A few nights off and then business as usual

As it was cool and a bit rubbish here on Sunday and Monday night, I decided not to run the trap as the late nights and early mornings had finally take thier toll!

All good things must come to an end as they say, but in the mothing world, during peak season, this is only momentarily.

Back to trapping on Tuesday night, and it was a rather healthy haul of moths on a slightly warmer night and less wind, there were over 50 species present.

Again, time is extremely precious with work and a young family so I have to just list my new species for the year/garden currently as it's just too time consuming jotting down hundreds of moths.

 

Highlights were several Brown-line Bright-eyes, an Oak Nycteoline, a really pretty Dichomeris alacella (which i've taken before at nearby Chippenham Fen, a good garden moth nevertheless), the distinct Eucosma obumbratana with it's two-tone appearance and the Bluebell feeder Eana incanana.

I also netted two more Triaxomasia caprimulgella at dusk, that's 3 now of this supposed rare moth (Although are the moths rare because people aren't actively looking for them? I think so in some cases).

 

Below are the new ones added on Tuesday night plus any good records noted. 

Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 440 species

25/06/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Brown-line Bright-eye 3 [NFG]
Oak Nycteoline 1


Micro Moths

Blastobasis adustella 1 [NFY]
Carcina quercana 1 [NFG]
Coleophora sp 1 [TBC]
Dichomeris alacella 1 [NFG]
Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana 1 

Eana incanana 1 [NFG]
Eucosma obumbratana 1 [NFG]
Rhodophaea formosa 1 [NFG]
Triaxomasia caprimulgella 2 (Netted at dusk)

Brown-line Bright-eye

Carcina quercana

Coleophora sp

Dichomeris alacella

Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana

Eana incanana

Eucosma obumbratana

Oak Nycteoline

Rhodophaea formosa

Triaxomasia caprimulgella

Saturday night's moth catch

I've had two nights off here from moth recording, partly due to burn-out, and also due to the cooler night-time temperatures dipping to around 8 degrees on both Sunday night, and Monday night.

The trap will be back on tonight as the wind is set to drop and the cloud cover will hopefully remain, locking those temperatures in. 

Species blew me away once more with crackers such as Bordered Beauty, Yarrow Pug, Acleris forsskaleana, Lobesia abscisana & 2 bright Oegoconia species, to name but a few.

Around 50 species wre observed, 16 were new additions. 

 

A fairly good-sized Coleophora which is plain white, with no creamy-yellow tufts below the palps, could well be my first Coleophora betulella. Specimen retained.

Another Coleophora was much easier to identify, one of the metallic green species with it's distinct black & white ringed antennae, and thick antennal basal tufts, mayrella it was!

 

Triaxomasia caprimulgella was a good moth to get, I netted it at dusk. It is a rare species to light, but now comes to several Clearwing lures. (And at time of going to post, i've now netted a second better conditioned example this evening - 28/06/22).

 

The weather remains a bit meh to say the least, not warm, not cold, sunny and then dull and quite windy during the day, but dropping overnight.

But it's just so dry, too dry and the garden is suffering somewhat.

Only the new species were recorded once more, as I am struggling for time currently.

Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 433 species

25/06/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Bordered Beauty 1 [NFG]
Maple Pug 1 [NFG]
Rustic 1 [NFG]
Scalloped Oak 1 [NFG]
Yarrow Pug 1 [NFG]

Micro Moths

Acleris forsskaleana 1 [NFG]
Borkhausenia fuscescens 1 [NFY]
Coleophora betulella sp 1 [NFG] (TBC)
Coleophora mayrella 1 [NFG]
Ectoedemia hannoverella/turbidella 1 [NFG] (TBC)
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana 1 [NFG]
Lobesia abscisana 1 [NFG]
Oegoconia sp 2 [NFY]
Pammene regiana 1 [NFG]
Triaxomasia caprimulgella 1 [NFG]
Yponomeuta evonymella 1 [NFG]

 

Acleris forsskaleana

Bordered Beauty

Borkhausenia fuscescens

Coleophora betulella tbc

Coleophora mayrella

Ectoedemia hannoverella turbidella

Endothenia gentianaeana marginana

Lobesia abscisana

Maple Pug

Oegoconia sp

Pammene regiana

Triaxomasia caprimulgella

Yarrow Pug

 

Hurn Forest - Dorset (20-23rd June)

Last week I went away on holiday to Dorset next to Hurn Forest with the family.

