Cranwich Camp - Field Trip - 25th July

Leslie and I made a drive up to nearby Norfolk at the weekend to run some traps on the edge of Cranwich Heath.

An interesting area of mainly pine woodland with an interesting array of  under-storey and with fields of wildflowers it really is a rather unspoilt area that usually throws up some lovely species, some that just don't feature here in Cambs.

 

We set-up 4 traps spread around and all out of sight of one another. 

It had been a breezy but very warm day with highs of 30 degrees, the wind was set to abate by night fall.

 

Unfortunately this was not the case, and a couple of hours in, it got stronger! 2 traps were packed up that were being rattled by the strong breeze.

The trap exposed to the west wind was the worst, with only a handful of moths inside after 2 hours!

The larger 250w trap faired so much better, and the little led trap did ok too, so we ran them in tandem until 1am, then followed by a slow pack up.  

 

Some great moths were seen, Clouded Magpie, Dotted Clay, Sharp-angled Carpet and several scarce micros as well.  

 

There were two new micro moths potted up that are new for my records, Chionodes distinctella & Scrobipalpa artemisiella, the latter quite scarce indeed and separated by its tiny size.  

 

Two stunning Geos were great to get photographs of as well, the Spruce Carpet was a particularly bold marked example. 

 

Despite the challenging conditions and the insane amounts of ants (flying and crawling varieties) we amassed 185 species. 

 

 

25/07/26 - Cranwich Camp - South Norfolk - 2x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap & 1x 30w Led/Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches
Blackneck 
Bright-line Brown-eye
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-barred White 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Buff Ermine 
Buff Footman 
Burnished Brass 
Cabbage Moth 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Clay Triple-lines 
Cloaked Minor
Clouded Magpie 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Wainscot 
Copper Underwing 
Coronet 
Dark Arches 
Dark Spinach 
Dark Sword-grass 
Dark Umber 
Dingy Footman
Dotted Clay 
Double-striped Pug 
Drinker 
Dun-bar 
Dusky Thorn 
Ear Moth
Fen Wainscot 
Flame Shoulder 
Green Silver-lines 
Grey Dagger 
Gypsy Moth 
Large Emerald 
Large Twin-spot Carpet
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath
Least Carpet 
Lesser-spotted Pinion 
Lychnis 
Maiden's Blush 
Maple Prominent 
Marbled Clover
Marbled Minor 
Mottled Beauty
Nutmeg 
Nut-tree Tussock 
Oblique Striped 
Peppered Moth 
Poplar Grey 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Riband Wave 
Rosy Footman 
Rosy Minor 
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic 
Satin Wave 
Scalloped Oak 
Scarce Footman 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Sharp-angled Carpet
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Small Angle Shades 
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Rivulet 
Small Rufous 
Small Scallop 
Spectacle 
Spruce Carpet
Straw Dot
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tawny-barred Angle 
Tawny-speckled Pug 
Toadflax Pug 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Twin-spotted Wainscot 
Uncertain 
White-line Dart 
White-point
Wormwood Pug 
Yellow Shell

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris forskalleana 
Acleris laterana 
Acompsia cinerella 
Acrobasis advenella 
Acrobasis suavella 
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agriphila inquinatella 
Agriphila selasella
Agriphila straminella 
Aleimma loeflingiana 
Anania hortulata 
Aproaerema anthyllidella
Aproaerema cinctella/larseniella 
Argyresthia bonnetella
Argyresthia goedartella 
Aristotelia ericinella
Aroga velocella
Assara terebrella
Bactra furfurana 
Blastobasis adustella
Bryotropha senectella 
Bryotropha terrella 
Bucculatrix ulmella 
Caloptilia alchimiella/robustella 
Carcina quercana 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria falsella 
Catoptria pinella
Celypha rosaceana 
Chionodes distinctella
Clepsis consimilana 
Cochylidia implicatana
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Crambus pascuella 
Crambus perlella 
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia amplana 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia splendana 
Dichomeris alacella 
Dichrorampha simpliciana 
Dioryctria abietella 
Dioryctria simpliciella 
Ditula angustiorana 
Donacaula mucronella 
Elachista poae
Elophila nymphaeata
Emmelina monodactyla 
Emmetia marginea 
Endothenia gentianeana/marginana 
Endotricha flammealis 
Ephestia sp 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Ethmia quadrillella 
Eucosma cana 
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia truncicolella
Euspilapteryx auroguttella
Evergestis forficalis 
Evergestis limbata 
Galleria mellonella
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Homoeosoma nebulella 
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Metalampra italica 
Mompha epilobiella 
Monopis laevigella 
Musotima nitidalis 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Oncocera semirubella 
Oxyptilus distans
Pandemis corylana 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Patania ruralis 
Pediasia contaminella 
Phycita roborella 
Pyrausta despicata 
Rhyacionia buoliana
Scrobipalpa artemisiella
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Sorhagenia sp
Spilonota ocellana
Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
Teleiopsis diffinis 
Thyraylia nana 
Udea ferrugalis 
Ypsolopha scabrella 
Zeiraphera isertana 
Zelleria hepariella

