3rd April 2015 .. Strong gusts blow moths into town

Most moth-ers would rather trap in calm conditions, but here in The Dells garden the wind is welcome if it blows from SW to SE, although maybe not quite as severe as it was last night.
Last nights catch was encouraging ...
0247 Tinea trinotella, 1, year first

Tinea trinotella

 1342 Eudonia angustea, 1
1356 Evergestis forficalis, 1, year first (Garden Pebble)

Evergestis forficalis

1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 1, (Common Plume)
1728 Garden Carpet, 1
1781 Small Waved Umber, 1
1862 Double-striped Pug, 3
1906 Brimstone Moth, 1
2011 Pale Prominent, 1, year first

Pale Prominent

2063 Muslin Moth, 1
2078 Least Black Arches, 2
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2306 Angle Shades, 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2
2425 Nut-tree Tussock, 1

19th May 2014 ... Moth catch report

13.2 deg min. temp
After the previous nights first Hawk-moth of the year, two more turned up last night, Lime Hawk-moth and Poplar Hawk-moth.
Micro moth numbers are steadily increasing with 5 newcomers for the year list.
A heavy shower during the night meant wet traps this morning but a nice variety of moths were recorded ... year first moths in bold.
Tinea trinotella, 1
Argyresthia trifasciata, 1
Elachista argentella, 1
Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1
Endrosis sarcitrella, 3
Bryotropha affinis, 1
Platyedra subcinerea, 2
Scrobipalpa costella, 1
Mompha subbistrigella, 17
Epiphyas postvittana, 9
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 1
Epiblema cynosbatella, 3
Eurrhypara hortulata, 1
Aphomia sociella, 4
Red Twin-spot Carpet, 1
Garden Carpet, 3
Common Marbled Carpet, 1
Spruce Carpet, 1
Mottled Pug, 3
Common Pug, 2
Yellow-barred Brindle, 1
Brimstone Moth, 2
Waved Umber, 2
Lime Hawk-moth, 1
Poplar Hawk-moth, 1
Buff-tip, 1
Pale Tussock, 1
White Ermine, 1
Least Black Arches, 1
Turnip Moth, 2
Heart n Dart, 4
Shuttle-shaped Dart, 50
Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1
Nutmeg, 1
Bright-line Brown-eye, 4
Lychnis, 1
Large Nutmeg, 1
Rustic Shoulder-knot, 5
Treble Lines, 4
Pale Mottled Willow, 3

From the top ...
Tinea trinotella
Bryotropha affinis
Spruce Carpet
Lime Hawk-moth
Poplar Hawk-moth
Ditto
Pale Tussock
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Scrobipalpa costella
Elachista argentella
Eurrhypara hortulata

19th May 2013 ... Best night so far

11 deg all night, and apart from a heavyish shower at 01.00 am, it would have been perfect.
Let's hope for many more "best night so far" nights.
Yesterday, I did a bit of afternoon micro hunting in the front part of the garden, where the north-west border is constantly under attack from my neighbours knee-deep selection of wild grasses and weeds.
This bothers me not one whit as it encourages the local wildlife.
Six species were potted/netted and my Laburnum tree produced Leucoptera laburnella the Laburnum Leaf-miner.  Cochylis dubitana was also added to the year list, a common micro at The Dells.
My prized regulars returned last night for the third year running ... Toadflax Brocade and my female Emperor Moth hatched from its pupa after 3 years, unfortunately the weather hasn't been the best to lure some wild males.

The micro catch .........
0247 ... Tinea trinotella ... Bird's-nest Moth ... 1 ... YF

247 ... Tinea trinotella

0254 ... Leucoptera laburnella ... Laburnum Leaf Miner ... 1 ... YF

254 ... Leucoptera laburnella

0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella ... Brown House-moth ... 2
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella ... White-shouldered House-moth ... 3
0649 ... Esperia sulphurella ... Sulphur Tubic ... 2
0697 ... Agonopterix arenella ... Brindled Flat-body ... 1

697 ... Agonopterix arenella

0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea ... Mallow Groundling ... 4
0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella ... Garden Cosmet ... 1
0964 ... Cochylis dubitana ... Little Conch ... 1 ... YF

