Last garden catch before a break

Previous to last night, I hadn't ran my trap since the 24th of July, a full week with no mothy action at all.

Last Thursday was quite a good night, but species and numbers were evidently tailing off as we come out of peak mothing season.

It was nice to get a Dog's Tooth, a regular moth here usually in early May, but missing out on the first brood this year.

A lovely fresh and early Acleris sparsana was nice to see, and a few more welcome small fry in the shape of Bryotropha domestica & Phyllonorycter trifasciella.

Another new species of grass moth was also present, clinging to an external egg tray, the first Agriphila tristella of the year. Amazingly I did not record this species last year in the garden.

 

6 new ones was pretty respectable for late July.

 

The next outing would be on the 31st. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 593 species

24/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Dog's Tooth 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Acleris sparsana 1 [NFY]
Agriphila tristella 1 [NFY]
Bryotropha domestica 1 [NFY]
Phyllonorycter trifasciella 1 [NFY]
Plutella porrectella 1 [NFY]

Plutella porrectella

Acleris sparsana

Agriphila tristella

Bryotropha domestica

Dog's Tooth

Least Yellow Underwing

Parapoynx stratiotata

Phyllonorycter trifasciella

 

Wells-next-the-Sea - Field Trip - 17/07/25

I made a trip to the north Norfolk coast with Leslie Gardiner back on the 17th of July.

It was a very warm day and the night ahead looked warm, even by the coast! Indeed it stayed lovely and mild, but we got gusty winds from the east about half an hour after dark, which hampered two of the traps that were positioned in the breeze. 

It didn't matter though, because the other two traps were absolutely heaving with moths, particularly Noctuid moths with many 10's of every type of Underwing.

When we arrived in thre car park, we walked down a track and came to a few open fields adjacent to the saltmarsh. We assessed the track and I decided to drive my car down the narrow bramble-laden track. There were no signs, so assume it was open access.

With 4 traps all running, it was time to sit back and have a drink and a chat.

Within 5 minutes of darkness, the best moth of the whole evening turned up, a cracking Ground Lackey, only the 2nd record for Norfolk, a female was found out of habitat in Norwich in 2013.

Other good moths included Garden Tiger, Crescent, Webb's Wainscot & Pediasis contaminella.

There were lots of Bactra, mostly fufurana and robustana (robustana is a new moth for me) and a couple of lancealana.  

3 Scrobipalpa species were retained, possibly two species and assuming both will be new species for me.

An excellent night with huge numbers of moths, but less species than expected. 

 

17/07/25 - Wells-next-the-Sea - North Norfolk - 1x 125w Trap, 1x 250w Robinson Trap, 1x 40w/22w Bucket Trap & 1x 160w Trap

Macro Moths 

Blood-vein
Broad-barred White
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Brown-line Bright-eye
Brown-tail
Brown-veined Wainscot
Buff Ermine
Buff Footman
Burnished Brass
Campion
Chinese Character
Cloaked Minor
Common Rustic
Common Wainscot
Copper Underwing
Crescent
Dark Arches
Dark Sword-grass
Dingy Footman
Dog's Tooth
Dotted Fan-foot
Double Square-spot
Drinker
Dun-bar
Dusky Sallow
Dusky Thorn
Ear
Elephant Hawk-moth
Fen Wainscot
Flame Shoulder
Garden Tiger
Gold Spot
Grey Dagger sp
Ground Lackey
Kent Black Arches
Knot Grass
Large Yellow Underwing
Latticed Heath
Least Carpet
Least Yellow Underwing
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Lesser Cream Wave
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Lesser-spotted Pinion
Lime-speck Pug
Lychnis
Marbled Clover
Mouse Moth
Nutmeg
Oak Eggar
Pebble Hook-tip
Peppered Moth
Phoenix
Poplar Hawk-moth
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Reed Dagger
Riband Wave
Rosy Minor
Rosy Rustic
Round-winged Muslin
Ruby Tiger
Rustic
Scalloped Oak
Shaded Broad-bar
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Silky Wainscot
Single-dotted Wave
Small Blood-vein
Small Dotted Buff
Small Fan-footed Wave
Smoky Wainscot
Southern Wainscot
Spectacle
Straw Dot
Tree-lichen Beauty
Turnip Moth
Twin-spotted Wainscot
Uncertain
Webb's Wainscot
White-point
White-spotted Pug
Willow Beauty
Wormwood Pug
Yellow-tail

 

Micro Moths

 

