18th May 2014 ... Busy Traps

The continued warm spell is bringing in a variety of moths to the garden traps and it is getting difficult to keep up with it all.
8 more additions to the year list were added last night including the first Hawk-moth.
In previous years the first Hawk-moth has been Lime but this year it is Small Elephant ...
Trap Catch
Endrosis sarcitrella, 1
Agonopterix arenella, 1
Platyedra subcinerea, 4
Epiphyas postvittana, 4
Epiblema cynosbatella, 5
Cydia pomonella, 1
Aphomia sociella, 2
Ephestia parasitella unicolorella, 1, year first
Emmelina monodactyla, 1

Small Dusty Wave, 1
Garden Carpet, 2
Small Waved Umber, 1
Mottled Pug, 3
Freyer's Pug, 2, year first (below)

Common Pug, 2
Scalloped Hazel, 2
Waved Umber, 1
Willow Beauty, 5
Small Elephant Hawk-moth, 1, year first (below)

Buff-tip, 1
Puss Moth, 1
White Ermine, 1, year first (below)

Turnip Moth, 1
Heart & Dart, 3
Shuttle-shaped Dart, 43
Flame Shoulder, 1
Cabbage Moth, 1
Light Brocade, 1, year first (below, lazy shot)

Bright-line Brown-eye, 1
Lychnis, 1, year first (below)

Angle Shades, 1
Rustic Shoulder-knot, 1
Treble Lines, 1
Vine's Rustic, 3
Pale Mottled Willow, 2
Silver Y, 1, year first (below)

Spectacle, 1, year first

3rd June 2013 ... Cold nights in Beds

Yes, Bedfordshire night temperatures have been around 5 or 6 degrees and moth numbers have dropped dramatically.
We are in what the weatherman calls "but out in the rural areas ...", right after he gives overnight lows for the London area.
The highlights for the last couple of days have been Toadflax Brocade number 4 and Small ranunculus number 3.
These two red data moths are regulars in my garden.
Only one to add to the year list, apart from a couple of micros that need to be ID'd.
Light Brocade ......

2157 ... Light Brocade ... Lacanobia w-latinum

BEST of the REST :-
  Small Ranunculus ......

2165 ... Small Ranunculus ... Hecatera dysodea

Swallow Prominent ......

2007 ... Swallow Prominent ... Pheosia tremula

Bright-line Brown-eye ........

2160 ... Bright-line Brown-eye ... Lacanobia oleracea

28th May 2012 ... 5 New moths for the year

Yet another warm evening saw 5 newcomers for the year in and around the garden traps.....

1680 Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria  (Below)

1867 Treble-bar Aplocera plagiata  (Below)

1904 Scorched Wing Plagodis dolabraria  (Below)

2157 Light Brocade Lacanobia w-latinum  (Below)

2279 The Sycamore Acronicta aceris  (Below)

30th April 2011...So close !

My target of 100 species before the months end just fell short last night, but it was close.
The fact that I was gorging myself, and putting up with the only ale they had on offer (Unworthingtons super chilled bitter beer, commercially produced for those who know not what they do) at a Wedding reception, meant that I was unable to carry out my half hourly patrols of the lights and traps.
This has been very productive over the weeks, but I was thrilled to return and find a STREAMER 1747 on the shed window above the 36 watt Blacklight.

Species number 99 appeared around Skinner trap #1 in the shape of this cracking LIGHT BROCADE 2157

MUSLIN MOTH 2063 minus half an antenna

One of four LIME HAWKMOTH 1979 trapped so far this year, from the previous evening

A posse of SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART 2092 ready for the release point 30th April :-

18 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

2 x Turnip Moth

Pale Mottled Willow

Pale Tussock

Brimstone Moth

Muslin Moth

Grey Dagger agg

Scalloped Hazel

Streamer *year first

Light Brocade *year first

Epiphyas postvittana

Argyrotaenia ljungiana

Pyrausta aurata

Patyedra subcinerea

99 species to date, 64 macro, 35 micro

4th June.. Charge of the Light Brocade

June kicks off with some interesting moths, 4 garden firsts and 3 FFY's.
CINNABAR MOTH

COMMON MARBLED CARPET

LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING

LEAST BLACK ARCHES

BUTTONED SNOUT to be confirmed.........Thanks Andy & Melissa for confirmation

PRIVET HAWKMOTH

LIGHT BROCADE

ORANGE FOOTMAN

WILLOW BEAUTY

FIGURE of 80 A great nights trapping in the garden, with 30 macros plus PUGS. The Buttoned Snout needs confirmation and some micros need identifying. Last nights results:-

22 x Heart & Dart highest count

10 x S.S.Dart

5 x Large Nutmeg

4 x Lime Hawkmoth
4 x Marbled Minor agg.

4 x Rustic Shoulder-knot

3 x Treble Lines

2 x Willow Beauty FFY

2 x Brimstone Moth

2 x Pale Mottled Willow

2 x Light Emerald

2 x Buff Ermine

2 x Cinnabar Moth

2 x Bright-line Brown-eye

Buttoned Snout Garden first (if confirmed) Thanks Andy & Melissa for confirmation

Garden Carpet

Privet Hawkmoth Garden first

Light Brocade Garden first

Large Yellow Underwing FFY

Flame Shoulder

Common Marbled Carpet

Least Black Arches

Clouded Silver

Small Waved Umber

Waved Umber

Vine's Rustic

Orange Footman 2nd for year

Common Swift

Common Wainscot FFY

Figure of 80 Garden first

PLUS SEVERAL PUGS !

Micros:-

4 x Bee Moth

3 x Codling Moth

8 x L.B.Apple Moth

2 x Brown Housemoth

2 x Epiblema cynosbatella

more unidentified..................