It's been awhile! A chance trap yields 2 new species for the year.

I thought I would dry off the trap (from dewy condensation) and pop it on last night, as it wasn't predicted to drop below 3 degrees, still far too cold for moths by my reckoning. 

But then boredom set in, and it was suddenly maybe a good idea to at least try.

 

Well i'm glad I did, with only two moths. 

But the sweetener was that they were both new 2022 additions.

Early Moth is a really uncommon moth away from thickets of Blackthorn and rarely flies far from their foodplant (with the lady being wingless, I guess there is no need to).

Again... too cold tonight, so it's been unplugged again.

Moth garden list stands at 8 species.

15/01/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

Chestnut 1 [NFY]

Early Moth 1 [NFY]

The pair

Chestnut

Early Moth

First moths flying in for 2022

The anticipation was killing me yesterday evening, as the light started to fade, I wondered what might be attracted to the trap through the evening and come the morning, if anything!

Luckily I had 4 species turn up before I turned in at midnight, by this morning there were 11 moths of 6 species, my highest count ever for the first night of a new year! Well it was a minimum of 11 degrees and the breeze did ease.

A smattering of migration also, with a rather tatty and battered Plutella xylostella sitting on the rain guard.

 

Lets hope it's a sign of things to come.

Happy New Year and enjoy the moths.

Moth garden list stands at 6 species.

01/01/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

Dark Chestnut 1 [NFY]

Mottled Umber 3 [NFY]

Winter Moth 4 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

 

Acleris schalleriana 1 [NFY]

Epiphyas postvittana 1 [NFY]

Plutella xylostella 1 [NFY]

Acleris schalleriana

Dark Chestnut

Epiphyas postvittana

Mottled Umber

Mottled Umbers

Plutella xylostella

Best Moths of 2021 Roundup

Welcome to the best moths I personally recorded in 2021.

Overall 2021 was a quieter year to recent years, but with some outstanding records to boot.

Numbers of common and expected moths were in short supply and sometimes non-existent in some instances.

With another year struggling through covid, starting a new job in January and then moving house at the end of August, it's been a busy year and i've had to put moths on hold at times. Needless to say I have put in as much effort as I could throughout the year, helping with identifications, writing extracts and papers and contributing to several books and online resources.

And of course, the moths! Many that were short-listed were new species for me, or new for the County or even new for Britain! 

With all the doom and gloom, i've had my family close by me and we've pulled through it together.

So here are my best moths of 2021, enjoy and I hope you all have a good year in 2022 and thank you for the continued support.

1. Povolnya leucapennella - Work, Bishop's Stortford - (29/01/21) - During a lunch time break, I walked around the cemetery tapping shrubs to see if I could dislodge a few over-wintering moths. Plenty of Emmelina monodactyla and Epiphyas postvittana were found, but a paler Caloptilia species was spotted and potted up for a closer look. It turned out to be a new species for me, Povolnya leucapennella.

2. Phyllocnistis unipunctella - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (24/02/21) - I trapped a tiny white moth at work at the end of February, to my surprise it turned out to be a Phyllocnistis unipunctella which was new for me. This species has been known to over-winter (hence the early flight time). The warm weather probably woke it up. I can only assume that the moth itself came from the row of mature Black Poplar's along Cemetrary Road in Bishop's Stortford.

 

3. Pammene giganteana - Back Garden - Stevenage, Hertfordshire - (20/03/21) - This wasn't a new species for me, but it was the success of the newly acquired pheremone lure for Grapholita molesta (MOL) that made it worth mentioning. This moth appeared at nearly every location I tried, over a near two-month period, putting many new dots on the map.

 

4. Caloptilia elongella - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (24/03/21) - Of 3 moths in the trap, a Caloptilia stood-out. It was to be my very first Caloptilia elongella, an Alder feeder. The British Caloptilia genus currently stands at 14 species, with honoratella added to the British list in 2019 and fidella in 2021. I have therefore recorded 12 species of Caloptilia now, the other missing species is probably a common moth for some of you out there... azalleella! One day maybe..

