27th Aug 2014 ... Oblique Striped

Conditions were much better for the garden moths last night and this was reflected in the catch.
The outstanding moth of the evening was Oblique Striped, not seen in VC30 since 1998.
Quite a small moth about the size of a Grass Rivulet
White-point seems to have been in every trap around the country and at last I can now add it to my garden species list.

1718, Oblique Striped, male

2194, White-point

 27th Aug
0464 . Plutella xylostella, 2
0647 . Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3
0658 . Carcina quercana, 1
0789 . Bryotropha domestica, 1, year first

Bryotropha domestica

0998 . Epiphyas postvittana, 3
1048 . Acleris variegana, 2
1309 . Agriphila geniculea, 15
1428 . Aphomia sociella, 1
1524 . Emmelina monodactyla, 6
0015 . Orange Swift, 7
1651 . Chinese Character, 1
1707 . Small Dusty Wave, 2
1718 . Oblique Striped, 1, garden first
1728 . Garden Carpet, 3
1742 . Yellow Shell, 2
1862 . Double-striped Pug, 2
1906 . Brimstone Moth, 2
1937 . Willow Beauty, 2
1981 . Poplar Hawk-moth, 1

Poplar Hawk-moth

2087 . Turnip Moth, 1
2089 . Heart and Dart, 1, fresh 2nd generation

Heart and Dart

2107 . Large Yellow Underwing, 157 (not a lot of room for anything else)
2109 . Lesser Yellow Underwing, 1
2110 . Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2
2111 . Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 4
2112 . Least Yellow Underwing, 1
2123 . Small Square-spot, 1
2126 . Setaceous Hebrew Character, 6
2134 . Square-spot Rustic, 6
2145 . Nutmeg, 2
2165 . Small Ranunculus, 1
2194 . White-point, 1, garden first
2199 . Common Wainscot, 4
2293 . Marbled Beauty, 1
2297x Copper Underwing agg. 2
2299 . Mouse Moth, 3
2300 . Old Lady, 1
2303 . Straw Underwing, 10
2306 . Angle Shades, 1
2353 . Flounced Rustic, 8
2361 . Rosy Rustic, 1
2384 . Vine's Rustic, 12
2389 . Pale Mottled Willow, 7

23rd Aug 2014 ... Frosted Orange

Another cold night at 7deg min. I don't know where Neil Diamond was when he sang about Hot August Nights, not in Biggleswade that's for sure !
A year first Frosted Orange was the highlight in the traps ...

2364. Frosted Orange, Gortyna flavago

> 30 ... Large Yellow Underwing, Flounced Rustic, Straw Underwing.
> 20 ... Square-spot Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Orange Swift,
5 - 10, Pale Mottled Willow, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Turnip Moth, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.
1, Silver Y
1, Common Wainscot
1, Tawny Speckled Pug
1, Mouse Moth
1, Angle Shades
1, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, male
The rest of the catch was made up of Copper Underwing, Marbled Beauty, Willow Beauty, Brimstone, Double-striped Pug, Shuttle-shaped Dart.
The only micro moths recorded were ...
10+ Agriphila geniculea
Emmelina monodactyla
Epiphyas postvittana and a Brown House Moth

The Sallows should start appearing at any time now and it'll be Christmas before we know it.

2299, Mouse Moth, Amphipyra tragopoginis

1838, Tawny Speckled Pug, Epithecia icterata

21st Aug 2014 .. Some variety at last, plus a macro ID query

Something different to the usual brown stuff at last.

12 deg minimum and overcast with humidity and the overnight low of 12 deg was at sunrise.

Still plenty of brown stuff with a sharp increase of Large Yellow Underwing.

At their peak I average about 80 of these moth cockroaches a night with high counts topping the 100 mark.

Turnip Moth numbers are rising and there are still traps-ful of Straw Underwing and Vine's Rustic.

Shuttle-shaped Dart and Setaceous Hebrew Character have peaked and are in decline.

Common Rustics have all but finished.

20th Aug

Toadflax Brocade ...

 ... is one of my garden "stock" moths.

I have recorded this RDB species since 2009 and there has been a steady increase in numbers for both the May/June and July/August generations.

Not just in my garden as in 2009, but in other areas of the county and beyond which is good news for this attractive species. 

The food plant remains a mystery as I have only seen one Common Toadflax plant (Linaria vulgaris)in the area and that is a half a mile from my garden and no Pale Toadflax (Linaria repens).

After looking in the surrounding gardens, only a couple have a small patch of Snapdragons (  Antirrhinum ) which I know the larva will feed on after observing two larva that emerged from eggs that were laid in a pot.

