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Hello and welcome to my moth Blog. I now reside in a small village in East Cambridgeshire called Fordham. My Blog's aim is to promote and encourage others to participate in the wonderful hobby that is Moth-trapping.
Moth records are vital for building a picture of our ecosystem around us, as they really are the bottom of the food chain. They are an excellent early indicator of how healthy a habitat is. I openly encourage people to share their findings via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
So why do we do it? well for some people it is to get an insight into the world of Moths, for others it is to build a list of species much like 'Twitching' in the Bird world. The reason I do it....you just never know what you might find when you open up that trap! I hope to show what different species inhabit Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties.
On this Blog you will find up-to-date records and pictures.
I run a trap regularly in my garden and also enjoy doing field trips to various localities over several different counties.
Please also check out the links in the sidebar to the right for other people's Blogs and informative Websites.
Thanks for looking and happy Mothing!

KEY

NFY = New Species For The Year
NFG = New Species For The Garden
NEW! = New Species For My Records

Any Species highlighted in RED signifies a totally new species for my records.

If you have any questions or enquiries then please feel free to email me
Contact Email : bensale@rocketmail.com

My Latest Notables and Rarities

Wednesday 18 July 2012

14th July 2012: Rye Meads RSPB Nature Reserve, Herts


14th July 2012: Rye Meads RSPB Nature Reserve, Herts

This was our input to the “Bioblitz” organised by the RSPB on their nature reserve.  The night session was combined with a trap opening the following morning when we were accompanied by a hordes of kids who had camped out in the visitor centre overnight. So, we drove in the Landrover to the farthest point of the reserve and set out the first light - a Robinson trap that we planned to ignore until the morning. Just as we pulled the cord on the generator the rain started. We drove back towards the visitor centre, dropping off lights as we went, but by the time number three was running the rain was so heavy that we thought the sky had collapsed. Nine of us spent 20 minutes huddled in the Landrover until we remembered that there was a coffee machine in the visitor centre .... so off we went to use it. An hour later, after having also taken on board a free baked potato with beans and cheese, kindly provided by the RSPB volunteers, we decided that the rain had passed and set off out again to put up another three light traps. The rain did hold off, apart from a few spots, but in the morning it was clear that the first three traps had caught rather more than the last three. Could this be habitat? Or could it be that the moths flew just before the rain? RSPB staff ran another trap near the visitor centre catching just one species (Agonopterix alstromeriana) that we did not see in our own traps.

Joan Childs, the RSPB Reserve Manager and also a Herts Moth Group member, has asked me to convey her thanks to those who turned up and helped out with the event (and her apologies to Roger, who got locked out of the car park!).  A total of 103 species was recorded, plus 1 pug and 2 tortrix, currently with other people, still to be named. The number sounds good, but in a “normal” year we might easily record 100 macros rather than needing the micros to get the numbers up. There was, unsurprisingly, a good complement of wetland species. Those marked * in the list were named by genitalia dissection. Two species were recorded as pupae (noted in the list). As seems to be the norm this year, most species were represented by single figure numbers, though Southern wainscot seemed more plentiful than others.  I gather that the youngsters who "helped" to open that traps in the morning were suitably impressed by the catch - especially the hawk moths!  Perhaps my future replacement as County Recorder might be amongst them? The full list is below.