 

5. Tinea bisselliella - Community Hall - Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (12/04/21) Don't laugh... this clothes moth was new to me! I found it sitting by an emergency exit light in the Community hall I was doing some work in. It was an absolute mare to photograph though!! It was in and out of the fridge until it had stopped moving, then I tapped it onto my background and cupped my hands around the vial to obscure the brightness and gently peeked in, and yes it had settled! pot lifted off ever so gently and it ran off again!! Gaaah. It took me 4 times of the above method to get it to sit still for, I reckon 20 seconds at best, enough time to fire off a few shots. To say I was chuffed, would be an understatement. This Tinea is quite uncommon nowadays despite it's vernacular name of 'Common Clothes Moth'.

 

6. Cydia strobilella - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (30/04/21) - This is only my 3rd record, with 2 individuals on the 8th of May 2016 in the far West of the County of Hertfordshire. I found it crawling along the floor amongst some fallen Scots Pine cones, presumably newly hatched, as I watered some Rose Bushes underneath the tree, result!

 

7. Great Prominent - Back Garden - Stevenage, Hertfordshire - (11/05/21) - Moving on a month and into May, it was a complete shock to see a Great Prominent sitting on the house wall behind my trap. It is a bit of an elusive species for me, having only seen it once before in mature Oak woodland. To get one in a suburban garden was crazy.

8. Muslin Moth - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (17/05/21) - Muslin Moth on the list? A bit strange you say. Well it would be if it was just a Male, but no. I was extremely lucky to be sweep netting the long grass in the cemetery when I looked in the bottom of the net, and had a brilliant white Female Muslin Moth staring back at me, amazing! This was my very first encounter of the other sex.

 

9. Cydia cosmophorana - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (10/06/21) - After the Cydia strobilella at the end of April, it was great to get another species from genus. This is another pine feeding species and was a new species for me. The plethora of Pine in the cemetery owes to most of the species recorded. 

10. Euzopherodes vapidella - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - (10/06/21) - But, on the same night as the new Cydia for my records was (at the time) just a form perhaps of an Ephestia species? Little did I know that two months later the moth would turn out to be a new species for Britain, and a completely new genus. Since the article was published, Colin Plant and myself  have located a few of the possible host trees around Bishop's Stortford, including a tree in the cemetery itself where the moth was found.

11. Lyonetia prunifoliella - Weston Park, Hertfordshire & Chippenham Fen, Cambridgeshire - 01/07/21 & 29/07/21 - This is a moth I first encountered last year on a day-time wander at Canvey Island, the 5th for Essex at the time. I was tapping bushes near one of my traps at Weston Park, when I dislodged a small white moth, it turned out to be Lyonetia prunifoliella, a 2nd record for Herts. At the end of the same month, I found a small white moth sitting on the wall next to the trap I was running at Chippenham Fen, which once again was the same species, and new to Cambridgeshire!

 

12. Sharp-angled Carpet - Panshanger Park, Hertfordshire - 08/07/21 - With newly acquired access granted to moth trap at Panshanger Park, a near 1000 acre quarrying site, I was in anticipation of what to expect on my first outing. I was lucky to record my very first Sharp-angled Carpet, and several other specimens on subsequent visits.

 

13. Langmaid's Yellow Underwing - Back Garden - Stevenage, Hertfordshire - 17/07/21 - A rather smart presumed Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing was checked for the rather enigmatic Langmaid's Yellow Underwing. I had tried for a few years checking hindwings with no success, and then it happened! This beautiful specimen was indeed a Langmaid's, and a first for me.

 

14. Pempelia genistella - Work, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire - 22/07/21 - I went through the trap as I normally do when I get to work (While others either have a cup of tea or smoke!) And potted up a few bits and bobs to photograph at lunch, I went back out to pack the trap up and looked around again in the surrounding grass, and I couldn't believe what was crawling around in it, a Pempelia genistella, with no pot I dashed back into the tea room, fumbled for a pot and rushed back out, luckily it was still there, phew. This was another new species for me, and a 3rd for Herts

15. Monochroa arundinetella - Panshanger Park, Hertfordshire - 11/08/21 - The best moth of the night was a tentative Monochroa arundinetella (last seen in Cheshunt prior to 1901!).The moth was passed to Colin Plant and shown to other Gelechid recorders, and it was indeed the species I thought it may be. 2nd county record for Herts.