So for 2 years I have planted  Snapdragon patches but to date have found no larva.

The family of plants which includes Linaria and antirrhinum is huge, so perhaps another foodplant will come to light, excuse the unintended pun.

From the 5th May ( everything was early this spring) I have recorded 14 in May and 5  to mid June.

The second generation appeared on 16th July with 6 in July and 3 to date in August.

Another of my "stock" moths is Small Ranunculus.

Again I had the monopoly on this species 5 years ago in these parts but I'm happy to say, not any more...

21st Aug

Small Ranunculus

Some more of last nights catch :-

Nephopterix angustella

Old Lady

Orange Sallow

Bulrush Wainscot, female

Cochylis hybridella

Unidentified ... ? a worn Dingy Shears ??

And a welcome night visitor ...

19th Aug 2014 ... Is this a Garden Dart ?

The coldest night since early May produced very little in the traps.
This one was amongst the Shuttle-shaped Darts and Turnip Moths which looked a little different in size/shape.
Bigger than the 3 Shuttles and smaller than the 5 Turnips.
I suspect it may be a Garden Dart, or is it a small Turnip Moth ?
One for the recorders

17th Aug 2014 ... and it looks like the summer is over

A line from an old song that sums up August.
Temperatures are below average, humidity levels are low, cold winds and showers have set in and look like staying with us up to the end of the month at least.
It's a pity really, as it is taking the cream from the top of an otherwise stonking moth year.

17th Aug
1 twin 11 watt PL Skinner trap with 1 x 350 BL and 1 x Synergetic lamps
Trap switched on at 22.30 due to late a return from the capital, and no trap patrols.
A poor catch, the only bright spot being a Pebble Prominent on the brick wall near the trap.
Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2
Epiphyas postvittana, 1
Acleris variegana, 1
Celypha lacunana, 1
Agriphila geniculea, 1
Emmelina monodactyla, 1

Orange Swift, 4
Willow Beauty, 2
Pebble Prominent, 1
Turnip Moth, 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3
Large Yellow Underwing, 5
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character, 8
Square-spot Rustic, 2
Cabbage Moth, 1
Straw Underwing, 16
Common Rustic agg. 2
Flounced Rustic, 11
Vine's Rustic, 7
Pale Mottled Willow, 3

Celypha lacunana

Pebble Prominent

16th Aug 2014 .. 2nd generations

At present I am only running one trap due to the naff weather.
Straw Underwing is the most numerous moth followed by Orange Swift and Vine's Rustic.
The 15th was the best night for a while with a few 2nd generation moths appearing ...
Garden Carpet x 3
Purple Bar
Common Marbled Carpet x 2
Light Emerald
Others included :-
Plutella xylostella ... Diamond-back Moth, very numerous this year
Pebble Hook-tip
Canary-shouldered Thorn
16th Aug ...
Carcina quercana x 2
Tawny Speckled Pug
Bordered Pug
Toadflax Brocade
Nutmeg
Mouse Moth
Spectacle

Common Marbled Carpet

Purple Bar

Toadflax Brocade

14th Aug 2014 ..Mid Summer Doldrums

Nothing new for the garden year list for 5 days as Summer is starting to feel more like Autumn.
Catch ... 14th Aug.
28, Straw Underwing
11, Flounced Rustic
11, Orange Swift
11, Setaceous Hebrew Character
 6, Marbled Beauty
 5, Emmelina monodactyla
 4, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
 4, Vine's Rustic
 3, Copper Underwing
 3, Large Yellow Underwing
 3, Shuttle-shaped Dart
 3, Pale Mottled Willow
 2, Double-striped Pug
 2, Flame Shoulder
 2, Willow Beauty
 2, Turnip Moth
 2, Common Rustic agg.
 2, Agriphiphila geniculea
 2, Chrysoteuchia culmella
 1, Yponomeuta malinellus
 1, Agriphila tristella
 1, Epiphyas postvittana
 1, Coleophora sp.
 1, Celypha lacunana
 1, Cabbage Moth
 1, Toadflax Brocade
 1, Garden Carpet
 1, Common Carpet
 1, Brimstone Moth
 1, Tawny Speckled Pug
 1, Bordered Pug
.......................