Acentria emphemerella
Acrobasis advenella
Agapeta hamana
Agdistis bennetii
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Agonopterix heracliana
Agonopterix subpropinquella
Agriphila straminella
Aproaerema anthyllidella
Bactra furfurana
Bactra lancealana
Bactra robustana
Blastobasis adustella
Blastobasis lacticolella
Blastodacna hellerella
Brachmia blandella
Calamotropha paludella
Calybites phasianipennella
Cameraria ohridella
Cataclysta lemnata
Catoptria falsella
Catoptria pinella
Celypha lacunana
Chilo phragmitella
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Clepsis consimilana
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Coleophora sp (TBC)
Crassa unitella
Dichrorampha simpliciana
Elachista canapennella
Endothenia quadrimaculana
Epiblema costipunctana
Epiblema foenella
Eucosma cana
Eucosma hohenwartiana
Eudonia mercurella
Eudonia pallida
Euzophera pinguis
Gelechiidae sp (TBC)
Grapholita janthinana
Helycystogramma rufescens
Limnaecia phragmitella
Lobesia abscisana
Mompha epilobiella
Neocochylis atricapitana
Neocochylis molliculana
Notocelia roborana
Pandemis heparana
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella
Patania ruralis
Pediasia contaminella
Phalonidia manniana
Phycita roborella
Phyllonorycter leucographella
Plutella xylostella
Ptherochroa inopiana
Rhopobota naevana
Ringed China-mark
Scoparia ambigualis
Scrobipalpa sp 3 (TBC)
Sitochroa verticalis
Spilonota ocellana
Stenoptilia pterodactyla
Udea prunalis
Yponomeuta evonynella
Yponomeuta rorrella
Ypsolopha scabrella
Zeiraphera isertana
Zelotherses paleana 

 

Wells-next-the-Sea

Agdistis bennetii

Bactra robustana

Busy Moth Trap Egg Tray

Crescent

Dog's Tooth

Garden Tiger

Ground Lackey

Scrobipalpa sp

Scrobipalpa sp

Scrobipalpa sp

Webb's Wainscot

 

Stalled

That's been it for a week now as we continue to have work done in our garden.

I'm hoping to run my garden trap on Thursday night, but that may be pushed back to Friday night.

 

Last Tuesday there was just one new for the year species, but it was a good one. Anania verbascalis with just a few county records.

Other notables included second examples for the year of Adaina microdactyla & Aethes smeathmanniana, both uncommon here.

Another Ancylosis oblitella was noteworthy, the third in a week.

 

Hoping to get out somewhere tomorrow night. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 587 species

22/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths 

 

Anania verbascalis 1 [NFY]

 

Ancylosis oblitella

Adaina microdactyla

Aethes smeathmanniana

Anania verbascalis

 

Less new ones, but a big WOW!

The weather started to cool down at the start of last week and although it was still pleasant by day, the nights lost the humidity and were coupled with breeze and sporadic rain showers.

On the 19th, species dipped to just above 50 overnight, with lots of repeats.

 

However, it only took one moth to be worth the early morning sort through, a fantastic Jersey Mocha! 

It was to be the 2nd county record for Cambridgeshire, with the 1st one recorded in 2019 in Stretham.

 

It is a moth i'm not very familiar with, having only ever seen one before in 2016, which was a county first for Hertfordshire with Ian Bennell nearly a decade ago.

It's most probable that it dispersed from a population along the south coast with brisk southerly winds in place, it could have also been a genuine migrant.

 

Two other species were new for the year, both have been regular this past week, they were Marbled Beauty & Oak Processionary. 

 

There was one more garden catch on a favourable night on the 22nd, and then that's it now until our patio is finished. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 586 species

19/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths 

 

Jersey Mocha 1 [NFG]

Marbled Beauty 1 [NFY]

Oak Processionary 1 [NFY]

Oak Processionary

Jersey Mocha

Marbled Beauty

Super set of moths!

With highs of around 31 degrees on the 18th and lows not dropping below 20 degrees, the trap was back to it's busiest self, and with a catch of 92 species, for mid/late July it was my biggest catch at this time of year.

It was headed by some top quality moths including a brand new moth for my records, a stunning Dark Crimson Underwing, the third Catocala species to grace my garden trap (Red & Blue being the other two).

There were a further 3 new garden moths present, July Highflyer (unvbelievably), True Lover's Knot & Scythris limbella. 

Everyone seems to be getting Ancylosis oblitella & Moitrelia obductella lately in their moth traps, I was lucky to get two of the former here, with just two previous records.

The latter will have to wait it seems, a moth highly on my wants list.

