Mostly Nutmegs

The garden trap is currently dominated by Nutmegs. I find it really odd these population explosions.

Trapping a mile away at the nearby fen I recorded only 1 recently, over 4 traps! On Thursday night I got to 108 by the morning.

I took a picture of just one of the outside trays, covered in Nutmegs!

 

I have had this explosion experience before way back on the 25th of May 2011 on my parents old farm, post below.

 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2967709613991032655/3653422830189891010

 

That night I recorded no less than 220 Nutmegs over 3 traps!  

 

Some returning macros including Oak Hook-tip and Treble-bar.

 

Best moth of the night was a tiny Endothenia oblongana, confirmed by checking the upper side of the hindwing. 

A scarce moth here in Cambs, but probably less scarce than we think, due to people discounting them as marginea or gentianaeana.

The very pale white transversal band towards the tornal area can be a general indicator of this species. 

 

It is moth no.958 for the garden. 

Another heat wave coming up, heatwave number 11786.

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 646 species 

 

06/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths

Endothenia oblongana 1 [NFG]

 

Treble-bar

Endothenia oblongana

Endothenia oblongana

Nutmegs!

Oak Hook-tip

Pyrausta despicata

 

A new species for Cambridgeshire!

I did my check of the lure bucket traps around the garden on Tuesday evening, it is getting a little late for any interest now with just Raspberry and Dusky most likely in this late period so I am not expecting much now.

There was nothing in any of them, until I got to the loranthi lure, intended for Synanthedon loranthi (A non-British species) I found a tiny (unfortunately) dead moth in the bottom.

Under a hand lens I could see it was a Tortrix species and looked close to a Cydia conicolana, but revisiting it later on in the day, it certainly appears to be Pammene juniperana, especially with the light yellow tiger stripes in-between the vertical metallic bands.

The moth appears to be new for Cambridgeshire and one I have certainly not seen before so very worth trying these different lures. A bit gutted it had already kicked the bucket.

In a week, all of the lures will go away in the freezer for next years use.

Stenoptilia zophodactylus was another surprise, keyed out to this species by the all white thoracic saddle and all white legs.

This species appears to have not been seen in the county for over 120 years! Most probably over-looked.

Apodia martinii was the third new species added to the site list

Three garden firsts was exceptional for August.

These were backed up by a year first Rosy Rustic which went missing in 2025.

Speaking of going missing, it seems like it will now be a two year absence for the Lesser Swallow Prominent in my garden and to any of my traps in the field. What has happened to this species locally over the last few years is unexplainable currently. A once common moth for me.

I also took a few pics of some more common moths. A Nutmeg.. one of around 500 this past week that have graced my trap.

Still warm ;l

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 644 species 

 

04/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Rosy Rustic 1 [NFY]

 

Micro Moths

Apodia martinii 1 [NFG]

Pammene juniperana 1 [NFG] 

 

Turnip Moth

Apodia martinii

Maiden's Blush

Nutmeg

Pammene juniperana

Rosy Rustic

Stenoptilia zophodactylus

 

August brings about new grass moths

Another fairly good catch to bring in August and last Sunday was warm and humid overnight.

The lack of rainfall is starting to become rather worrying, as we have only had two 15-20 minute downpours in 8 weeks now. The first one barely filled the two 80 litre water butts, and the second filled the front one, and made it half way on the back on (only coming off a small shed rood mind).

Best moth of the night went to a smashing Bordered Pug, my second for the garden and last seen 4 years ago! 

A second yearly record of Aroga velocella was also nice, a moth I see far more commonly out on the dry sandy heaths, mind you.. the garden is currently turning into one!

A few migrants also made it through, most notable was the 3rd yearly record of Dark Sword-grass.

