The last big night of 2026?

With lows of 22 degrees on Thursday night, the trap was very busy and I took advantage of this by staying up late and rising early.

Possibly the last big numbers night, judging by recent catches. 

 

10 new species were added to the year list, owing to just how important working a trapping area on a regular basis through the evening.

There was also one new species for the garden, a miniscule Phyllonorycter schreberella that magnified becomes a really dazzling little moth.

 

As well as the very pretty Phyllonorycter schreberella, another tiny but beautifully marked species was also very welcome, a 3rd garden record of Cosmopterix pulchrimella.  

 

Highlight macro was a Plain Wave, not common in this area and only my 2nd garden record.

 

I am a sucker for a Caloptilia, I think I just love them because they are so quirky the way they sit, and they can also be a real challenge to photograph. Thankfully this rather dark unicolorous semifascia was on it's best behaviour.

 

A nice dark Pale Oak Beauty was also noteworthy, having only a couple of 2nd brood August records to my name. 

 

All in all 130 species in my garden on a mid-August night was certainly quite remarkable.

 

Things really fined down after this. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 665 species 

 

13/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths 

Barred Hook-tip 1 [NFY]
Clay Triple-lines 1 [NFY]
Orange Swift 3 [NFY]
Plain Wave 1 [NFY]
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-barred White 
Buff-tip 
Burnished Brass 
Cabbage Moth 
Chinese Character 
Clay 
Cloaked Minor 
Clouded Border 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Wave
Common Wainscot 
Copper Underwing 
Coxcomb Prominent 
Delicate
Double-striped Pug 
Dusky Thorn 
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Flame Shoulder 
Flounced Rustic 
Garden Carpet 
Grey Dagger 
Gypsy Moth
Heart & Dart 
Jersey Tiger 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath 
Least Carpet 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Light Emerald 
Lime-speck Pug 
Lychnis 
Marbled Clover 
Nutmeg 87
Pale Mottled Willow 
Pale Oak Beauty
Pale Prominent 
Poplar Grey 
Riband Wave 
Rustic
Sallow Kitten 
Satin Wave
Scalloped Oak 
Scorched Carpet 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Shark 3
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Small Blood-vein 
Small Mottled Willow 
Straw Underwing 
Swallow Prominent 
Square-spot Rustic 
Tawny Wave 
Treble-bar 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Vine's Rustic 
White-point 
White-line Dart 
Willow Beauty 

Micro Moths 

Adaina microdactyla 1 [NFY]
Bedellia somnulentella 1 [NFY]
Cosmopterix pulchrimella 1 [NFY]
Etainia louisella/sericopoza 1 [NFY]
Phyllonorycter schreberella 1 [NFG]
Ptocheuusa paupella 1 [NFY]
Acleris variegana 
Acrobasis advenella 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agriphila geniculea 
Agriphila straminella 
Agriphila tristella 
Alucita hexadactyla 
Anania coronata 
Blastobasis adustella 
Bryotropha basaltinella 
Bryotropha senectella 
Bryotropha terrella 
Cameraria ohridella 
Carcina quercana 3
Celypha rosaceana 5
Celypha striana 
Cochylidia implicatana 
Coptoptriche marginea 
Coleophora alcyonipennella frischella 
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia amplana 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia pomonella 
Cydia splendana 
Dichrorampha petiverella 
Elachista stabilella 
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endotricha flammealis 
Epermenia chaerophyllella 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Evergestis forficalis 
Evergestis limbata 5
Galleria mellonella 
Gelechia senticetella 
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Homoeosoma nebulella 3
Hypsopyqgia costalis 
Lobesia abscisana 
Monopis crocicapitella 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nomophila noctuella 
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Oxyptilus distans 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Phycita roborella 
Plutella xylostella 
Pyrausta aurata 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Scythropia crataegella 8
Sitochroa verticalis 
Tinea trinotella 
Udea ferrugalis 
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Yponomeuta cag mal pad

 

Plain Wave

Phyllonorycter schreberella

Pale Oak Beauty

Phyllonorycter schreberella

Some recent dissections confirmed

I had a batch of dissections back from Peter Hall recently who kindly offered his services to check a few potentially good moths for Cambs.

They were as follows 

1. Blastobasis vittata - Wicken Fen 9th July 2026 - NEW TO CAMBS - A species I have not previously seen, when I saw the moth on the edge of an egg tray, and upon comparing it to a couple of adustella on the same night, the differences under a head torch were slight, but apparent enough to investigate further.

