6th May 2016 ... Warm spell sparks bumper catch

Last week we were scraping ice from the windscreens and this week it's T-shirts and shorts.
The overdue warm spell has certainly kick started the moths with the minimum night temperature at double figures in the Bedford area.
The garden traps produced 20 species of which 11 were newcomers to the 2016 garden list ...
0247 ... Tinea trinotella NFY
0284 ... Caloptilia rufipennella NFY
0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella x 3
0688 ... Agonopterix heracliana
0779 ... Bryotropha affinis NFY
0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea NFY
0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana x 6
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla
1342 ... Eudonia angustea
1428 ... Aphomia sociella NFY
1497 ... Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla x 4
1651 ... Chinese Character NFY
1724 ... Red Twin-spot Carpet NFY
1728 ... Garden Carpet
1862 ... Double-striped Pug x 9
1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle NFY
1920 ... Scalloped Hazel NFY
1936 ... Waved Umber NFY
2063 ... Muslin Moth (male)
2064 ... Ruby Tiger NFY
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart x 2
2186 ... Powdered Quaker
2188 ... Clouded Drab
2190 ... Hebrew Character
2306 ... Angle Shades
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow x 2

Scalloped Hazel

Platyedra subcinerea

10th May 2015 ... Garden Moth Trap results

A warmer evening saw moth numbers up but not the big jump in "year firsts" that I was expecting.
There were 3 species added to the list though, Cinnabar, Carrion Moth and a Mallow Groundling.
0228 Monopis weaverella, 1, year first, (Carrion Moth)

0247 Tinea trinotella, 1, (Bird's-nest Moth)
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1, (Brown House Moth)
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 3, (White-shouldered House Moth)
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 2, (Garden Cosmet)
0808 Platyedra subcinerea, 3, year first,  (Mallow Groundling)
Status:  Nationally Scarce B, but plentiful at The Dells...

808 Platyedra subcinerea

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 4, (Light Brown Apple Moth)
1342 Eudonia angustea, 2, (Narrow-winged Grey)
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1, (Bee Moth)
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 3, (Common Plume)
1834 Common Pug, 2
1862 Double-striped Pug, 4
1906 Brimstone Moth, 4
2063 Muslin Moth, 2
2069 Cinnabar, 1, year first
I must buff up the perspex on the skinner traps !
This one escaped before a decent pic could be taken.

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 12
2190 Hebrew Character, 1
2223 Toadflax Brocade, 1

4th May 2014 ... Garden Moths latest

Night temperatures are slowly creeping up again as are the species numbers.
A late afternoon saunter in the garden produced a few common micros and a check of the shed windows yielded 13 x Mompha subbistrigella and a White-shouldered House-moth.
Three additions to the year list were added during the evening, Platyedra subcinerea, Flame Shoulder and Rustic Shoulder-knot.
409a ... Argyresthia trifasciata 1
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella 1
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella 1
0697 ... Agonopterix arenella 1
0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea 2, year first (and second)
0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella 13
0985 ... Cacoecimorpha pronubana 2, Carnation Tortrix
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana 5, Light Brown Apple Moth
1342 ... Eudonia angustea 1
1361 ... Pyrausta aurata 3
1728 ... Garden Carpet, 2
1761 ... Small Waved Umber, 1
1834 ... Common Pug, 2
1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle, 1
1906 ... Brimstone Moth, 2
2019 ... Chocolate-tip, 1
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart, 10
2102 ... Flame Shoulder, 1, year first
2306 ... Angle Shades, 1
2334 ... Rustic Shoulder-knot, 1, year first
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, 1

Above ... Platyedra subcinerea
Below ... Flame Shoulder

Above ... Rustic Shoulder-knot

Also found on the shed window, a small beetle about 4-5mm long which I haven't noticed before, in fact there were 3 of them.
I don't know the ID ...

Other beetles

Harlequin Ladybirds in cop, showing diverse colour and pattern
and below, 14-spot Ladybirds

Above, 2-spot Ladybird

June 7th 2013 ... Eyed like some more of these ....

1980 ... Eyed Hawk-moth ... Smerinthus ocellata

Last year I had given up with Eyed Hawk, resigned to "dipping out".
After all, it was early September so no chance.
But, on a chilly October 14th evening, following a warm, sunny day, one appeared on the wall beside the trap.
That was the latest record for Bedfordshire, the previous latest being August 5th.*
The above creature was in the trap this morning and gave me the usual "start" when the egg box was turned to reveal it ....These Hawks are amazing !
At least it was not totally unexpected.
The NE wind had the usual bite to it, and although the thermometer was reading 7 degrees (the same as the night before) it felt much colder and the numbers were considerably lower than the previous night.
Common Swift was also added to the garden year list, which is trailing 2012 by a margin, and 2012 was a bad year !
I think it will pick up very soon, ever optimistic .. if the glass is half empty all the the time, get a bigger bottle!
Last nights catch :-
Micro moths
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella ... White-shouldered House-moth ... 2
0808 ... Playedra subcinerea ... Mallow Groundling ... 1

808 ... Patyedra subcinerea

0874 ... Blastobasis lacticolella ... London Dowd ... 1
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana ... Light Brown Apple Moth ... 1
Macro moths
0017 ... Common Swift ... Hepialus lupulinus ... 1 ... YF

