Nights are getting busier!

A warm day on Thursday with highs of around 25 degrees led to a mild and a more humid night of late, and in-turn the moths were out in profusion.

A whopping 72 species were noted including 24 new species for the year. The busiest night of the year so far, numbers that would be eclipsed and knocked out of the park come Friday night. 

Best macro moths included Clay, V-Moth and an almost fluorescent Yellow Shell.

Pick of the micro moths were Celypha rosaceana, Dioryctria abietella, Homoeosoma nebulella & Tinea columbariella. 

Lots to catch up with now, as I had two large lists of field trip moths to write up!

The weather is hot by day and warm and muggy at night despite mostly clear nights. 

only new for year species listed below due to time constraints. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 356 species

12/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Clay 1 [NFY]
Fan-foot 1 [NFY]
Short-cloaked Moth 1 [NFY]
Small Blood-vein 1 [NFY]
V-Moth 1 [NFY]
Yellow Shell 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Aleimma loeflingiana 1 [NFY]
Anania perlucidalis 1 [NFY]
Anarsia innoxiella 2 [NFY]
Crassa unitella 1 [NFY]
Dichrorampha alpinana/flavidorsana 1 [NFY]
Dioryctria abietella 1 [NFY]
Ectoedemia heringella 3 [NFY]
Epiblema foenella 1 [NFY]
Ethmia dodecea 1 [NFY]
Eudonia lacustrata 1 [NFY]
Homoeosoma nebulella 1 [NFY]
Neocochylis hybridella 1 [NFY]
Oegoconia sp 2 [NFY]
Phycita roborella 1 [NFY]
Scoparia basistrigalis 1 [NFY]
Tinea columbariella 1 [NFY]
Yponomeuta evonymella 1 [NFY]
Zeiraphera isertana 1 [NFY]

 

Neocochylis hybridella

V-Moth

Yellow Shell

Anania perlucidalis

Anarsia innoxiella

Clay

Dioryctria abietella

Epiblema foenella

Fan-foot

 

The day after

Tuesday night was a fairly warm day with highs of around 22 degrees, but it felt warmer in the prolonged spells of sunshine. 

The night was clear as a result and the moon was out, not ideal but it was still warm up until midnight.

 

A pair of Scorched Carpets were nearly 2 months late, as I usually see this towards the end of spring.

 

And the first of the box bush pests, Cydalima perspectalis (Box-tree Moth) was recorded a shade earlier than normal.

6 new ones keeps me ticking over nicely.

 

The subsequent nights went rather mad. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 332 species

10/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths 

Common White Wave 1 [NFY]
Scorched Carpet 2 [NFY]
Smoky Wainscot 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Archips xylosteana 1 [NFY]
Cydalima perspectalis 1 [NFG] 
Notocelia uddmanniana 1 [NFY]

Smoky Wainscot

Common White Wave

Cydalima perspectalis

Euzophera pinguis

Notocelia uddmanniana

Scorched Carpet

 

Perfect mothing conditions from now on

It's certainly warming up now by day, and also by night, with a respectable low of 15 on Monday night, the trap was much busier, omitting to do a full count because of work commitments.

8 new species was a good return and it included two scarce micro moths.

Elegia similella is represented as being the 878th moth species for the garden, and a second record for Cambs to boot. A moth that was more regular in broad-leaved ancient woodland in my old stomping ground in Hertfordshire.

Triaxomasia caprimulgella is a regular here each year in small numbers. A rare moth nationally but it seems to be happy around here for unknown reasons.

Best macro moth was the always stunning Green Silver-lines, which was only first recorded here in my garden last year. Scarce Silver-lines is tied with two records also.

Temperatures continued to build by day and night. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 326 species

09/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Green Silver-lines 1 [NFY]
Nutmeg 1 [NFY]
Uncertain 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Archips podana 1 [NFY]
Elegia similella 1 [NFG] 
Piniphila bifasciana 1 [NFY]
Triaxomasia caprimulgella 1 [NFY]
Udea olivalis 1 [NFY]

Uncertain

Archips podana

Elegia similella

Green Silver-lines

Nutmeg

Piniphila bifasciana

Triaxomasia caprimulgella

Udea olivalis

 

Warmer days but still lacking humidity

Warmer days but still lacking humidity

Well, that was sunday night. We certainly have some welcome humidity in charge now (or un-welcome humidity if you value your sleep).

Far too tired after a busy weekend to do a full count, so I just noted the new species and any ones that were kept for dissection.

Some lovely species turned up, including an Orange-tailed Clearwing to it's lure (AND) during the day time. Lures have had a drought period in my garden lately so it was nice to break the spell!

Patio netting wasn't that profitable with no new species, quite often the case now as I just record the same species again and again.

