Best catch of the year so far on Friday the 13th!

An unbelievable night was had last Friday, with a huge catch of moths for my small garden.

128 species were recorded on a perfect mid-June summers night, with highs of 29 degrees and lows of 17, it really was the warmest day and night of the year so far.

Of the 128 recorded, a jaw-dropping 29 were new for the year. 

As the night progressed, I nearly ran out of pots, particularly the glass tubes that I use for the micro moths.

There were some amazing species including specials like Ruddy Carpet, Scarce Silver-lines & Bordered White.

 

Other highlights were as follows

 

Maple Prominent - 2nd for garden & last seen in 2023, whereas Coxcomb is a annual visitor in small numbers.

 

Argyresthia pruniella - 2nd for garden & last seen in 2022, should be more regular given the foodplant.

 

Exoteleia dodecella - 2nd for garden & last seen in 2023, a pine feeder so occasional wanderers only.

 

Gypsonoma sociana - New for the garden and completes all of the resident species of this genus in the garden, it was nice on the same night to record the similar 'dealbana' and the very different 'oppressana' 

 

Monochroa tenebrella - A distinct & uncommon metallic visitor here in Cambs, it's larvae feeding from Sheep's Sorrel, there was a good patch of it in the local fields last year, whether it is there still I do not know, this being the only site for this species in Cambs!

 

Phyllocnistis unipunctella - Will need gen det to confirm but looks good for another new for garden species. 

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 385 species

13/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths 

Bordered White 1 [NFY]
Brown Rustic 2 [NFY]
Brown Scallop 1 [NFY]
Cypress Carpet 1 [NFY]
Maiden's Blush 1 [NFY]
Maple Prominent 1 [NFY]
Ruddy Carpet 1 [NFY]
Scarce Silver-lines 1 [NFY]
Scarlet Tiger 1 [NFY] 
Swallow-tailed Moth 1 [NFY]
Treble Brown Spot 2 [NFY]
Beautiful Hook-tip 1
Blue-bordered Carpet 1
Bright-line Brown-eye 1
Brimstone Moth 2
Buff-tip 1
Clouded Silver 3
Common Footman 1
Common Pug 1
Common Swift 1
Dark Arches 3
Double-striped Pug 1
Eyed Hawk-moth 1
Figure of Eighty 1
Flame 1
Flame Shoulder 2
Garden Carpet 1
Goat Moth 1
Green Carpet 1
Green Pug 2
Grey Dagger 1
Grey-pine Carpet 1
Heart & Club 2
Heart & Dart 5
Iron Prominent 1
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Light Arches 1
Light Brocade 1
Marbled Clover 1
Marbled Minor 10
Middle-barred Minor 3
Miller 2
Mottled Pug 1
Mottled Rustic 1
Peppered Moth 2
Poplar Grey 1
Privet Hawk-moth 1
Riband Wave 1
Rustic Shoulder-knot 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Shark 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
Silver Y 1
Small Blood-vein 1
Small Clouded Brindle 1
Small Dusty Wave 1
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 7
Small Square-spot 2
Smoky Wainscot 1
Snout 1
Spectacle 1
Straw Dot 2
Swallow Prominent 1
Sycamore 2
Tawny Marbled Minor 1
Treble Lines 1
Turnip Moth 1
Uncertain 1
V-Moth 
White-point 1
Willow Beauty 2
Yellow Shell 3

Micro Moths 

Argyresthia pruniella 1 [NFY]
Dichrorampha petiverella 1 [NFY] (Netted)
Dichrorampha vancouverana 1 [NFY] (Netted)
Ectoedemia subbimaculella 1 [NFY]
Epinotia abbreviana 1 [NFY]
Exoteleia dodecella 1 [NFY]
Gypsonoma dealbana 1 [NFY]
Gypsonoma oppressana 1 [NFY]
Gypsonoma sociana 1 [NFG]
Hypsopygia costalis 1 [NFY]
Metzneria metzneriella 1 [NFY]
Monochroa tenebrella 1 [NFY]
Pandemis heparana 1 [NFY]
Parapoynx stratiotata 2 [NFY]
Phtheochroa rugosana 1 [NFY]
Phyllocnistis unipunctella 1 [NFG]
Scoparia ambigualis 1 [NFY]
Spilonota ocellana 2 [NFY]
Agapeta hamana 1
Anania hortulata 1
Ancylis achatana 2
Aphomia sociella 1
Archips xylosteana 1
Argyresthia cupressella 2
Blastobasis lacticolella 1
Bryotropha terrella 1
Celypha lacunana 2
Celypha striana 3
Clepsis consimilana 2
Coleophora sp 1 [TBC]
Coleophora sp 2 [TBC]
Crambus lathoniellus 1
Crambus pascuella 1
Ditula angustiorana 1
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Emmetia marginea 1
Ephestia sp 2
Epinotia bilunana 1
Ethmia dodecea 2
Ethmia quadrilella 1
Evergestis limbata 1
Hedya pruniana 1
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 3
Lyonetia clerkella 1
Mompha subbistrigella 2
Nemapogon cloacella 2
Tinagma ocnerostomella 1
Ostrinia nubilalis 1
Plutella xylostella 5
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 1
Pyrausta aurata 1
Scythropia crataegella 2
Sitochroa verticalis 1
Tischeria eklebladella 1
Tortrix viridana 2
Zeiraphera isertana 1

 

Swallow-tailed Moth

Argyresthia pruniella

Bordered White

Coxcomb Prominent

Cypress Carpet

Dichrorampha petiverella

Dichrorampha vancouverana

Gypsonoma dealbana

Gypsonoma oppressana

Gypsonoma sociana

Maple Prominent

Scarce Silver-lines

Spilonota ocellana