Welcome

Hello and welcome to my moth Blog. I now reside in a small village in East Cambridgeshire called Fordham. My Blog's aim is to promote and encourage others to participate in the wonderful hobby that is Moth-trapping.
Moth records are vital for building a picture of our ecosystem around us, as they really are the bottom of the food chain. They are an excellent early indicator of how healthy a habitat is. I openly encourage people to share their findings via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
So why do we do it? well for some people it is to get an insight into the world of Moths, for others it is to build a list of species much like 'Twitching' in the Bird world. The reason I do it....you just never know what you might find when you open up that trap! I hope to show what different species inhabit Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties.
On this Blog you will find up-to-date records and pictures.
I run a trap regularly in my garden and also enjoy doing field trips to various localities over several different counties.
Please also check out the links in the sidebar to the right for other people's Blogs and informative Websites.
Thanks for looking and happy Mothing!

KEY

NFY = New Species For The Year
NFG = New Species For The Garden
NEW! = New Species For My Records

Any Species highlighted in RED signifies a totally new species for my records.

If you have any questions or enquiries then please feel free to email me
Contact Email : bensale@rocketmail.com

My Latest Notables and Rarities

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

A tinge of green in the trap

Yesterday was the warmest day so far this year, with temperatures hitting 25 degrees in some parts (I think we managed 24 something) So the barbeque was fired up and I managed to sit out in the garden and proceed to burn myself.
Of course the trap was set-up in anticipation for some more moths, I was thinking that the clearing skies should not make too much of a difference and although the temperature did duly drop to around 11 degrees this morning, a nice catch was observed nonetheless.

A splash of colour was given from 2 Light Emeralds and a stunning Green Silver-lines.

Mompha epilobiella was new for the garden but I had to look twice at it as my initial thoughts were Blastobasis!

First broods of Setaceous Hebrew Character and Small Square-spot were lovely and fresh, previous years I have only recorded these in August represented by their second broods.

Individuals may be a bit down for me, but species don't seem to be.
All in all a pleasing catch. 

I will be out again tonight (last night) for a field trip.

Edit: A huge list last night that I must sort through, well over 100 species at one site alone!


Catch Report - 18/05/14 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Willow Beauty [NFY]
1x Small Square-spot [NFY]
1x Green Silver-lines [NFY]
2x Light Emerald [NFY]
1x Vine's Rustic [NFY]
1x Cabbage Moth [NFY]
1x Setaceous Hebrew Character [NFY]
2x Brimstone Moth
4x Common Pug
2x Bright-line Brown-eye
4x Rustic Shoulder-knot
1x Common Marbled Carpet
1x Silver-ground Carpet
1x Orange Footman
1x Clouded Border
3x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2x Mottled Pug
1x Garden Carpet

Micro Moths 

1x Mompha epilobiella [NFG]
1x Syndemis musculana
1x Epiblema cynosbatella
2x Phyllonorycter harrisella
2x Epiphyas postvittana
1x Argyresthia spinosella

Willow Beauty











Green Silver-lines










Light Emerald









Small Square-spot











Vine's Rustic













Setaceous Hebrew Character












Mompha epilobiella


Posted by Bennyboymothman at 07:22

1 comment:

  1. Lucy @ A Natural Interlude21 May 2014 at 08:43

    Hi Ben, the Green Silver-lines really is quite something! Great to hear the Brickworks trapping went so well too. Looking forward to your report. P.S. Hope the sunburns are fading!

    ReplyDelete

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