Latest from the garden moth trap

Still ticking along in the garden rather nicely with a similar (to yesterday night's catch) of 33 species.

The most interesting bit was that nearly all were different moths, despite releasing all of the previous nights moths in the front garden, there were maybe 1 or 2 that returned.

 

Some great highlights, a Varied Coronet was my favourite, i'm lucky that I get all of the Coronets here in my garden, with the Coronet the commonest, then Varied and the rarest being Marbled with just 2 garden records.

A worn Heart & Club was also new for the year, these can be told apart from the front between Heart & Dart and the Turnip Moth as they have different shaped heads.

 

The big one turned up also, the grey and pink vulcan bomber of the moth world, a large female Privet Hawk-moth was a lovely surprise and much to the delight of my little boy.

 

A very pleasing night indeed considering it was clear skies all night and down to 9c.

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 281 species

 

07/06/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Heart & Club 1 [NFY]
Privet Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Varied Coronet 1 [NFY]
Buff Ermine 2
Buff-tip 1
Common Pug 1
Dark Arches 3
Elephant Hawk-moth 2
Flame 1
Garden Carpet 1
Green Pug 3
Heart & Dart 1
Large Nutmeg 1
Light Brocade 3
Marbled Minor 3
Mottled Rustic 1
Poplar Kitten 1
Peppered Moth 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Shark 1
Willow Beauty 4

Micro Moths

Anania hortulata 1
Aphomia sociella 1
Bryotropha basaltinella 1
Celypha striana 1
Cnephasia sp 1
Crambus lathoniellus 2
Endrosis sarcitrella 1
Grapholita tenebrosana 1
Homoeosoma sinuella 1
Neocochylis molliculana 1
Platyedra subcinerea 1
Tortrix viridana 2

Heart & Club

Privet Hawk-moth

Privet Hawk-moth

Varied Coronet

 

A very pleasing night

A better night here, but still a bit cool and clear, but it was lovely and calm and the moths seemed to like it also.

Plenty of species and some cracking moths.

Pick for me was a belting V-Moth. I get these annually here but always in small numbers, a really unusual moth.

Luquetia lobella was also a fave, a really funny looking micro moth, like no other species and they are very twitchy and rather than fly away, they dart around intially, very obscure!

 

A nice pink-flushed Ephestia species was also rather nice.

 

Still the weather continues to be a bit iffy, not all bad, just not 100% great. But then we do live in England, where you have to do things around the weather and try and not let it dictate.

 

Happy mothing!

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 278 species

 

06/06/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Common Footman 1 [NFY]
Light Arches 1 [NFY]
V-moth 1 [NFY]
Buff Ermine 2
Common Pug 1
Dark Arches 2
Garden Carpet 2
Green Pug 1
Heart & Dart 1
Large Nutmeg 2
Large Yellow Underwing 2
Lime-speck Pug 1
Marbled Minor 1
Mottled Pug 1
Pale Mottled Willow 1
Pale Tussock 1
Peppered Moth 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
White-point 2
Willow Beauty 3

Micro Moths

Elachista stabilella 1 [NFY]
Luquetia lobella 1 [NFY]
Anania hortulata 1
Bryotropha basaltinella 5
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella 1
Crambus lathoniellus 1
Epiphyas postvittana 1
Grapholita funebrana 1
Hedya nubiferana 1
Homoeosoma sinuella 2
Mompha subbistrigella 2
Phtheochroa rugosana 1
Plutella xylostella 1

Common Footman

Elachista stabilella

Ephestia sp

Homoeosoma sinuella

Light Arches

Luquetia lobella

V-Moth

 

A really rubbish and cold night

You wouldn't think it was June would you.

A terrible time lately here, with barely any moths turning up, most colder evenings there are less than 15 moths of just a handful of moths, and it's supposed to be going into peak moth season soon!

I'm sure it will all change soon, and it'll be too hot.. after all, they do call it 'Flaming June.

 

Just one new species was added to the year list, a worn Grey-pine Carpet, a second Common Wave of the year was nice plus a very pale Ephestia species was retained.

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 273 species

 

04/06/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Grey-pine Carpet 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Ephestia sp 1 [TBC]

Common Wave

Ephestia sp

Grey-pine Carpet

Steady but some interest still

Quiet now, but a few nice moths were attracted to my actinic trap on Monday night. 

There was just 1 new macro for the year, but it was a beauty of a Beautiful Hook-tip which posed nicely on a patio slab.

