27th June 2014 ... Peachy !

Still getting cool nights in Bedfordshire and wet from the afternoon rain.
No small micros were trapped or seen nearby and the macro catch was unsurprising except for a Peach Blossom, only the second record for the garden ....
1652 ... PEACH BLOSSOM

Best of the rest ...
Small Blood-vein
Barred Yellow
Common White Wave
Privet Hawk-moth
Buff-tip
Broad-barred White
Small Ranunculus
Angle Shades
Light Arches

above ... 2322 ... LIGHT ARCHES

26th June 2014 ... micro ID needed plus trap catch

Micro ID ...
473, Acrolepiopsis assectella, Leek Moth. Site first.

A rainy night, so the covers were placed over the traps.
Still a good variety though.
This micro is proving hard to put a name to, the closest I can come up with is 596 Elachista poae

Forewing length almost 6mm

Common Rustic (agg) was a year first for the garden as was Double Lobed

above, Common Rustic agg.
below, Double Lobed

The second Leopard Moth was found on the paving slabs next to the trap and was lucky not to have been eaten by the birds...

Small Ranunculus is a regular in my garden with double figures recorded annually. It appears to be increasing its range ...

24th June 2014 .... Cold night , low catch

A north easterly breeze and temperature down to 8 degrees put the brakes on the mothing.
And it looks like staying cool right through the weekend too.
I have seasonally adjusted my year total to date.
It now stands at 293 after I added 13 missed species, added 1 from last night and deducted Eudonia pallida which was in fact a worn Dipleurina lacustrata. ( as Mr. Ben Sale suggested on the blog comments)
Shaded Pug has been counted in the tally but remains unconfirmed, this is in the freezer ready to go to the recorders.

The only addition to the year list last night was Sitachroa verticalis.
Just 34 species recorded which is around 50 species less than the previous couple of weeks.

994 ... Clepsis consimilana
1011 . Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
1063 . Celypha striana
1293 . Chrysoteuchia culmella
1294 . Crambus pascuella
1302 . Crambus perlella
1338 . Dipleurina lacustrata
1371 . Sitachroa verticalis
1424 . Endotricha flammealis
1483 . Phycitodes binaevella
1513 . Pterophorus pentadactyla
1524 . Emmelina monodactyla

below .. Sitachroa verticalis, showing underside

1673 Small Emerald
1713 Riband Wave
1834 Common Pug
**** A.N. Other Pug to be ID'd
1976 Privet Hawk-moth ... it's been a good year for these
2047 Scarce Footman
2050 Common Footman
2061 Buff Ermine
2069 Cinnabar
2088 Heart and Club (16)
2089 Heart and Dart (15) outnumbered for the first time
2098 Flame
2193 Clay
2198 Smoky Wainscot
2318 Dun-bar
2321 Dark Arches
2322 Light Arches
2337 Marbled Minor agg.
2330 Dusky Brocade
2381 Uncertain/Rustic agg.
2387 Mottled Rustic
2389 Pale Mottled Willow


Dusky Brocade

23rd June 2014 .. More additions to year list

Yet another bumper night.
Around 90 species were recorded on a calm, warm evening with plenty of humidity, moth heaven.
New for year species were Yponomeuta evonymella, Limnaecia phragmitella, Pleuroptya ruralis, Pempelia formosa, Trachycera advenella, Lesser Yellow Underwing and Shark.
Plus a small Cnephasia species to be checked, given its small size I would hazard a guess at Cnephasia incertana or asseclana.
There is also a small, dark tortrix to be ID'd
The newcomers pics ...
From top to bottom as listed.

22nd June 2014 .. micro ID and trap latest

Another warm, calm night with plenty of action around the traps.
This Agonopterix species was potted up......

Probably A. heracliana although it is out of season, but what isn't this year ?
Only 2 others are similar, ciliella, which is also out of season, and cnicella which is flying in June but is a coastal species that has not been recorded in Bedfordshire VC30.
The forewing length is 9.5mm so all three fall into the size range.
One for our micro man.

Another micro which I haven't ID'd is this worn example below ....

I've brightened up the photo to try and pick out some detail.
Another for our micro man.
A few more for the year list from last night .....
998 Pandemis heparana

868 Helcystogramma rufescens

1165 Zeraphera isertana x 2 ( no pics, I accidently deleted from the camera before I uploaded. Both are off to the micro man though )

1336 Eudonia pallida

2011 Pale Prominent

2198 Smoky Wainscot

Others worth a mention...
Eyed Hawk-moth
Broad-barred White
Small Ranunculus
Poplar Grey
Sycamore
Miller
Grey Dagger agg.
Maiden's Blush
Small Square-spot
Buff-tip
Privet Hawk-moth
Elephant and Small Elephant Hawk-moths
And a good micro for the garden, a second Ethmia quadrillella

Eyed Hawk-moth

Ethmia Quadrillella

21st June 2014 ... Scorchio !