17 ... Common Swift ... Hepialus lupulinus

1728 ... Garden Carpet ... Xanthorhoe fluctuata ... 2
1776 ... Green Carpet ... Colostygia pectinataria
1834 ... Common Pug ... Eupithecia vulgata ... 2
1920 ... Scalloped Hazel ... Odontopera bidentata ... 1
1931 ... Peppered Moth ... Biston betularia ... 1

1931 ... Peppered Moth ... Biston betularia

1980 ... Eyed Hawk-moth ... Smerinthus ocellata ...1 ... YF
2060 ... White Ermine ... Spilosoma lubricipeda ... 1
2069 ... Cinnabar ... Tyria jacobaeae ... 1
2089 ... Heart and Dart ... Agrotis exclamationis ... 1
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta ... 4
2154 ... Cabbage Moth ... Mamestra brassicae ... 1
2279 ... Sycamore ... Acronicta aceris ... 1
2283/4. Dark/Grey Dagger agg. ... Acronicta tridens/psi ... 1
2334 ... Rustic Shoulder-knot ... Apamea sordens ... 1
2337/9. Marbled Minor agg. ... 1
2380 ... Treble Lines ... 1



*Courtesy of Andy and Melissa Banthorpe, Bedfordshire VC30 Macro moth recorders.

5th May 2013 ... Dotty about garden addition

New garden macro moths are thin on the ground at The Dells, and I wasn't expecting to find this Dotted Chestnut in the trap this morning .... nice surprise !

2260 .. Dotted Chestnut ... Conistra rubiginea

A Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner was added to the year list. They are possibly one of our commonest moths that have spread across the country in recent years.
How many ?
Count every Horse Chestnut tree in the land and multiply by one million for a wild guess !

366a .. Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner ... Cameraria ohridella

This Shuttle-shaped Dart took a full-on bite from a House Spider before being rescued for a year-first photo shoot, unfortunately by the morning it had expired ...

2092 .. Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta

House Spider on its raft-like web

A year first Bright-line Brown-eye that looks like it has also done a couple of rounds with that spider ...

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

Two more micros to add ...
Agonpterix arenella and Platyedra subcinerea which is locally common in the garden ...

808 .. Platyedra subcinerea

697 .. Agonopterix arenella

Full list
Micro moths :-
366a ... Cameraria ohridella ... Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner ... 1, year first
0695 ... Agonopterix alstromeriana ... Brown-spot Flat-body ... 1
0697 ... Agonopterix arenella ... Brindled Flat-body ... 1, year first
0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea ... Mallow Groundling ... 3, year first
0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella ... Garden Cosmet ... 1
0974 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana ... Heather Tortrix ... 2
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla ... Twenty-plume Moth ... 2
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 4
Macro moths :-
1728 ... Garden Carpet ... Xanthorhoe fluctuata ... 1
1862 ... Double-striped Pug ... Gymnoscelis rufifasciata ... 4
2063 ... Muslin Moth ... Diaphora mendica ... 3
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta ... 1, year first
2160 ... Bright-line Brown-eye ... Lacanobia oleracea ... 1, year first
2187 ... Common Quaker ... Orthosia cerasi ... 1
2188 ... Clouded Drab ... Orthosia incerta ... 4
2190 ... Hebrew Character ... Orthosia gothica ... 4
2243 ... Early Grey ... Xylocampa areola ... 1
2260 ... Dotted Chestnut ... Conistra rubiginea ... 1, First garden record
2449 ... The Spectacle ... Abrostola tripartita ... 1

(Below) Probably the most photographed moth face in the UK ....
The Spectacle, ( or should that be "spectacles"? )

28th Oct 2012 ... 2 moths !

6.3 deg was a lot warmer than the previous 2 or 3 nights when nothing was recorded in the garden traps.
Light showers and wind were the order of the night but two moths were found.

0808 Platyedra subcinerea ...

1795-7 November Moth agg.

8th May 2012... Good, until the rain came (again)

Overnight min. temp. 9.1 deg. gentle southerly breeze....then RAIN
Once again the weather put the brakes on what was becoming an excellent night.
It was still 12 deg at 23.00 hrs. and the local moths were itching for an excursion around The Dells garden.
But at 23.30...down it came and continued for the rest of the night.
Best moth of the night by a long chalk was Chamomile Shark, a garden first and
scarce for the county with just 23 past records.
NB. Another county Chamomile was caught on the same night by Will George....see blog on http://i-moff.blogspot.co.uk/  I believe this one is a male, whereas mine is a female, which deposited eggs in the capture pot.
Thanks to Andy & Melissa Banthorpe (county macro recorders) for confirming ID

Trap results :-
0229 Monopis obviella 1
0647 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1
0649 Esperia sulphurella 1
0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
0808 Platyedra subcinerea 4, year first
0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 3
0985 Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana 1, year first
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 2
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2
Plus 1 unidentified for gen det...result later
1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 2
1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata 2
1862 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 8
1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 1
1936 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria 2, year first
2007 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula 1, year first
2063 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica 1, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 7
2243 Early Grey Xylocampa areola 1
2214 Chamomile Shark Cucullia chamomillae 1, garden first
2283/4 Dark/grey Dagger agg 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 2

Chamomile Shark, Cucullia chamomillae 

Waved Umber, Menophra abruptaria 

Swallow Prominent, Pheosia tremula

Grey/Dark Dagger agg

Muslin Moth, Diaphora mendica

808 Platyedra Subcinerea

985 Cacoeicimorpha pronubana