Border invasion.

2015 will go down as one of the best years for the migrant moth Bordered Straw.
The Dells has now joined the USB triangle.
That's Upper Caldecot, Stevenage and Biggleswade, the 3 Mothketeers who compete in the annual Wine Race, each now with Bordered Straw on their year lists.

14/06/2015 BF 2403. Bordered Straw

This is a first record for The Dells, nice to add another species to the garden list which now stands at 666 species.
The rest of last nights catch feels like an anticlimax...
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1, year first

A very worn Blastobasis lacticolella

0994 Clepsis consimilana, 1
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1301 Crambus lathoniellus, 1
1376 Eurrhypara hortulata, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave, 1
1713 Riband Wave, 1
1728 Garden Carpet, 2
1825 Lime-speck Pug, 1, year first

Lime-speck Pug

1834 Common Pug, 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel, 1
1937 Willow Beauty, 1
2011 Pale Prominent, 1

Pale Prominent

2050 Common Footman, 1, year first

Common Footman

2069 Cinnabar, 2
2087 Turnip Moth, 3
2089 Heart and Dart, 23
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 4
2102 Flame Shoulder, 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing, 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1
2337x Marbled Minor agg. 3
2381 Uncertain, 2

2384 Vine's Rustic, 5
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2
2403 Bordered Straw, 1, garden first

Rainy night doesn't deter the moths

14 deg minimum temp. last night but with rain ranging from light drizzle to a steady downpour although not the thundery heavy stuff that the Met Office were forecasting.
As long as it is warm the rain doesn't seem to bother the moths and last nights catch was good despite the rain covers being on the traps with their associated restrictions.
In fact it was the best night of the year so far with 41 species recorded
New for 2015 were ...
Straw Dot

Agapeta hamana

Treble Brown Spot

Eudonia mercurella

Crambus lathoniellus

Miller

Aethes smeathmanniana

Riband Wave

Epinotia bilunana

Bactra furfurana, 2nd record, previous in July 2013 (gen det DVM)

Uncertain ... fairly certain !

June 12th
0464 Plutella xylostella, 1
0937 Agapeta hamana, 1, year first
0947 Aethes smeathmanniana, 1, year first
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1110 Bactra furfurana, 1, year first
1133 Epinotia bilunana, 1, year first
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella, 1
1301 Crambus lathoniellus, 1, year first
1344 Eudonia mercurella, 3, year first
1356 Evergestis forficalis, 1
1376 Eurrhypara hortulata, 5
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1474 Ephestia unicolorella, 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave, 2
1711 Treble Brown Spot, 3, year first
1713 Riband Wave, 1, year first
1728 Garden Carpet, 3
1819 Mottled Pug, 2
1834 Common Pug, 4
1837 Grey Pug, 3
1860 Green Pug, 1
1867 Treble-bar, 1
1906 Brimstone, 3
1937 Willow Beauty, 1
2069 Cinnabar, 1
2089 Heart and Dart, 12
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1
2154 Cabbage Moth, 1
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye, 1
2280 Miller, 1, year first
2284x Dark/Grey Dagger agg, 1
2321 Dark Arches, 1
2333 Large Nutmeg, 2
2337x Marbled Minor agg.
2381 Uncertain, 1, year first
2384 Vine's Rustic, 3
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2
2450 Spectacle, 1
2474 Straw Dot, 1, year first
2489 Buttoned Snout, 1

Not too many pics on the web showing Buttoned Snout playing dead.
They will curl up tightly and sometimes lay on their backs when harassed, but tip them out of the pot and they are off like a rocket.
The previous two I caught this year did exactly that ... one disappeared in my dining room, the other in the shed. Third time lucky for a half decent pic.

19th June 2014.. Not sure about The Rustic, plus odd grub to ID

Uncertain and Rustic, always a headache.
Easier to tell them apart when in pristine condition, and it will help to shine your torch from wingtip towards the head.
Rustic is shinier than Uncertain.
Unscientific, but on fresh specimens it's not a bad guide.
Try it on Mottled Rustic, they are super shiny but easy to ID
Anyway, once I am reasonably sure I have separated the two, the rest are recorded as aggregates, though to be honest I am never 100% sure and should send a couple to the county recorders for examination of the genitalia.
So for now ....
UNCERTAIN

RUSTIC

Neither retained ... they are free to live out their uncertain rustic lives.

Last night was on the chilly side with temperatures struggling to stay in double figures and the catch reflected this.
Very few micros, although I didn't patrol the traps so maybe missed a few.
Instead I watched England v Uruguay and the less said about that the better !
One new micro for the year was Carcina quercana which was expected.

Others of note ...
Small Ranunculus
White Satin Moth
Buff Arches
Toadflax Pug
Dun-bar
Light Arches
Varied Coronet
Miller

BUFF ARCHES

MILLER

Here's a strange looking grub. I thought it was a slug at first.
It was feeding on a Hawthorn leaf.
It has a wet look about it and is sticky like a slug, but I have no idea what it is ... anyone know ?