On the night of 20th I manned the traps for an hour and a half to pot up every micro moth in sight !
The result was 89 moths of 45 species with 2 new for site and a few year firsts to add to the list.
Last night saw very similar weather conditions but even warmer by just 1 degree, but I had company and didn't check the traps until this morning.
The result was 57 moths of 20 species, so it pays dividends to man the traps if you want to increase your micro haul.
Even so, I added a couple more micros to the garden year list ...
COLEOPHORA TRIFOLII

ENDOTHENIA GENTIANAEANA

Both species confirmed.
After wondering where the Sallow Kittens were, two turned up last night.
A Mottled Beauty was found amongst the Willow Beautys and the highlight of the night, Scorched Wing, which are few and far between in the garden.
SCORCHED WING

MOTTLED BEAUTY

SALLOW KITTEN

MAIDENS BLUSH from the previous night ...

20th June 2014 ... Micro blitz

A much warmer night dropping to 11 deg just before dawn.
I decided to hang around the traps and pot up a batch of micro moths before they all disappeared by morning, and last nights conditions were ideal.
421 Argyresthia bonnetella turned out to be a site first although I'm sure I've had this before but forgot to add it to the records.
1079 Piniphila bifasciana is definitely new for site though and confirmed.
The macro moths disappointed, not by numbers, but nothing new for the year.
5 Swallow-tailed moths were dancing around the traps like handkerchiefs in the wind, quite a sight.
The grey Acronicta family was well represented with 4 Sycamore, 3 Poplar Grey, 2 Grey Dagger agg. and 1 Miller.
4 Privet Hawks, two Figure of Eighty, a Burnished Brass f. juncta and a second Poplar Kitten for the year which is quite remarkable considering the common Sallow Kitten has yet to be recorded this year.
A worn Orange Footman, Maiden's Blush, Broad-barred White, Buff Arches and Small Blood-vein added a splash of colour amongst the brown stuff.
The Catch:-
Micro moths...
Lyonetia clerkella, 2
Argyresthia pruniella, 1
Argyresthia bonnetella, 1, garden first

Scythropia crataegella, 1
Epermenia chaerophyllella, 1
Batia lunaris, 1, year first
Batia unitella, 1
Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2
Endrosis sarcitrella, 2
Metzneria metzneriella, 1
Bryotropha terrella, 3
Clepsis consimilana, 5
Epiphyas postvittana, 2
Ditula angustiorana, 1
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 6
Aleimma loeflingiana, 3
Tortrix viridana, 3
Celypha striana, 1
Piniphila bifasciana, 1, garden first

Hedya nubiferana, 1
Eucosma cana, year first

Spilonota ocellana,1, year first
Rhyacionia pinivorana, 1
Cydia pomonella, 2
Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3
Crambus pascuella, 4
Crambus perlella, 1
Scoparis ambigualis, 2
Dipleurina lacustrata, 1
Eudonia mercurella, 3
Eurrhypara hortulata, 1
Udea prunalis, 1
Hypsopygia costalis, year first, 1
Endotricha flammealis, 1
Aphomia sociella, 2
Euzophera pinguis, 2
Ephestia parasitella unicolorella, 8
Homoeosoma sinuella, 2
Phycitodes binaevella, 2, year first

Pterophorus pentadactyla, 1
Emmelina monodactyla, 1
PLUS
A couple of Cnephasia for our micro man to peer and poke at as well as this Coleophora ...

Burnished Brass f. juncta ...

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 ?

18th June 2014 ... Garden Traps latest

The June weather is in the doldrums at the mo, with daytime temps 19 or 20 and nights 11 or 12.
It seems to have been like this for ages, but it's not bad for the moths even though the light breezes have a Northerly bias and a fresh feel.
5 more species made it on to the year list last night ....
WHITE SATIN MOTH

EUDONIA MERCURELLA

CLAY

DWARF CREAM WAVE

LARGE TWIN-SPOT CARPET

Best of the rest ...
Peppered Moth f.insularia
Toadflax Brocade
Green Silver-lines
Small Blood-vein
Straw Dot
Dot Moth
Spectacle
Broad-barred White
Angle Shades
Buff-tip
Sycamore
Grey/Dark Dagger x
Small Emerald
Common Emerald
Grey Pine Carpet
Light Arches
Common Marbled Carpet
Garden Carpet
Elephant Hawk-moth
Of the "brown stuff" 44 Heart and Dart was a high count.
Large Yellow Underwings are increasing in number, as are Mottled Rustic, Uncertain, Heart and Club, Dark Arches.
The so called grass veneer moths and Common Footman are also on the up.