Trying to catch up before more warm humid nights approach, this is never-ending! 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 641 species 

 

02/08/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Bordered Pug 1 [NFY]

 

Micro Moths

Agriphila geniculea 1 [NFY]

Agriphila selasella 1 [NFY] 

 

 

Dark Sword-grass

Agriphila geniculea

Agriphila selasella

Aroga velocella

Bordered Pug

 

A mini resurgence

Numbers crept up on Friday night here in my garden, on what was to be the last July night of 2026 and what a hot month it had been, carrying on fluidly from the warmer than average June.

Sadly, we still are in desperate need of significant rainfall. 

We've only had a few hours of rain in the past 6 weeks now, and even then it literally ran off and evaporated in the hot July sun that followed. 

I counted around 60 species, which is pretty good for late July here, as we come away from the peak mothing season.

Ancylosis oblitella has had a really successful year, with over 15 records this year alone. In previous years it has only been recorded in 1's and 2's. 

During the days and particularly in the early evening I have had visits from Hummingbird Hawk-moths, I managed an ok photograph of one of them, they a super quick!

There were two welcome new species for the year, a cracker of a Red Underwing and a Flounced Rustic.

The third Striped Hawk-moth of the year was great also, sitting proudly next to the Red Underwing! It was a new species for the garden only this year.

The best of the rest were too boldy marked species, Scrobipalpa atriplicella and a White-line Dart, both showing stronger markings than normal specimens I encounter.

Worth keeping an eye out for Scrobipalpa atriplicella, they can be hard to pick out amongst ocellatella, slightly larger and much more strongly marked and lacking the pale ovals around the ocelli. 

Still warm out there folks...

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 639 species 

 

31/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Flounced Rustic 1 [NFY]

Red Underwing 1 [NFY]

White-line Dart

Ancylosis oblitella

Flounced Rustic

Humming-bird Hawk-moth

Red Underwing

Scrobipalpa atriplicella

Striped Hawk-moth

A smattering of new moths, a little samey towards the end of July

It's gone a little samey in my garden recently, with only 1 new species on the 29th of July.

Still between 35 and 50 species on the nights I've been running my trap, mainly dominated by Small Mottled Willow and Nutmeg, the latter last night broke through the 100 examples barrier, with 76 alone the night before. 

Small Mottled Willow is the talk of the town recently with a lot of people recording record amounts, with reports of over 1000 last night in Dorset.

Here I've been getting around 20 to 30 peak.  

 

Below are the highlights from last Wednesday.

 

Cacoecimorpha pronubana - The first female I have seen here this year. The males have been prolific from late Spring, and just love the pheromone lure, in fact if I get the bag out of the shed, they'll just appear from nowhere within a few minutes, it must be so impregnated! 

 

Dark Spectacle - Only my 2nd record this year, never a common moth compared to its sister species the Spectacle. 

Nemapogon koenigi - New for year and an annual visitor here, sometimes to the Yellow-legged Clearwing Lure (VES).

The drought continues here in the East. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 637 species 

 

29/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Micro Moths 

 

Nemapogon koenigi 1 [NFY] 

 

Ypsolopha scabrella

Cacoecimorpha pronubana - Female

Dark Spectacle

Nemapogon koenigi

 

Chippenham Fen - Field Trip - 28th July

A made an overdue trip to Chippenham Fen last Tuesday night, I'm not sure where the 5 weeks went between this visit and the last, but the warm weather has made time fly very quickly indeed.

Another warm day, well warm week infact!

I arrived just as it was getting dark and it was a quick setup and lights on at around 9.20pm, the nights are certainly drawing in fast now, even when its a clear sky.

There were variable amounts of cloud, clearwing by packing up time at 2am. A big bright moon was also present, but quite low in the sky so no issue whatsoever. 

212 species were recorded over the 4 lights that were ran. The poorest trap was the 30w led, it was so bad that I canned it at midnight. This is really odd as this trap did very well at two other sites recently.

Both the 125w MV in the field edge and the 250w by the barn faired very well indeed, and it was hard keeping up with the species coming in, although numbers weren't as large as I had hoped and the summer peak has definitely subsided now. 