Moths of the night included the uncommon Flame Carpet (2nd for the year), and a well marked Ancylis achatana. 

Some cloud at night would be most welcome, but they are all clear skies recently.

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 318 species

08/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Blue-bordered Carpet 1 [NFY]
Common Footman 1 [NFY]
Orange-tailed Clearwing 1 [NFY] (to AND Lure)
Pale Oak Beauty 1 [NFY]
Flame Carpet 1

Micro Moths 

Ancylis achatana 2 [NFY]
Tinea semifulvella 1 [NFY]
Cnephasia sp 1 [TBC]

Tinea semifulvella

Ancylis achatana

Blue-bordered Carpet

Cnephasia sp

Common Footman

Orange-tailed Clearwing

Pale Oak Beauty

 

Some more welcome early summer species

Not a huge catch here on Friday night, but we had this at the start of last June, where we battled with annoying winds and low overnight temperatures.

But, as it is June it is always worth running the trap as we approach peak moth season. 

An Aethes tesserana was the only new moth netted during a brief dusk session (As it was super windy).

Highlights were two Barred species, both Straw & Yellow and the first of the common Eudonia species, mercurella, one that will battle with lacustrata to take the top spot as the season progresses. 

Two quite different Cnephasia species were retained for dissection. 

And a cracking purple-tinged Snout was nice to see also, much better than my worn year first specimen! 

Come on night time temps, perk up a bit please! 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 312 species

06/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Barred Straw 1 [NFY]
Barred Yellow 1 [NFY]
Flame 1 [NFY]
Buff Ermine 2
Buff-tip 2
Common Marbled Carpet 1
Common Swift 1
Common Wainscot 1
Dark Arches 2
Double-striped Pug 1
Elephant Hawk-moth 5
Garden Carpet 1
Green Pug 1
Heart & Club 2
Heart & Dart 4
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Marbled Minor sp 5
Nutmeg 1
Pale Prominent 1
Privet Hawk-moth 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 2
Snout 1
Treble Lines 1
Turnip Moth 1
Vine's Rustic 1
White-point 1
Willow Beauty 4

Micro Moths 

Aethes tesserana 1 [NFY]
Eudonia mercurella 1 [NFY]
Celypha striana 4
Cnephasia sp 2 (TBC)
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Homoeosoma sinuella 1
Scythropia crataegella 1
Tinagma ocnerostomella 1 

 

Flame

Eudonia mercurella

Cnephasia sp 1

Cnephasia sp 2

Barred Yellow

Barred Straw

Aethes tesserana

Snout

 

 

Something fishy going on!

A typically average catch last Wednesday night (bar another cracking Goat Moth which is far from average for most people).

It was like deep sea mothing, with a duo of Sharks and a Lobster Moth! 

This is the first time i've ever taken two Sharks in one trap in a garden.

 

I nearly turned off at midnight as it felt cool under the clear skies, but glad I persevered.

 

The commonest moth of the night was the Elephant Hawk-moth, which continue to do well in recent nights.

 

Hoping the weather improves at night, as we drag in some much needed humidity. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 307 species

04/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Lobster Moth 1 [NFY]
Shark 2 [NFY]
Brimstone Moth 1
Broad-barred White 1
Buff-tip 2
Buff Ermine 1
Cinnabar 1
Common Swift 2
Dark Arches 1
Elephant Hawk-moth 8
Goat Moth 1
Heart & Club 4
Heart & Dart 6
Iron Prominent 1
Large Nutmeg 2
Large Yellow Underwing 1
Light Brocade 1
Lychnis 1
Marbled Minor sp 5
Miller 1
Peppered Moth 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 2
Shears 1
Swallow Prominent 1

Micro Moths

Aphomia sociella 3
Cydia fagiglandana 1
Epiphyas postvittana 2
Homoeosoma sinuella 1
Luquetia lobella 1
Myelois circumvoluta 1
Platyedra subcinerea 1
Scythropia crataegella 1

Lobster Moth

Part of the Catch

Shark 1

sHaRkS!

Shark 2

A duo of early June catches

Trying to catch up whilst we experience weather woes, but with much needed rain and looking ahead to warmer temperature next week.

Monday & Tuesday night featured smaller catch of between 25 and 45 species, but there were still a small selection of new faces present.

A mint early Common Emerald was a personal highlight, as was the smart Broad-barred White and the delicate Anania coronata. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 305 species

02/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Fern 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Anania coronata 1 [NFY]
Coleophora sp 1 (TBC)

03/06/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Broad-barred White 1 [NFY]
Common Emerald 1 [NFY]
Mottled Rustic 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Tortrix viridana 1 [NFY]

 

Fern

Anania coronata

Coleophora sp

 

Mottled Rustic

Luquetia lobella

Common Emerald

Broad-barred White

Tortrix viridana