Moth numbers on the up

Compared to the last few weeks, last night was almost a moth-fest.
Overcast, humid and a minimum overnight temperature of 8 deg saw 60 moths of 24 species come to the traps.
The night started off on the right note with Tinea pellionella flying around my computer screen for an easy year tick.
My late afternoon check of the interior sides of the shed windows reaped a reward as Mompha epilobiella was found amongst the many Mompha subbistrigella.

240 Tinea pellionella, Case-bearing Clothes Moth

893 Mompha epilobiella

Check list 7th May
0240 Tinea pellionella, 1, year first
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 3
0649 Esperia sulphurella, 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella, 7
0893 Mompha epilobiella, 1, year first
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 2
1288 Alucita hexadactyla, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 3
1728 Garden Carpet, 3
1837 Grey Pug, 1, year first

1837 Grey Pug

1862 Double-striped Pug, 6
1906 Brimstone Moth, 4
2003 Pebble Prominent, 1, year first  (at high level, just below the house roof)

2003 Pebble Prominent

2078 Least Black Arches, 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 12
2188 Clouded Drab, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2221 Mullein, 1, year first

2221 Mullein

2223 Toadflax Brocade, 2
2243 Early Grey, 1
2279 Sycamore, 1, year first

2279 Sycamore

2306 Angle Shades, 2
2389 Pale Mottled Willow, 1

7th June 2014 .. Garden moth species list ...

Yet another good night for the garden traps with over 60 species recorded.
Heart and Dart is the most numerous with 23 individuals.
The local sparrows may have accounted for many more as there are no moths present outside of the traps in the morning but plenty of evidence in the form of loose wings scattered nearby.
To avoid this I would need to get up at 03.30 am. each morning which is not going to happen so a few moths will have to take their chances.
Four different species of Hawk-moth were in one of the traps, Eyed, Privet, Small Elephant and Elephant.
Here are the year first species :-
From top to bottom
Archips podana
Syndemis musculana
Hedya nubiferana
Buff Arches
Eyed Hawk-moth
Sycamore
Middle-barred Minor
Small Fan-foot

It looks like being a good week with warm, humid air coming up from the Med and across Spain to the UK, especially the south/south east counties.
The occasional heavy shower may spoil the party though.

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

28th May 2013 ... Grey Areas

The unexpected break in the rain couldn't have come at a better time.
Heavily overcast and holding at 10 degrees all night with just the lightest of drizzly rain on occasions.
The Grey moths put in an appearance with Sycamore, Poplar Grey and Grey Dagger (agg)

Another grey area, is separating The Uncertain, The Rustic and Vine's Rustic, moreso around late june when they are all abundant.
The two examples caught last night ( below ) are Vine's Rustic and show a variation in background colour....... but in a couple of weeks time or so Uncertains and Rustics will be heading for a trap near you.

2384 ... Vine's Rustic ... Hoplodrina ambigua

2384 ... Vine's Rustic ... Hoplodrina ambigua

Varied Coronet and Triple-barred Argent (Argyresthia trifasciata) were added to the year list, but the best addition of the night was Chinese Character, which is uncommon in my garden and was not seen last year.
All in all, it was a good night with a nice variety of species ....

409a ... Argyresthia trifasciata ... Triple-barred Argent ... 1 ... YF

409a ... Argyresthia trifasciata

0648 ... Endrosis sarcitrella ... White-shouldered House Moth ... 2
0893 ... Mompha epilobiella ... Common Cosmet ... 1
0986 ... Syndemis musculana ... Dark-barred Tortrix ... 1
1524 ... Emmelina monodactyla ... Common Plume ... 1
1651 ... Chinese Character ... Cilix glaucata ... 1 ... YF

1651 ... Chinese Character ... Cilix glaucata

1728 ... Garden Carpet ... Xanthorhoe fluctuata ... 2
1883 ... Yellow-barred Brindle ... Acasis viretata ... 2
1906 ... Brimstone Moth ... Opisthograptis luteolata ... 2
1920 ... Scalloped Hazel ... Odontopera bidentata ... 1
1936 ... Waved Umber ... Menophra abruptaria ... 1
1979 ... Lime Hawk-moth ... Mimas tiliae ... 1
2069 ... Cinnabar ... Tyria jacobaeae ... 1
2092 ... Shuttle-shaped Dart ... Agrotis puta ... 6
2160 ... Bright-line Brown-eye ... Laconobia olacea ... 1
2170 ... Varied Coronet ... Hadena compta ... 1 ... YF

2170... Varied Coronet ... Hadena compta

2278 ... Poplar Grey ... Acronicta megacephala ... 1 ...YF

2278 ... Poplar Grey ... Acronicta megacephala

2279 ... Sycamore ... Acronicta aceris ... 2 ... YF

2279 ... The Sycamore ... Acronicta aceris .. Dark and light examples.

2283/4. Dark/Grey Dagger agg. ... Acronicta tridens/psi ... 1
2306 ... Angle Shades ... Phlogophora meticulosa ... 1
2334 ... Rustic Shoulder-knot ... Apamea sordens ... 2
2384 ... Vine's Rustic ... Hoplodrina ambigua ... 2 ... YF
2425 ... Nut-tree Tussock ... Colocasia coryli ... 1
2450 ... Spectacle ... Abrastola tripartita ... 1

28th May 2012 ... 5 New moths for the year

Yet another warm evening saw 5 newcomers for the year in and around the garden traps.....