Amongst all of the moving moths were two stars, a first for me Great Brocade, and another new moth in the shape of a small geometer, a Rest Harrow.

The latter I presume is a wanderer from coastal populations, but the former could have well been a genuine migrant, who knows!

 

Other gems included (not a Gem sadly) 3x Vestal, Apodia martinii (name change alert), lots of Dingy Shell's, 2x Elachista bedellella, Golden-rod Pug, Lyonetia prunifoliella & Square-spotted Clay.

 

A right result for the end of July. 

 

28/07/26 - Chippenham Fen - East Cambridgeshire - 2x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap & 1x 30w LED Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches 
Brimstone Moth
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Burnished Brass 
Broad-barred White 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Cloaked Minor
Clouded Border 
Common Footman 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic sp 
Common Wainscot 
Common Wave 
Common White Wave 
Copper Underwing 
Coronet 
Cream-bordered Green Pea 
Dark Arches 
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
Dingy Footman 
Dingy Shell
Drinker
Dusky Thorn 
Early Thorn 
Figure of Eighty 
Flame Shoulder 
Flounced Rustic 
Ghost Moth
Gold Spot 
Golden-rod Pug
Great Brocade
Green Carpet 
Gypsy Moth 
Iron Prominent
Large Emerald 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Large Twin-spot Carpet
Latticed Heath 
Least Carpet 
Least Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Cream Wave 
Lime-speck Pug 
Lime Hawk-moth 
Lychnis 
Maiden's Blush 
Maple Pug 
Marbled Clover 
Narrow-winged Pug
Nutmeg 
Oak Processionary
Orange Footman 
Peach Blossom 
Peppered Moth 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Pine Hawk-moth 
Poplar Grey 
Pale Prominent 
Pretty Chalk Carpet 
Reed Dagger 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Rest Harrow
Riband Wave 
Rosy Footman
Ruby Tiger 
Sallow Kitten 
Scarce Footman 
Scalloped Oak 
Scorched Carpet 
Setaceous Hebrew 
Shaded Broad-bar 
Silky Wainscot 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Slender Pug 
Small Emerald 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Waved Umber 
Small Rufous 
Spectacle 
Straw Dot 
Square-spotted Clay 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Twin-spotted Wainscot 
Turnip Moth 
Vestal 
White-point 
Webb's Wainscot 
White-spotted Pinion
Willow Beauty 
Wormwood Pug 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris emargana 
Acompsia cinerella 
Acrobasis advenella 
Adaina microdactyla 
Aethes rubigana 
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agriphila straminella
Agriphila selasella 
Agriphila tristella 
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 
Anacampsis blattariella/populella
Anania lancealis 
Ancylosis oblitella 
Apodia martinii
Apotomis betuletana 
Aproaerema anthyllidella 
Argyresthia goedartella 
Aspilapteryx tringipennella 
Bactra lancealana 
Bedellia somnulentella
Blastobasis adustella 
Bryotropha terrella 
Bucculatrix albedinella 
Calamotropha paludella
Caloptilia elongella 
Cameraria ohridella 
Carcina quercana 
Carpatolechia alburnella
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha cespitana 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha rosaceana 
Celypha striana 
Chilo phragmitella 
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis consimilana 
Cnephasia sp 
Cochylidia implicatana 
Cochylimorpha straminea 
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Coleophora hemerobiella 
Coleophora vestianiella 
Coleophora clypeiferella 
Crambus pascuella 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia pomonella 
Cydia splendana
Cydia amplana 
Dichomeris alacella 
Donacaula forficella
Elachista adscitella
Elachista bedellella
Emmelina monodactyla 
Emmetia marginea 
Enarmonia formosana 
Endotricha flammealis 
Endrosis sarcitrella 
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana 
Ephestia sp 
Elachista bedellella
Elophila nymphaeata 
Epermenia chaerophyllella 
Epinotia nisella
Epinotia tenerana 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eucosma obumbratana 
Eucosma campoliliana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia pallida
Eudonia truncicolella 
Evergestis limbata 
Euzophera pinguis 
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Homoeosoma nebulella 
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Limnaecia phragmitella 
Lyonetia prunifoliella
Mompha subbistrigella
Monopis weaverella 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nomophila noctuella 
Notocelia uddmanniana 
Nymphula nitidulata
Oegoconia sp 
Oncocera semirubella 
Pammene aurita 
Pandemis corylana 
Pandemis heparana 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 
Patania ruralis 
Pediasia contaminella 
Phalonidia manniana/udana 
Phycita roborella 
Phyllonorycter stettinensis
Phycitodes binaevella
Plutella xylostella 
Ptherophorus pentadactyla 
Ptherochroa inopiana 
Pyrausta aurata 
Recurvaria leucatella 
Rhodophaea formosa
Schoenobius gigantella
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Spilonota ocellana 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla

Thiotricha subocellana 

Tinea trinotella 
Udea ferrugalis 
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Yponomeuta cag mal pad

 

Vestal

30w LED Trap

125w MV Trap

Apodia martinii

Dingy Shell

Elachista bedellella

Golden-rod Pug

Great Brocade

Lyonetia prunifoliella

Oak Processionary

Rest Harrow

Square-spotted Clay

 

New ones calming down now, a night of seconds

Just 2 new species for the year graced my trap on Tuesday night, as we calm down now with species diversity.

Though there were still around 40 species present and some pleasing moths paid their second visit of the year, they were Acleris cristana, Bordered Straw, Tawny-barred Angle and Yponomeuta plumbella.

 

The Bordered Straw and Yponomeuta plumbella were both new species only this year, so it was good to get a second of each.

 

Best moth of the night was the Heather wandering True Lover's Knot, what a spectacular name for a moth! 

Big winners are still Marbled Clover, Nutmeg and Yponomeuta of various species.

It stays warm and dry, but we did get some rain finally! 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 636 species 

 

28/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

True Lover's Knot 1 [NFY]

 

Micro Moths 

 

Cataclysta lemnata 1 [NFY] 

 

Yponomeuta plumbella

Acleris cristana

Bordered Straw

Cataclysta lemnata

Tawny-barred Angle

True Lover's Knot

 

Cranwich Camp - Field Trip - 25th July

Leslie and I made a drive up to nearby Norfolk at the weekend to run some traps on the edge of Cranwich Heath.

An interesting area of mainly pine woodland with an interesting array of  under-storey and with fields of wildflowers it really is a rather unspoilt area that usually throws up some lovely species, some that just don't feature here in Cambs.

 

We set-up 4 traps spread around and all out of sight of one another. 

It had been a breezy but very warm day with highs of 30 degrees, the wind was set to abate by night fall.

 

Unfortunately this was not the case, and a couple of hours in, it got stronger! 2 traps were packed up that were being rattled by the strong breeze.

The trap exposed to the west wind was the worst, with only a handful of moths inside after 2 hours!

The larger 250w trap faired so much better, and the little led trap did ok too, so we ran them in tandem until 1am, then followed by a slow pack up.  

 

Some great moths were seen, Clouded Magpie, Dotted Clay, Sharp-angled Carpet and several scarce micros as well.  

 

There were two new micro moths potted up that are new for my records, Chionodes distinctella & Scrobipalpa artemisiella, the latter quite scarce indeed and separated by its tiny size.  

 

Two stunning Geos were great to get photographs of as well, the Spruce Carpet was a particularly bold marked example. 

 

Despite the challenging conditions and the insane amounts of ants (flying and crawling varieties) we amassed 185 species. 

