May, the month that keeps on giving!

May, the month that keeps on giving! 

And then June came along, less said about that the better (so far, but it is still early days).

I struck lucky last Friday night with not one, but two new species for the garden!!

A splendid Striped Hawk-moth was sitting proudly on the house wall behind my trap, a species I have seen many time abroad, from Portugal through to France and all the way to Turkey.

To get one in the garden was unbelievable. 

 

As if that wasn't enough, I also scored a Phtheochroa schreibersana, not only that but it was in really good condition and much better than the one I netted along the nearby hedgerows last year.

It's a species either making a comeback, or a genuine migrant, as there has been countless people recording it this year for the first time.

 

Back up new species included a tatty Goat Moth, and both Foxglove & Toadflax Pug.

 

A rather nicely marked Large Yellow Underwing was nice to see also.

 

Things didn't slow down just yet! 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 326 species 

 

29/05/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Foxglove Pug 1 [NFY] 

Goat Moth 1 [NFY]

Striped Hawk-moth 1 [NFG]

Toadflax Pug 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

 

Phtheochroa schreibersana 1 [NFG]

 

Striped Hawk-moth

Toadflax Pug

Foxglove Pug

Goat Moth

Large Yellow Underwing

Phtheochroa schreibersana

 

Chippenham Fen - Field Trip - 28th May

I made my second field trip of the year to Chippenham Fen last Thursday night, and boy had it been warm during the day, with highs of 29 degrees and with lows expected to be around 18 degrees and in the low 20's at midnight, absolutely perfect.

A clear sky ensued and a bright moon would be rising from the east (albeit very low) and it was a little breezy at times, a lovely warm breeze directly from the south.

All this didn't matter as the air was so warm it felt almost tropical even at midnight.

The moths were something else, and all 4 traps were heaving with moths by packing up time at 2am, in fact I started packing up from 1am and only finished at a quarter to 3! Seasoned field trip moth'ers will know how hard it is going through a lively catch when tiredness starts to take over.

But it was certainly worth it!

The moths were incredible, and after sorting out the moths well into the next day, the final tally stood at 237 species which is a May record for me (Easily surpassing the 151 species previous best). 

There were far too many good moths to list, but the best moth was another example of Monopis fenestratella, the 3rd i've taken here in Cambs and as far as I am aware, no other records exist. This example was in much better condition than my recent garden one. 

My favourite macro moth was the ever-so dainty Small Yellow Wave, a moth I don't see very often.

 

The hoped for migrants put in a small appearance with loads of Plutella xylostella and 2 Small Mottled Willow.

 

A very pleasing but tiring trip. 

 

 

28/05/26 - Chippenham Fen - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap, 1x 40w/22w Bucket Trap & 1x 160w MBT Trap

