Private Wood - Field Trip - 21/08/23

I did another trip to a local woodland back on the 21st of August, nearly two weeks ago! Some of the species featured in the catch have probably finished by now! But then it has been a strange year, no less so next week where we could hit near record-breaking temperatures for September!

It was a good night out with 3 traps ran from 8:30pm until around midnight when it went really slow.

There was a noticeable lack of moths despite warm temperatures and little wind, we couldn't work out why, as the conditions seemed spot on.

My only viable conclusion that I came to, was that we were in the interim period of late summer and early autumn and species were absent in good numbers.

Neverthless it was worth the jaunt out and we recorded some lovely moths including Chrysoesthia drurella, Epermenia falciformis, very many forms of Epinotia nisella (which seem endless in there varieties) and a smart Small Wainscot.

The best moth of the night however I spotted on the collar of my 250w Robinson trap. I recognised it instantly from trapping it frequently in Hertfordshire in mature woodland. Psoricoptera gibbosella is an odd looking thing, when fresh it has rows of tufts along the dorsum. These were just about visible in my specimen, also the angled black V mark is distinct.

It is new for Cambridgeshire surprisingly, and goes to show you how very little mature woodland is actually in Cambs.

The full list is below.

21/08/23 - Undisclosed Wood - Cambridgeshire - 3 traps, 250w Clear Mercury Robinson Trap, 160w MBT Trap and 62w Actinic Trap

Macro Moths - 56 species

Angle Shades
Black Arches
Blood-vein
Brimstone Moth
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Buff Footman
Burnished Brass
Common Carpet
Common Footman
Common Rustic
Common Wainscot
Common Wave
Copper Underwing agg
Dark Arches
Dingy Footman
Double-striped Pug
Drinker
Dun-bar
Dusky Thorn
Flame Carpet
Flame Shoulder
Green Carpet
Gypsy Moth
Iron Prominent
Large Yellow Underwing
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Light Emerald
Magpie Moth
Maiden’s Blush
Maple Pug
Marbled Minor agg
Minor agg
Oak Hook-tip
Orange Swift
Pale Prominent
Popular Hawk-moth
Riband Wave
Ruby Tiger
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Single-dotted Wave
Small Fan-footed Wave
Small Phoenix
Small Rivulet
Small Square-spot
Small Wainscot
Smoky Wainscot
Spectacle
Square-spot Rustic
Square-spotted Clay
Straw Dot
Straw Underwing
Swallow Prominent
Treble Brown Spot
Turnip Moth
White-point
Willow Beauty

Micro Moths - 55 species

Acentria ephemerella
Acleris emargana
Acleris forsskaleana
Acleris holmiana
Acleris varigana
Acrobasis advenella
Agapeta hamana
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Agriphila geniculea
Agriphila tristella
Apotomis betuletana
Apotomis turbidana
Argyresthia bonnetella
Blastobasis adustella
Bucculatrix bechsteinella
Caloptilia stigmatella
Carcina quercana
Catoptria falsella
Celypha lacunana
Chrysoesthia drurella
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Cochylis molliculana
Coleophora alcyonipennella/ frischella
Crassa unitella
Crytoblades bistiga
Cydia splendana
Ditula angustiorana
Endotricha flammealis
Epermenia falciforms
Epinotia nisella
Epinotia ramella
Eudemis porphyrana
Eudonia mercurella
Euzophera pinguis
Gelechiidae sp TBC
Hypatima rhomboidella
Lathronympha stringa
Monopis weaverella
Nemapogon clematella
Pandemis cerasana
Pandemis coryana
Pandemis heparana
Phycita roborella
Phyllonorycter nicellii
Pleuroptya ruralis
Psoricoptera gibbosella
Pyrausta aurata
Rhopobota naevana
Tischeria ekebladella
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad
Yponomeuta evonymella
Ypsolopha alpella
Ypsolopha dentella
Ypsolopha parenthesella
Ypsolopha sequella

Acleris emargana

Chrysoesthia drurella

Epermenia falciformis

Epinotia nisella

Epinotia nisella

Psoricoptera gibbosella

Small Wainscot