Depressariidae
0695   Agonopterix alstromeriana (Clerck, 1759)                                   
Gelechiidae
0819   Scrobipalpa costella (Humphreys & Westwood, 1845)            
0866   Brachmia blandella (Fabricius, 1798)                                           
0868   Helcystogramma rufescens (Haworth, 1828)                              
Blastobasidae
0874   Blastobasis lacticolella Rebel, 1940                                             
Tortricidae
0926   Phalonidia manniana (Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1839) *        
0937   Agapeta hamana (Linnaeus, 1758)                                               
0972   Pandemis heparana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix
0993   Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke, 1830)                                            Cyclamen Tortrix
0998   Epiphyas postvittana (Walker, 1863)                                           Light Brown Apple Moth
1010   Ditula angustiorana (Haworth, 1811)                                            Red-barred Tortrix
1032   Aleimma loeflingiana (Linnaeus, 1758)                                        
1063   Celypha striana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                       
1076   Celypha lacunana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                   
1082   Hedya pruniana (Hübner, 1799)                                                    Plum Tortrix
1086   Hedya salicella (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                  
1115   Ancylis achatana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                   
1159   Rhopobota naevana (Hübner, 1817)                                             Holly Tortrix
1175   Epiblema uddmanniana (Linnaeus, 1758)                                     Bramble Shoot Moth
1178   Epiblema roborana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                 
1201   Eucosma cana (Haworth, 1811)                                                    
1205   Spilonota ocellana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                   Bud Moth
           Lobesia abscisana
Crambidae
1290   Chilo phragmitella (Hübner, 1805)                                                
1292   Calamotropha paludella (Hübner, 1824)                                      
1293   Chrysoteuchia culmella (Linnaeus, 1758)                                    Garden Grass-veneer
1328   Schoenobius gigantella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)         
1329   Donacaula forficella (Thunberg, 1794)                                        
1344   Eudonia mercurella (Linnaeus, 1758)                                           
1354   Cataclysta lemnata (Linnaeus, 1758)                                            Small China-mark
1376   Eurrhypara hortulata (Linnaeus, 1758)                                         Small Magpie
Pyralidae
1424   Endotricha flammealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)            
1439   Trachycera advenella (Zincken, 1818)                                         
1470   Euzophera pinguis (Haworth, 1811)                                             
Pterophoridae
1504   Platyptilia pallidactyla (Haworth, 1811)                                       
Lasiocampidae
1640   Euthrix potatoria (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                Drinker
Thyatiridae
1652   Thyatira batis (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                     Peach Blossom
1653   Habrosyne pyritoides (Hufnagel, 1766)                                       Buff Arches
Geometridae
1669   Hemithea aestivaria (Hübner, 1799)                                              Common Emerald
1682   Timandra comae (Schmidt, 1931)                                                   Blood-vein
1690   Scopula imitaria (Hübner, 1799)                                                     Small Blood-vein
1699   Idaea rusticata Lempke, 1967                                                         Least Carpet
1702   Idaea biselata (Hufnagel, 1767)                                                     Small Fan-footed Wave
1705   Idaea fuscovenosa (Goeze, 1781)                                                  Dwarf Cream Wave
1713   Idaea aversata (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                    Riband Wave
1738   Epirrhoe alternata (Müller, 1764)                                                   Common Carpet
1758   Eulithis pyraliata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                      Barred Straw
1777   Hydriomena furcata (Thunberg, 1784)                                         July Highflyer
1802   Perizoma affinitata (Stephens, 1831)                                             Rivulet
1862   Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth, 1809)                                   Double-striped Pug
1887   Lomaspilis marginata (Linnaeus, 1758)                                        Clouded Border
1906   Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758)                                   Brimstone Moth
1907   Epione repandaria (Hufnagel, 1767)                                              Bordered Beauty
1917   Selenia dentaria (Fabricius, 1775)                                                  Early Thorn
1921   Crocallis elinguaria (Linnaeus, 1758)                                            Scalloped Oak
1922   Ourapteryx sambucaria (Linnaeus, 1758)                                     Swallow-tailed Moth
1931   Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                  Peppered Moth
1937   Peribatodes rhomboidaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)      Willow Beauty
1955   Cabera pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                   Common White Wave
1956   Cabera exanthemata (Scopoli, 1763)                                             Common Wave
Sphingidae
1981   Laothoe populi (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                   Poplar Hawk-moth
1991   Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)                                              Elephant Hawk-moth
Lymantriidae
2030   Euproctis similis (Fuessly, 1775)                                                   Yellow-tail
2031   Leucoma salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                  White Satin
Arctiidae
2035   Thumatha senex (Hübner, 1808)                                                    Round-winged Muslin
2044   Eilema griseola (Hübner, 1803)                                                      Dingy Footman
2047   Eilema complana (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                Scarce Footman
2049   Eilema depressa (Esper, 1787)                                                        Buff Footman
2050   Eilema lurideola (Zincken, 1817)                                                    Common Footman
2061   Spilosoma luteum (Hufnagel, 1766)                                              Buff Ermine
2064   Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758)                                   Ruby Tiger
2069   Tyria jacobaeae (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                  Cinnabar
Noctuidae
2089   Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758)                                       Heart and Dart
2098   Axylia putris (Linnaeus, 1761)                                                       Flame
2102   Ochropleura plecta (Linnaeus, 1761)                                            Flame Shoulder
2107   Noctua pronuba Linnaeus, 1758                                                   Large Yellow Underwing
2109   Noctua comes Hübner, 1813                                                          Lesser Yellow Underwing
2126   Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                  Setaceous Hebrew Character
2128   Xestia triangulum (Hufnagel, 1766)                                              Double Square-spot
2160   Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus, 1758)                                            Bright-line Brown-eye
2192   Mythimna conigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                 Brown-line Bright Eye
2197   Mythimna straminea (Treitschke, 1825)                                       Southern Wainscot
2198   Mythimna impura (Hübner, 1808)                                                 Smoky Wainscot
2199   Mythimna pallens (Linnaeus, 1758)                                              Common Wainscot
2318   Cosmia trapezina (Linnaeus, 1758)                                                Dun-bar
2321   Apamea monoglypha (Hufnagel, 1766)                                        Dark Arches
2322   Apamea lithoxylaea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                 Light Arches
2336   Apamea ophiogramma (Esper, 1793)                                            Double Lobed
2361   Hydraecia micacea (Esper, 1789)                                                   Rosy Rustic
2368   Celaena leucostigma (Hübner, 1808)                                            Crescent
2369   Nonagria typhae (Thunberg, 1784)                                               Bulrush Wainscot (as pupae in reed stems)
2371   Archanara dissoluta (Treitschke, 1825)                                       Brown-veined Wainscot
2373   Archanara sparganii (Esper, 1790)                                                Webb's Wainscot (as pupae in reed stems)
2381   Hoplodrina alsines (Brahm, 1791)                                                 Uncertain
2382   Hoplodrina blanda ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                  Rustic
2387   Caradrina morpheus (Hufnagel, 1766)                                          Mottled Rustic
2391   Chilodes maritimus (Tauscher, 1806)                                            Silky Wainscot
2434   Diachrysia chrysitis (Linnaeus, 1758)                                          Burnished Brass
2441   Autographa gamma (Linnaeus, 1758)                                           Silver Y
2450   Abrostola tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766)                                            Spectacle
2469   Scoliopteryx libatrix (Linnaeus, 1758)                                           Herald
2477   Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758)                                       Snout
2489   Zanclognatha tarsipennalis (Treitschke, 1835)                           Fan-foot
2492   Herminia grisealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)                    Small Fan-foot


Bordered Beauty












Chilo phragmitella












Schoenobius gigantella (male)











 
Donacaula forficella











Helcystogramma rufescens












Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana



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