964 ... Cochylis dubitana 

0974 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana ... Heather Tortrix ... 2
1288 ... Alucita hexadactyla ... Twenty-plume Moth ... 2
1428 ... Aphomia sociella ... Bee Moth ... 1 ... YF

1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 1
Macro Moths ...
1707 ... Small Dusty Wave ... Idaea seriata ... 1 ... YF

1707 ... Small Dusty Wave ... Idaea seriata

1724 ... Red Twin-spot Carpet ... Xanthorhoe spadicearia ... 1
1728 ... Garden Carpet ... Xanthorhoe fluctuata ... 6
1781 ... Small Waved Umber ... Horisme vitalbata ... 1
1834 ... Common Pug ... Eupithecia vulgata ... 4
1906 ... Brimstone Moth ... Opisthograptis luteolata ... 3
1920 ... Scalloped Hazel ... Odontopera bidentata ... 1
1979 ... Lime Hawk-moth ... Mimas tiliae ... 1
2007 ... Swallow Prominent ... Pheosia tremula ... 1 ... YF

2007 ... Swallow Prominent ... Pheosia tremula

2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta ... 6
2145 ... Nutmeg ... Dicestra trifolii ... 1
2186 ... Powdered Quaker ... Orthosia gracilis ... 1
2190 ... Hebrew Character ... Orthosia gothica ... 1
2223 ... Toadflax Brocade ...Calophasia lunula ... 2 ... YF

2223 ... Toadflax Brocade ... Calophasia lunula

2243 ... Early Grey ... Xylocampa areola ... 1
2283/4. Dark/Grey Dagger agg. ... Acronicta tridens/psi ... 1
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow ... Paradrina clavipalpis ... 2
2450 ... The Spectacle ... Abrostola tripartita ... 1
Plus a couple for later ID

24th May ... Garden Traps

Overnight min. temp. 10.9 deg. fresh easterly breeze.
4 more newcomers for the year list.
Yellow-barred Brindle, Rustic & Large Yellow Underwing, plus one micro, Phtheochroa rugosana.


9, Shuttle-shaped Dart
6, Pale Mottled Willow
3, Least Black Arches
3, Grey Dagger agg
3, Common Pug.
2, Brimstone Moth
2, Turnip Moth
2, Scalloped Hazel
2, Garden Carpet
2, Common Swift
1, Waved Umber
1, Yellow-barred Brindle, year first (Below)

1, Pale Tussock
1, Small Waved Umber
1, Peppered Moth
!, Double-striped Pug
1, Mottled Pug
1, Lychnis
1, Large Yellow Underwing. year first (Below)
Louie...Is this a "Fox Underwing " ?

1, Early Grey
1, Angle Shades
1, Buttoned Snout
1, Rustic, year first (Below)

5, Epiphyas postvittana
4, Platyedra subcinerea
4, Aphomia sociella
3, Argyrotaenia ljungiana
3, Endrosis sarcitrella
3, Emmelina monodactyla
2, Syndemis musculana
2, Evergestis forficalis
2, Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2, Tinea trinotella (Below)

2, Bryotropha affinis
1, Alucita hexadactyla
1, Phtheochroa rugosana, year first (Below)

22nd May 2012 ... Bumper evening

Overnight min. temp. 10.4 deg ... warm and calm.
Hands up anyone who didn't get a year first last night....
As expected, this was the best night of the year so far with around 40 species in and around the traps.
Trap results :-
1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 5
1769 Spruce Carpet Thera britannica 1, year first (Below)

1781 Small Waved Umber Horisme vitalbata 1

1825 Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata 1, year first
1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata 3
1862 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 2
1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata 4
1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria 1, year first (Below)

1997 Sallow Kitten Furcula furcula 1, year first (Below)

2063 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica 2

2078 Least Black Arches Nola confusalis 2, (Below)

2087 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum 3
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 8
2145 The Nutmeg Discestra trifolii 1, year first (Below)

2154 Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae 2

2160 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea 1, year first (Below)

2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica 1
2283/4 Dark/Grey Dagger Acronicta tridens/psi 1
2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa 3

2333 Large Nutmeg Apamea anceps 1, year first (Below)

2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 5

2480 Buttoned Snout Hypena rostralis 1, year first (Below)

Micro moths :-
229 Monopis obviella 2
247 Tinea trinotella 3, year first (Below)

