Field Trip - Croxley Common Moor - 12/07/19

I was invited to help out at a public event at Croxley Common Moor.

It was a privilege to run some traps on this unique habitat (particularly for Hertfordshire).

I was joined by David and Roger and Graham whom is the secretary for the reserve.

We setup 7 traps in the centre of the reserve and waited for the general public to arrive.

The moths were quite slow to respond to the lights and there weren't many big moths at all to show the masses, we did however did pot a few nicely coloured moths, Agapeta zoegana (or Zoe) was a hit with many of the guests, owing to its bright yellow colours. Kent Black Arches was nice and intricately marked and a good one to show around.
It was nice to share my enthusiasm with others.

Once everyone had left at around 11:30pm, it was down to the business of recording the moths and seeing what specialities were around.
Although numbers and species were low due to the unfavourable mothing conditions (cool, clear and a bit windy) we did manage a few goodies! 
The site is full of Broom, Gorse and Dyer's Greenweed... hence the special species represented moths that feed from these foodplants

Agonopterix assimilella, Trifurcula immundella and Leucoptera spartifoliella were all new moths for my records and all associated with the above foodplants.

We also managed another two great species both Caryocolum fraternella and Sophronia semicostella are not common in the County, and another two new ones for me.

Once again, thanks to Graham for allowing us access to this site.

Here is the total list.

Catch Report - 12/07/19 - Croxley Common Moor - Hertfordshire - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 250w MV Clear Robinson Trap, 1x 30w Actinic Trap & 1x 160w Mercury Blended Robinson Trap - 4 traps in total + 3 extra traps provided by Roger Prue & David Kirk

Macro Moths

Beautiful Hook-tip
Black neck 
Bordered Beauty 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Brown-line Bright-eye 
Buff Ermine

Buff-tip
Burnished Brass
Campion 
Cinnabar 
Clay 
Cloaked Minor

Clouded Border
Clouded Silver
Common Emerald 
Dingy Footman
Double Lobed
Double Square-spot
Dwarf Cream Wave
Ear Moth
Early Thorn
Elephant Hawk-moth
Fan-foot
Flame
Flame Shoulder
Ghost Moth
Grey Pug
Heart & Club
Heart & Dart
Kent Black Arches
Large Yellow Underwing
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Light Arches
Marbled Minor

Mottled Beauty
Mottled Rustic 
Oak Nycteoline
Peppered Moth
Purple Bar
Riband Wave
Ruby Tiger
Rustic
Sallow Kitten
Scalloped Oak
Scarce Footman 
Shears 
Short Cloaked Moth 
Shoulder-striped Wainscot
Small Elephant Hawk-moth
Small Emerald
Small Fan-footed Wave
Small Rivulet
Smoky Wainscot
Snout

Tree-lichen Beauty 

Willow Beauty

Micro Moths  

Adaina microdactyla
Agapeta hamana
Agapeta zoegana

Agonopterix assimilella
Anania coronata 
Anania perlucidalis
Ancylis achatana
Aphelia paleana

Batia lunaris
Brachmia blandella
Bryotropha terrella

Caryocolum fraternella
Catoptria pinella
Celypha lacunana
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Clepsis spectrana
Cnephasia sp
Cochylis atricapitana
Crambus perlella
Crassa unitella
Eana incanana
Endotricha flammealis
Eucosma campoliliana
Eucosma cana 
Eucosma hohenwartiana

Gillmeria pallidactyla
Grapholita funebrana
Hedya nubiferana
Homoeosoma sinuella

Leucoptera spartifoliella
Lobesia abscisana
Mompha ochraceella
Monochroa tenebrella
Notocelia trimaculana
Oncocera semirubelaa
Pammene fasciana

Pediasia contaminella
Phycita roborella

Phycitodes binaevella
Plutella xylostella
Ptherochroa inopiana
Pyrausta purpuralis
Recurvaria leucatella

Sophronia semicostella
Spilonota ocellana

Stenoptilia pterodactyla
Teleiopsis diffinis

Trifurcula immundella 
Udea prunalis

Agonopterix assimilella

Caryocolum fraternella

Leucoptera spartifoliella

Pediasia contaminella

Recurvaria leucatella

Sophronia semicostella

Stenoptilia pterodactyla

Tree-lichen Beauty

Trifurcula immundella