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

Saturday, 9 May 2026

May miserable for moths (at night)

Still far too cold for the time of year, though only at night it seems.

During the day we've had highs of between 16c and 22c, but a near constant east and north breeze has killed it here at night, the 5th,6th and 7th were really not worth lighting up for, with completely clear skies and lows of around 5 degrees, although last night it dropped to 6c, it was quite cloudy towards dusk so I chanced a trapping session.

A few moths were netted at dusk, but even that was slim-pickings! I was meant to be going out tonight, but a clear sky and cool breeze has put to that idea to bed sadly.

42 moths of 28 species wasn't too bad to be honest, and there were several new ones noted.

Highlights were May Highflyer (Never annual) and a rather mint Bryotropha affinis.

A warm day today of 21c but sadly dropping once more, worth a trap though.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 173 species

08/05/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap
 
Macro Moths

Grey Dagger 1 [NFY]
May Highflyer 1 [NFY]
Orange Footman 2 [NFY]
Treble-bar 1 [NFY]
Chinese Character 1
Buff-tip 1
Flame Shoulder 1
Heart & Dart 2
Light Brocade 1
Lime-speck Pug 1
Marbled Minor 1
Garden Carpet 1
Muslin Moth 1
Pale Tussock 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 7
Spectacle 1 
Swallow Prominent 1
Treble Lines 5
Turnip Moth 1
Yellow Belle 1

Micro Moths

Aproaerema anthyllidella 1 [NFY]
Bryotropha affinis 1 [NFY]
Cameraria ohridella 1 (netted)
Cochylis dubitana 1 (netted)
Epiphyas postvittana 3
Grapholita funebrana 1
Monopis laevigella 1 (netted)
Tinea trinotella 1 (netted)
 
Treble-bar

Aproaerema anthyllidella

Bryotropha affinis

Grey Dagger

May Highflyer

Orange Footman

 
Posted by Bennyboymothman at 19:56