Micros start mounting up

With warmer days pushing 20 degrees now, but still rather cool nights (down to 2.8c last night) it is now worth running the trap more regularly, as it is taking longer for the temperature to drop.

Although rain is a pain, we desperately need some soon, as the ground is like concrete!

A couple of bonus moths were netted at dusk, although I missed a fair few, two were new species for the year.  

Overnight there was a good mix of macros and micros, the micros is where it really shone, with early records of one Tortrix and 2 Gelechids from the Scrobipalpa group.

 

The first of possibly many? Scrobipalpa ocellatella came to the actinic an hour or so after dusk, this was closely followed by a second, but it was certainly different under a hand lens, and it turned out to be Scrobipalpa atriplicella, a scarce moth here with just 2 previous records.

 

Seperated externally by the broader stubbier forewings and ocelli not being ringed with pale markings, instead they are edged in orange, and the general ground colour is must darker in atriplicella.

 

To be 100% and with worn specimens it is advised to have them dissected. 

 

Hopefully tonight might be more of the same? It certainly feels more humid this evening. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 106 species

25/04/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths 

Chocolate-tip 1 [NFY]
Least Black Arches 1 [NFY]
Pebble Prominent 2 [NFY]

Yellow-barred Brindle 1 [NFY]
Brindled Pug 1
Double-striped Pug 1
Garden Carpet 1

Iron Prominent 1
Muslin Moth 3
Nut-tree Tussock 1
Red-green Carpet 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 3

Micro Moths 

Monopis crocicapitella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Neocochylis dubitana 1 [NFY]
Nemapogon granella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Scrobipalpa atriplicella 1 [NFY]
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 1 [NFY]
Epiphyas postvittana 4

 

  

Scrobipalpa ocellatella

Scrobipalpa atriplicella

Pebble Prominent

Least Black Arches

Chocolate-tip - Sadly deceased from a Spider

Yellow-barred Brindle