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
Contact Email : bensale@rocketmail.com

My Latest Notables and Rarities

Friday 22 July 2022

A double portion of moths

A double helping of moths from Sunday night and Tuesday night here in my garden.
 
I'm not sure where the year is going, with species such as Magpie, Agriphila tristella & Acleris emargana already on the wing, it seems like we are speeding through summer!

The weather here in the East continues to be warm (though less sunny as of late) and stupidly dry, so dry infact that local hedgerows are beginning to wilt, it's a very sad state of affairs and I hope it recovers, we just need rain! Maybe tomorrow? But how much is a completely different matter.

Some really cracking moths were seen, including the first decent migrant of the year, a stunning Bordered Straw.
Also Magpie was lovely to see and the best was the attractive metallic micro moth, Eulamprotes wilkella.

Eulamprotes wilkella is a new moth for me, and I nearly discounted it as a Aristotelia ericinella sitting on the cryptic brick wall behind the trap.
 
There were masses of new moths for the year on Sunday night after a really warm day of 30 degrees, but come Tuesday night, which was the hottest night of the year, there were more species but less additions to the 2022 list, the night didn't drop below 22 degrees, insane! 
 
Still playing catch-up currently! Why can't Spring be this busy :)
 
I hope everyone is seeing plenty of moths.


Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 552 species

17/07/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Bordered Straw 1 [NFG] 
Least Yellow Underwing 1 [ [NFG]
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Red Form TBC)
Lesser Cream Wave 1 [NFG]
Mottled Beauty 1 [NFG]
Small Fan-footed Wave 1 [NFG]
Small Rufous 1 [NFG]
Small Scallop 1 [NFG]

Micro Moths

Acleris emargana 1 [NFG]
Acrobasis repandana 1 [NFG]
Agriphila tristella 1 [NFG]
Celypha cespitana 1 [NFY]
Coleophora alcyonipennella 1 [NFG]
Epinotia brunnichana 1 [NFG]
Eulamprotes wilkella 1 [NEW!] 
Galleria mellonella 1 [NFY]
Gypsonoma aceriana 1 [NFG]
Gypsonoma minutana 1 [NFG] 
Phtheochroa inopiana 1 [NFG]

19/07/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Latticed Heath 2 [NFY] 
Magpie Moth 1 [NFG]

Micro Moths
 
Caloptilia cuculipennella 1 [NFG] 
Coleophora hemerobiella 1 [NFG]
Udea ferrugalis 1 [NFY]

Acleris emargana

Bordered Straw

Celypha cespitana

Eulamprotes wilkella

Galleria mellonella

Gypsonoma aceriana

Least Yellow Underwing

Caloptilia cuculipennella

Magpie Moth

Pediasia contaminella


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