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

Sunday, 6 October 2024

From Pale to Dusky!

With a cracker of a Pale-lemon Sallow yesterday night, imagine my excitement of finding a Dusky-lemon Sallow in the garden trap this morning!
I have never caught both in one year let alone a day apart, incredible.
It was extremely satisfying photographing the pair side by side.

Other good moths included several Delicate's, Scarce Bordered Straws, a single Clancy's Rustic and Scarce Bordered Straw. 
 
The robinson trap is really working much better than my storage box at retaining, and the trap had plenty of moths inside this morning.
 
A tiny Phyllonorycter messaniella was new for the year and what I thought was late, isn't actually in certain parts of the country, the peak flight season for them is now! A species of Phyllonorycter that multi-broods and possibly overwinters during mild winters.
A welcome yearly addition having seen my last one on the 29th June 2022! 
 
Today whilst releasing the moths in my garden from last night, I spied a lovely Grey Dagger caterpillar, my first of this species in larval form.

Milder conditions are here now, but it could be windy and wet.

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 614 species

05/10/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Dusky-lemon Sallow 1 [NFY]
 
Micro Moths
 
Phyllonorycter messaniella 1 [NFY] 
 
Delicate

Pale-lemon Sallow & Dusky-lemon Sallow

Dusky-lemon Sallow

Grey Dagger Caterpillar

Phyllonorycter messaniella

Scarce Bordered Straw

 

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