 

We had a lovely time, and were very lucky with the weather. 

In the evenings I made several brief walks for an hour or so at a time to see if I could find any moths at dusk. 

Indeed I did find a few, though they were few and far between, which I was quite surprised about, particularly as I was walking in a huge nature reserve.

But, it was quality over quantity, the moths I did net made up for the lack of abundance.

In short, I managed 3 new species for my UK records.

They were Crombrugghia laetus (my second Crombrugghia species after nabbing distans in the garden last year), Phyllonorycter ulicicolella (many tapped from Gorse, all a bit worn) & Phyllonorycter viminiella (A distinct species with it's pale ochre ground colour).

Other highlights were Rosy Marbled, oodles of lekking Gold Swifts, and a Common Lutestring.

Common Lutestring

Crombrugghia laetus

Gold Swift

Pempelia genistella

Phyllonorycter ulicicolella

Phyllonorycter viminiella

Rosy Marbled

Another incredible catch for the garden

Friday night was another really busy one here in my garden in Fordham.

I got back from mothing out in the field at around 1am (as it was raining) and the trap was buzzing with moths, particularly micros (yippee), the wind was very strong and I was surprised at how many moths had actually made it to the trapping area.

I potted up what I could and went to bed.

Rising early Saturday morning to beat the local bold blackbird, I was greeted with a few more new species for the year, all in all, around 65 species were noted, but jotting them all done currently is pressing me for time, and sleep deprivation! 14 were added to the year list total.

Some really beautiful moths were potted, observed, photographed and released, including Ruddy Carpet, White Satin, Catoptria pinella and the melanic form of Cydalima perspectalis.

Only the new species were recorded once more.

Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 417 species

24/06/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Clay 1 [NFG]
Dun-bar 2 [NFG]
Oak Nycteoline 1 [NFG]
Ruddy Carpet 1 [NFG]
Scarce Footman 1 [NFG]
Shaded Broad-bar 1 [NFG]
White Satin 1 [NFG]
Wormwood Pug 1 [NFG]

Micro Moths

Agriphila straminella 1 [NFG]
Catoptria pinella 1 [NFG]
Cnephasia longana 1 [NFG]
Cydalima perspectalis 3 [NFY]
Spilonota ocellana 1 [NFG]
Stenoptilia pterodactyla 1 [NFG]

 

Agriphila straminella

Cnephasia longana

Cydalima perspectalis

Dun-bar

Oak Nycteoline

Ruddy Carpet

Spilonota ocellana

Stenoptilia pterodactyla

White Satin

Wormwood Pug

 

Catch report - 19/06/22 - Fordham - East Cambs

A catch from the night before I went on holiday to Dorset.

Back last Sunday night it was a little cooler than the recent heatwave spell, but with light winds and a moderate amount of cloud, the temperature held just into double-figures.

A further 8 species were added to the year list, around 45 species in total on a chillier night was very pleasing indeed.

Highlights were Four-dotted Footman (A wanderer from nearby Chippenham Fen no doubt), Small Dotted Buff, Small Ranunculus, Achroia grisella & Caloptilia rufipennella.

 

There was also the return of Cochylidia implicitana which was nice and a really fresh Cochylis hybridella.

Certainly some real quality is now on the wing as we head into the peak moth season.

Only new species listed below.

Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 403 species

19/06/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Four-dotted Footman 1 [NFG]

Lesser Yellow Underwing 1 [NFG]

Small Dotted Buff 1 [NFG]

Small Ranunculus 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

 

Achroia grisella 1 [NFG]

Cochylidia implicitana 1 [NFY]

Cochylis hybridella 1 [NFY]

Pterophorus pentadactyla 1 [NFG]

Cochylidia implicitana

Cochylis hybridella

Four-dotted Footman

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Pterophorus pentadactyla

Small Dotted Buff

Small Ranunculus

Chippenham Fen - Field Trip - 17/06/22

Back to back mothing trips never usually end well for your body! I took a good few days to recover from them, but with an extremely narrow window of opportunity, it had to be done.

 

It was absolutely manic at all 3 of the traps, so much so, that it was a struggle actually getting near the traps, particularly the big 250w.

Many hundreds of moths were attracted to the light, into the thousands I would estimate, and species were above the 250 mark for the night.

 

It was all about the micro-moths once again, with many scarce species observed.

 

Two moths were completely new to me, a worn Eidophasia messingiella & Nascia cilialis. The latter species I have been unlucky in finding, since I started trapping wetland species in 2006! sadly this one was a little worn too, possibly owing to how many moths were bumping into one another throughout the night. 

With 122 species of Macro moth, and 126 species of Micro moth, it was a busy night trying to keep up with logging all of the species.

I started to pack up at half midnight, and it took me a full hour and a half to sift through the traps, crawl through the vegetation and look at all of the moths already settled on the sheet!

 

A few moths were retained, namely two Niditinea species and a couple of Elachista. 

17/06/22 - Chippenham Fen - East Cambs - 3 traps, 250w Clear Mercury Robinson Trap, 160w MBT Trap and Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Angle Shades
Barred Straw
Barred Yellow
Beautiful Hook-tip
Blackneck
Blood-vein
Blue-bordered Carpet
Bordered White
Bright-line Brown-eye
Brimstone
Broad-barred white
Brown Rustic
Brown Scallop
Buff Arches
Buff Ermine
Burnished Brass
Clouded Border
Clouded Brindle
Clouded Silver
Common Carpet
Common Emerald
Common Footman
Common Marbled Carpet
Common Pug
Common Swift
Common Wave
Common White Wave
Coronet
Cream-bordered Green Pea
Currant Pug
Dark Arches
Dark Umber
Dingy Shears
Dingy Shell
Dotted Fan-foot
Double Square-spot
Double-striped Pug
Drinker
Dusky Brocade
Elephant Hawk-moth
Engrailed
Eyed Hawk-moth
Figure of Eighty
Flame
Flame Shoulder
Flame Wainscot
Freyer's Pug
Ghost Moth
Green Carpet
Green Pug
Green Silver-lines
Grey Birch
Grey Dagger sp
Grey Pug
Haworth's Pug
Heart & Dart
Large Nutmeg
Large Twin-spot Carpet
Large Yellow Underwing
Leopard Moth
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Light Arches
Light Emerald
Lime Hawk-moth
Lime-speck Pug
Lobster Moth
Lunar Yellow Underwing
Marbled Minor
Marbled White-spot
Middle-barred Minor
Miller
Mottled Beauty
Mottled Pug
Orange Footman
Pale Oak Beauty
Pale Prominent
Peach Blossom
Pebble Hook-tip
Pebble Prominent
Peppered Moth
Pine Hawk-moth
Pinion-streaked snout
Poplar Grey
Poplar Hawk-moth
Pretty Chalk Carpet
Red-necked Footman
Reed Leopard
Riband Wave
Rosy Footman
Royal Mantle
Rufous Minor (Gen Det)
Sandy Carpet
Scallop Shell
Scarlet Tiger
Scorched Wing
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Short-cloaked Moth
Silver Barred
Single-dotted Wave
Small Clouded Brindle
Small Dusty Wave
Small Elephant Hawk-moth
Small Fan-footed Wave
Small Seraphim
Smoky Wainscot
Snout
Spectacle
Spruce Carpet
Straw Dot
Striped Wainscot
Swallow Prominent
Swallow-tailed Moth
Sycamore
Tawny Marbled Minor (Gen Det)
Treble Brown Spot
Turnip Moth
Uncertain
Vine's Rustic
V-Pug
White Ermine
Willow Beauty
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths

Accentria ephemerella
Achroia grisella
Acleris hastiana
Acleris kochiella
Acleris logiana
Adaina microdactyla
Aethes beatricella
Aethes rubigana
Agapeta hamana
Agapeta zoegana
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Aleimma loeflingiana
Anania fuscalis
Anania hortulata
Anania lancealis
Anania perlucidalis
Ancylis achatana
Anthophila fabriciana
Aphelia paleana
Aphomia sociella
Apotomis capreana
Archips crataegana
Archips podana
Archips rosana
Archips xylosteana
Argyresthia albistria
Argyresthia brockeella
Argyresthia pruniella
Bactra sp
Batrachedra pinicolella confusella
Batia lunaris
Blastobasis lacticolella
Blastodacna hellerella
Brachmia inornatella
Bucculatrix cidarella
Bucculatrix frangutella
Caloptilia stigmatella
Caloptilia cuculipennella
Caloptilia elongella
Carcina quercana
Carpatolechia fugivitella
Carpatolechia proximella
Cataclysta lemnata
Celypha cespitana
Celypha rosaceana/rufana
Celypha striana
Cnephasia sp
Cochylis molliculana
Cosmopterix lienigiella
Cosmopterix scribaiella
Crambus lathoniellus
Crambus pascuella
Crassa unitella
Cydia pomonella
Cydia cosmophorana
Dichomeris alacella
Ditula angustiorana
Ectoedemia sp
Eidophasia messingiella
Elachista utonella
Elachista adscitella
Elophila nymphaeata
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmetia marginea
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana
Endothenia nigricostana
Ephestia sp
Epiblema foenella
Epinotia abbreviana
Epinotia bilunana
Epinotia demarniana
Epinotia immundana
Epinotia tedella
Epinotia tenerana
Epiphyas postvittana
Ethmia dodecea
Ethmia quadrilella
Eucosma cana
Eucosma obumbratana
Eudonia lacustrata
Eudonia pallida
Euzophera pinguis
Glyphipterix thrasonella
Gypsonoma dealbana
Gypsonoma sociana
Gypsonoma minutana
Gypsonoma oppressana
Hedya nubiferana
Hedya pruniana
Hedya salicella
Hofmannophila pseudospretella
Homoeosoma sinuella
Lathronympha strigana
Limnaecia phragmitrella
Lyonetia clerkella
Metzneria lappella
Mompha ochraceella
Mompha subbistrigella
Monochroa palustrella
Monopis crocicapitella
Monopis laevigella
Myelois circumvoluta
Nascia cilialis
Nemapogon cloacella
Nematopogon metaxella
Niditinea fuscella 2 (TBC)
Notocelia roseocolana
Notocelia trimaculana
Notocelia uddmanniana
Nymphula nitidulata
Nymphula nitidulata
Olindia schumacherana
Pammene fasciana
Pammene regiana
Pandemis cerasana
Parapoynx stratiotata
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella
Phalonidia manniana
Phtheochroa sodaliana
Phyllonorycter harrisella
Piniphila bifasciana
Prays fraxinella
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
Pterophorus pentadactyla
Pyrausta aurata
Pyrausta despicata
Scoparia ambigualis
Scoparia basistrigalis
Scrobipalpa costella
Scrobipalpa ocellatella
Sitochroa verticalis
Scythropia crataegella
Stathmopoda pedella
Teleiodes luculella
Teleiodes vulgella
Tortrix viridana
Udea ferrugalis
Udea olivalis
Yponomeuta evonymella

 

40w Bucket Actinic Trap

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Anania fuscalis

Archips rosana

Bucculatrix cidarella

Bucculatrix frangutella

Caloptilia cuculipennella

Caloptilia elongella

Celypha rosaceana rufana

Cosmopterix scribaiella

Cydia cosmophorana

Eidophasia messingiella

Elachista adscitella

Elachista utonella

Gypsonoma minutana

Gypsonoma oppressana

Nascia cilialis

Niditinea

Olindia schumacherana

Triaxomasia caprimulgella