 

16. Sciota adelphella - Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire - 14/08/21- A lovely looking Pyralid was attracted to one of my traps when I was invited to run some traps at Wicken Fen by Stephen Thompson, the night was heaving with moths, and this new species was the pick for me.

 

17. Blue Underwing - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 27/08/21 - The very first night I ran my trap in my new garden, I really could not believe it, there was a huge moth (well it looked like a large Bat) swooping around the garden, it eventually landed on top of my trap and I quickly ran in and got a sandwich container to pot it up! Wow, my first British Clifden nonpareil. I recorded a further 9 specimens over the following 5 weeks.

 

18. Cochylidia implicitana - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 02/09/21 - Two new for me species were recorded at the start of September, this being one of them. A tiny little Tortrix moth no bigger than 8mm and probably very easy to miss!

 

19. Evergestis limbata - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 02/09/21 - The other cracking species was an Evergestis limbata, a recent arrival to Cambridgeshire with 3 previous records over the last two years, again I was rather shocked that my little actinic light attracted yet another new species.

 

20. Platyedra subcinerea - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 05/09/21 - I trapped two Platyedra subcinerea on one night on the 5th of September. Both specimens were of very different colouration. Another species added to the life list.

 

21. Agonopterix nervosa - Chippenham Fen, Cambridgeshire - 07/09/21 - Not a common species for Agonopterix for me nervosa, only having taken it twice before in 15 years. For Cambridgeshire it was a very good record, with 2 previous county records and last seen in 1994! Having recently moved to Cambridgeshire, I have to keep checking once regular moths in Hertfordshire, as these aren't always the case here in Cambridgeshire.

22. Oxyptilus distans - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 09/09/21 - The best moth on a warm night was a Plume, and one of the Oxyptilus species which turned out to be distans (Thanks go to Graeme Smith for taking the time to check the texts that I don't have and doing a nifty drawing). I knew it was in the area, as Leslie Gardiner in the same village as me trapped one before. The common name is Breckland Plume. Another new species for my records.

 

23. Feathered Ranunculus - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 24/09/21 - A great night with a few standout species recorded in the trap, as we approached the end of September. A Feathered Ranunculus found by my son as he was playing, a few hours after going through the trap was unbelievable. He spotted it under the side of the back door mat! I must have missed it doing my regular morning routine!! It is only the second record for the County, and last recorded in 1998.

 

24. Clancy's Rustic - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 28/09/21 - Clancy's Rustic was a species I added to the Hertfordshire list two years ago, to get another one in my garden in another county was very special indeed. It is a rare visitor to Cambridgeshire with just a handful of records. Which brings me quickly onto the next species...

 

25. Convolvulus Hawk-moth - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 28/09/21 - On the same night as the Clancy's, and sitting near each other on the house wall, wow! A beauty of a Male Convolvulus Hawk-moth, a species I had encountered before in Slovenia and France. To get both in the same night was probably the best night of the year!

 

26. Pale-lemon Sallow - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 10/10/21 -Pale-lemon Sallow is a Nationally Scarce A species and feeds from Poplar trees, a species of Noctuid that I pursued for over a decade in Hertfordshire, on various organised and private trips to areas with Black Poplar trees, fruitless trips usually on cool nights that resulted in maximum effort, but minimum results.

To then flick a switch on and attract one in my new garden is unbelievable.

I know they have been recorded in this area before, but I never expected to see one in my first year of trapping here, very chuffed!

 

27. Black-spotted Chestnut - Fordham, Cambridgeshire - 13/12/21 - A (sort of) expected Black-spotted Chestnut was found in the trap on a Tuesday morning in the middle of December , a species I was hoping to see at some point having missed out in my old Hertfordshire haunt, I know they have been recorded here in my village last year by Leslie Gardiner (And funnily enough his son trapped one on the same night as well). My specimen came in unusually before midnight, way before, at 7:30pm. It was to be my 577th Macro Moth species recorded here in the UK since 2006. 

 

19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9

10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18

 

 

 

A new for garden Satellite

I keep saying that a certain species will be my last, but this surely has to be now? As we now have 3 nights left of 2021.

Satellite was added to my garden list on Monday night during a warm but calm night.

 

Three Black-spotted Chestnut now makes it five for the garden so far.

Trap is on again tonight and for the last few nights of the year as we draw to a close, and experience extremely mild conditions for the time of year.

