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

Monday, 19 June 2023

Thursday night from the garden moth trap

Another warm night and plenty of moths once again, not hundreds like some people but around 40 species is good for here, especially as I got another good cast of new for year species.

Unfortunately a few of the new for year species were quite worn, always a shame to see the first for the years tatty, like the washed out Shaded Pug with barely any shading present, and the bleached out Straw Dot with a clipped wing.
I sometimes forget that moths have a really hard life, up against the weather and predators.

2 new for garden species was great, the tatty Shaded Pug and Tinea columbariella (with the one dark dot towards the apex) i've retained it just incase I am wrong, but pretty sure it is this species.
 
A huge Privet Hawk-moth took centre stage and my son was delighted to hold her, she was massive! An uncommon moth here.

There is just one record from 2012, so a great garden addition.

Things are hotting up, and in fact last night was busy with micros, I think I made it 21 new for the year in one sitting!
 
Only new for year species listed

Moth garden list for 2023 stands at 281 species


15/06/23 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Grey Dagger sp 1 [NFY]
Lunar Yellow Underwing 1 [NFY] 
Privet Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Shaded Pug 1 [NFG]
Straw Dot 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Cydalima perspectalis 1 [NFY]
Tinea columbariella 1 [NFG] 

Cydalima perspectalis

Grey Dagger sp

Admiring the big girl

Lunar Yellow Underwing

Privet Hawk-moth

Shaded Pug

Straw Dot

Tinea columbariella


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