It is a new moth for the Wicken Fen fauna list. 

2. Saltern Ear - Wicken Fen 9th July 2026 - NEW TO CAMBS? (There is a photo of a specimen from David Hopkins on the website so maybe the record is currently pending) - On the same night as the odd looking Blastobasis, was a classic looking Saltern Ear, a moth I am familiar with on the coasts of Norfolk. For me, it is quite easy to separate potential candidates of Large/Crinan/Saltern Ear in the field based on size and general wing length jizz. Ear Moths are extremely squat in appearance. The other 3 are much more elongate. Potted up and with the abdomen sent off to Peter, it was confirmed as a Saltern Ear, a male in this instance. It is a new moth for the Wicken Fen fauna list.

3. Choristoneura diversana - Ditton Park Wood 26th June & 5th July 2026 - The Wood Tortrix or Forest Tortrix is a rather rare resident here in Cambs, with the last record some 15 years ago from, you guessed it.. Wicken Fen. Previous to that there are a spate of records from the 70's. A new moth for me, and to get two within a couple of weeks could answer the question that this moth is established locally still. Further trapping efforts next year will be interesting.

4. Coleophora caespititiella - Fordham 2nd June 2025 - A scarce Coleophora in the county, though nationally common and probably under-recorded in Cambs. It is yet another new species of Coleophora for the garden with just 6 previous records for the VC.

5. Coleophora pennella - Fordham 30th May 2025 - 2ND FOR CAMBS - After taking the first county record in 2024, I retained a similar looking Coleophora last May. A year or so later the record was indeed correct and verified. Amazing to have both records in the garden. I would have thought that searching a few Bugloss rich areas would throw up a case or two. Unfortunately the biggest area just outside of the village, where I have seen it growing in profusion, is on a bloody roundabout!

6. Depressaria douglasella - Fordham 1st July 2026 - NEW TO CAMBS - Pretty much inseparable from Depressaria pulcherrimella, so I had to send away for dissection. Either species would be new to Cambs. I did favour douglasella on external characteristics, so I was pleased that my initial hunch was correct. A new moth for me.

7. Epiblema cnicicolana - Fordham 23rd June 2026 - 2ND FOR CAMBS - After taking the first for the county back in 2021 at nearby Chippenham Fen, I potted up a very similar tortrix moth on the night of the 23rd of June. On closer inspection with a hand lens, it looked bang on for it. Unfortunately it was another that had to be dissected, being so scarce away from Wales and the south coast. To get two locally suggests that it maybe breeding in extremely small densities, and it is possible that some previous specimens of Epiblema cirsiana/stictiana have been identified incorrectly.

8. Gynnidomorpha alismana - Fordham 10th July - Not as scarce as previous moths that were sent for dissection, nevertheless this was still a cracking good addition to the garden list. The main reasons for dissection was it's size, more akin to vectisana/minimana, both very rare in the county. It turns out that it was a male, and probably the reason why it was so small (As the females weigh in a shade bigger in general). 

Saltern Ear

Blastobasis vittata

Choristoneura diversana

Coleophora caespititiella

Coleophora pennella

Depressaria douglasella

Epiblema cnicicolana

Gynnidomorpha alismana

 

 

A couple of new micros

Another busy trap on Wednesday night and with temperatures remaining above 18 degrees, the trapping area was a hive of activity.

Species are fining down now quite a bit, with multiples of several common species making up the bulk, and the micro species out-weighing the macros by 3 to 1.

The drought continues sadly, certainly at this point it is rather noticeable for certain species that should be regular or already appearing this time of year.

 

Two new micros was all I could summon, a knackered Bactra species and only my 2nd garden record of Mompha propinquella.

 

A second brood and possibly my latest record of Notocelia trimaculana was noteworthy. 

 

Only 22 species to level with my all time yearly best of 675 species.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 653 species 

 

12/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths

Bactra sp 1 [NFY]

Mompha propinquella 1 [NFY] 

 

Notocelia trimaculana

Agapeta zoegana

Bactra sp

Dark Spinach

Mompha propinquella

 

3rd garden record of Pearly Underwing

A super Pearly Underwing took pride of place in Tuesday nights catch of well over 60 species of moth.

The last time I saw one was in 2022, where I caught two in the space of 3 weeks in the garden, so it was great to finally see one again.

And that was it for the new moths.

