27th July 2014 .. New for garden .. Dark Spinach

The first site record of Dark Spinach was found on the dining room curtain near the patio door ....

... still a "garden first" tho.

A selection of catch :-
26th July
0462 ... Ypsolopha scabrella
1113 ... Eudemis profundana
1207 ... Clavigesta purdeyi

1354 ... Cataclysta lemnata
1673 ... Small Emerald
1724 ... Red Twin-spot Carpet
2003 ... Pebble Prominent
2006 ... Lesser Swallow Prominent

2030 ... Yellow-tail
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character
2223 ... Toadflax Brocade

27th July
0303 ... Parornix anglicella, tbc
0455 ... Ypsolopha scabrella
801a ... Gelechia senticetella

1331 ... Acentria ephemerella x 300+
1415 ... Orthopygia glaucinalis
1425 ... Galleria mellonella

1749 ... Dark Spinach
1981 ... Poplar Hawk-moth
2087 ... Turnip Moth
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart x 48
2112 ... Least Yellow Underwing
2343x . Common Rustic agg x 28
2382 ... Rustic

above ... Ledra aurita
an odd looking, large leaf-hopper that is a regular at my traps at this time of year

14th and morning of 15th July....Humming !

15th July 08.45 hours............I was in the garden this morning enjoying the sun, when for the first time in about 5/6 years , a Hummingbird Hawkmoth appeared out of the blue and proceeded to feed on my deep purple Petunias.
No time to rush in for my camera so I just watched as it fed on 3 of the blooms before disappearing into the ether.
The whole operation took about 20 seconds and as I was within arms length of it, some superb views were had of it feeding.
This was not a "garden first", I have had 6 of these moths previously over a period of 21 years but haven't seen one since 2005 ish when two turned up on the Buddleia........ long before I started recording the moths in the garden.

TRAILING PETUNIA among various other plants. The moth preferred them to the Buddleia.

14th July :- 10 degrees C !

Your average bug doesn't come a lot stranger than Ledra aurita. This one was in the skinner, another on the shed wall. No stranger to my garden lights, but I would hate to have to find one on a lichen covered Oak trunk.

Dingy Footman and Leopard Moth (below) added another two species to the garden macro list for the year. Heavy rain is the forecast tonight so the traps will go on but one is inside the shed entrance and the covers are ready for the other. 14th July:-

4 x Ruby Tiger

5 x Least Carpet

1 x Toadflax Pug

1 x Leopard Moth

5 x Common Footman

2 x Scarce Footman

1 x Dingy Footman

8 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

2 x Grey Dagger agg.

9 x Riband Wave

7 x Dark Arches

2 x Heart and Dart

1 x Broad-bordered Yellow U'wing

1 x Lesser Yellow U'wing

1 x Large Yellow U'wing

2 x Dwarf Cream Wave

1 x Poplar Grey

1 x Scalloped Hook-tip

1 x Yellow Shell

1 x Swallow-tailed Moth

7 x Uncertain/Rustic

1 x Scalloped Oak

1 x Mouse Moth

1 x Peppered Moth

2 x Cloaked Minor

1 x Lackey

1 x Red Twin-spot Carpet

1 x Marbled Beauty

1 x Nutmeg

2 x Buff Ermine

1 x Dot Moth

1 x Brimstone Moth

2 x Agapeta hamana

1 x Phycita roborella

2 x Eurrhypara hortulata

3 x Endotricha flammealis

2 x Cydia pomonella

2 x Cnephasia agg.

1 x Pyrausta aurata

2 x Phlyctaenia coronata

1 x Oegoconia agg

1 x Pleuroptya ruralis

1 x Catoptria pinella

1 x Parapoynx stratiotata

1 x Tinea trinotella

1 x Agonopterix spp

Totals to date:-

321 species....193 macro, 128 micro

Weird and Wonderful

It's not just moths that are attracted by the light. Here are a few regular visitors that have put in an appearance. One in particular is the strange looking Horned Leaf Hopper (Ledra aurita ), a regular visitor but difficult to see on lichen covered flagstones around my trap.