Macro Moths

Barred Straw 
Beautiful Hook-tip 
Bordered Sallow
Bordered White 
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-barred White 
Brown Rustic 
Brown Silver-line
Buff-tip 
Burnished Brass 
Clay 
Clouded Border 
Clouded Brindle 
Clouded Silver 
Clouded-bordered Brindle
Common Carpet 
Common Marbled Carpet 
Common Pug 
Common Swift 
Common Wainscot 
Common Wave 
Common White Wave 
Coronet 
Coxcomb Prominent 
Cream Wave 
Cream-bordered Green Pea 
Cream-spot Tiger 
Dark Arches 
Dingy Shell 
Dotted Fan-foot 
Dwarf Pug 
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Eyed Hawk-moth 
Fern 
Figure of Eighty 
Flame 
Flame Shoulder 
Flame Wainscot 
Foxglove Pug 
Goat Moth 
Ghost Moth
Green Carpet 
Green Pug 
Grey Dagger 
Grey Pug 
Grey-pine Carpet 
Heart & Dart
Iron Prominent 
Large Nutmeg 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath 
Light Brocade 
Light Emerald 
Lime Hawk-moth 
Lime-speck Pug 
Lunar Yellow Underwing 
Maiden's Blush 
Marbled Clover 
Marbled Minor 
Marbled White-spot
May Highflyer 
Middle-barred Minor 
Mottled Pug
Mottled Rustic 
Netted Pug
Nutmeg 
Oak Hook-tip 
Orange Footman 
Pale Mottled Willow 
Pale Oak Beauty 
Pale Prominent 
Pale Tussock 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Peppered Moth 
Pinion-streaked Snout 
Poplar Grey 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Pretty Chalk Carpet 
Reed Dagger
Reed Leopard 
Riband Wave 
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic Shoulder-knot 
Sandy Carpet 
Satin Wave 
Satyr Pug 
Scarlet Tiger 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silky Wainscot
Silver Barred 
Silver Y 
Silver-ground Carpet 
Sloe Pug 
Small Blood-vein 
Small Clouded Brindle 
Small Dusty Wave 
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Seraphim 
Small Square-spot 
Small Yellow Wave
Snout
Spectacle 
Spruce Carpet 
Straw Dot
Striped Wainscot
Tawny Wave 
Tawny-barred Angle 
Treble Brown Spot 
Treble Lines 
Turnip Moth 
Vine's Rustic 
V-Moth
White Ermine
White-point 
White-point 
Willow Beauty 
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acompsia cinerella 
Adaina microdactyla 
Aethes rubigana 
Agapeta hamana 
Agonopterix ocellana 
Aleimma loeflingiana 
Anania hortulata 
Anania perlucidalis 
Aphomia sociella 
Argyresthia conjugella
Argyresthia spinosella 
Bactra lancealana
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Blastodacna hellerella 
Brachmia inornatella 
Bucculatrix bechensteinella
Bucculatrix cidarella 
Bucculatrix nigricomella 
Carcina quercana 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha rosaceana 
Chilo phragmitella 
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis consimilana 
Cochylidia heydeniana
Cochylimorpha straminea 
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Coptoptriche marginea 
Cosmopterix lienigiella
Cosmopterix scribaiella
Crambus lathoniellus 
Crassa unitella 
Cydia conicolana
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia pomonella
Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana 
Dichrorampha sedatana/aeratana/plumbana
Ditula angustiorana 
Ectoedemia decentella 
Elachista albidella
Elachista atricomella 
Elachista gangabella
Elachista humilis
Elachista maculicerusella 
Elachista stabilella 
Elophila nymphaeata
Endothenia gentianeana/marginana
Endothenia nigricostana
Endothenia quadrimaculana
Ephestia sp 
Epinotia bilunana 
Epinotia demarniana
Epinotia immundana 
Epinotia nanana
Ethmia dodecea 
Ethmia quadrilella 
Eucosma cana 
Eucosma metzneriana
Evergestis forficalis 
Exoteleia dodecella
Glyphipterix thrasonella 
Gracillaria syringella 
Grapholita janthinana
Hedya pruniana 
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Hypochalcia ahenella
Lathyronympha strigana 
Luquetia lobella 
Lyonetia clerkella 
Mompha subbistrigella 
Monopis crocicapitella 
Monopis fenestratella 
Monopis weaverella 
Morophaga choragella 
Nemapogon cloacella 
Nematopogon metaxella 
Nemophora degeerella
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nephopterix angustella 
Niditinea fuscella sp 
Notocelia cynosbatella 
Notocelia trimaculana 
Notocelia uddmanniana 
Pandemis cerasana 
Parapoynx stratiotata
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 
Parornix sp 
Phalonidia manniana/udana 
Phyllonorycter leucographella 
Piniphila bifasciana 
Platyptilia gonodactyla
Plutella xylostella 
Prays fraxinella 
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 
Ptherochroa sodaliana 
Ptherophorus pentadactyla 
Ptycholoma lecheana
Pyrausta purpuralis 
Rhyacionia pinivorana
Scoparia ambigualis 
Scoparia pyralella 
Scrobipalpa costella 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Scythropia crataegella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Spilonota ocellana 
Swammerdamia nebulella
Thyraylia nana 
Tinea semifulvella
Tinea trinotella 
Tischeria eklebladella 
Tortrix viridana 
Triaxomaria parasitella
Udea olivalis

 

Silky Wainscot

Small Yellow Wave

125w MV Robinson Trap

Bactra lancealana

Bordered Sallow

Cydia conicolana

Elachista humilis

Epinotia nanana

Eucosma metzneriana

Hypochalcia ahenella

Monopis fenestratella

Phtheochroa sodaliana

Rhyacionia pinivorana

 

 

The best May ever

Another massive haul on Thursday night.

