reedbed micro Donacaula forficella was also only me 2nd garden record, despite being surrounding by fenland.  

 

Haplotinea insectella returned from last years first garden record, a moth on the increase? It is much larger than it's similar genus, Niditinea, and races around a pot typical of many Tineidae.  

 

Bu day, the SAL lure intended for the enigmatic Sallow Clearwing, scored a hit! A new moth for me and separated from Currant Clearwing by the yellow ventral area behind the head.

It is the 9th Clearwing species to be recorded in my garden to date. 

 

An odd larger pale Eucosma was retained, which superficially looks good for fulvana, we shall see. 

 

Warm nights continued, the adjective relentless springs to mind! 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 576 species 

 

04/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Buff Footman 1 [NFY]

Jersey Tiger 1 [NFY] 

Sallow Clearwing 1 [NFG] (To SAL Lure)

Yellow-tail 1 [NFY] 

 

Micro Moths

Batrachedra praeangusta 1 [NFY]

Dichrorampha simpliciana 1 [NFY] 

Donacaula forficella 1 [NFY] 

Haplotinea insectella 1 [NFY] 

Pyrausta purpuralis 1 [NFY] 

Eucosma sp pos fulvana 1  

 

Batrachedra praeangusta

Buff Footman

Sallow Clearwing

Dichrorampha simpliciana

Donacaula forficella

Eucosma sp pos fulvana

Haplotinea insectella

Jersey Tiger

Pyrausta purpuralis

 

July starts, another hot month on the cards?

Well July is typically warmer than June, so we will see!

 

It certainly has started very warm here in the east, with most days above 25 degrees, in fact some days touching the high twenties and this week we are into the 30's again!

 

Last Wednesday it was another really good catch (This is slowly getting boring to type the same thing). 

It is absolutely crazy to have been recording moths for 20 years, and having never experienced such high overnight temperatures for so long.

 

A further 2 new for garden species were found.

 

The first certainly blew me away, as I went out to check the trap and surrounding egg trays, I was astounded by this huge brown moth, only eclipsed in wing length by a Privet Hawk-moth, a huge female Lappet! 

By the looks of it, she had only just arrived, so I raced indoors for a big enough pot and my phone to take an in situ shot.

 

The second species was an equally impressive county first Depressaria species. These are a tricky bunch to differentiate and so it will need to be dissected to tell whether it is douglasella or pulcherrimella, either way there are currently no county records for either! 

I'm favouring douglasella, and hoping it is as I have taken pulcherrimella in France before.

 

There were also two new for year Pug species and a stunning tiny Acrocercops brongniardella, which was very hard to photograph in the heat!

 

By day, two Pammene aurita were attracted to the TAB lure (They often favour the LUN lure I've found).

 

More warm weather coming up.

 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 566 species 

 

01/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Lappet 1 [NFG]

Maple Pug 1 [NFY] 

Slender Pug 1 [NFY] 

 

Micro Moths

Acrocercops brongniardella 1 [NFY]

Cochylidia heydeniana 1 [NFY] 

Depressaria douglasella/pulcherrimella 1 [NFG] 

Pammene aurita 2 [NFY] 

 

Acrocercops brongniardella

Cochylidia heydeniana

Depressaria douglasella/pulcherrimella

Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana

Garden Moth Trap

Lappet

Maple Pug

Monochroa lucidella

Pammene aurita

Slender Pug

 

Two additions to the garden list

Running a week behind currently as It's been a busy week last week, never really getting round to posting about moths!

Last Monday the trap was again pretty busy, and many species were observed including several quite scarce species.

Common species at the moment are numbering ridiculous.

Top 5 species currently are..

Least Carpet - 100+ most night 

Endotricha flammealis - 50+ most nights

Leopard Moth - 40+ most nights

Chrysoteuchia culmella - 40+ most nights

Various Yponomeuta species - 30+ most nights

 

Top moths included 

Apotomis lineana - 2nd garden record and first recorded on the 12th July 2022.

Garden Dart - Not a common moth by any means, 4th for the garden.

Gilmeria pallidactyla - New for garden surprisingly, the Yarrow Plume.

Plumed Fan-foot - First appeared in my garden in 2024, and year on year has become more regular, both a male and a female present to the trap on Monday night.

Round-winged Muslin - New for garden and expected eventually as I take it at the local fens on a yearly basis.

Tree-lichen Beauty - My first garden June record of this species. A species I still associate with August!

 

Still warm and the nights are a little cooler, but that was about to change as we came into the 2nd week of July. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 559 species 

 

29/06/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Drinker 1 [NFY]

Garden Dart 1 [NFY]

Mere Wainscot 1 [NFY]

Plumed Fan-foot 2 [NFY]

Round-winged Muslin 1 [NFG]

Tree-lichen Beauty 1 [NFY] 

Micro Moths

Apotomis lineana 1 [NFY]

Aroga velocella 1 [NFY] 

Gillmeria pallidactyla 1 [NFG] 

Mompha epilobiella 1 [NFY] 

 

Tree-lichen Beauty

Apotomis lineana

Aroga velocella

Drinker

Garden Dart

Gillmeria pallidactyla

Mere Wainscot

Mompha epilobiella

Plumed Fan-foot

Round-winged Muslin

 

Still catching up

A quieter night on the 28th of June, despite a warm day and a warm night, I say quieter.. there were still over 60 species present.

