Wicken Fen - Field Trip - 09th July

I made a trip down to Wicken Fen on the 9th of July, and was joined by Mark Welfare whom was on a road trip down south, travelling from Northumberland.

It had been a very warm day with highs of 34 degrees and it was set to be a very mild night hovering just below 20 degrees by the time we were packing up, an almost tropical night.

We both setup traps in different areas to cover as much ground as we could.

Warm, humid and it didn't matter that the sky was clear because we had no bright moon to contend with and with a warm airflow, lows of 18c were expected by dawn. 

Unfortunately the wind was a bit gusty at times, and one of my traps was rather exposed to this, trays kept falling over, the groundsheet kept flicking up, and moths were scattering several metres beyond the trapping area, making it difficult to find them amongst the grass.

I ended up packing away by around 2.30am, Mark still had a few traps to go, but I had to shoot off because of work the next day. 

Mark continued to add extra species that didn't feature on my list and was exceptionally pleased to get the only Lappet of the night to his trap.

All in all Mark managed possibly over 20 new species for his records and drove home the next day happy indeed.

 

For me personally there were several star moths.

 

On the larger moth front I was well pleased with some of the scarcer species such as the (Not so common) Common Lutestring, plenty of Reed Dagger's, both forms of Brown-veined Wainscot and an Ear Moth species that stood-out to me.

I retained the specimen for a photograph and and comparing it to a Saltern Ear that I have taken on the North Norfolk coast before, it certainly looks spot on for that species.

 

The moth will be dissected and if correct would be the first record for Wicken Fen and possibly Cambridgeshire.

 

Another good find amongst the hundreds of moths crashing around the bulb was a small Blastobasis species.

On the night there was only one Blastobasis adustella, they hadn't really got going yet this early, so the other moth I potted up did not look right for this species.

Further investigation and comments from others have said that it is probably vittata, another possible new species for Wicken Fen!

 

Eupoecilia ambiguella, the Vine Moth was good to get again, and a much better conditioned specimen than my previous two.

The smallest but prettiest moth of the night went to the tiny 10mm Chrysoesthia drurella. Until you get a close-up of it, you cannot appreciate its true beauty.

 

259 species in total was excellent for just two intrepid trappers. 

 

I look forward to returning when we get another warm and settled evening. 

 

 

09/07/26 - Wicken Fen - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Clear MV Trap, 2x 125w MV Traps 1x 250w Clear Robinson Trap, 1x Actinic Bucket Trap & 1x 30w Led Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches 
Bordered Beauty 
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Brown-line Bright-eye 
Brown-veined Wainscot 
Buff-tip 
Bulrush Wainscot 
Burnished Brass 
Canary-shouldered Thorn 
Chevron 
Clay
Cloaked Minor 
Clouded Border 
Common Carpet 
Common Emerald 
Common Footman 
Common Lutestring
Common Rustic 
Coronet
Cream-bordered Green Pea 
Crescent 
Dark Arches 
Dark Umber 
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
Dewick's Plusia 
Dingy Footman 
Dog's Tooth 
Dotted Fan-foot
Double Lobed 
Double Square-spot 
Drinker
Dun-bar 
Dusky Sallow 
Dusky Thorn
Dwarf Cream Wave
Ear sp (probable Saltern TBC)
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Fan-foot 
Fen Wainscot 
Ghost Moth 
Gold Spot 
Goat Moth
Grey Dagger 
Grey Pug 
Heart & Dart 
Iron Prominent 
Jersey Tiger
July Highflyer 
Kent Black Arches 
Knot Grass
Lappet 
Large Emerald 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath
Least Carpet 
Least Yellow Underwing 
Leopard Moth
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Yellow Underwing 
Lesser-spotted Pinion
Lime-speck Pug 
Lunar-spotted Pinion 
Magpie Moth 
Maple Pug 
Marbled Clover 
Mere Wainscot 
Mouse Moth 
Nut-tree Tussock 
Nutmeg
Oak Eggar 
Oak Hook-tip 
Pale Prominent 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Pebble Prominent 
Peppered Moth
Pine Carpet 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Reed Dagger
Reed Leopard 
Riband Wave 
Round-winged Muslin 
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic 
Scarce Footman 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Shaded Broad-bar 
Silver Y 
Single-dotted Wave 
Slender Pug 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Rufous 
Small Seraphim 
Smoky Wainscot 
Southern Wainscot 
Spectacle 
Straw Dot 
Swallow Prominent 
Tawny Wave 
Tree-lichen Beauty 
Turnip Moth 
Uncertain 
White Satin
White-spotted Pug 
Wormwood Pug 
Yellow Shell 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 

