France Day 6 - 27/08/26 - The Last Night

The last night to trap was on the Thursday, as we were leaving in the dark early Saturday so it was all or nothing and I set-up 3 lights in anticipation.

Another warm night, but the humidity had abated a bit with the breezy conditions. The thermometer still read 19 degrees at 5am though!

Another load of new species potted up, some I literally had no clue on, and where to start looking, so it took a great deal of sorting, sifting and reading up.

Best moths included Ephestia welseriella, Metzneria hilarella & Symmoca orphnella. The latter a rare moth in France with sub-40 records in total.

Below I've listed the new species on the final night, and then included all of the rest of the species seen over the full 6 nights.

169 species were seen in total, a few were not able to be confirmed due to not being able to retain specimens.

What an experience, I do hope to return to the region in the future. 

 

27/08/26 - Felines Minervois - Herault Department - 40w Actinic & 30w UV LED lamp

 

Macro Moths

Lydd Beauty - Peribatodes ilicaria

Oak Nycteoline - Nycteola revayana

Satin Wave - Idaea subsericeata 

Micro Moths

Dolicharthria bruguieralis

Epermenia aequidentella

Ephestia welseriella 

Metzneria hilarella

Nemapogon agenjoi 

Stenoptinea cyaneimarmorella

Symmoca orphnella

Zelleria oleastrella 

 

 

Full list below

 

Macro Moths

 

Barrett's Marbled Coronet - Conisania andalusica
Bordered Straw 
Bryophila raptricula
Bryophila vandalusiae
Caradrina aspersa
Caradrina selini
Channel Islands Pug - Eupithecia ultimaria
Clay - Mythimna ferrago
Common Rustic 
Convolvulus Hawk-moth
Cryphia pallida 
Cymbalophora pudica
Delicate
Devonshire Wainscot - Leucania putrescens
Dorset Cream Wave - Stegania trimaculata
Ecleora solieraria
Eublemma pura
Four-spotted - Tyta luctuosa
Great Dart - Agrotis bigramma
Heart & Dart 
Hoary Footman - Eilema caniola
Horse Chestnut Moth - Pachycnemia hippocastanaria
Hoyosia codeti
Hummingbird Hawk-moth 
Idaea cf.contiguaria
Idaea eugeniata
Idaea filicata
Idaea infirmaria
Idaea subsericeata
Itame vincularia
Langmaid's Yellow Underwing 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Leucania zeae
Lime-speck Pug 
Lorimer's Rustic - Caradrina flavirena
Lydd Beauty - Peribatodes ilicaria
Marbled Green - Bryopsis muralis
Metachrostis velox
Middle Lace Border - Scopula decorate
Mythimna sicula
Nola delicata
Oak Eggar
Oak Nycteoline - Nycteola revayana
Oak Processionary 
Odice jucunda
Pale-shouldered Cloud - Chloantha hyperici
Parascotia nisseni
Pearly Underwing 
Pine Hawk-moth - Sphinx pinastri
Pine Processionary 
Portland Ribbon Wave - Idaea degeneraria
Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina
Sallow Nycteoline 
Satin Wave - Idaea subsericeata
Scopula decorata
Scopula marginepunctata 
Scopula submutata
Silver Y 
Small Black Arches Meganola strigula
Small Dusty Wave - Idaea seriata (form canteneraria)
Small Marbled 
Small Mottled Willow 
Small Waved Umber - Horisme vitalbata
Sorcerer - Aedia leucomelas
Sorcerer - Aedia leucomelas
Southern Pine Hawk-moth 
Swallow Prominent 
Tephronia sepiaria
The Passenger - Dysgonia algira
Turnip Moth 
Vestal 
White-speck - Mythimna unipuncta
Willow Beauty 
Zebeeba falsalis