 

Twin-spotted Wainscot returned having not been seen since 2022, and it brought a friend along. To get two in one night seems exceptional for here. 

 

Those 4 new ones take me to 907 recorded species in my garden since August 28th 2021.

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 583 species

18/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Currant Pug 1 [NFY]
Dark Crimson Underwing 1 [NFG]
July Highflyer 1 [NFG]
Large Emerald 2 [NFY]
Least Yellow Underwing 2 [NFY]
True Lover's Knot 1 [NFG]
Twin-spotted Wainscot 2 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

Ancylosis oblitella 2 [NFY]
Parectopa ononidis 1 [NFY]
Scythris limbella 2 [NFG]

Twin-spotted Wainscot

A busy trap

Ancylosis oblitella

Ancylosis oblitella

Dark Crimson Underwing

July Highflyer

Large Emerald

Least Yellow Underwing

Parectopa ononidis

Scythris limbella

True Lover's Knot

 

Time to catch up as trapping halts

Currently having our garden renovated so no trapping for the forseeable, although i'll be do a few field trips over the coming week, it'll allow some much needed downtime after a frantic few months.

 

Last Thursday was an average catch here for the time of year, lots of browns and creams, underwings and wainscots was the order of the day. 

 

There were however some interesting moths to log down.

 

In the daytime I recorded my first Gypsy Moth, bombing around the garden. A quick scrap in the back of the net and he was in the fridge for a photo.

 

This past week or so they've been coming to the trap in 2's and 3's, and out and about working they are a regular sight every single day. 

 

A Plumed Fan-foot was good to see, an increasing species in the south and east year on year, this is my 2nd garden record. 

And a lovely coloured Pyrausta purpuralis was a change from the umpteen aurata i've recorded this year. 

 

The best micro was the huge Dioryctria sylvestrella, a massive pyralid that is cuncommon here. 

The macro Small Rufous exploded on the scene last week, with 3 on the first recorded night of this year, subsequently it's increased every night, and out last night over the 4 traps locally, I recorded well over 100. 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 573 species

17/07/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Gypsy Moth 1 [NFY]
Plumed Fan-foot 1 [NFY]
Small Rivulet 1 [NFY]
Small Rufous 3 [NFY]

Micro Moths 

Dioryctria sylvestrella 1 [NFY]
Pyrausta purpuralis 1 [NFY]

Small Rufous

Dioryctria sylvestrella

Gypsy Moth

Plumed Fan-foot

Pyrausta purpuralis

Small Rivulet

 

Ditton Park Woods - Field Trip - 12/07/25

I made a second trip to Ditton Park Woods on the 12th of July, a full 2 months after my first visit.

It was a really good trip out with a few species shy of 200 species, 4 traps were deployed in various areas of the wood.

The moths were fast to respond to the lights, but there were less micros than I would have expected, partly due to a cool front coming through after 11pm, despite 18 degrees at midnight, it felt a tad cooler.

 

Despite that, it was very pleasing to see a good selection of moths, nothing new (which is what we all hope for when we do these field trips). 

Well, tell a lie.. one Epinotia specimen has been retained in the hope of a bland form of Epinotia caprana, the other 3 Epinotia have been agreed on via social media, that they are all varieties of solandriana. 

 

Other good micros included a pretty little Agonopterix liturosa, the darker form of Gypsonoma dealbana, the oddity Stathmopoda pedella and an absolutely smashing Psoricoptera gibbosella which is only the 2nd county record (having taken the 1st in exactly the same spot 2 years ago). 

Eudemis porphyrana was also good to see at the same wood once more, a moth that is seemingly having a bumper year in other counties, with records popping up everywhere. 

 

Pick of the macro moths was a confirmed Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, my 3rd of this species, having added it to the garden list last year. 

 

A good trip indeed.

 

12/07/25 - Ditton Park Woods - East Cambridgeshire - 1x 125w Trap, 1x 250w Robinson Trap, 1x 40w/22w Bucket Trap & 1x 20w Heath Bucket Trap