1680 Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria  (Below)

1867 Treble-bar Aplocera plagiata  (Below)

1904 Scorched Wing Plagodis dolabraria  (Below)

2157 Light Brocade Lacanobia w-latinum  (Below)

2279 The Sycamore Acronicta aceris  (Below)

6th May 2011...Getting good

Thanks to the "Spanish Plume" we are now enjoying warm wind and a lot of moths.
The Dells garden recorded 8 new species for the year including one new record,
TOADFLAX BROCADE 2223 is only the 4th record in VC30 and a new record for my square, TL14.

TOADFLAX BROCADE 2223

SYCAMORE 2279

GREEN PUG 1860

WILLOW BEAUTY 1937

COMMON WAINSCOT 2199

RUSTIC SHOULDER-KNOT 2334

LARGE NUTMEG 2333 Last nights tally:-

20 + Shuttle-shaped Dart

6 x Pale Mottled Willow

5 x Turnip Moth

5 x Garden Carpet

4 x Heart & Dart

4 x Bright-line Brown-eye

3 x Setaceous Hebrew Character

2 x Small Waved Umber

2 x Waved Umber

2 x Lime Hawkmoth

2 x Brimstone Moth

2 x Marbled Minor agg.

2 x Willow Beauty *year first

3 x Large Nutmeg *year first

2 x Rustic Shoulder-knot * year first

Scalloped Hazel

Cabbage Moth

Sallow Kitten

Pebble Prominent

Sycamore *year first

Grey Dagger agg,

Green Pug * year first

Silver Y *year first

Common Wainscot *year first

Toadflax Brocade ** Garden first

MICROS

7 x Aphomia sociella

4 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana

4 x Argyresthia trifasciata

3 x Endrosis sarcitrella

3 x Epiphyas postvittana

3 x Platyedra subcinerea

2 x Tinea trinotella

2 x Cydia pomonella

2 x Epiblema cynosbatella

2 x Ephestia parasitella unicolorella

1 x Depressaria heraclei

1 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Evergestis forficalis

GARDEN TOTALS:-

119 species.....81 macro, 38 micro

5th July....another "first"

Cooler weather with a stiffish breeze lowered the numbers a little..Still running the one Skinner with 2 x 25w BC Blacklights and two PL 11w actinics attached to cover more of the light spectrum....But..........the new moth preferred to come in the kitchen attracted by the 50w Dichroics !!
...................................................
SCALLOPED OAK...... garden/kitchen "first"

SYCAMORE

LARGE TABBY........my third record for this large micro

SMALL RANUNCULUS.....regular visitor to my garden this year

another striking micro.........

EPIBLEMA FOENELLA

the very common CRAMBUS PASCUELLA Results:-

12 Buff Ermine

10 Common Footman ( no Scarce Footman found !)

7 Dark Arches

7 Willow Beauty

6 Flame

5 Uncertain

5 Riband Wave

4 Heart & Dart

3 Dot Moth

3 Large Yellow Underwing

2 Small Emerald

2 Swallow-tailed Moth

2 Mottled Rustic

2 Grey/Dark Dagger

2 Heart & Club

2 Marbled Minor agg

Dwarf Cream Wave

Green Pug

Bright-line Brown-eye

Ruby Tiger

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Small Ranunculus

Garden Carpet

Pale Mottled Willow

Scalloped Oak.....GF

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Broad-barred White

Turnip Moth

Sycamore

12th June........Ticking along nicely

Last nights better weather saw 100 moths of 40 species in and around the traps. While Shuttle-shaped Darts have tailed off, Heart & Dart are now my most numerous visitor by a long chalk, and the "Kamikaze" Large Yellow Underwings are starting to dive-bomb both me and my traps.
HEART and DART very familiar yet striking moth

IRON PROMINENT

GARDEN PEBBLE. a garden first for this micro

DARK ARCHES first for year

VARIED CORONET first for year

PURPLE BAR a garden first

LARGE TABBY 1st record for this large micro

SYCAMORE another garden first

One of two PRIVET HAWKMOTH in the funnel trap

Results :-

20 x Heart & Dart

6 x Willow Beauty

6 x Marbled Minor agg

5 x Large Yellow Underwing

4 x Common Pug

4 x Vine's Rustic

2 x Light Emerald

2 x Rustic Shoulder-knot

2 x Green Pug

2 x Treble Brown-spot

2 x Pale Mottled Willow

2 x Common Wainscot

2 x Privet Hawkmoth

2 x Garden Carpet

2 x Common Swift

2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

2 x Dark Arches

Wormwood Pug

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Lime Hawkmoth

Buff Ermine

Varied Coronet

Purple Bar

Brimstone Moth

Common Marbled Carpet

Peppered Moth

Iron Prominent

Large Nutmeg

Silver Y

Flame Shoulder

Sycamore

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

5 x Bee Moth

4 x L.B.Apple moth

3 x Crambus lathoniellus

3 x Emmelina monodactyla

2 x Brown House-moth

1 x Small Magpie

1 x Large Tabby

1 x Garden Pebble