12 of 6 was very good for the time of year.

 

Fordham, East Cambridgeshire to Actinic light.

 

Moth garden list stands at 221 species 

27th December 2021

 

Satellite 1 [NFG]

Black-spotted Chestnut 3

Double-striped Pug 1

Winter Moth 4

Agonopterix alstromeriana 1

Epiphyas postvittana 2

 

Satellite

 

Garden Trapping - 23/12/21 - Merry Christmas all

Well I hope you all had a lovely couple of days over the festive period.

 

Still trapping here, as it's been so mild and even at night for this time of year! As I type this post up, this won't be the last trapping effort for 2021 as next week is going to be positively warm at 15 degrees and with night time minimums of 10 degrees, insane!

I haven't had time to run the trap over the two festive days but it was worth sticking out on the 23rd.

I was rewarded with 3 species of Noctuid, the last time I saw a Noctuid moth was the 13th of December, the garden first Black-spotted Chestnut, in fact one of the 3 I trapped on Thursday night was my second garden record of that species.

Joined by one of my faves, a Dark Chestnut and my latest ever Lesser Yellow Underwing was a nice surprise!

6 of 5 was very pleasing.

 

Fordham, East Cambridgeshire to Actinic light.

 

Moth garden list stands at 220 species 

23rd December 2021

 

Black-spotted Chestnut 1

Dark Chestnut 1

Lesser Yellow Underwing 1

Winter Moth 2

Epiphyas postvittana 1

 

Black-spotted Chestnut

Dark Chestnut

Epiphyas postvittana

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Noctuids

 

Garden Trapping, possibly the last for the year? - 18/12/21

I ran the trap on Saturday night as I once again was feeling a bit better. 

This year has been tough with being ill so often, but I won't go on about it.

It as a misty night but rather mild and there was a little drizzle too, but still and indeed I managed to record a handful of moths. Nothing spectacular but any moth is a bonus this time of year.

As usual this time of year, none of the moths were inside the trap.

 

Leslie round the corner also brought me round a Female Winter Moth which was nice surprise, which he found near his trap.

That may be it now, bar a best of 2021 post!

 

Moth garden list stands at 220 species

18th December 2021 to Actinic Trap - Fordham, East Cambridgeshire

Acleris schalleriana 1

Mottled Umber 1

Winter Moth 4

Acleris schalleriana

Mottled Umber

Winter Moth (Female)

Winter Moth (Male)

A new Macro Moth!

And surely the last new species to grace my trap in 2021...

 

A (sort of) expected Black-spotted Chestnut in the trap this morning, a species I was hoping to see at some point having missed out in my old Hertfordshire haunt, I know they have been recorded here in my bvillage last year by Leslie Gardiner (And funnily enough his son trapped one last night as well)

My specimen came in unusually before midnight, way before, at 7:30pm.

 

It is my 577th Macro Moth species recorded here in the UK since 2006. 

 

There are currently 882 species on the checklist, so still 305 to see! (Although probably only 250 of them are attainable by travelling around the Country.

Below are a few of my recent catches, I haven't ran my trap much in December this year.

 

Fordham, East Cambridgeshire to Actinic light.

 

Moth garden list stands at 220 species

10th December 2021

3x Winter Moth

11th December 2021

 

2x December Moth

1x Winter Moth

3x Epiphyas postvittana

12th December 2021

 

3x December Moth

15x Winter Moth

2x Epiphyas postvittana

 

13th December 2021

 

1x Black-spotted Chestnut [NEW!]

1x December Moth   

 

Black-spotted Chestnut

 

219th and the last species for the year?

A brief spell of warm but very windy weather, swept the Country on Tuesday night and with minimums of 8c it was lights on.

The previous night, an anomally happened, in that it was frosty at 8pm, but by the morning it was 9 degrees! The temperature has risen overnight by 9 degrees.

This doesn't seem to happen very often in the Winter from my experience.

I managed 3 moths of 3 species on Tuesday night, hardly stellar I hear you say but pleasing all the same as I do not live right next to any significant thickets or woodland. The wind also must not have helped, with gusts of 30mph or more.

Singles of Emmelina monodactyla, Mottled Umber and a new species for the garden, a Winter Moth

 

Moth garden list stands at 219 species.