Micros were in short supply as it was a cold night (By June's standards) and down to 8 degrees.

There were 3 new micros though which was very pleasing, given the awful conditions.

They were, a faded Tortrix viridana, the unusual looking Blastodacna hellerella & a rather smart yellow-striped Oegoconia species.

One macro moth did catch my eye, a very small Noctuid that I intially mistook for an early Heart & Club.

It was not to be, and turns out after getting a look at it in good light, that it's a Turnip Moth! a right old runt with a lovely gingery head and mottled markings. I do love these smart forms of common moths.

Still waiting on a perfect 'stars-aligned' night...

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 272 species

 

03/06/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Beautiful Hook-tip 1 [NFY]
Buff-tip 1
Clouded Silver 2
Common Swift 5
Coronet 1
Dark Arches 2
Elephant Hawk-moth 1
Garden Carpet 1
Green Pug 1
Heart & Dart 1
Large Nutmeg 3
Large Yellow Underwing 4
Light Brocade 2
Lime Hawk-moth 1
Marbled Minor 5
Mottled Rustic 1
Pale Mottled Willow 1
Pale Oak Beauty 1
Peppered Moth 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Silver Y 1
Snout 2
Straw Dot 1
Swallow Prominent 1
Turnip Moth 3
Willow Beauty 7

Micro Moths

Blastodacna hellerella 1 [NFY]
Oegoconia sp 1 [NFY]
Tortrix viridana 1 [NFY]
Epiphyas postvittana 3
Parapoynx stratiotata 1
Platyedra subcinerea 1

Beautiful Hook-tip

Blastodacna hellerella

Oegoconia sp

Turnip Moth

Tortrix viridana

 

ALUREring success

The lure traps got a few hits on Monday, with 3 Grapholita funebrana to the FUN, 1 Grapholita lobarzewskii to the SKI & what is almost certainly Phyllonorycter hostis to the NIG lure (Dissection needed) 2024 garden species stands at 268. 

Grapholita lobarzewskii

Phyllonorycter hostis?

 

 

A much warmer night, the moths appear

A very busy night (by recent standards) in my garden, with 14 new ones for the year and an incredible 59 species, it's amazing what a few more degrees makes.

Talking of degrees, the weather was pretty perfect, a far cry from tonights weather here. With lows of 15 degrees and a good chunk of lovely cloud to lock the warm day temperatures in.

I worked the trap up until nearly the next day, but tiredness got the better of me. Rising at 4:30, the trap wasn't heaving, 1's and 2's of a lot of species. 

Species diversity is still strong here, but numbers are crashing year on year. Memories of traps full of common moths are fading repidly sadly, though I couldn't forget 30+ Dot Moths in one trap once, and possibly a record 224 Nutmegs over two MV traps back in 2014.

It will be very interesting to see what the next 10 years holds for our moths.

I digress

Back to the moths from Sunday night.. best species had to go to the miniscule Lyonetia prunifoliella netted early-doors at dusk, a rare moth here in Cambs and probably only rare because of how tiny it is, new for the garden.

Other cracking moths included not one, but 4 Elephant Hawk-moths, all spankingly fresh. Evergestis limbata was back, a regular little moth here and good to see once more, in fact the micros stole the show 11 to 3!

After all that excitement it's back to glum times.

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 266 species

 

02/06/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Elephant Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Small Waved Umber 1 [NFY]
Straw Dot 1 [NFY]
Brimstone Moth 1
Buttoned Snout 1
Clouded Silver 2
Common Carpet 1
Common Swift 2
Common Wainscot 1
Coronet 1
Garden Carpet 1
Green Pug 2
Heart & Dart 1
Large Nutmeg 1
Large Yellow Underwing 2
Light Brocade 1
Marbled Minor 1
Orange Footman 1
Pale Mottled Willow 1
Pale Oak Beauty 1
Pale Tussock 1
Peppered Moth 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Silver Y 1
Small Dusty Wave 1
Snout 1
Treble Lines 1
Turnip Moth 3
Willow Beauty 4