 

Spruce Carpet

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Argyresthia bonnetella

Aroga velocella

Chionodes distinctella

Clay Triple-lines

Dotted Clay

Elachista poae

Scrobipalpa artemisiella

Sharp-angled Carpet

 

Warm and busy nights

Some really warm nights are now upon us, although Sunday night I had a much needed rest from it all, as the temperature fell away to 14 degrees so not ideal.

Come Monday and it was another warm night with minimums of 17 degrees, if a little breezy at times, but with 20 degrees at midnight it was worth running the trap once more.

A good selection of species was observed and some scarcer second records of the year for certain species of micro moths.

There were 3 new ones for the year, two of them were tiny specks of colourful dust, Phyllocnistis saligna & Phyllonorycter stettinensis, Willow and Alder feeders respectively.  

The Phyllonorycter stettinensis was new for the garden, the 28th new micro moth this year.

 

The third new species for the year was the lovely Evergestis extimalis. 

Scythris limbella was good to see again, and since I’ve had a further 2 last night so that is 4 for the year so far. 

A third Cydia amplana was good to record also, a once scarce immigrant to our shores, it seems quite regular this year for a lot of southern folk.

More good mothing conditions on the way!

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 634 species 

 

27/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgesshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths

Evergestis extimalis 1 [NFY] 

Phyllocnistis saligna 1 [NFY]

Phyllonorycter stettinensis 1 [NFG] 

 

Scythris limbella

Bactra furfurana

Calamotropha paludella

Cydia amplana

Evergestis extimalis

Phyllocnistis saligna

Phyllonorycter stettinensis

 

Mega Migrant!

The only new species for the year on Saturday night was just a casual Eastern Bordered Straw :o what a moth, one I was really hoping for (This or Ni Moth).

I found it by sheer chance. I got back home after a field trip at 2.30am, and started to pack up the trap. It had been very breezy all night and there were only a few moths which was disappointing considering it was still 18 degrees.

I had already potted a mint Lychnis for a photograph the next day, not new for year but a cracking example, then as I reached over to unplug the trap, there it was! Sorry Lychnis but you had to go... 

 

Now that we've had a little bit of rain last night and this morning, I would hope that numbers might pick up again? We shall see.  

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 631 species 

 

25/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Eastern Bordered Straw 1 [NFG] 

 

Eastern Bordered Straw

Another new garden moth

Another good catch on Friday night, still around 40 species so not too bad at all. 

Big hitters are currently Turnip Moth, Nutmeg, Common Wainscot and unbelievably Small Mottled Willow, which is still up there with the common moths! If you asked me last year that Small Mottled Willows will become common next year, I would have laughed!

As with mothing, it only really takes one moth to make lighting up worthwhile.

Yponomeuta plumbella was a new species for the garden, a tiny little white moth picked out amongst the 10's of other Yponomeuta species. This is probably the main reason why it stays an uncommon species, as apart from the dark dots on each wing, they aren't that easy to tell apart, especially at night.

The first July record of Square-spot Rustic was also noteworthy.

The rain was coming, but just how much were we going to get? 

 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 630 species 

24/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Square-spot Rustic 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

 

Coleophora hemerobiella 1 [NFY]

Yponomeuta plumbella 1 [NFG] 

 

Yponomeuta plumbella

Coleophora hemerobiella

Galleria mellonella

Square-spot Rustic

Migrant micros reach my garden

Some decent migrant micro moths reached my humble abode on Thursday night, with 2x Cydia amplana which are only the 2nd & 3rd garden records, and an extremely tiny tortrix, Crocidosema plebejana which is new for my garden and was very lively indeed, almost losing it once amongst the stubble in the garden.

The two Cydia's were remarkably different and great to see the colour variation that can occur.