As the summer progresses, the new species for the year will inevitably slow down. Everything has been remarkably early with all this warm weather and Common Rustics and Tree-lichen Beauties have been on the wing already this year.

15 years ago these species were more associated with a mid to late July catch, peaking in August.

 

Highlights of the night included the Brown Plume, Stenoptilia pterodactyla, fairly scarce in my garden with only a couple of records.

Dark Spectacle is always nice to see, the scarcer of the two googly-eyed customers.

 

Oncocera semirubella was another uncommon visitor, sadly well past its best.

 

During the day a Six-belted Clearwing came to its own lure which was nice.

 

It has been a little quiet for Clearwings in my garden this year. 

 

The nights stayed warm right up until the 2nd of July, with a little blip the temperatures fell away so a night off was needed, back on it tonight though.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 549 species 

 

28/06/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Dark Spectacle 1 [NFY]

Six-belted Clearwing 1 [NFY]

Small Rivulet 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Oncocera semirubella 1 [NFY]

Phyllonorycter geniculella 1 [NFY] 

Schoenobius gigantella 1 [NFY] 

Stenoptilia pterodactyla 1 [NFY] 

 

Stenoptilia pterodactyla

Dark Spectacle

Oncocera semirubella

Phyllonorycter geniculella

Schoenobius gigantella

Six-belted Clearwing

Small Rivulet

 

2026 - The year that will go down in mean temperature history

The temperature at night has been consistently good for as long as I can remember, maybe 2 months now? 

Generally, even in the warmer months you get the odd cool and miserable night where trapping just isn't worth the effort.

I have had the odd night off here and there due to either commitments or sheer tiredness, but it really has been so good with warm temperatures, that the moths have been rather relentless at times.

 

Numbers wise, only a few certain species have done really well. Currently they are the Yponomeuta group, Endotricha flammealis, Common Footman, Leopard Moth and Least Carpet.

 

Least Carpet most nights recently, have numbered into the 3 figure mark with a peak of 129 over the weekend.

 

It certainly was a night of aggs as we refer to them, not aggs as in 'aggravation' or even 'agg' as they commonly said on TOWIE.

 

Aggregate - A moth species that is lumped together due to the necessity for dissection to separate to species level.

 

There were 3 that fell into that category, but until I either get serious and/or have time to dissect them, then they will stay as aggregates.  

 

Aside from those quandaries, there were lots and lots of other moths that I could put a name to, in fact 17 new species for the year was rather more than I was expecting amongst 80 species in total.   

 

The warmth continued. 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 542 species 

 

27/06/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

  

Common Wave 1 [NFY]

Common Rustic 1 [NFY]

Dusky Sallow 1 [NFY] 

Large Twin-spot Carpet 1 [NFY] 

Slender Brindle 1 [NFY] 

Small Ranunculus 1 [NFY] 

White-line Dart 1 [NFY] 

Micro Moths

Aethes tesserana 1 [NFY]

Anacampsis blattariella/populella 1 [NFY]

Aproaerema larseniella/cinctella 1 [NFY] 

Batrachedra pinicolella/confusella 1 [NFY]

Bryotropha senectella 1 [NFY]

Cnephasia longana 1 [NFY] 

Crombrugghia distans 1 [NFY] 

Gelechia senticetella 1 [NFY] 

Scoparia subfusca 1 [NFY] 

Scythris limbella 1 [NFY] 

 

Common Wave & Common White Wave

Gelechia senticetella

Scoparia subfusca

Scythris limbella

Small Ranunculus

White-line Dart

Aethes tesserana

Bryotropha senectella

Caloptilia honoratella

 

Ditton Park Wood - Field Trip - 26th June

Well, where do I start...

I returned to one of very few large woods in East Cambs, right on the border with West Suffolk, in fact you have to drive through Suffolk to get to it.

This wood has been very hit and miss for me over the years, and on the last trip it did not fare too good, although it was a bit breezy and cool a few hours in.

Last Friday the weather looked absolutely perfect, with massive highs of 37 degrees and with lows expected in the region of 22-24 degrees, it couldn't get much better.

In all honesty, it was ridiculous, to a point where I could barely get near the traps for fear of inhaling a moth snack, being so warm everything was super active and it made picking out certain species nigh on impossible.

Early doors, I missed a lovely pied form of Pseudosciaphila branderiana, but luckily did nab a darker form later on at one of the less busy traps.

I then fumbled potting up a county first Acleris umbrana!! ARGH, the one that got away so cannot count it, a new moth for me as well.

I must have missed loads, and typing up each new species as it came in was hard to keep up with at one point.

Best moth of the night that I actually managed to keep hold of was, what appears to be a Choristoneura species in the region of diversana/lafauryana. Certainly a new moth for me and is retained for dissection. 

