Welcome

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, I have now removed commenting as the bots were starting to appear
Contact Email : bensale@rocketmail.com

My Latest Notables and Rarities

Monday, 2 August 2021

A large end of July round-up - Just to catch up!

Here are multiple catch reports from my garden for the end of July.
 
Time has once again got the better of me, and with two field trips still pending also, I love moth recording.... but my goodness I wish it was a steady all year round hobby! 5 months of the year are pretty much devoid of moths!
 
We start with a rather large Privet Hawk-moth on the 21st of July (My only one I have seen all year) and end with a stunning White Satin.  

It's been a funny old year, two Spring species I missed out on (Early Thorn & Engrailed) luckily showed up as second broods. This is the first time I have not recorded either in Spring.
Also, Ruby Tiger never showed up in early Summer, but made it's appearance as a sceond brood.
I can only put this down to such a dry Spring.

Two new for garden species were recorded, a small Cochylidia sp will be new (possibly rubigana pending dissection) and the funny little spikey-legged thingie, Stathmopoda pedella.

A Dark Sword-grass was also nice to see, really fresh as well.

Only new for year species listed below.

Moth species for 2021 in the garden now stands at 355.

21/07/21 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts - 125w MV Robinson Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Engrailed 1 [NFY]
Privet Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Ruby Tiger 1 [NFY]
Slender Pug 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths
 

Ypsolopha dentella 1 [NFY]

 
22/07/21 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts - 125w MV Robinson Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Brown-tail 1 [NFY]
Buff Footman 1 [NFY]
Latticed Heath 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths
 
Acleris variegana 1 [NFY]
Eana incanana 1 [NFY]
Epinotia abbreviana 1 [NFY]
Ypsolopha scabrella 1 [NFY] 
 

24/07/21 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts - 125w MV Robinson Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Oak Nycteoline 1 [NFY]
Straw Underwing 2 [NFY]

Micro Moths
 
Argyresthia albistria 1 [NFY]
Athrips mouffetella 1 [NFY]
Coleophora sp [TBC]
 
 
25/07/21 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts - 125w MV Robinson Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Dusky Thorn 1 [NFY]
Sycamore 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths
 
Cochylidia sp [TBC] [NFG]
Lyonetia clerkella 1 [NFY]
Stathmopoda pedella 1 [NFG]
Tinea sp [TBC]
 
 
26/07/21 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts - 125w MV Robinson Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Dark Sword-grass 1 [NFY]
Dingy Footman 1 [NFY]
Dusky Sallow 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths
 
Agriphila tristella 1 [NFY]
Pammene aurita 3 [NFY]


27/07/21 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts - 125w MV Robinson Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Lime-speck Pug 1 [NFY
Maple Pug 1 [NFY]
Peach Blossom 1 [NFY]
White Satin 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths
 
Borkhausenia fuscescens 1 [NFY]
Rhodophaea formosa 1 [NFY]


Dark Sword-grass

Stathmopoda pedella

Dusky Thorn

Cochylidia sp

Coleophora sp

Athrips mouffetella

Brown-tail

Acleris variegana

Slender Pug

Privet Hawk-moth

Ypsolopha scabrella

Posted by Bennyboymothman at 20:37