Some recent moths from the garden trap

It's been fairly busy in my garden trap lately, averaging between 30 and 60 species per outing, but of course this time of year sees less new faces as we enter the interim period between Summer & Autumn.

 

The dominant species continue to be Flounced Rustic and Scrobipalpa ocellatella, but with other species such as Marbled Beauty, Yellow Shell and Chinese Character all seemingly having a bumper year here.

In fact, Chinese Character is a moth I seldom see two of at once, but recently i've seen upto 5 in one sitting!

Far too little time to go into great depth about the catch details, so I will only include new species that have been new for the year over the past week.

The weather stays mild, infact hot tomorrow and Wednesday, with really mild nights coming up, before it tails off a bit and settles nearer the average temperature we should be expecting in the last week of August.

Moth garden list for 2022 stands at 607 species

16/08/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Square-spotted Clay - A worn example at the bottom of the trap was new for the garden, not a particularly common garden moth.

Elophila nymphaeata - The Brown China-mark, a first for the year unbelievably. I've seen it quite a few times this year at the fens, but not here. And what a stunning example to get in the garden! 

Etainia sericopeza - Going on the fact that I have a large Norway Maple tree on the green out the front of our house, and this identification (The head tuft of E. louisella is a dingy orange compared to a brighter orange for E. sericopeza. The collar is dark for E. louisella and orange for E. sericopeza), i'm 98% sure I have sericopeza here, but I can't be 100% sadly. I need to find the mines in the seeds to confirm. Either species would be new for the garden.

 

17/08/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Aroga velocella - A predominantly southern & eastern species, feeding on the odd looking plant, Sheep's Sorrel. It was a nice surprise in the trap last Wednesday and possibly a wanderer from the Brecks.

Campion - A new macro for the garden and long awaited, having recorded 8 Lychnis over the past year. This specimen wasn't flushed with electric purple as some are, but still a worthy example to add to the list.

Rosy Rustic - I managed to get one Rosy Rustic last year during the 2nd week of living here, we shall see how many more turn up this year.

 

18/08/22 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Hedge Rustic - After trapping a mint example a week before at Anglesey Abbey, I was really pleased to find one in my garden trap, the only negative.. it literally looked like it had been dragged through a hedge! And a spiky one at that (Hawthorn perhaps). Neverthless a cracking good garden moth.

 

Elophila nymphaeata

Etainia sericopeza

Square-spotted Clay

Aroga velocella

Campion

Rosy Rustic

Hedge Rustic