Latest garden catch

Last night it was a little milder and with a bit of cloud cover and no wind, surely it would be a good night?

Well yes and no. Species-wise not too bad at all with a healthy 61 species and a smattering of all of the common migrants which included Silver Y, Plutella xylostella, Udea ferrugalis & Nomophila noctuella.

Numbers were pretty terrible though, and things were slow to arrive as well.

Common macros are well down, the best being Common Wainscot at 6 individuals.

New species have dried up from 8-10 per night a few weeks back, to just a couple per session now and It's certainly quality over quantity.

The previously scarce, but becoming increasingly more common Musotima nitidalis, was added. A feeder of Ferns and more commonly encountered in woodland.

The 2nd new species for the year was a 2nd garden record of Coleophora clypeiferella, and the third I have seen in the county. These 3 records make up half of the county records. This is probably more due to being overlooked and disregarded than actually being rare.

The adult moths have an unusual sclerotised plate on the abdomen containing small spines, which it is believed is used to help break out of the pupal cocoon when hatching commences.

I was lucky that a quick burst of c02 to help see the verso of its abdomen confirmed that it was indeed this species and not the similar, but more coastal dwelling Coleophora salicorniae.

Warmer weather approaching once more, but that is not what we need, we need some decent amounts of rain! 30+ days now without any here in the east. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 620 species 

 

21/07/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Broad-barred White 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Buff Footman 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Cloaked Minor 
Common Wainscot 
Common Rustic 
Dark Arches 
Dark Spinach
Grey Dagger 
Gypsy Moth 
Jersey Tiger 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Least Carpet 
Lime-speck Pug 
Marbled Clover 
Nutmeg 
Peppered Moth 
Riband Wave 
Ruby Tiger 
Satin Wave 
Scarce Footman 
Scalloped Oak 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Small Blood-vein 
Smoky Wainscot
Spectacle 
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Willow Beauty 
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths 

 

Coleophora clypeiferella 1 [NFY]
Musotima nitidalis 1 [NFY]
Agriphila straminella 
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 
Ancylosis oblitella
Blastobasis adustella 
Bryotropha affinis 
Catoptria pinella 
Cochylichroa atricapitana 
Cydia pomonella 
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endotricha flammealis 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Eudonia mercurella 
Hypsopyqgia costalis 
Neocochylis dubitana 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nomophila noctuella
Oegoconia sp 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Plutella xylostella 
Pyrausta aurata 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Udea ferrugalis 
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad

 

 

Coleophora clypeiferella

Ancylosis oblitella

Musotima nitidalis