Micro Moths

Acentria ephemerella 1 [NFY]
Agapeta hamana 3 [NFY]
Aleimma loeflingiana 1 [NFY]
Archips podana 2 [NFY]
Coleophora trifolii 1 [NFY]
Cydia pomonella 1 [NFY]
Epinotia bilunana 2 [NFY]
Evergestis limbata 1 [NFY]
Grapholita tenebrosana 1 [NFY]
Lyonetia prunifoliella 1 [NFG]
Neocochylis molliculana 1 [NFY]
Aphomia sociella 1
Argyresthia cupressella 2
Argyresthia spinosella 1
Blastobasis lacticolella 1
Bryotropha basaltinella 5
Crambus lathoniellus 1
Dichrorampha simpliciana 1
Ephestia sp 1
Epiphyas postvittana 1
Hedya pruniana 1
Hedya nubiferana 1
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1
Lyonetia clerkella 1
Monopis crocicapitella 1
Notocelia trimaculana 1
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 1
Parornix sp 1
Platyedra subcinerea 1
Plutella xylostella 1

Agapeta hamana

Archips podana

Cydia pomonella

Elephant Hawk-moth

Epinotia bilunana

Evergestis limbata

Lyonetia prunifoliella

Neocochylis molliculana

Small Waved Umber

 

Chilly!

So cold, with a brisk north wind and temperatures dipping below 10 degrees, there were just 11 moths to the trap ran over night.

I had an early night after a busy day as I knew it wouldn't be worth staying up late.

Luckily, amongst the 8 species were 2 new micro moths for the year.

I don't have to wait too long for a better night, tonight looks much better.

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 252 species

 

01/06/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Bright-line Brown-eye 1
Flame Shoulder 1
Heart & Dart 4
Large Nutmeg 1
Pale Oak Beauty 1
Shears 1

Micro Moths

Celypha striana 1 [NFY]
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 1 [NFY]

Celypha striana

Paraswammerdamia albicapitella

 

Weather Woes

Absolutely terrible weather lately, a cool clear or misty nights, rain, rain, more rain, and then some more rain for good measure.

Did I mention the wind as well? It's been so bad, I didn't even light up last night (Although a moth was sat on the french door, attracted to the lit window, a bonus new Buff Ermine)

 

Wednesday night was rather uninspiring with less moths than was hoped, but all certainly wasn't lost with 3 new species and a rather dashingly coloured Coronet.

Just waiting on a better night now..

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 250 species

 

29/05/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Leopard Moth 1 [NFY]
Small Blood-vein 1 [NFY]
Angle Shades 1
Buff-tip 1
Common Swift 2
Coronet 1
Garden Carpet 1
Green Pug 1
Heart & Dart 2
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Light Brocade 1
Light Emerald 1
Marbled Minor 4
Mottled Pug 1
Mottled Rustic 1
Peppered Moth 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
Silver Y 1
Snout 2
Treble Lines 2
Turnip Moth 4
White-point 1

Micro Moths

Aethes beatricella 1 [NFY]
Aphomia sociella 1
Bryotropha basaltinella 1
Crambus lathoniellus 2
Epiphyas postvittana 2

 

30/05/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire

Macro Moths

Buff Ermine 1 [NFY] (To lit window)

Buff Ermine

Aethes beatricella

Coronet

Leopard Moth

Small Blood-vein

 

Latest from the home trap, raining moths!

A wet night last night, but plenty of moths observed.

Of course this mainly had to do with the temperature, which was still 15c at 11:30pm when I went to bed. When I got up at 4:30am it was still 13c. 

A total of 47 species were recorded, working the trap up until bedtime and potting and netting anything new or interesting.

Come the morning there wasn't much in the trap, mostly Noctuid moths but still no big numbers of anything (a worrying trend) Common Swift & Epiphyas postvittana tied on 6 a piece.

 

Green Pug is doing well here, with 5 last night alone.

Best moths of the night included a lovely Small Elephant Hawk-moth, a really bright Yellow Shell (found by my son whilst playing in the garden today with his friend), a garden first Clay Triple-lines and a probable Coleophora laricella, which would also be new for the garden and only the 2nd for Cambridgeshire. 

Plenty of interest, lets hope the weather picks up soon, i've got surveys to do!

