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

Saturday, 4 October 2014

Fall Webworm Moth - New to Britain

The Herts County moth recorder Colin Plant confirmed the strange Ermine moth today using various literature at his house and the two Male specimens he had in his collection. My specimen was also compared with spotless White Ermine, pale Buff Ermine and Water Ermine.

It is a first for Britain, a male Fall Webworm Moth Hyphantria cunea distinguished by antennae, all white abdomen with no dorsal spots, no spots on the hindwing, and spines on the tibiae, something the genus Spilosoma doesn't have.

It has been recorded in North America from Canada to Mexico, introduced accidently in Europe in the 1940's and spreading Eastwards into Central Asia, also in Japan in 1945.

The nearest record to here is known from South-West France!

Chuffed to say the least, need to write an article now for the Entomologist record.

Fall Webworm Moth








Posted by Bennyboymothman at 20:32

10 comments:

  1. Lucy @ A Natural Interlude5 October 2014 at 11:04

    Congratulations Ben! How exciting. What a great catch! Good luck with the write up ;o)!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Broom Birder5 October 2014 at 16:42

    Ok Ben, so how are we meant to compete with that! Well done mate, your dedication has paid off. Brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bennyboymothman5 October 2014 at 19:37

    Thanks Lucy, I am attempting to get my head round it now. Matt...forget the wine race, the wife needs a bottle of Malibu this year for her staying power in putting up with me! Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  4. Trent Duval5 October 2014 at 19:57

    That one has got to be worth a 100 point bonus in the wine race ... What a cracker !
    Congrats mate

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bennyboymothman6 October 2014 at 16:08

    Thanks Trent, bonus points it is :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. MartinWainwright6 October 2014 at 22:17

    Fantastic Ben! Couldn't happen to a more deserving moth-er.

    I'm v chuffed too after seeing my first ever Death's Head Hawk - not in my trap, alas, but hatched from one of FOUR caterpillars and pupae found in August two villages away.

    All warmest wishes, Martin

    ReplyDelete
  7. Britainsbirder7 October 2014 at 20:13

    Impressive find Ben, and there was me thinking I had best Herts Moth of 2014. I stand corrected. A hard record to equal in a lifetimes recording, a new UK macro..... Us mere mortals can only dream :-)
    Graeme

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bennyboymothman8 October 2014 at 17:31

    Thanks Martin and Graeme, very lucky indeed. Colin still has the moth, so next time you are round Graeme he will probably show you it.
    Maybe we can bring both our rare specimens to the Herts moth AGM?
    That and Andrews new Tortrix to science, Herts has had a bumper year!
    Cheers
    Ben

    ReplyDelete
  9. Britainsbirder8 October 2014 at 21:55

    I could also bring Jono's 1409a Diaphania perspectalis, another new for Herts, that resides under my roof. Currently working my way through this years scaleless wonders, should be finished in time for the first Spring moths!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ultrararespacehighfive14 June 2020 at 23:51

    Just had one of these in the house in Hertford!

    ReplyDelete

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