Acleris cristana
Acleris ferrugana/notana
Acleris forsskaleana
Acrobasis advenella
Acrobasis repandana 
Acrobasis suavella 
Adaina microdactyla 
Aethes cnicana
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Aglossa pinguinalis 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agonopterix arenella 
Agonopterix conterminella
Agonopterix kaekeritziana
Agonopterix nervosa 
Agonopterix propinquella 
Agonopterix purpurea 
Agonopterix subpropinquella 
Agriphila tristella 
Anacampsis blattariella/populella
Anania coronata 
Anania hortulata
Anania lancealis 
Anania perlucidalis 
Ancylis badiana
Ancylosis oblitella 
Aphomia sociella 
Apotomis capreana 
Apotomis lineana 
Aproaerema anthyllidella 
Archips podana 
Archips rosana 
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia goedartella 
Aspila janthinana 
Batia lunaris 
Batrachedra praengasta 
Blastobasis adustella 
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Blastobasis vittata
Brachmia blandella 
Bryotropha affinis 
Bryotropha basaltinella 
Bryotropha senectella
Bryotropha terrella 
Bucculatrix nigricomella 
Calamotropha paludella 
Caloptilia falconipennella
Caloptilia stigmatella 
Cameraria ohridella 
Cataclysta lemnata 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha striana 
Chilo phragmitella
Chrysoesthia drurella
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Clepsis dumetana
Clepsis spectrana
Cochylimorpha straminea
Cosmopterix lienigiella 
Crambus lathoniellus 
Crassa unitella 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia pomonella 
Cydia splendana 
Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana 
Dichrorampha simpliciana 
Ditula angustiorana 
Ectoedemia intimella
Elachista consortella
Elachista maculicerusella 
Elachista utonella
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endothenia ericetana 
Endothenia gentianaeana/marginana
Endotricha flammealis 
Endrosis sarcitrella 
Epiblema foenella
Epinotia cruciana
Epinotia nisella
Ethmia quadrilella
Eucosma campoliliana 
Eucosma cana
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eucosma obumbratana 
Eudemis profundana 
Eudonia lacustrata 
Eudonia mercurella 
Eudonia pallida 
Eupoecilia ambiguella
Euspilapteryx auroguttella
Euzophera pinguis 
Evergestis limbata 
Gelechia muscosella
Gelechia soroculala
Grapholita/Aspila janthinana
Gynnidomorpha alismana
Gypsonoma aceriana
Gypsonoma dealbana
Gypsonoma sociana 
Hedya salicella 
Helcystogramma rufescens
Homoeosoma sinuella 
Hypatima rhomboidella
Hypsopyqgia glaucinalis 
Limnaecia phragmitella
Mompha epilobiella 
Monochroa palustrellus
Nemapogon koenigi
Neocochylis atricapitana
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Niditinea fuscella/striolella
Nomophila noctuella 

Nymphula nitidulata
Opostega salaciella
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Pammene fasciana 

Pandemia dumetana
Pandemis heparana 
Parachronistis albiceps
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Patania ruralis 
Pediasia contaminella 
Phalonidia manniana/udana 
Phycita roborella 
Phyllonorycter comparella
Plutella xylostella 
Ptherochroa inopiana 
Pyralis farinalis 
Pyrausta aurata 
Pyrausta purpuralis 
Rhopobota naevana 
Schoenobius gigantella
Sciota adelphella 
Scoparia subfusca 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Sitochroa verticalis 
Spilonota ocellana
Stathmopoda pedella
Thiotricha subocellea
Tinea columbariella 
Tinea pellionella
Tinea trinotella 
Vitula biviella
Yponomeuta evonynella
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Zeiraphera isertana

Thiotricha subocellea

250w Clear MV Robinson Trap

Acleris hastiana

Agonopterix kaekeritziana

Blastobasis vittata

Bulrush Wainscot

Chrysoesthia drurella

Common Lutestring

Ear Moth sp

Ectoedemia intimella

Epiblema costipunctana

Eupoecilia ambiguella