13th June 2014 ... New for 2014

Another great night until a torrential shower at 1.30 am washed the traps out.
Luckily it didn't last too long and plenty of moths were flying in the 15 deg. minimum temperature.
80 + species were recorded including 14 new for the garden year list
Just the newbies listed :-
0161 Leopard Moth
0422 Argyresthia albistria
0644 Borkhausenia fuscescens
0905 Blastodacna hellerella
1020 Cnephasia stephensiana
1150 Epinotia abbreviana
1212 Rhyacionia pinivorana
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata
1348 Parapoynx stratiotata
1390 Udea prunalis
1481 Homoeosoma sinuella
1955 Common White Wave
2322 Light Arches
2381 Uncertain

16th & 17th May 2014 .. New site macro

Back home at last after an inconvenient stay in Lister Hospital.
Thursday night was out of the question but Friday 16th and last night 17th looked far too good so on went the traps.
Last night produced 5 year first species but Friday night saw 16 additions to the year list including this Grey Birch which is a site first for this species.
Below:-
Grey Birch

16th May ...
409a ... Argyresthia trifasciata x 5
0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella x 1
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella x 1
0808 ... Platyedra subcinerea x 3
0925 ... Phtheochroa rugosana x 1, year first
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana x 9
1011 ... Pseudargyrotoza conwagana x 1, year first
1174 ... Epiblema cynosbatella x 3, year first
1209 ... Pseudococcyx turionella x 1, year first
1261 ... Cydia pomonella x 1, year first
1342 ... Eudonia angustea x 1
1346 ... Evergestis forficalis x 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla x 2
1646 ... Oak Hook-tip x 1, year first

1707 ... Small Dusty Wave x 1, year first
1728 ... Garden Carpet x 2
1764 ... Common Marbled Carpet x 2
1776 ... Green Carpet x 1, year first
1781 ... Small Waved Umber x 1
1819 ... Mottled Pug, year first

1834 ... Common Pug x 3
1906 ... Brimstone Moth x 3
1937 ... Willow Beauty, year first
1951 ... Grey Birch, garden first
2089 ... Heart and Dart, year first
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart x 27
2102 ... Flame Shoulder, 1
2223 ... Toadflax Brocade x 3
2279 ... Sycamore x 2, year first

2334 ... Rustic Shoulder-knot x 2
2280 ... Miller x 1, year first
2380 ... Treble Lines, year first
2381 ... Uncertain, year first

2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow
2480 ... Buttoned Snout

30th May 2012, It starts ! Heart & Darts

Overnight low 11.5 deg. light breeze, cloudy
The first heart & Darts turned up last night, the first of many to come no doubt.
I was so thrilled, I forgot to photograph one !

409a Argyresthia trifasciata 2 (Below)

647 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella 3
648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella 3
998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 5
1261 Codling Moth Cydia pomonella 3
1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1356 Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis 1
1361 Pyrausta aurata 1
1428 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella 5
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1646 Oak Hook-tip Watsonalla binaria 1, year first (Below)

1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 3
1776 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria 3
1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata 2
1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 3
1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata 1
1936 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria 1
1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria 2
2043 Orange Footman Eilema sororcula 1
2087 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum 2
2089 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis 3, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 18
2154 Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae 1
2283/4 Dark/Grey Dagger Acronicta tridens/psi 1
2380 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica 2
2381 The Uncertain Hoplodrina alsines 4, year first (Below)

2384 Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua 2
2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 2

2441 Silver Y Autographa gamma 2

2450 The Spectacle Abrostola tripartita 2

Also a couple of micros for ID...

The one below looks like 1212 Rhyacionia pinivorana, although it seems a bit on the large size with a wingspan of almost 16mm

7th July 2011...Global cooling

Hope you all enjoyed our Summer this april !
The garden species are trickling in but it's too fresh and cold for a bumper night at the moment and not much improvement expected for the next few days at least...........................
FIGURE of EIGHTY 1654 attracted to my patio door blacklight

SWALLOW-TAILED MOTH 1922

THE SPECTACLE 2450 The most photographed front end in the mothing world.

UNCERTAIN 2381

THE RUSTIC 2382 7th June :-

4 x Willow Beauty

2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

15 x Heart & Dart

1 x Buff Ermine

1 x Brimstone Moth

3 x Common Footman

8 x Dark Arches

2 x Large Nutmeg

1 x Flame Shoulder

1 x Swallow-tailed Moth * year first

1 x Figure of Eighty * year first

1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character

1 x The Spectacle * year first

1 x The Rustic * year first

4 x Uncertain

1 x Vine's Rustic

2 x Turnip Moth

1 x Marbled Minor agg.

1 x Small Dusty Wave

6 x Large Pugs Common/Grey ?

2 x Aphomia sociella

3 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella

1 x Pempeliella dilutella

3 x Emmelina monodactyla

2 x Ephestia parasitella

1 x Ditula angustiorana

1 x Eurrhypara hortulata

2 x Celypha striana

1 x Eudonia angustea

1 x Eudonia mercurella

1 x Cnephasia agg.

Garden running total :-

226 species.....135 macro, 91 micro