Bitter Sweet

I trapped once again last night as it was fairly overcast and mild (with lows of 8.5c and no wind). The trap was steady up until bedtime at around 11pm.

On my check around the trap at around 9pm I noticed an orangey dead moth entangled in a spider's web, drat! Not long is this mega frustrating, it's even worse when it's a cracking moth like a Dotted Chestnut! The 5th garden record, an annual singleton visitor to my garden.

 

But I was rewarded with only my 2nd Acleris cristana sitting on the vanes of the trap, i'm unsure how this species is so scarce here as there are ancient hedgerows full of Hawthorn & Blackthorn and it is a regular visitor to the lights at my local fen.

 

Other good moths included the second Red Chestnut of the year, a rather tw-toned example as well.

 

There were also many forms of Clouded Drab, one particular specimen stood out, with it's brown-blotched appearance.

 

61 moths was the best catch so far this year, or 11 different types.

 

The weather stays unsettled into the working week sadly. 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 37 species

07/03/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths 

  

Dotted Chestnut 1 [NFY] 

Clouded Drab 7

Common Quaker 24

Early Grey 3

Hebrew Character 9

March Moth 3

Oak Beauty 3

Red Chestnut 1 

Small Quaker 8

Micro Moths 

 

Acleris cristana 1 [NFY] 

Emmelina monodactyla 1

 

Red Chestnut

Acleris cristana

Clouded Drab

Dotted Chestnut

Hebrew Character Variation