 

Winter Moth

 

No trapping but a nice indoors surprise

In the shape of rather fancy plumed, Alucita hexadactyla.

It was found by my wife on our back door curtains yesterday, and is the 3rd record for the garden. 

I expect to get a few more next year, as our neighbour but one, has a large Honeysuckle at the bottom of their garden.

I haven't ran the trap for over a week here now, keeping a close eye on the weather in a week or so.

Alucita hexadactyla

Moths at home and at work - 18/11/21

Home : Last night I decided to run the trap again as it was forecast to be a mild and cloudy night with minmums of 12 degrees.... nope, it was cool and clear with a full moon (Well the first part of the night was). It mut have clouded over at some point and the temperature had risen.

 

11 moths of 5 species was pleasing though.

 

December Moths keep on coming, with 6 last night and already 7 here tonight. 

Work : Yesterday afternoon I had the misfortune of ripping out an ancient hedgerow because it had entangled itself around wrought iron fencing, which had to be recovered.

I felt a bit bad as it disturbed a few moths presumably getting ready to over-winter. I relocated all potted moths into the opposite Hawthorn hedge.

There were 4 Emmelina monodactyla, 1 Acleris cristana and 1 Epermenia chaerophyllella, very pleasing to see, I just hope they'll find other suitable spots in the Hawthorn hedge.

 

Moth garden list stands at 218 species.

18/11/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

December Moth 6

Scarce Umber 1

Sprawler 2

 

Micro Moths

 

Blastobasis lacticolella 1

Monopis crocicapitella 1

Acleris cristana

Blastobasis lacticolella

Epermenia chaerophyllella

A couple of small catches during a cold clear spell

Not much cooking here lately with 6 moths on Tuesday night, and 5 moths last night.

All 5 moths last night were December Moth which was a bit odd! The best moth was a really well-marked Mottled Umber.

The overnight temperatures have ranged between 3c and 5c minimum.

Moth garden list stands at 218 species.

16/11/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

December Moth 3

Mottled Umber 1

Scarce Umber 1

Sprawler 1

 

17/11/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

December Moth 5

 

Mottled Umber

 

Latest from the moth trap - 14/11/21 - Fordham Garden

Another rather tidy catch under cooling conditions, with the bulk of the catch being Light Brown Apple moths, all 7 of them!

Best moth of the night was two garden first Scarce Umber's, after receiving a message from Leslie round the corner whom also attracted one to his light last night as well. A very co-ordinated emergence.

I also got my latest Box moth, I don't think i've seen a November one before.

Moth garden list stands at 218 species.

14/11/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

Scarce Umber 2 [NFG]

Angle Shades 1

Beaded Chestnut 1

December Moth 1

Feathered Thorn 1

November Moth sp 1

Red-green Carpet 1

Sprawler 1

Micro Moths 

 

Acleris schalleriana 1

Cydalima perspectalis 1 

Emmelina monodactyla 1

Epiphyas postvittana 7

 

 

Latest from the moth trap - 12/11/21 - Fordham Garden

A great haul for my birthday, a cooler and breezier night and after two nights of really mild and flat calm conditions with very little, I thought I would struggle to catch just a couple of moths.

How wrong I was, with a minimum of 7 celsius (3-4 degrees down on past nights) there were 26 moths in and around the trap of 12 different species!

Amongst the Sprawlers, Feathered Thorns and December Moths, were two Turnip Moths, both probable migrants as I haven't seen one since the 7th of October, so well over a month.

Moth garden list stands at 217 species.

12/11/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

Beaded Chestnut 1

Blair's Shoulder-knot 1

December Moth 4

Double-striped Pug 1 

Feathered Thorn 1

Merveille du Jour 4

November Moth sp 2

Red-green Carpet 2

Setaceous Hebrew Character 1

Sprawler 5

Turnip Moth 2

Micro Moths 

 

Epiphyas postvittana 2

 

Turnip Moths

 

Bits and bobs

A quiet catch of just 9 moths of 5 species last night.

Best, were my 5th garden record of Udea ferrugalis, and probably the latest Cambridgeshire record of Scrobipalpa ocellatella. 

The nights continue to get quieter as the fruitful mothing year draws to a close. 