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 246 species

 

28/05/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Clay Triple-lines 1 [NFG]
Miller 1 [NFY]
Mottled Rustic 1 [NFY]
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Yellow Shell 1 [NFY]
Angle Shades 1
Bright-line Brown-eye 1
Brimstone Moth 1
Buff-tip 1
Common Swift 4
Flame 1
Garden Carpet 1
Green Carpet 1
Green Pug 5
Heart & Dart 3
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Light Brocade 4
Light Emerald 1
Marbled Minor 6
Peppered Moth 1
Poplar Hawk-moth 1
Rustic Shoulder-knot 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 2
Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
Silver Y 1
Small Dusty Wave 1
Snout 1
Spectacle 1
Swallow Prominent 1
Sycamore 1
Treble Lines 2
Turnip 2
Vine's Rustic 1
White-point 1
Willow Beauty 1

Micro Moths

Chrysoteuchia culmella 1 [NFY]
Clepsis consimilana 1 [NFY]
Homoeosoma sinuella 1 [NFY]
Coleophora sp 1 (pos laricella tbc)
Bryotropha basaltinella 1
Crambus lathoniellus 3
Epiblema scutulana 1
Epiphyas postvittana 6
Hedya pruniana 1
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1
Monopis crocicapitella 1
Pyrausta aurata 1

Chrysoteuchia culmella

Clay Triple-lines

Clepsis consimilana

Coleophora sp prob laricella

Homoeosoma sinuella

Miller

Mottled Rustic

Small Elephant Hawk-moth

Yellow Shell

 

Half-a-Dark Arches

A poor night on Monday night, with clear spells and temps dipping to a chill 9c there wasn't many moths at all, perhaps 15 species in total, so I didn't bother listing them.

I did however get a year first Dark Arches, well most of it... 

Also continuing the tatty theme, a half-dead Coleophora was potted as well, it will be retained for dissection.

Last night was much better under cloudy but wet conditions, moths don't mind the rain!

Moth garden list for 2024 stands at 238 species

 

27/05/24 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Dark Arches 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Coleophora sp 1 (TBC)

Coleophora sp

Dark Arches

East Cambs Woodland - Field Trip - 26/05/24

I made an impromptu trip to a local wood on Sunday night.

 

There really isn't much choice of a decent night lately, but I feel like we are running out of time for certain species that possibly might not be on the wing for much longer!

So I bit the bullet and went for it. After a mixed day of sunshine and showers, but with a muggy feel in the air I rocked up at a quarter to nine, and set up just 2 traps.

The sky had completely cleared after a mostly cloudy day, typical! Fortunately there was no moon to contend with (rising at 1am) and there was no wind.

But the temperature fell away from 16c to 13c in under an hour. It stayed at 13c for most of the night, not tragic but far from exceptional.

Something decent had to turn up... and it did! with many fresh Gold Swifts observed 'lekking' at dusk and a pristine Green Silver-lines turning up early doors.

 

I also netted several moths at dusk before setting up, including the scarce Ancylis diminutana, my first Cambridgeshire record of this species.

The Tortrix moths were well represented at dusk, but once the cold set in at around 11pm, there was barely anything flying.

Coleophora amethystinella was a good record and the furthest easterly record so far for Cambs.

Best moths were probably two Elachista gangabella, one was absolutely pristine, and that's why it's worth making the effort for these early emergences.

I'll be back very soon.

26/05/24 - East Cambs Woodland - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 160w MBT Trap & 1x 250w Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

Brimstone Moth
Brown Silver-line
Common Marbled Carpet
Common Pug
Common Swift
Common White Wave
Coronet
Cream Wave
Flame Carpet
Flame Shoulder
Green Carpet
Green Silver-lines
Gold Swift
Iron Prominent
Light Emerald
Marbled White Spot
Orange Footman
Pale Oak Beauty
Pale Tussock
Silver-ground Carpet
Small Phoenix
Small Waved Umber
Spruce Carpet
Treble Lines
White Ermine

Micro Moths

Ancylis diminutana
Apotomis turbidana
Argyresthia spinosella
Carpatolechia proximella
Celypha lacunana
Cochylimorpha straminea
Coleophora amethystinella
Coleophora alticolella or glaucicolella
Crambus lathoniellus
Elachista gangabella
Epinotia bilunana
Hedya pruniana
Lathyronympha strigana
Orthotaenia undulana
Parornix anglicella (Many beaten from Hawthorn)
Ptycholoma lecheana
Scoparia ambigualis
Scrobipalpa costella
Strophedra weirana

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Ancylis diminutana

Apotomis turbidana

Brown Silver-line

Carpatolechia proximella

Coleophora amethystinella

Elachista gangabella

Epinotia bilunana

Gold Swift

Green Silver-lines

Marbled White Spot

Orthotaenia undulana

Scrobipalpa costella

Strophedra weirana

Ptycholoma lecheana