FlyinginFordham: A blinding night for early May

An absolute stonker of a night was to be had on Saturday night, with some netting at dusk (although feeling a bit rough) and getting up early doors made me feel worse, it was well worth the pain.

14 new species for the year were noted and photographed the next day, very good for early May and a grand total of 30 species was the most i've ever recorded in one night during the first week of May.

On the pheromone lure front, it's been stupidly quiet recently, but an Argyrotaenia ljungiana was in the HYL lure trap in the evening. I also got 1 to the trap overnight.

Best moth of the evening was a Phaneta pauperana, a moth associated with Dog-rose on chalky habitats, not quite what my garden is or even the nearby vicinity!

There are some small pockets of wild Rose in the hedgerows here so that would probably explain it's unexpected appearance.

With just 5 previous records and not seen since 2015, very pleasing indeed.

The only place i've seen this species before was at Ashwell Quarry in Hertfordshire, which is a chalk pit.

Another new garden moth was the Firethorn feeding Phyllonorycter leucographella, a common moth i've taken before around it's foodplant (And the mines on the leaves are usually prolific) but good to add it to the garden list

Other than that, there were some cracking other micros and some fresh macro moths to enjoy photographing.

Temperatures are rising, traps at the ready peeps!

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 122 species

04/05/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Bright-line Brown-eye 1 [NFY]
Grey Dagger sp 1 [NFY]
Iron Prominent 1 [NFY]
Scorched Carpet 1
Garden Carpet 2
Muslin Moth 2
Nut-tree Tussock 1
Pale Tussock 1
Ruby Tiger 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
Swallow Prominent 1
Waved Umber 1

Micro Moths

Anthophila fabriciana 2 [NFY] (netted)
Argyrotaenia ljungiana 2 [NFY] (1 netted and 1 to HYL lure)
Aspilapteryx tringipennella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Bryotropha basaltinella 1 [NFY](netted)
Cochylis atricapitana 1 [NFY]
Coptotriche marginea 1 [NFY] (netted)
Monopis crocicapitella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Phaneta pauperana 1 [NFG] (netted)
Phyllonorycter leucographella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 1 [NFY] (netted)
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 1 [NFY]
Alucita hexadactyla 1 (netted)
Cameraria ohridella 1 (netted)
Cochylis dubitana 1
Endrosis sarcitrella 1 (netted)
Epiphyas postvittana 3 (1 netted)
Esperia sulphurella 1 (netted)
Eudonia angustea 1