11th May 2015 ... New moth for garden + a bumper night.

I'll start by thanking Mr Ian Woiwood.
After reading his post on Beds Moth group Facebook on 3rd May regarding the use of a pheromone lure to successfully attract a male Emperor Moth to his garden, I was prompted to get on to Anglia Leps and order one.
I made a net bag and hung it on the trellis fence at 10.00 am. where it sat all day until 16.45 pm. when a male Emperor turned up.
This is the first record for the garden and the lure has now gone into the freezer until next April.
I have tried a couple of times to "assemble" newly hatched female Emperors without success, mainly due to adverse weather conditions at the time of the hatching in 2013/14
By using a lure there's no waiting for a hatch and you can pick your weather, much easier.

Saturnia pavonia, Emperor Moth (male)

A sunny spot on the trellis fence, with the lure in a homemade net bag

A good day was followed by an equally good evening, warm, dry, maybe a tad too breezy at times for the micro moths, but 28 species were recorded with a possible 29 pending a Pug I.D.
The catch:-
11th May, warm, breezy, 9.9 degC min.
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 3
0697 Agonopterix arenella, 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 3
0925 Phtheochroa rugosana, 1, year first

925, Phtheochroa rugosana

0964 Cochylis dubitana, 1, year first

964, Cochylis dubitana

0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 1, year first

974, Argyrotaenia ljungiana

0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 3
1099 Endothenia marginana, 1, year first (to be confirmed)

1099, Endothenia marginana 

1342 Eudonia angustea, 1
1428 Aphomia sociella, 1
1643 Emperor Moth, 1, garden first
1654 Figure of Eighty, 1, year first

1654, Figure of Eighty

1781 Small Waved Umber, 2
1819 Mottled Pug, 2, year first

1819, Mottled Pug

1834 Common Pug, 2
1862 Double-striped Pug, 1
1883 Yellow-barred Brindle, 2
1906 Brimstone Moth, 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel, 1

1920, Scalloped Hazel

2028 Pale Tussock, 1, year first

2028, Pale Tussock

2087 Turnip Moth, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 8
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye, 1, year first

2160, Bright-line Brown-eye

2166 Campion, 1, year first

2166, The Campion

2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2289 Knot Grass, 1
2306 Angle Shades, 3
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2, year first

2334, Rustic Shoulder-knot

2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 2

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

7th May 2013 ... Another new macro .........

The weather has been kind these last few days with a nice variety of moths turning up, including this new species for the garden ... LUNAR MARBLED BROWN

2015 ... Lunar Marbled Brown ...Drymonia dodoneae

3 more quality moths were added to the year list ....
BUTTONED SNOUT ....

2480 ... Buttoned Snout ... Hypena rostralis

PALE TUSSOCK ...

2028 ... Pale Tussock ... Calliteara pudibunda

LEAST BLACK ARCHES ...

2078 ... Least Black Arches ...Nola confusalis

27th May 2012 .. Minor detail

Another warm night (10.8 min).
A brace of Tawney Marbled Minor made a year first appearance, I won't get these gen det'd as the first ones in my garden are usually Tawney MM and both of these had brown in the wings..... Previous gen det has shown these to be TMM's.
No doubts about Small Ranunculus however.
The Haul :- in no particular order...

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 10

2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens 1
1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 3
2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda 1 (Below)

1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 4
17.....Common Swift Hepialus lupulinus 3
2283/4 Dark/Grey Dagger Acronicta tridens/psi 5
2480 Buttoned Snout Hypena rostralis 1

2289 Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis 1

2339 Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia latruncula 2, year first (Below)

1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria 4

2087 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum 3

2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa 1

1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata 2

2441 Silver Y Autographa gamma 4

2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum 2

2043 Orange Footman Eilema sororcula 1

2102 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta 1

2450 The Spectacle Abrostola tripartita 1

2384 Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua 2

2165 Small Ranunculus Hecatera dysodea 1, year first (Below)

1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata 2

1819 Mottled Pug Eupithecia exiguata 4

2389 Pale Mottled Willow Paradrina clavipalpis 3

2069 The Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae 1

2160 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea 2

2333 Large Nutmeg Apamea anceps 2

648.. White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella 5

1474 Ephestia parasitella 3

1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3

998.. Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 4

1174 Epiblema cynosbatella 5, year first (Below)

974.. Argyrotaenia ljungiana 2

986.. Syndemis musculana 1

1428 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella 4

1356 Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis 2
409a Argyresthia trifasciata 2
808.. Platyedra subcinerea 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 1, year first (Below)

30th April 2012 .. Garden Traps

Overnight min. temp. a heady 9.6 deg. breezy, constant rain late evening;
It could have been an absolute bumper night but along came the rain to put a damper on it...again.
Pinch, punch, first of the month, no returns, white rabbits, and hoping that Awful April doesn't become Miserable May.
Trap results :-
0229 Monopis obviella 1, year first (29th Apr)
0648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella 1 year first
0649 Esperia sulphurella 4
0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 2
1288 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla 1
1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata 2, year first
1781 Small Waved Umber Horisme vitalbata 1, year first
1862 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 2
1906 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata 1, year first
2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda 1, year first
2064 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa 1, year first
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 1

2028 Pale Tussock, Calliteara pudibunda

1906 Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata

1728 Garden Carpet, Xanthorhoe fluctuata

2064 Ruby Tiger, Phragmatobia fuliginosa
Ruby, Kaiser chiefs

648 White Shouldered House Moth, Endrosis sarcitrella

9th April 2011...Garden Trap,.. 2 more year "firsts".

Two more for the year list, but fewer moths recorded last night. Two reasons, 1) Temperatures plummeted to 3deg... 2) Yours truly was getting stuck into some Australian Cab-Shaz and didn't do the regular patrol of the lights/traps. ....................................................................................................

PALE TUSSOCK 2028....year first

BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE 2160...year first

EARLY THORN 1917

DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG 1862

This is my commonest moth at present. The first 2011 record was on the 25th February, when the overnight temperature was 7.7 deg, more than double last nights temp !

The next record was on the 15th March and to date I have recorded 88 in the garden. Last nights totals:-

4 x Common Quaker

3 x Double-striped Pug

1 x Hebrew Character

1 x Early Thorn

1 x Early Grey

1 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Bright-line Brown-eye (year first)

1 x Pale Tussock (year first)

687 moths caught of 35/36 species (one ID pending)

543 macro, 24 species

144 micro, 11/12 species (ID pending)

5th June.....Shear Luck ?

Another 30 plus species night despite the rain,
...................................................
MOTTLED PUG

PALE TUSSOCK

originally had this as a Marbled Minor agg but keen-eyed Matt Burgess correctly pointed out that it is a MOTTLED RUSTIC .

PEPPERED MOTH

SMALL SQUARE-SPOT

WHITE ERMINE

TAWNY SHEARS

SILVER Y

MILLER

ELEPHANT HAWKMOTH 30 plus more species with a couple to be confirmed:-

19 x Heart & Dart

7 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

3 x Willow Beauty

3 x Marbled Minor agg.

2 x Miller

2 x White Ermine Garden first
2 x Common Marbled Carpet

2 x Setaceous Hebrew Character

2 x Pale Mottled Willow

2 x Treble Lines

2 x Turnip Moth

2 x Large Nutmeg

Mottled Rustic Garden first

Lime Hawkmoth

Elephant Hawkmoth Garden first

Chinese Character

Silver Y first for year

Mottled Pug

Common Pug

Flame Shoulder

Bright-line Brown-eye

Small square-spot Garden first

Tawny Shears Garden first

Vine's Rustic

some more micros to be identified