Common Carpet

Tawny Speckled Pug

Bordered Pug

10th Aug 2014 ... Cooling down

After the big build up by the over dramatic people from Television Land, ex-hurricane Bertha passed through undramatically.
OK, we got wind and rain, how unusual !
The night was much cooler however, and as the evening sky cleared over Bedfordshire, a very large full "super" moon lit up the night garden and the temperature fell to 11 degrees.
Moth numbers were well down on both numbers and species.
Straw Underwing (28) Orange Swift (18) Setaceous Hebrew Character (17) Large Yellow Underwing (14) Turnip Moth (11) made up the bulk of the catch.
Common Rustic numbers have fallen sharply over the past couple of nights.
Best of the catch was a Toadflax Brocade with singles of Angle Shades, Common Wainscot, Spectacle, and a Lesser Swallow Prominent.

Toadflax Brocade

The previous evenings catch produced a worn Six-striped Rustic amongst a trap full of common brown stuff

8th Aug 2014 . Soaking traps !

I got a lot more rain than the Met had predicted so come the morning they were like swimming pools.
Amazed to find just as many moths as the previous evening and apart from one or two the catch was pretty much the same.
Two additions to the year list was a rather washed out Swallow Prominent and two Agriphila geniculea ...

Agriphila geniculea

Swallow Prominent

Checking out one of my small hawthorn shrubs today I discovered a couple of identical Coleophora cases, which I will try and breed through.

7th Aug 2014 ... Proud as ...

Just a few days ago I recorded a county first macro for VC30.
Sharp-angled Peacock.
Well last night I trapped a similar Peacock, so it's eyes down for Dusky Peacock for the hat trick.
It's a bit late in the day for Dusky and they are mega rare in this area although it could be a good migrant year and one has been recorded in nearby Hertfordshire.

1889. Peacock Moth

A garden first moth is always welcome.
This may have been overlooked before as I haven't paid too much attention to those grass veneer types.
Agriphila selasella

1303 Agriphila selasella

Just to be sure I have potted it up for our micro man but I'm 99% on this one.
Confirmation received. 
Last nights catch :-
0464 ... Plutella xylostella, 1
0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella, 1
0787 ... Bryotropha terrella, 2
0873 ... Blastobasis adustella, 1
0937 ... Agapeta hamana, 1
0969 ... Pandemis corylana, 1

Pandemis corylana

0985 ... Cacoecimorpha pronubana, 4
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana, 6
1048 ... Acleris variegana, 1
1260 ... Cydia splendana, 6
1293 ... Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2
1303 ... Agriphila selasella, 1 ... garden first
1304 ... Agriphila straminella, 2
1331 ... Acentria ephemerella, 50+
1348 ... Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 males
1388 ... Udea lutealis, 1 ... year first

Udea lutealis

1417 ... Pyralis farinalis, 1
1439 ... Trachycera advenella, 1
1474 ... Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 2
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla, 7

0015 ... Orange Swift, 4 (1 dark male)
1648 ... Pebble Hook-tip, 1
1680 ... Maiden's Blush, 1

Maiden's Blush

1699 ... Least Carpet, 1
1707 ... Small Dusty Wave, 1
1713 ... Riband Wave, 1
1728 ... Garden Carpet, 1
1742 ... Yellow Shell, 2
1781 ... Small Waved Umber, 2
1816 ... Toadflax Pug, 1
1825 ... Lime-speck Pug, 1
1838 ... Tawny Speckled Pug, 2

Tawny Speckled Pug

1862 ... Double-striped Pug, 6
1889 ... Peacock Moth, 1 ... year first
1906 ... Brimstone Moth, 7
1937 ... Willow Beauty, 5
1981 ... Poplar Hawk-moth, 1

Poplar Hawk-moth

2011 ... Pale Prominent, 1
2087 ... Turnip Moth, 5
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart, 28
2102 ... Flame Shoulder, 5
2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing, 15
2109 ... Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2
2110 ... Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2
2111 ... Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 5
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character, 10
2134 ... Square-spot Rustic, 1
2154 ... Cabbage Moth, 1
2284x . Grey Dagger agg. 2
2293 ... Marbled Beauty, 8
2303 ... Straw Underwing, 18
2341 ... Cloaked Minor, 1
2343x . Common Rustic agg. 12
2353 ... Flounced Rustic, 1
2382 ... Rustic, 1
2384 ... Vine's Rustic, 2
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, 3

6th Aug 2014 .. The worst year tick

Every August I look forward to noshing sweet juicy Victoria plums from my garden tree.
This year however that particular pleasure has been denied.
And why ?
The answer is Grapholita funebrana and the easiest time of year to identify this moth is right now as the plums ripen.
The Plum Fruit Moth has been particularly busy this year and just about all of the plums are affected.
It's a year tick for the garden moth list but one I would rather do without ...

