May the 4th be with you.

Excuse the Star Wars pun.
May 4th turned out to be a very wet night indeed so the trap covers were employed, but a spot of rain doesn't deter the moths too much as long as it is warm.
29 moths of 14 species were trapped including first appearances for Knot Grass and Waved Umber this year.
Anyone starting out mothing may be confused by Waved and Small Waved Umber so here they are .... Small Waved Umber top

The catch 4/5/2015
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1, (Brown House Moth)
0649 Endrosis sarcitrella, 1, (White-shouldered House Moth)
0649 Esperia sulphurella, 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 6, inside shed on window

Mompha subbistrigella

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1, (Light Brown Apple Moth)
1728 Garden Carpet, 2
1781 Small Waved Umber, 2
1906 Brimstone Moth, 3
1936 Waved Umber, 1, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 7
2187 Common Quaker, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 1
2289 Knot Grass, 1, year first

Knot Grass

2306 Angle Shades, 1

A female Sparrowhawk flew into the garden this morning and there was just about enough time to grab the camera and snap a passable shot through the double glazing of the patio door  ...

15th April 2014 ... Garden Traps Latest ... Agonopterix purpurea ??

Min. overnight temperature - 1.6deg C.
Much happier with my new Oregon weather-station, the one it replaced read 4.5 deg minimum which was far too high.
Calm and clear, full moon
An Agonopterix sp was netted in the late afternoon and given its tiny size it is a strong candidate for Agonopterix purpurea.
This moth was last recorded in Bedfordshire on the 1904 Victoria County records.
It has been retained for gen det.
A worn individual, remnants of the markings can just about be seen in this "shot in a pot" pic.

691 ... Agonopterix purpurea ?

Despite the full moon and cold conditions, a small variety of moths found their way in and around the traps.
3 x Angle Shade's had pupated and hatched in the garden shed and were drawn to the window by the trap lights outside, as were 3 x Mompha subbistrigella and a White-shouldered House-moth.
Highlight of the Night
KNOT GRASS ... which may equal the earliest VC30 record
The Catch:-
0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella, x 1
0691 ... Agonopterix purpurea, x 1 .... To be confirmed (garden first, if confirmed and first VC30 record for 110 years)
0892 ... Mompha subbistrigella, x 3
1781 ... Small Waved Umber, x 1

Small Waved Umber

1862 ... Double-striped Pug, x 1
1927 ... Brindled Beauty, x 1

Brindled Beauty

2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart, x 1
2182 ... Small Quaker, x 1
2243 ... Early Grey, x 3

Early Grey

2289 ... Knot Grass, x 1 ... year first

Knot Grass

2306 ... Angle Shades, x 3
2389 ... Pale Mottled Willow, x 1

10th June 2013 .... Year list additions

The Moth Fairy came and left me a Pale Prominent for my birthday ... :)
New for year ......

2011 ... Pale Prominent ... Pterostoma palpina

2 more for the year list ....

2087 ... Turnip Moth ... Agrotis segetum

2333 ... Large Nutmeg ... Apamea anceps

Some of the rest .........

1976 ... Privet Hawk-moth ... Sphinx ligustri

2286 ... Knot Grass ... Acronicta rumicis

AND A NICE CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

from Mrs Trappings, Keely and Louie ..... 

14th Aug '12 ... Nice moth brings up the 300 !

              300 ... 300 ... 300 ... 300 ... 300 ... 300 ... 300 ... 300 ... 300

Square-spotted Clay....site first and membership to the 300 macro club. 

Last night was warm and humid, ideal conditions.
Plenty of moths and a nice variety.
31 species of micro, including 2, Ypsolopha scabrella, Ypsolopha sequella, Plutella xylostella, and a Juniper Webber being the highlights,  plus 15 more for the county micro recorder David Manning.

37 species of macro.
2 Old Lady and 2 Small Ranunculus were good finds.
Another 2 Yellow-barred Brindle were recorded with a single Latticed Heath and 2 Poplar Grey.
Mouse Moths are doing well this year with 2 more noted.
Spectacle, Dun-bar, Silver Y (8) were the best of the rest.

