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

Monday 18 July 2022

Latest from the garden moth trap

A superb assortment of moths were observed last Tuesday.
It was a really warm day, with highs of 29 degrees, and with the temperature not dipping below 20 degrees all night (owing to dominant cloud cover) the moths really woke up!
We had a little rain at dusk, enough to dampen the sheet whilst I was out, but the temperature was not affected, and in fact it only made the humidity increase.
I got home from Chippenham Fen, bedraggled and lifeless at 2am, and then went through the trap and shut it down.
The reason for turning off before dawn, was the wasp situation.
Last week I noticed a nest in the eves of the house, right above the trapping area. Our local pest man came round and sorted it out on Wednesday.
I don't like killing things, especially as I have been witness to the most remarkable wasps nest I have ever seen, the true craftmanship that goes into them is bewildering.
But when it's affecting the moths, wings everywhere, heads missing, plus i'm getting attacked left right and centre, it had to be done.
Luckily, we think that it wasn't a big nest, and 'nipped it in the bud'.
 
Back to the moths, and boy was I chuffed.
Some really good species turned up, including two new Wainscots for the garden, Mere & Southern. Marbled Clover returned a month later and in better condition this time!
And for the micros, Apotomis lineana, Crombrugghia distans & Depressaria chaerophylli were the pick of the litter.

As I type, it's getting errr a little bit hot.
This could impact taking photos of the moths caught last night (I need to work out some lighting issues).
 
Below are the new species for the year/garden.

Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 520 species

12/07/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap
 
Macro Moths
 
Dusky Thorn 3 [NFY]
Mere Wainscot 1 [NFG] 
Southern Wainscot 1 [NFG]
Marbled Clover 1
White-spotted Pug 1

Micro Moths

Apotomis lineana 1 [NFG]
Crombrugghia distans 1 [NFY]
Depressaria chaerophylli 1 [NFY]
Parachronistis albiceps 1 [NFG]
Phycita roborella 1 [NFG]
Piniphila bifasciana 1 [NFG]
Sciota adelphella 1 [NFG]
Vitula biviella 1 [NFG]
Ypsolopha scabrella 1 [NFG]

Apotomis lineana

Crombrugghia distans


Marbled Clover


Sciota adelphella

Southern Wainscot


Posted by Bennyboymothman at 10:50

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