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

Thursday, 9 April 2026

Warmest day of the year, followed by the best night for species

A really good night last night in my garden, probably an April species record (Or close, without checking).
26 species of which 8 were new for the year.
 
It wasn't just the numbers, it was the quality that really stepped up a gear, with returning species such as the pretty Pinion-spotted Pug (It's earliest appearance), the uncommon but annual Early Tooth-striped and garden seconds of Agonopterix propinquella & Phaneta pauperana.
 
The latter micro is very scarce here in Cambs and a species typically associated with chalk grassland, which is few and far between here amongst the swathes of wetland and Alder carr.
 
It was to be short-lived sadly, as tonight is a no-go with temperatures falling to 3 degrees and a brisk breeze.
 
Moths, to be continued.... 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 61 species

08/04/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

52 of 26
 
Macro Moths

Brindled Pug 2 [NFY]
Early Tooth-striped 1 [NFY]
Frosted Green 1 [NFY]
Knot Grass 1 [NFY]
Pinion-spotted Pug 1 [NFY]
Brindled Beauty 2
Clouded Drab 4
Common Quaker 5
Double-striped Pug 3
Early Grey 2
Hebrew Character 5
Muslin Moth 1
Nut-tree Tussock 1
Oak-tree Pug 5
Pine Beauty 2
Red Chestnut 1
Red-green Carpet 1
Water Carpet 1

Micro Moths

Agonopterix propinquella 1 [NFY]
Mompha subbistrigella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Phaneta pauperana 1 [NFY]
Agonopterix alstromeriana 2
Alucita hexadactyla 1
Caloptilia semifascia 2
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Epiphyas postvittana 4
 
Pinion-spotted Pug

Agonopterix propinquella

Early Tooth-striped

Knot Grass

Phaneta pauperana




Posted by Bennyboymothman at 21:22