I asked the good wife to plug in my trap, as I was out in the field, and when I returned the trap was humming, quite literally with plenty of Cockchafers crashing around the patio.

I'm glad I left plenty of pots by the back door, because I needed them. 

20 new species was unbelievable for the time of year and included 1 new garden moth, the fen speciality Brachmia inornatella, a moth I expected to record sooner or later as it is a common moth at my local fen. 

Bedstraw Hawk-moth was a clear winner, my 2nd record for here and last seen in 2023. 

Agriphila straminella was a bit of a shock, I always associate this species with the month of July, so to squeak a record into May was rather eye-watering.

The new Currant Clearwing lure worked within a few hours and attracted 14 examples of the target species! A very common moth locally it would seem.

Warm days and warm nights continued towards the weekend. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 321 species 

 

28/05/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Barred Straw 1 [NFY] 

Bedstraw Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Brown Rustic 1 [NFY]

Currant Clearwing 1 [NFY] (To Lure) 

Leopard Moth 1 [NFY]

Marbled Coronet 1 [NFY]

Pebble Hook-tip 1 [NFY]

Sandy Carpet 1 [NFY]

Scorched Wing 1 [NFY]

Uncertain 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

 

Agriphila straminella 1 [NFY]

Anania coronata 1 [NFY] 

Anarsia innoxiella 1 [NFY]

Brachmia inornatella 1 [NFG] 

Cochylidia implicitana 1 [NFY] 

Coleophora mayrella 1 [NFY] 

Elachista stabilella 1 [NFY] 

Eudonia pallida 1 [NFY] 

Parapoynx stratiotata 1 [NFY] 

Scythropia crataegella 1 [NFY]

 

 

Scorched Wing

Sandy Carpet

Parapoynx stratiotata

Marbled Coronet

Currant Clearwing

Brachmia inornatella

Bedstraw Hawk-moth

Anarsia innoxiella

Anania coronata

Agriphila straminella

Uncertain

 

 

 

Several new garden moths!

Well what a May it has been.

Tuesday night in my garden was incredibly busy, and I took advantage of the warm night to stay up potting moths until nigh on midnight, then up early at 3.30 to go through the rest of the catch.

The moths were really lively with the heat, and it was quite an issue potting everything up.

18 new species were potted up and I listed over 70 species. 

Below are the highlights of the night.

Sloe Pug - Only my 2nd garden record, I've now seen another couple on two different field trips this week, so must be having a good year locally.

Small Mottled Willow - Finally tapped into a bit of the migrant action, albeit a smidgen. 2nd garden record of this sometimes long-distance migrant. 

Cydia conicolana - New for garden, this is the 3rd pine feeding Cydia that I have recorded here (Other two are single records of Cydia cosmophoran & Cydia strobilella). A really pretty species up close with it's silver glinting bars. 

Monopis fenestratella - 3rd County record and the 2nd one from my garden, after the first last year. A really distinct tiny Monopis with its windowed wing. I've subsequently had another this week at nearby Chippenham Fen, and in much better condition than this one.

Nemophora degeerella - A common moth during the daytime along woodland rides, I rarely come across them here in Cambs, so it was a complete shock to find one on the vanes of the actinic trap, new for garden! 

A white Coleophora was retained for examination. 

There's certainly more to come...

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 301 species 

 

26/05/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Cream-spot Tiger 1 [NFY]
Freyer's Pug 2 [NFY]

Grey Pug 1 [NFY]

Riband Wave 1 [NFY]

Sloe Pug 1 [NFY]

Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]

Small Mottled Willow 1 [NFY]

Tawny Wave 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

 

Achroia grisella 1 [NFY]

Archips podana 1 [NFY] 

Bactra furfurana 1 [NFY]

Bryotropha terrella 1 [NFY] 

Cydia conicolana 1 [NFG] 

Ditula angustiorana 1 [NFY]

Eudonia lacustrata 1 [NFY] 

Monopis fenestratella 1 [NFY]

Nemophora degeerella 1 [NFG] 

Nephopterix angustella 1 [NFY] 

Small Mottled Willow

Archips podana

Cream-spot Tiger

Cydia conicolana

Eudonia lacustrata

Monopis fenestratella

Nephopterix angustella

Sloe Pug

Small Elephant Hawk-moth

Marvellous May

Well what an end to May it has been, with sky high temperatures pushing the mid 30's at one point, and some tropical nights around 20 degrees at the minimum!