 

 

25/07/26 - Cranwich Camp - South Norfolk - 2x 125w Clear MV Trap, 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap & 1x 30w Led/Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches
Blackneck 
Bright-line Brown-eye
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-barred White 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Buff Ermine 
Buff Footman 
Burnished Brass 
Cabbage Moth 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Clay Triple-lines 
Cloaked Minor
Clouded Magpie 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Wainscot 
Copper Underwing 
Coronet 
Dark Arches 
Dark Spinach 
Dark Sword-grass 
Dark Umber 
Dingy Footman
Dotted Clay 
Double-striped Pug 
Drinker 
Dun-bar 
Dusky Thorn 
Ear Moth
Fen Wainscot 
Flame Shoulder 
Green Silver-lines 
Grey Dagger 
Gypsy Moth 
Large Emerald 
Large Twin-spot Carpet
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath
Least Carpet 
Lesser-spotted Pinion 
Lychnis 
Maiden's Blush 
Maple Prominent 
Marbled Clover
Marbled Minor 
Mottled Beauty
Nutmeg 
Nut-tree Tussock 
Oblique Striped 
Peppered Moth 
Poplar Grey 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Riband Wave 
Rosy Footman 
Rosy Minor 
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic 
Satin Wave 
Scalloped Oak 
Scarce Footman 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Sharp-angled Carpet
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Small Angle Shades 
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Rivulet 
Small Rufous 
Small Scallop 
Spectacle 
Spruce Carpet
Straw Dot
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tawny-barred Angle 
Tawny-speckled Pug 
Toadflax Pug 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Twin-spotted Wainscot 
Uncertain 
White-line Dart 
White-point
Wormwood Pug 
Yellow Shell

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris forskalleana 
Acleris laterana 
Acompsia cinerella 
Acrobasis advenella 
Acrobasis suavella 
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agriphila inquinatella 
Agriphila selasella
Agriphila straminella 
Aleimma loeflingiana 
Anania hortulata 
Aproaerema anthyllidella
Aproaerema cinctella/larseniella 
Argyresthia bonnetella
Argyresthia goedartella 
Aristotelia ericinella
Aroga velocella
Assara terebrella
Bactra furfurana 
Blastobasis adustella
Bryotropha senectella 
Bryotropha terrella 
Bucculatrix ulmella 
Caloptilia alchimiella/robustella 
Carcina quercana 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria falsella 
Catoptria pinella
Celypha rosaceana 
Chionodes distinctella
Clepsis consimilana 
Cochylidia implicatana
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Crambus pascuella 
Crambus perlella 
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia amplana 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia splendana 
Dichomeris alacella 
Dichrorampha simpliciana 
Dioryctria abietella 
Dioryctria simpliciella 
Ditula angustiorana 
Donacaula mucronella 
Elachista poae
Elophila nymphaeata
Emmelina monodactyla 
Emmetia marginea 
Endothenia gentianeana/marginana 
Endotricha flammealis 
Ephestia sp 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Ethmia quadrillella 
Eucosma cana 
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia truncicolella
Euspilapteryx auroguttella
Evergestis forficalis 
Evergestis limbata 
Galleria mellonella
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Homoeosoma nebulella 
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Metalampra italica 
Mompha epilobiella 
Monopis laevigella 
Musotima nitidalis 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Oncocera semirubella 
Oxyptilus distans
Pandemis corylana 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Patania ruralis 
Pediasia contaminella 
Phycita roborella 
Pyrausta despicata 
Rhyacionia buoliana
Scrobipalpa artemisiella
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Sorhagenia sp
Spilonota ocellana
Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
Teleiopsis diffinis 
Thyraylia nana 
Udea ferrugalis 
Ypsolopha scabrella 
Zeiraphera isertana 
Zelleria hepariella

 

Spruce Carpet

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Argyresthia bonnetella

Aroga velocella

Chionodes distinctella

Clay Triple-lines

Dotted Clay

Elachista poae

Scrobipalpa artemisiella

Sharp-angled Carpet