Two scarcer micros for my garden also showed their faces, Monopis weaverella & Pandemis corylana. I get stacks of Monopis laevigella, but struggle to tick the other off every year.

Then there is corylana, the Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix that sometimes doesn't even turn up in a year! Very strange for two common moths.

Not to leave out the macros, luckily one made it on the year list, a Small Rufous.

Warm but some nights have been a little cooler towards the back end of the week.

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 627 species 

 

23/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Small Rufous 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

 

Crocidosema plebejana 1 [NFG]

Cydia amplana 2 [NFY] 

Pandemis corylana 1 [NFY]

Monopis weaverella 1 [NFY] 

 

Small Rufous

Crocidosema plebejana

Cydia amplana

Cydia amplana

Monopis weaverella

Pandemis corylana

 

Back to back Clyps

Last night it was a little warmer and calmer, but with a slight breeze still coming from the east coast.

Lows of 15.8c was decent enough for the time of year and highs of around 26 degrees during the daytime.

Less species than the previous night, but some more quality.

Firstly my 2nd garden record of Bordered Straw was sitting proudly on the underside of one of my external egg trays, more than enough reason to always put egg trays around the outside of your trap! If you don't currently do it... do it tonight!

The last one I saw in 2022, a sporadic migrant that has good years and bad years, much like its congener the Scarce Bordered Straw.

 

Tawny-speckled Pug was the 2nd new for year species, and staying on the pug front, a White-spotted was nice to see, having had a 3 month hiatus. 

Coleophora clypeiferella was recorded again! 2 in 2 nights and pretty special to say the least, specimen checked to confirm.

Other good returning micros included Dioryctria simplicella & Nephopterix angustella.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 622 species 

 

22/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Bordered Straw 1 [NFY]

Tawny-speckled Pug 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

 

Coleophora clypeiferella 1

Dioryctria simplicella 1

Nephopterix angustella 1

 

White-spotted Pug

Bordered Straw

Coleophora clypeiferella

Dioryctria simplicella

Nephopterix angustella

Tawny-speckled Pug

 

Latest garden catch

Last night it was a little milder and with a bit of cloud cover and no wind, surely it would be a good night?

Well yes and no. Species-wise not too bad at all with a healthy 61 species and a smattering of all of the common migrants which included Silver Y, Plutella xylostella, Udea ferrugalis & Nomophila noctuella.

Numbers were pretty terrible though, and things were slow to arrive as well.

Common macros are well down, the best being Common Wainscot at 6 individuals.

New species have dried up from 8-10 per night a few weeks back, to just a couple per session now and It's certainly quality over quantity.

The previously scarce, but becoming increasingly more common Musotima nitidalis, was added. A feeder of Ferns and more commonly encountered in woodland.

The 2nd new species for the year was a 2nd garden record of Coleophora clypeiferella, and the third I have seen in the county. These 3 records make up half of the county records. This is probably more due to being overlooked and disregarded than actually being rare.

The adult moths have an unusual sclerotised plate on the abdomen containing small spines, which it is believed is used to help break out of the pupal cocoon when hatching commences.

I was lucky that a quick burst of c02 to help see the verso of its abdomen confirmed that it was indeed this species and not the similar, but more coastal dwelling Coleophora salicorniae.

Warmer weather approaching once more, but that is not what we need, we need some decent amounts of rain! 30+ days now without any here in the east. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 620 species 

 

21/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Broad-barred White 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Buff Footman 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Cloaked Minor 
Common Wainscot 
Common Rustic 
Dark Arches 
Dark Spinach
Grey Dagger 
Gypsy Moth 
Jersey Tiger 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Least Carpet 
Lime-speck Pug 
Marbled Clover 
Nutmeg 
Peppered Moth 
Riband Wave 
Ruby Tiger 
Satin Wave 
Scarce Footman 
Scalloped Oak 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Small Blood-vein 
Smoky Wainscot
Spectacle 
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Willow Beauty 
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths 

 

Coleophora clypeiferella 1 [NFY]
Musotima nitidalis 1 [NFY]
Agriphila straminella 
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 
Ancylosis oblitella
Blastobasis adustella 
Bryotropha affinis 
Catoptria pinella 
Cochylichroa atricapitana 
Cydia pomonella 
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endotricha flammealis 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Hypsopyqgia costalis 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nomophila noctuella
Oegoconia sp 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Plutella xylostella 
Pyrausta aurata 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Udea ferrugalis 
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad

 

 

Coleophora clypeiferella

Ancylosis oblitella

Musotima nitidalis

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