OLD LADY

SMALL RANUNCULUS

Knot Grass

25th May 2012 ... In the buff

Overnight low ... 11.4 deg. Clear with an easterly breeze, gusty at times.
A Buff Ermine was a newcomer for the year, along with another nice selection....

17     Common Swift Hepialus lupulinus 3
1648 Pebble Hook-tip Drepana falcataria 1, year first (Below)

1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 2, (Below)

1781 Small Waved Umber Horisme vitalbata 1
1819 Mottled Pug Eupithecia exiguata 1, (Below)

1825 Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata 2 (Below)

1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata 3, (Below)

1883 Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata 2
1997 Sallow Kitten Furcula furcula 1
2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda 1
2061 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum 1, year first (Below)

2087 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum 3
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 12 (Below)

2173 The Lychnis Hadena bicruris 1
2283/4 Dark/Grey Dagger Acronicta tridens/psi 1
2289 Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis 1, year first (Below)

2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 5
2441 Silver Y Autographa gamma 1, year first (Below)

2480 Buttoned Snout Hypena rostralis 1, (Below)

247 Tinea trinotella 1
409a Argyresthia trifasciata 1
648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella 2
697 Agonopterix arenella 1
808 Platyedra subcinerea 4
947 Aethes smeathmanniana 1
974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 5
986 Syndemis musculana 1
998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 5
1428 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella 2
1474 Ephestia parasitella 2, year first (Below)

1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2

15th April 2011....Was Knot Was + Pug Quiz

This is the time for many "first" appearances after a long period of orthosia species, especially for me as I missed April last year having slummed it for a month on Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.

.................................................

PALE PINION 2236

......................................................

KNOT GRASS 2289 was a new entry for the year

First appearance (of hundreds) of SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART 2092

CABBAGE MOTH 2154 another year debutant

Shuttle-shaped Dart, again, by mistake...can't be bothered to edit !

Four RUBY TIGER 2064 . garden first for year

AND NOW WE HAVE LAST NIGHTS PUGS.................. any ID comments appreciated, I have Pug Dislexia, but I'll have a go.....Top, wingspan 18mm ish and rather worn. my guess is Double-striped

Wingspan in excess of 20mm so I'll try....COMMON

20 mm wingspan at most.if it's a Double-striped then it's a big 'un

I'll have a crack at OAK-TREE

wingspan around 20mm again ....not sure if some of these are a larger hatch of Double-striped.....The previous ones have been quite well marked but tiny, wingspan 15/16 mm....... Thanks in advance for your expertise and help, FORTUNA FORTES CORDE (:0)) Last nights haul:-

7 x Early Grey

5 x Hebrew Character

4 x Ruby Tiger *year first

3 x Emmelina monodactyla

2 x Double-striped Pug (definites,,,not pictured)

2 x Common Quaker

1 x Garden Carpet

1 x Knot Grass *year first

1 x Endrosis sarcitrella (White-shouldered House Moth)

1 x Brimstone Moth

1 x Pale Pinion (2nd record this year)

1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart *year first

1 x Cabbage Moth *year first

1 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Brown House-moth)

1 x Depressaria heraclei (Parsnip Moth)

1 x Alucita hexadactyla (Twenty-plume Moth)

1 x Pale Mottled Willow

1 x Clouded Drab

PUG SPECIES

TOTALS:-

786 moths (625 macro, 161 micro)

49/50 species (35 macro, 14/15 micro) one ID pending

Month ends on a Sallow note

The last few days have seen temperatures fall and numbers down. Here are the highlights for 28th - 31st July. Star of the show is this
BORDERED SALLOW

least but not last........

LEAST YELLOW UNDERWING

My 17th SMALL RANUNCULUS for the year, an incredible tally.

DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG

SHARK....third one this year

DUSKY SALLOW

KNOT GRASS

a new micro for my garden..........................

DONACAULA FORFICELLA
first for the year and many more to come...

STRAW UNDERWING

this black example completes the set, after previous white, and black & white forms of this.....

PEPPERED MOTH