Macro Moths

Black Arches 
Bright-line Brown-eye 
Brimstone Moth 
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Buff Arches 
Buff Footman 
Buff-tip 
Clouded Border 
Common Carpet 
Common Rustic 
Common Wave
Common White Wave 
Copper Underwing 
Coronet 
Dark Arches 
Dark Spectacle 
Dingy Footman 
Dotted Fan-foot 
Double Lobed 
Double Square-spot 
Drinker 
Dun-bar 
Early Thorn 
Elephant Hawk-moth 
Engrailed 
Fen Wainscot 
Flame Shoulder 
Grey Dagger 
Iron Prominent 
July Highflyer 
Kent Black Arches 
Knot Grass 
Langmaid's Yellow Underwing
Large Twin-spot Carpet 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Latticed Heath 
Least Carpet 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Yellow Underwing 
Lunar-spotted Pinion 
Magpie Moth 
Maiden's Blush 
Maple Pug 
Marbled White-spot 
Mere Wainscot 
Minor Shoulder-knot 
Mottled Beauty 
Nut-tree Tussock 
Oak Eggar
Pale Prominent 
Peppered Moth 
Phoenix 
Poplar Hawk-moth 
Red Twin-spot Carpet 
Riband Wave 
Rosy Footman 
Royal Mantle 
Ruby Tiger 
Rustic 
Sallow Kitten 
Scarce Footman 
Scorched Carpet 
Single-dotted Wave 
Small Dotted Buff 
Small Fan-footed Wave 
Small Phoenix 
Smoky Wainscot 
Snout
Straw Dot 
Swallow Prominend
Swallow-tailed Moth 
Tawny-barred Angle 
Turnip Moth 
Uncertain 
Vapourer 
V-pug 
White-spotted Pug 
Willow Beauty 
Wood Carpet 

Micro Moths

Acentria emphemerella 
Acleris emargana
Acleris forskalleana 
Acleris hastiana 
Acleris laterana comariana 
Acleris notana/ferrugana 
Acleris schalleriana 
Acrobasis advenella 
Acrobasis consociella 
Agapeta hamana 
Agapeta zoegana 
Agonopterix alstromeriana 
Agonopterix heracliana 
Agonopterix liturosa 
Agonopterix subpropinquella 
Alucita hexadactyla 
Anacampsis blattariella/populella
Apotomis capreana 
Aproaerema anthyllidella 
Aproaerema taen lars 
Archips crataegana 
Archips podana 
Archips xylosteana
Argyresthia albistria 
Argyresthia bonnetella 
Argyresthia brockeella 
Argyresthia glaucinella
Argyresthia goedartella 
Argyresthia pruniella 
Batia lunaris 
Batrachedra praengasta
Blastobasis adustella 
Blastobasis lacticolella 
Blastodacna hellerella 
Bucculatrix long white 
Bucculatrix ulmella 
Caloptilia alchimiella robustella 
Caloptilia semifascia 
Caloptilia stigmatella 
Cameraria ohridella 
Carcina quercana 
Catoptria pinella 
Celypha lacunana 
Chrysoteuchia culmella 
Cnephasia sp 
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella 
Crambus perlella 
Crassa unitella 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cydia splendana 
Ditula angustiorana 
Elophila nymphaeata 
Emmelina monodactyla 
Endotricha flammealis
Epinotia brunnichana 
Epinotia nanana 
Epinotia nisella 
Epinotia signatana 
Epinotia solandriana
Epinotia tenerana 
Eucosma cana 
Eucosma hohenwartiana 
Eudemis porphyana 
Eudonia lacustrata 
Eudonia mercurella
Gelechia soroculala 
Gypsonoma dealbana 
Gypsonoma sociana 
Hedya nubiferana 
Hedya salicella 
Helycystogramma rufescens 
Monochroa cytisella
Nemapogon cloacella 
Neocochylis hybridella 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Notocelia uddmanniana 
Ostrinia nubilalis 
Phtheochroa inopiana
Pandemis heparana 
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 
Parornix sp 
Patania ruralis 
Phalonidia manniana udana 
Phycita roborella 
Phyllonorycter acerifoliella
Phyllonorycter harrisella 
Psoricoptera gibbosella
Pyrausta aurata
Pyrausta purpuralis 
Recurvaria leucatella 
Rhopobota naevana 
Ringed China-mark 
Scoparia ambigualis 
Scoparia basistrigalis 
Spilonota ocellana 
Stathmopoda pedella
Teleiodes vulgella 
Thyraylia nana 
Tinea trinotella 
Tischeria eklebladella 
Udea prunalis 
Yponomeuta cag mal pad
Yponomeuta evonynella 
Yponomeuta rorrella 
Ypsolopha dentella
Ypsolopha nemorella
Ypsolopha parenthesella
Ypsolopha scabrella 
Zeiraphera isertana 
Zelleria hepariella

 

Ypsolopha nemorella

Acleris emargana

Agonopterix liturosa

Epinotia nisella

Epinotia solandriana

Epinotia sp

Eudemis porphyrana

July Highflyer

Langmaid's Yellow Underwing

Psoricoptera gibbosella

Stathmopoda pedella