409a Argyresthia trifasciata 2, year first
647 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1
648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella 3
672 Parsnip Moth Depressaria heraclei 2, year first (Below)
NB ... Wrong pic. this one is Hofmannophila pseudospretella
the Brown House Moth

779 Bryotropha affinis 3
808 Platyedra subcinerea 4
947 Aethes smeathmanniana 1, year first (Below)

974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 2
998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 5
1342 Eudonia angustea 2
1428 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 6
plus 2 for the recorder to determine

19th & 20th April 2011 The Dells update

My Agonopterix species was Gen inspected by the county recorder and he confirms that it is indeed AGONOPTERIX SCOPARIELLA. from 28/03/11....that's 3 new Agonopterix species added this week to the garden records. The GLORIOUS weather continues and moths are turning up unseasonably early across the land, so would I if I was a moth. The traps are slowly getting busier and the Shuttle-shaped Darts numbers are steadily growing. Traps will be chock full of Large Yellow Underwings before we know it !

SALLOW KITTEN...20/04/11.....first for year FOXGLOVE PUG 1817......20/04/11.... first for 2011 SWALLOW PROMINENT 2007...third one so far SMALL WAVED UMBER 1781..20/04/11...2 of these last night 20/04/11...1st appearance for FLAME SHOULDER x2 19/04/11 ...A very dark example of GREY/DARK DAGGER agg. County recorder is interested in this and will examine it. Bets are on GREY DAGGER 2284, either way it's the earliest record for the county which seems to be the trend around GB this year ESPERIA SULPHURELLA 649.....seen on 19th & 20th by day and also attracted to the traps at night.Thanks Ben for pointing out that I have labelled this incorrectly...it is indeed INCURVIA MASCULELLA....my garden is full of E. sulphurella at the moment 19/04/11....AGONOPTERIX PROPINQUELLA 696....a new addition 19/04/11...AGONOPTERIX ARENELLA 697.....another new micro for the Dells 19/04/11 TINEA TRINOTELLA 247...FFY Waiting for the micro recorder to confirm ID but I think this could be EPINOTIA IMMUNDANA 1136 ID now confirmed by recorder and also by "Eagle-eyed" Ben Sale, thanks Ben The next 3 individual moths are unidentified, but I caught some of these last year and it caused a bit of a stir...The word was, if I catch some again this year, and the suspected ID is correct...it could be BIG news. Well here they are again...the micro recorder has some live examples and the result is expected over the next two weeks.....stay tuned. (or it could be a big anticlimax !) In the meantime I thought I would post some pics.

19/04/11 ..................? 20/04/11.............?? 20/04/11...........??? TOTALS for 19th

6 x Esperia sulphurella (Daytime)
6 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

4 x Double-striped Pug
3 x Hebrew Character
3 x Pale Mottled Willow
2 x Agonopterix arenella *Garden first
2 x Tinea trinotella *Year first
2 x Early Grey
Brimstone Moth
Clouded Drab
Common Quaker
Argyrotaenia ljungiana
Emmelina monodactyla
Nut-tree Tussock
Grey/Dark Dagger agg
Agonopterix propinquella *garden first
Swallow Prominant
Small Quaker
Powdered Quaker
Oak-tree Pug
Epinotia immundana (to be confirmed) ID confirmed
1 x micro (probably a very small Brown House-moth) to be ID'd ID confirmed as Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Brown House-moth)
Incurvia masculella * garden first...during the day

TOTALS for 20/04/11:-
Esperia sulphurella (any amount by day)
8 x Shuttle-shaped Dart (here we go again !)
6 x Early Grey
2 x Hebrew Character
2 x Common Quaker
2 x Brimstone Moth
2 x Flame Shoulder *year first
2 x Grey/Dark Dagger
2 x Emmelina monodactyla
2 x Small Waved Umber
Ruby Tiger
Sallow Kitten *year first
Swallow Prominent
Garden Carpet
Powdered Quaker
Tinea trinotella
Small Quaker
Epiphyas postvittana
5 x Double-striped Pug
1 x Common Pug
1 x Foxglove Pug *year first

plus the 3 no. mystery moths

The Dells garden year tally now stands at 45 macro and 22/23 micro (mystery moth ID pending)
I have decided not to continue adding up the total moth numbers, just the species.