A brief flurry of activity with a netted rarity!

A few nights off over the weekend as it was so wet and cool, but Monday night it wasn't too bad and warm with lows of 17 degrees, but only highs of 21 during the day, unfortunately it didn't stop raining and the patio was very wet, the moths did not seem put off by the showers.

 

The cloud cover helped and the catch was good, but not remarkable given the conditions, it should have been a 300 moths of over 100 species kind of night, on a normal year that is.

But, 83 species was very pleasing.

I did a brief bit of netting and bagged a few common species, then I saw a tiny dark moth against the paling evening sky, a quick swoosh and it was in the bottom of the net. Potted up it looked like an Elachista, but observing it's behaviour in the pot, it certainly wasn't moving like an Elachista, for starters it was walking and flexing it's wings.

Under the hand lens indoors and I instantly recognised it as a Phaulernis species, very dark with a slight raised scale tuft on the dorsum, Phaulernis dentella it was, and a new moth for me.

Even better, the moth has not been found in the county since 1905, 118 years ago!

I guess being a day flying moth the chances of seeing one is probably the main factor for it being labelled as rare (as is often the case). 

Still, what a little corker, not much to look at sadly as it was a bit worn.

Other good species included 2 Delicates (Most probably home-grown from last years progeny), Dusky Sallow, a mint Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, an interesting striated Coleophora which has been retained, and the darkest Zeiraphera isertana I have ever clapped my eyes on.

 

Dot Moth was new for the garden! A very common moth in my old Hertfordshire garden.

Certainly a very rewarding night, despite the heavy rain overnight.

 

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 445 species

 

08/07/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths 

Common White Wave 1 [NFY]
Dark Umber 1 [NFY]
Delicate 2 [NFY]
Dot Moth 1 [NFG]
Dusky Sallow 1 [NFY]
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1 [NFY]
Brimstone Moth 1
Broad-barred White 2
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2
Chinese Character 1
Clay 1
Cloaked Minor 1
Clouded Silver 1
Common Carpet 1
Common Footman 3
Dark Arches 1
Double-striped Pug 1
Dwarf Cream Wave 1
Early Thorn 1
Elephant Hawk-moth 1
Grey Dagger 1
Heart & Club 2
Heart & Dart 2
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Least Carpet 1
Light Arches 5
Marbled Clover 1
Miller 1
Nutmeg 3
Nut-tree Tussock 1
Poplar Grey 1
Riband Wave 3
Ruby Tiger 1
Rustic 1
Scarce Footman 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Shark 1
Silver Y 1
Small Dusty Wave 1
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1
Small Emerald 1
Smoky Wainscot 1
Snout 1
Swallow-tailed Moth 2
Sycamore 3
Uncertain 1
Willow Beauty 1
Yellow Shell 2

Micro Moths

Catoptria pinella 1 [NFY]
Pediasia contaminella 1 [NFY]
Phaulernis dentella 1 [NEW!]
Acleris schalleriana 1
Aethes tesserana 1 (netted)
Agapeta hamana 1
Agonopterix heracliana sp 1
Alucita hexadactyla 1
Anania hortulata 1
Ancylis achatana 1
Borkhausenia fuscescens 3 (netted)
Bryotropha affinis 1 (netted)
Celypha striana 1
Chrysoteuchia culmella 2
Clepsis consimilana 1
Cnephasia sp 1
Cochylis dubitana 1
Coleophora trifoli 1
Coleophora sp 1 (TBC)
Crambus pascuella 1
Cydalima perspectalis 1
Elachista maculicerusella 1
Eudonia lacustrata 1
Euzophera pinguis 1
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1
Homoeosoma sinuella 2
Hypsopygia costalis 1
Large Tabby 1
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 1
Patania ruralis 2
Phycita roborella 1
Plutella xylostella 1
Pterophorus pentadactyla 1
Sitochroa verticalis 1
Yponomeuta evonynella 1

Zeiraphera isertana

Catoptria pinella

Coleophora sp

Dark Umber

Delicate

Dot Moth

Dusky Sallow

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Pediasia contaminella

Phaulernis dentella