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, 20 October 2025

A new for garden, 1 of 2 species

Last Thursday, catches had improved somewhat with 60 odd moths of 22 species, very good for October in my garden.

Grey Shoulder-knot was added to the year list, a species I dippped on earlier on in the spring (The last 3 years i've only seen it in spring).

The most interesting moth of the night was a medium sized micro moth, a tortrix spotted on the vanes of my actinic trap. Identifying it as one of the Epinotia species, things would get trickier now once it was potted!
A unincolorous form, so not easy to identify. I've ruled out sordidana on the darker hindwing, and leaning more towards caprana with the dark streak present, but then it could be maculana! A difficult one that will no doubt lead to dissection eventually, unless someone can enlighten me. 
 
Either species will be new for the garden. 
 
Cypress Carpet returned for a second brood, a rather nice example too.
 
A few more mild nights then it goes a little chilly. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 663 species

16/10/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap
 
Macro Moths 

Grey Shoulder-knot 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

Epinotia caprana/maculana 1 [NFG]

Grey Shoulder-knot

Cypress Carpet

Epinotia caprana but pos maculana

Epinotia caprana but pos maculana

 

Posted by Bennyboymothman at 20:31