If I ever lose interest in garden moth trapping/recording it will be in August.
Both traps are full of brown moths and little else usually.
Common Rustics abound, Straw Underwings are peaking, Shuttle-shaped Darts are very numrous and Large Yellow Underwings are bombing the traps, creating havoc and agitating the catch.
Not only that, the traps contain quite a few sleepy morning wasps that have used the traps as a midnight feast facility, not to mention the occasional hornet which strike fear into the bravest of souls.
There were some additions to the year list despite all of the above ...

Flounced Rustic was new for the year on 5th Aug

Bulrush Wainscot, last night, not seen for a year or two ...

Udea ferrugalis, the Rusty Dot Pearl, a regular migrant

Others of interest...
Small Dusty Wave has re-appeared with 2 found last night.
Angle Shades, part 2. I'm expecting a lot more of these in the coming 3 months. Very common in my garden.
Cydia splendana x 15 has had a boom year, whereas Cydia pomonella is thin on the ground this year with just a single last night and rarely seen in multiples unlike previous years.
Water Veneer corpses litter the bottom of the traps lately with c 100 this morning, here's a live one in the glow of the 11watt PL Synergenic lamp ..

2nd Aug 2014 .. Oranges and Lemons

31st July 2014 .. New garden micro moth ...

... 1134 Epinotia ramella
Probably overlooked in the past, being written off by my untrained eye as Epinotia bilunana.
Now that my eyes are slightly less untrained I am able to add this one to the garden micro list ...

Copper Underwing is in full flow at the moment.
I always check the underside of the hindwing for the first half dozen or so to separate Copper Underwing from Svensson's Copper Underwing until I have both, then I record them as aggregates.
Many a moth has left my garden with a bald head and less scales than when it entered.
Both species are now on my year list.

Last nights list :-
0227 ... Monopis laevigella .. nfy 1
0424 ... Yponomeuta evonymella 2
0455 ... Ypsolopha scabrella 1
0464 ... Plutella xylostella 5
0642 ... Batia unitella 1
0647 ... Hofmannophila pseudospretella 3
0697 ... Agonopterix arenella 2
0779  ... Bryotropha affinis 1
0787 ... Bryotropha terrella 3
0873 ... Blastobasis adustella 3
0874 ... Blastobasis lacticolella 1
801a ... Glechia senticetella 1
0888 ... Mompha propinquella 1
0937 ... Agapeta hamana 2
0972 ... Pandemis heparana 1
0985 ... Cacoecimorpha pronubana 1
0998 ... Epiphyas postvittana 12
1048 ... Acleris variegana 1
1134 ... Epinotia ramella gf 1
1207 ... Clavigesta purdeyi 1
1260 ... Cydia splendana 3
1261 ... Cydia pomonella 1
1293 ... Chrysoteuchia culmella 4
1294 ... Crambus pascuella 2
1304 ... Agriphila straminella 2
1305 ... Agriphila tristella nfy 1
1331 ... Acentria ephemerella 200+
1356 ... Evergestis forficalis 2
1361 ... Pyrausta aurata 6
1424 ... Endotricha flammealis 4
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla 6
1699 ... Least Carpet 2
1713 ... Riband Wave 3
1728 ... Garden Carpet 1
1742 ... Yellow Shell 2
1781 ... Small Waved Umber 2
1803 ... Small Rivulet 1
1838 ... Tawny Speckled Pug 1
1862 ... Double-striped Pug 1
1906 ... Brimstone Moth 3
1937 ... Willow Beauty 1
1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle 1
2000 ... Iron Prominent nfy 1
2061 ... Buff Ermine 4
2087 ... Turnip Moth 2
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart 25
2102 ... Flame Shoulder 4
2107 ... Large Yellow Underwing 8
2109 ... Lesser Yellow Underwing 3
2110 ... Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2
2111 ... Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 3
2126 ... Setaceous Hebrew Character 7
2145 ... Nutmeg 1
2154 ... Cabbage Moth 2
2155 ... Dot Moth 1
2223 ... Toadflax Brocade 1
2284x . Grey Dagger agg. 2
2293 ... Marbled Beauty 3
2297 ... Copper Underwing 3
2298 ... Svensson's Copper Underwing nfy 1
2299 ... Mouse Moth 1
2303 ... Straw Underwing 6
2321 ... Dark Arches 2
2343x . Common Rustic agg. 24
2361 ... Rosy Rustic nfy 2
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow 1
2441 ... Silver Y 2
2450 ... Spectacle 1
Also 3 micros for ID including an Apotomis sp. which looks to be
1094 ... Apotomis capreana 1

Top to Bottom ...
Monopis laevigella
Agriphila tristella
Iron Prominent
Rosy Rustic
Toadflax Brocade
Apotomis capreana (to be confirmed) nfy pending ID