Latest garden Moths

Moth numbers are increasing in the garden with the warmer nights although the strong gusting breeze and the large moon are doing their best to inhibit the nocturnal activity.
My garden tally is now 16 species compared to 11 species this time last year.
Common Quaker is now regular in the traps with Hebrew Character, and Agonopterix heracliana along with Emmelina monodactyla make up the majority of the micro catch.

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla was a new addition for the year on 5th March, difficult to spot on the brick wall near the trap.  Tortricodes alternella would have made the photo gallery but unfortunately it got badly crushed between pot and lid so no pic.
Hebrew Character (below)
very common and will be for another month or more

A brace of Satellites on the 6th

Grey Shoulder-knot was added last night (7th Mar)

Pale Brindled Beauty in the egg boxes this morning (8th)

2188 ... Clouded Drab, 8/3/15

13th Feb 2015 ... A Pale Male

It was just about warm enough last night to flick on the traps while I was out quizzing and supping.
The first macro moth of the year arrived at last, a male Pale Brindled Beauty.
4.2 deg low..rainy

1926, Pale Brindled Beauty

6th Jan 2013 ... Pale Brindled Beauty

Just the one moth last night, but a nice year tick.
Pale Brindled Beauty.
It was attracted to the 40 watt blacklight in the shed window, the actinic lights on the trap scored a big zero.

Pale Brindled Beauty, Phigalia pilosaria

Wine Bet Latest.
P.B.B. brings my total to 6 species for the year but Matt has weighed in with a cracking Mottled Umber to pull level.
Mottled Umber remains unrecorded at The Dells so "advantage Matt"

24th Jan 2011...Garden Traps

Temperatures were at 8+ deg and little or no wind.
It could have been a perfect Jan evening but for the persistent fine drizzle that fell until late evening.
On the 22nd Jan, I caught two more Dark Chestnuts, bringing the total to 9, so it was a nice change to find my second macro species of 2012.....Pale Brindled Beauty.
A Light Brown Apple Moth made up the total catch.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Epiphyas postvittana... B.F. 998

Two unidentified caterpillars grazing on moss or lichen on the brick wall:-



Garden Total.....5 species..........3 x micro...2 x macro

Common moth is new tick

This Pale Brindled Beauty has been on my target list for some time.
Last year I struggled to find any winter months moths but since installing a 15watt flourescent fitting under the eaves of my shed, and using a 15w 350BL tube to bathe the shed wall in light, I have added 4 new species to my garden list.
To illustrate this further, at this time last year I recorded just 3 species....Winter Moth, Dark Chestnut and Satellite, all caught in the skinner trap.
So far this year the total is 14 species, with only Common Quaker and Chestnut being found in the traps. The traps will come into their own very soon but the cold weather moths seem to prefer the illuminated walls.
The other advantage is I can put on the wall lights during rainy weather and not have to worry about soaked traps as I have no effective rain guards fitted.

Spring Usher is still on my target list and a Dotted Border would be a welcome addition......seek and ye shall find !
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PALE BRINDLED BEAUTY 1926 Year total to date:-
25 moths of 14 species ( 9 macro, 5 micro )