There were however some of quality moths including a nicely coloured Pyrausta despicata, Small Ranunculus and a 2nd brood of Yellow-barred Brindle, a little smaller than the May brood. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 651 species 

 

11/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Pearly Underwing 1 [NFY]

 

Pearly Underwing

Phycitodes binaevella

Pyrausta despicata

Small Ranunculus

Yellow-barred Brindle

Some lovely variety

Monday night was a cooler one of late, with lows of 12 degrees, but because it had been fairly mild during the day at 25 degrees and there was little wind, it was certainly worth staying up late potting up anything interesting.

3 new species were added to the year list, 1 macro & 2 micros.

 

Square-spotted Clay was the new macro, a really nice clean specimen with rich purplish shades intersected with dark shadowy windows. 

 

There was also an interesting smart Coleophora that I potted up early morning. Under a hand lens and a few photos later reveal it to be either discordella or saturatella.

I am currently favouring discordella as the other one feeds strictly on Broom, and there is very little if any around here, but maybe it got blown in from the Brecks? Who knows. Either way it'll be a flipping good record (Just 1 previous county record of saturatella and no county records of discordella).

Moth retained for further analysis.

 

Another moth that I have retained was a Phyllonorycter, which superficially looks good for cerasicolella.

 

Some returning species of my favourite genus, the Caloptilias were most welcome, including a right poser of a Caloptilia cuculipennella.

 

At time of writing we are set for a welcome change of weather, with hopefully some rain.

 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 650 species 

 

10/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Square-spotted Clay 1 [NFY]

 

Micro Moths

Epinotia immundana 1 [NFY]

Ypsolopha sequella 1 [NFY] 

 

Ypsolopha sequella

Caloptilia cuculipennella

Coleophora discordella/saturatella

Epinotia immundana

Phyllonorycter cerasicolella maybe

Square-spotted Clay

 

Ditton Park Wood - Field Trip - 09th August

I made a trip back to Ditton Park Wood armed with 4 traps this time.

Go all out of go home, and indeed it was well worth the extended effort with an extra trap in tow and staying until 2am yielded 182 species in total, a very good August count.

 

There was a good selection of macro and micro moths, but the larger moths were once again a poor showing in comparison with the clouds of micros around each trap.

 

Trying to pick out the quality is never easy, with hundreds of Eudonia mercurella flitting about frantically.

 

Best macros included Ruddy Carpet, two Small Wainscots, a smart Oak Nycteoline and a single Clay Triple-lines spotted amongst a few Maiden's Blush.

 

On the migrant front there were at least 60 Small Mottled Willows across all of the traps, backed up by two Acrobasis tumidana and a smattering of the other regular migrants.

 

I was very pleased with the all white form of Argyresthia bonnetella and an equally nicely marked Acleris laterana, sadly escaping from the pot whilst trying to photograph it. A pot shot would have to do! 

 

Despite the recent workings in the wood, with lots of logging evident the moths were still in profusion.

 

09/08/26 - Ditton Park Wood - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap & 1x 30w Led Trap

Macro Moths 

Black Arches 
Blood-vein 
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Brimstone Moth 
Chinese Character 
Clay Triple-lines 
Cloaked Minor 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Wainscot 
Common Wave 
Common White Wave 
Copper Underwing 
Coronet 
Dingy Footman 
Dingy Footman 
Double-striped Pug 
Drinker
Dun-bar
Flame Shoulder 
Flounced Rustic 
Green Silver-lines 
Gypsy Moth 
Gypsy Moth 
Heart & Dart 
Heart & Dart 
Iron Prominent 
Iron Prominent 
Jersey Tiger 
Knot Grass 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath 
Least Carpet 
Least Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Light Emerald 
Lime-speck Pug 
Maiden's Blush 
Maple Pug 
Nutmeg 
Oak Hook-tip 
Oak Nycteoline 
Orange Footman 
Orange Swift 
Pale Prominent 
Poplar Grey 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Red Underwing 
Riband Wave 
Ruby Tiger
Ruddy Carpet
Rustic 
Sallow Kitten 
Scarce Footman 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Phoenix 
Small Wainscot 2
Small Waved Umber 
Snout
Square-spotted Clay 
Straw Dot 
Straw Underwing 
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny-barred Angle 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Vine's Rustic 
White-point 
Willow Beauty 
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths

Acentria ephemerella
Achroia grisella
Acleris emargana 
Acleris forskalleana
Acleris laterana 
Acleris literana
Acrobasis advenella 
Acrobasis tumidana 2
Adaina microdactyla 
Agapeta hamana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agonopterix ocellana 
Agriphila selasella 
Agriphila straminella 
Agriphila tristella 
Anacampsis blattariella/populella 
Anania perlucidalis 
Ancylosis oblitella 
Apotomis betuletana 
Archips podana 
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia bonnetella 
Argyresthia goedartella 
Argyresthia pruniella 
Argyresthia semitestacella
Argyresthia spinosella 
Argyresthia trifasciata 
Aspilapteryx tringipennella 
Batrachedra praengasta 
Blastobasis adustella 
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Bryotropha senectella 
Bucculatrix thoracella
Caloptilia robustella 
Caloptilia honoratella 
Caloptilia stigmatella 
Cameraria ohridella 
Carcina quercana 
Celypha rosaceana 
Cochylidia implicatana 
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella 
Crassa unitella 
Cydia amplana 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia pomonella 
Cydia splendana 
Ditula angustiorana 
Ectoedemia decentella
Elachista adscitella 
Elachista obliquella 
Elegia similella
Emmetia marginea 
Endothenia gentianaeana
Endotricha flammealis 
Epermenia falciformis 
Epinotia nisella 
Epinotia tenerana 
Ethmia quadrilella 
Eudemis porphyana 
Eudemis profundana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Euzophera pinguis 
Evergestis forficalis 
Evergestis limbata 
Galleria mellonella
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Hypatima rhomboidella
Hypsopyqgia glaucinalis 
Lathyronympha strigana 
Mompha langiella
Mompha subbistrigella
Monopis weaverella 
Musotima nitidalis 
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nephopterix angustella 
Notocelia uddmanniana
Oncocera semirubella 
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Oxypteryx atrella
Pammene aurita 
Pandemis corylana 
Pandemis heparana 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Parornix sp 
Patania ruralis
Phycita roborella 
Phyllonorycter corylofoliella
Phyllonorycter trifasciata 
Plutella xylostella 
Prays fraxinella 
Pyrausta aurata 
Rhopobota naevana 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Scythropia crataegella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Spilonota ocellana 
Stenolechia gemmella
Tinea trinotella 
Tischeria ekebladella
Udea ferrugalis 
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad 
Ypsolopha dentella 
Ypsolopha nemorella
Ypsolopha parenthesella 
Ypsolopha scabrella 
Ypsolopha sequella 
Zeiraphera isertana

250w MV Robinson Trap with the beast

Acleris laterana

Acleris literana

Acrobasis tumidana

Apotomis betuletana

Argyresthia bonnetella

Argyresthia semitestacella

Caloptilia robustella

Clay Triple-lines

Elegia similella

Epermenia falciformis

Oak Nycteoline

Ruddy Carpet

Small Wainscot

Stenolechia gemmella

Quiet on the new ones

Not much to write home about on the 7th.

A single Straw Underwing saved the day as the sole new species for the night.

A very clean-lined Agriphila tristella nearly got mistaken for a latistria (A moth I was lucky to take only once when I holidayed in Dorset last year).

Two Lychnis were noteworthy, previously I have only ever recorded singles to my trap.

That was about it really.  

Things got a little more varied and interesting as we headed into the weekend. 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 647 species 

 

07/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Straw Underwing 1 [NFY]

 

Straw Underwing

Agriphila tristella

Lychnis

Lychnis

 

 

 

Mostly Nutmegs

The garden trap is currently dominated by Nutmegs. I find it really odd these population explosions.

Trapping a mile away at the nearby fen I recorded only 1 recently, over 4 traps! On Thursday night I got to 108 by the morning.

I took a picture of just one of the outside trays, covered in Nutmegs!

 

I have had this explosion experience before way back on the 25th of May 2011 on my parents old farm, post below.

 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2967709613991032655/3653422830189891010

 

That night I recorded no less than 220 Nutmegs over 3 traps!  

 

Some returning macros including Oak Hook-tip and Treble-bar.

 

Best moth of the night was a tiny Endothenia oblongana, confirmed by checking the upper side of the hindwing. 

A scarce moth here in Cambs, but probably less scarce than we think, due to people discounting them as marginea or gentianaeana.

The very pale white transversal band towards the tornal area can be a general indicator of this species. 

 

It is moth no.958 for the garden. 

Another heat wave coming up, heatwave number 11786.

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 646 species 

 

06/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths

Endothenia oblongana 1 [NFG]

 

Treble-bar

Endothenia oblongana

Endothenia oblongana

Nutmegs!

Oak Hook-tip

Pyrausta despicata