19th June ... Garden Moth trap results

Catch list for June 19, 2015
10.9 deg C fresh, low humidity.

0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella,, 2
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 1
0787 Bryotropha terrella, 1
0989 Aphelia paleana, 1, year first 

BF 989 ... Aphelia paleana, Timothy Tortrix

0994 Pandemis cerasana, 1
1175 Epiblema uddmanniana, 1
1261 Cydia pomonella, 1
1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2
1344 Eudonia mercurella, 1
1376 Eurrhypara hortulata, 1
1421 Aglossa pinguinalis, 1

BF 1421 ... Aglossa pinguinalis, Large Tabby

1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 2
1713 Riband Wave, 2
1728 Garden Carpet, 4
1834 Common Pug, 2
1837 Grey Pug, 1
1860 Green Pug, 1
1862 Double-striped Pug, 1
1937 Willow Beauty, 3
2000 Iron Prominent, 1
2050 Common Fopotman, 3
2069 Cinnabar, 4
2088 Heart and Club, 2

BF 2088 ... Heart & Club

2089 Heart and Dart, 18
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2
2098 Flame, 2

BF 2098 ... The Flame

2107 Large Yellow Underwing, 1
2126, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2
2154 Cabbage Moth, 1
2170 Varied Coronet, 1
2321 Dark Arches, 3
2331 Small Clouded Brindle, 1

BF 2331 ... Small Clouded Brindle

2337x Marbled Minor agg. 3
2381 Uncertain, 2
2387 Mottled Rustic, 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 1

11th June ... Warmer weather ramps up garden moth catch

The last few nights have been rubbish, just too cold, but June is an unpredictable month weather-wise.
The warmer weather last night boosted the species count to 33 compared with 11 species on the 8th, 21 on the 9th and 15 on the 10th.
Tonight is set to be warmer still, so if those isolated thunderstorms keep away, it might be an interesting mothy night.
The catch :-
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 2
0893 Mompha epilobiella, 1
0994 Clepsis consimilana, 3, year first

Clepsis consimilana, male

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 2
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella, 1
1356 Evergestis forficalis, 1
1361 Pyrausta aurata, 1
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1474 Ephestia unicolorella, 1

Ephestia unicolorella

1682 Blood-vein, 1, year first

Blood-vein

1728 Garden Carpet, 6
1764 Common Marbled Carpet, 1
1834 Common Pug, 2
1906 Brimstone Moth, 1
1937 Willow Beauty, 3
1958 Clouded Silver, 1, year first

Clouded Silver

1961 Light Emerald, 1
2028 Pale Tussock, 1
2043 Orange Footman, 1
2089 Heart and Dart, 14
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing, 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye, 1
2199 Common Wainscot, 1
2284x Dark/Grey Dagger agg. 1
2321 Dark Arches, 1
2331 Small Clouded Brindle, 1, year first

Small Clouded Brindle

2333 Large Nutmeg, 2
2337x Marbled Minor agg. 2
2384 Vine's Rustic, 5
2387 Mottled Rustic, 1, year first

Mottled Rustic

Pale Mottled Willow, 3

31st May 2014 ... Argyresthia cupressella plus "Brindle" ID help needed. (Juniper Pug should read Juniper Carpet)

There are only 3 records of Argyresthia cupressella for the Bedfordshire VC30 county and all from my garden !
This little moth, like lots of the tiny micros, has probably been overlooked or ignored by the majority of garden moth trappers.
My next door neighbour has a couple of Cypress cultivars as do a few others in the street which is the food plant along with Junipers which probably explains my annual record of Juniper Pug.
First seen in England in 1997, this attractive little micro is spreading its range northwards and into Wales, its most Northerly location is NE Northern Ireland and remains the only NI record.
At 5mm in length it is difficult to spot especially amongst other Argyresthia species like the many pruniella and goedartella that regularly turn up in my garden.
Fortunately, this one was a loner and quite easy to spot and identify....

Above ... Argyresthia cupressella  and just to be certain, confirmation received from Mr D.V. Manning, county recorder for micro moths.
The brown blotches on this example are darker than the previous two which were a washed out orangey colour.
And now for something completely different ... more moths.
New for 2014 ...
UDEA OLIVALIS below..

HEDYA PRUNIANA below ..

TREBLE-BAR below

CINNABAR MOTH below

This is one I often get wrong but here goes ...
SMALL SQUARE-SPOT

Just to point out that my regular ID mistakes are confined to the blog. Any doubtful ID's are run past our county recorders for confirmation before being entered into my records and obviously theirs.
Most of my blog entries are entered unchecked hence the odd mistake.
This is due to shape dislexia with a dash of myopia.
Any corrections are welcome as always and the occasional humerous sarcastic comment is always taken in good heart (don't forget I know where you all live)
Having said that, I have a moth here which I always have trouble with.
An Apamea species.
It's the "Brindles" and Dusky Brocade group.
The moth below is smaller than Dusky Brocade, sizewise it is spot on for Small Clouded Brindle but looks too dark.
Any offers ?
This group is quite scarce in my garden so I don't get to see many if any to familiarise myself ...

above ... SMALL CLOUDED BRINDLE ?
A year on ...
Having now seen a few of these I am satisfied that it is a Small Clouded Brindle.

Not new, but two of these impossible to pronounce moths were found near the traps .... Hetheth methetheth pethetheth rugosana ...

above, PHTHEOCHROA RUGOSANA

30th May ... Yet more new moths for 2014 ...

Another good mothing night with 44 species recorded icluding a new species for garden, Small Clouded Brindle (below)

It looks much more "tent shaped" than its normal flatter pose, this is because it is frozen.
I meant to leave it in the freezer for half a minute to calm it down for a photo ... but the phone rang !
Other new for year moths are as follows:-
Tinea pellionella (from my lounge room)
Epinotia bilunana, below

Aglossa pinguinalis, Large Tabby, (below)

Clepsis consimilana (below)

Treble Brown Spot (below)

Purple Bar (below)

Silver-ground Carpet (below)

Sandy Carpet (below)