 

Scrobipalpa ocellatella

Udea ferrugalis

 

Oak Nycteoline at work

On Tuesday I was pruning Yew trees with my team at work, when a moth took flight from the over-hanging Ivy covering the side of the tree, I tracked the moth which settled within easy reach and I potted it up.

It was an Oak Nycteoline, a species of Nolidae and resembling a Tortrix moth (But actually in the order Macrolepidoptera).

I count myself lucky that I have a job where I am outside for most of the day, if I wasn't, then I also wouldn't have spotted a pair of Brimstone's fluttering through the afternoon hazy sunshine, awoken by incredibly mild 15 degrees of warmth.

 

I have yet to record this species in my garden.

 

Bishops' Stortford Cemetery, East Herts. 

Oak Nycteoline

 

Brimstone Butterfly

 

Two December girlies

Two smashing female December Moths last night to my trap here in Fordham, East Cambridgeshire, the first examples of the year.

Never, have I ever had two Females at once to a trap before.

 

A warm and mild night with minimums of 11c yielded just 4 other moths, rather less than I was expecting given the temperatures, but needless to say I was thrilled to record my 217 species for the garden.

Tonight could be even warmer and calmer, lets see what happens!

Very little reported last night, but a rather nice November Moth & another Musotima!

A quiet trap with under 12 moths of 5 species last night, the highlight was a rather smart November Moth (Logged as Epirrita species).

Checking the antennae and under a hand lens revealed that it was another girlie, so could not be taken to species level (Thanks Graeme Smith for reminding me).

I'm pretty sure it is Autumnal Moth, but we will never know.

All that I hope for, is that if it is indeed an Autumnal Moth, then there must be Males in the vicinity. 

Also, I saw a Spider wrapping what was presumably a Light Brown Apple Moth under the windowsill. I'm glad I looked closer, as it was my 2nd garden record of Musotima nitidalis.

Sadly it was deceased, but it was still very soft and wasn't there the night before.

This is now the 2nd or 3rd County record (With one unconfirmed record from another local recorder).

An Acleris schalleriana was also nice to see, this appears a fairly regular moth here, since beginning recording moths at the end of August.

 

Epirrita sp - Female

Acleris schalleriana

Musotima nitidalis

 

Latest from the moth trap - 28/10/21 - Fordham Garden

As October draws to a close, moths are still very much on the wing, albeit in vastly reduced numbers now. The warm wind doth blow, but it's strength has been the issue.

This morning there were only 10 moths in and around the trap, being off work today and whilst photographing some of last night's specimens I had a scour around the fence panels and added a couple more.

A tentative small Epirrita species with a slight hunch to it's shoulder's was retained and dissected, to then realise that it's a Female (Graeme, GRAEME I NEED HELP!) i'll be sending it to Graeme Smith next week. 

Sprawler was new for the garden, found 5 feet away from the trap on the lawn, then a second one was found on the house wall. 

Large Wainscots have been abundant here with easily 100 recorded over the last two months, and still they come, a large Female last night.

And a cracking form of Beaded Chestnut was great to see, almost reminiscent of the colour of Flounced Chestnut.

Moth garden list stands at 216 species.

28/10/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

 

Sprawler 2 [NFG]

Beaded Chestnut 2

Feathered Thorn 1

Green-brindled Crescent 1

Large Wainscot 1

November Moth sp 1 [TBC]

Red-green Carpet 1

Micro Moths 

 

Agonopterix alstromeriana 1

Emmelina monodactyla 1

Epiphyas postvittana 4

 

Beaded Chestnut

A Bead of water on a Beaded Chestnut

Beaded Chestnut

Epirrita sp

Sprawler's

Large Wainscot

 

Exceptionally mild, windy and rather poor!

This week has been a bit of a non-starter here to be honest. Some nights i've not bothered, and on the really warm nights i've been a shade disappointed in what I have recorded.

Minimums of 14 degrees, and a minimum gust of probably that as well, resulted in just 6 moths on Tuesday night and 7 moths last night.

Luckily one species was added to the garden list, two examples of Yellow-line (With a red line, confused yet?) Quaker.

There are still a few possibles to record this year, but I don't think I will surpass more than 6 species no until the new year.

 

Moth garden list stands at 215 species.

Mottled Umber

Yellow-line Quaker