Other good moths included Olive, Shaded Fan-foot, Pseudosciaphila branderiana, Psoricoptera gibbosella and Eudemis porphyrana.

It was rather exhausting and as I quote the late Don Down, 'There's now too many moths'. 

More field trips when my sleep catches up a bit! 

 

26/06/26 - Ditton Park Wood - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap & 1x 30w Led Trap

Macro Moths

Beautiful Golden Y 
Beautiful Hook-tip 
Black Arches 
Blood-vein 
Blue-bordered Carpet 
Bright-line Brown-eye
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Brown Scallop 
Buff Arches 
Buff Ermine
Buff Footman 
Buff-tip 
Chinese Character 
Clouded Border 
Clouded Brindle 
Common Footman 
Common Swift 
Common Wave 
Common White Wave 
Dark Arches
Dotted Fan-foot 
Double Lobed
Double Square-spot 
Drinker 
Dun-bar 
Dwarf Cream Wave 
Early Thorn 
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Engrailed 
Flame
Fan foot 
Gold Swift 
Green Pug 
Grey Dagger 
Heart & Dart
Herald 
July Highflyer 
Kent Black Arches
Large Emerald 
Large Twin-spot Carpet 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath 
Least Carpet 
Leopard Moth 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Lobster Moth 
Lunar-spotted Pinion
Lunar Yellow Underwing 
Maple Pug 
Marbled Minor 
Marbled White-spot 
Minor Shoulder-knot 
Mottled Beauty 
Mottled Rustic
Oak Hook-tip 
Olive
Pale Oak Beauty 
Pale Prominent 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Privet Hawk-moth
Riband Wave 
Rosy Footman
Ruby Tiger 
Rufous Minor 
Rustic
Scarlet Tiger 
Short-cloaked Moth 
Silver Y
Single-dotted Wave 
Slender Pug 
Small Dotted Buff 
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 
Small Emerald 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow
Smoky Wainscot 
Snout
Southern Wainscot 
Straw Dot 
Swallow-tailed Moth 
Uncertain 
Vapourer Moth 
V-pug 
Willow Beauty
Yellow Shell 
Yellow-tail 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris forskalleana 
Acrobasis repandana 
Agapeta hamana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Agonopterix heracliana 
Agonopterix liturosa
Agriphila straminea 
Anacampsis populella
Anarsia innoxiella 
Ancylis achatana 
Aphomia sociella 
Apotomis capreana
Apotomis turbidana
Archips crataegana 
Archips podana 
Archips rosana 
Archips xylosteana 
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia brockeella 
Argyresthia goedartella 
Argyresthia pruniella 
Argyresthia retinella
Athrips mouffetella
Batia lunaris 
Batrachedra praengasta 
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Blastodacna hellerella 
Borkhausenia fuscescens
Brachmia blandella 
Calamotropha paludella 
Caloptilia falconipennella 
Caloptilia semifascia 
Cameraria ohridella 
Carcina quercana 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha rosaceana 
Choristoneura diversana/lafauryana pos
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis consimilana 
Cnephasia sp 
Crambus lathoniellus 
Crambus perlella 
Crassa unitella 
Cydia inquinatana
Ditula angustiorana 
Eidophasia messingiella
Elachista adscitella
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana 
Endotricha flammealis
Epagoge grotiana 
Epinotia solandriana
Epinotia tenerana 
Eucosma cana 
Eudemis porphyrana
Eudemis profundana 
Eudonia lacustrata 
Eudonia mercurella 
Euzophera pinguis 
Evergestis limbata 
Gelechia sororculella
Grapholita janthinana 
Gypsonoma dealbana 
Gypsonoma sociana
Hedya nubiferana 
Hedya pruniana
Hedya salicella 
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Hypsopyqgia costalis 
Lathyronympha strigana
Monochroa cytisella
Notocelia uddmanniana 
Olindia schumacherana
Ostrinia nubilalis
Pammene fasciana 
Pammene regiana 
Pandemis cerasana 
Pandemis heparana 
Parachronistis albiceps
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 
Parornix sp 
Patania ruralis 
Phalonidia manniana 
Phycita roborella 
Plutella xylostella
Pseudosciaphila branderiana
Psoricoptera gibbosella
Psyche casta (Male)
Recurvaria nanella 
Rhopobota naevana 
Scoparia ambigualis 
Scoparia basistrigalis 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Spilonota ocellana 
Teleiodes luculella 
Tortrix viridana 
Triaxomasia caprimulgella
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad 
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Ypsolopha parenthesella 
Ypsolopha sequella 
Zeiraphera isertana

Triaxomasia caprimulgella

30w Led Trap

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Agonopterix liturosa

Anacampsis populella

Caloptilia falconipennella

Choristoneura diversana pos

Eudemis porphyrana

MOTHS!

Lunar-spotted Pinion

Olive

Pseudosciaphila branderiana

Psoricoptera gibbosella

Shaded Fan-foot