Moths went crazy, then slowed down a little when it was too hot, then a slightly cooler night produced an overload to a point where I ran out of pots and gave up counting.

 

Usually mid-June onwards I tend to just to count the new species and avoid a full count due to work/family commitments.

This year however, with this heatwave, we are running two weeks ahead of schedule.

 

Monday night was no different, with at least 60 species seen.

 

Notable moths included the stunning Scarlet Tiger and only the second garden record of  Tachystola acroxantha, a very common moth for some people from what I’ve heard.

 

During the day the AND lure attracted 5 Orange-tailed Clearwing, unfortunately a few were deceased in the heat so I’ve since moved the bucket trap out of the hot afternoon sunshine, lesson learned!

 

This heat has been bloody challenging with photographing the catch, some moths literally just scarper as soon as you tip them from a pot, even after a little dose of c02!

 

The nights got even more sultry as the week progressed. 

 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 283 species 

 

25/05/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Buff Ermine 1 [NFY]
Common Marbled Carpet 1 [NFY]

Cypress Carpet 1 [NFY]

Lunar Yellow Underwing 1 [NFY]
Mottled Rustic 1 [NFY]

Orange-tailed Clearwing 5 [NFY] (To AND lure)
Scarlet Tiger 1 [NFY]
Small Blood-vein 1 [NFY]
Treble Brown Spot 1 [NFY]


Micro Moths

 

Blastodacna hellerella 3 [NFY]

Carpatolechia fugitivella 1 [NFY]
Ephestia sp 2 [NFY]

Gelechid sp 1 (TBC)
Grapholita janthinana 1 [NFY]
Metalampra italica 1 [NFY] 
Scoparia ambigualis 1 [NFY]
Tachystola acroxantha 1 [NFY]

 

Blastodacna hellerella

Carpatolechia fugitivella

Cypress Carpet

Lunar Yellow Underwing

Scarlet Tiger

Small Blood-vein

 

Things went a bit mad

Starting to fall behind now! 

This catch was from Sunday night and featured over 60 species in total, probably more, but from now on it is nigh on impossible counting every single moth, occasionally I will do a full species count, but not this week! 

Some really nice species are now on the wing and fairly early as well.

Crackers like the colourful Cream-bordered Green Pea was my favourite, what an exquisite name and fully apt indeed!

 

Wood Carpet was a nice early surprise, a less than annual moth here which usually flies between mid-June and September! I have never caught this species before Common Carpet (Though only just as I have since caught a Common Carpet last night). 

 

The first of the stunning Elephant Hawk-moths turned up. It was extremely flighty straight out of the fridge and allowed me to take a few shots before zooming skywards.

 

On the micro moth front Ectoedemia albifasciella was a new tiny moth species for the garden, very similar to subbimaculella but with differences in visible markings.

 

One Minor was dissected to reveal Rufous Minor, all others were Marbled the other night. 

 

A probable Nemapogon variatella is also another new species for the garden, taken to the API Clearwing lure (Intended for Six-belted Clearwing) overnight. It looks spot on for it with its bright white head, sadly a little squished fumbling with a pot, retained.

 

Things get busier going forwards... 

 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 267 species 

 

24/05/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Cream-bordered Green Pea 1 [NFY]
Elephant Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Maiden's Blush 1 [NFY]

White-spotted Pug1 [NFY]

Wood Carpet 1 [NFY]


Micro Moths

Anania hortulata 1 [NFY]
Clepsis consimilana 1 [NFY]
Cochylimorpha straminea 1 [NFY]
Ectoedemia albifasciella 1 [NFG]
Elachista maculicerusella 1 [NFY]
Ethmia quadrillella 1 [NFY]
Nemapogon variatella to API Lure 1 [NFG]

Tinea pellionella 1 [NFY] 

 

Wood Carpet

Anania hortulata

Clepsis consimilana

Cochylimorpha straminea

Cream-bordered Green Pea

Ectoedemia albifasciella

Elachista maculicerusella

Elephant Hawk-moth

Maiden's Blush

Tinea pellionella