Micro Moths 

Achyra nudalis
Acrobasis consociella 
Acrobasis fallouella
Acrobasis legatea
Acrolepiopsis vesperella
Aethes bilbaensis
Agdistis sp
Aglossa pinguinalis 
Agonopterix cf.nodiflorella
Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella
Alophia combustella
Alucita palodactyla
Ancylolomia tentaculella
Ancylosis cinnamomella
Antigastra catalaunalis
Apaidia mesogona
Apatema mediopallidum
Apodia bifractella
Aporodes floralis
Aproaerema cf.patruella
Aristotelia decoratella
Bactra venosana
Blastobasis glandulella
Bostra obsoletalis
Cadra figulilella
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Clavigesta purdeyi
Clepsis consimilana
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia amplana 
Cydia fagiglandana 
Cynaeda dentalis
Denticera divisella
Dolicharthria bruguieralis
Dolicharthria punctalis
Duponchelia fovealis
Dysspastus cf.fallax
Elachista dispunctella
Emmelina monodactyla
Endotricha flammealis 
Epermenia aequidentella
Ephestia kuehniella
Ephestia welseriella
Epinotia thrapsiana 
Epischnia cf.asteris/illotella
Eteobalea dohrnii 
Ethmia dodecea
Etiella zinckenella
Euchromius cambridgei
Euzophera pinguis 
Galleria mellonella 
Homoeosoma cf.calcella
Homoeosoma nimbella
Homoeosoma sinuella
Huertasiella italogallicella
Hypsopygia incarnatalis
Laodamia combustella
Lecithocera nigrana
Loryma egregialis
Loxotege sticticalis 
Metzneria hilarella
Myrmecozela ataxella
Nemapogon agenjoi
Nemapogon nevadella
Neocochylis millierana
Nepticulidae sp
Nomophila noctuella 
Notocelia incarnatana
Oxypteryx sp
Palpita vitrealis 
Pediasia contaminella
Pempelia palumbella
Phalonidia contractana
Plodia interpunctella 
Propiromorpha rhodophana
Pseudacrobasis tergestella
Pseudococcyx tessulatana
Pyrausta aurata
Pyrausta sanguinalis
Pyroderces argyrogrammos
Scythris cf.terrenella
Scythris limbella 
Stemmatophora brunnealis
Stemmatophora rungsi
Stenoptinea cyaneimarmorella
Symmoca orphnella
Symmocoides oxybiella
Synaphe punctalis
Tephronia sepiaria
Tinea basifasciella 
Trichophaga bipartitella
Udea numeralis
Uncinus obductella
Xerocnephasia rigana
Zelleria oleastrella

 

Scopula marginepunctata

Symmoca orphnella

Bryophila vandalusiae

Dolicharthria bruguieralis

Ephestia welseriella

Lydd Beauty - Peribatodes ilicaria

Metzneria hilarella

 

Some late records, summer hanging on

Another average September night here in my garden, with some late summer bits still hanging on.

A 2nd brood Scarce Silver-lines was recorded, the third year running that it has been warm enough for another brood, and the 3rd September record.

Another late specimen was a Knot Grass, which frequently has a second brood in the south.

 

On the smaller moth front, a season first Elachista canapennella was nice to see. An uncommon Elachista here. 

 

Just round the corner from me, Leslie Gardiner recorded a cracking Uncinus obductella, a new record for Fordham. 

 

The weather stays up and down. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 681 species 

 

07/09/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Knot Grass 1 

Scarce Silver-lines 1

Macro Moths

Elachista canapennella 1

Uncinus obductella

Elachista canapennella

Knot Grass

Scarce Silver-lines

 

A good selection and some lovely micros

Last Sunday night saw a more expected amount of species, with 31 recorded overnight.

Catch is still dominated by Flounced Rustics and Straw Underwings, but others are starting to creep up again, namely Large Yellow Underwing and Square-spot Rustic. Also the first Lesser Yellow Underwings for a while and several Broad-bordered.

There were no new ones recorded, but it was good to get a second Apotomis lineana for the year, and a rather smart Acleris variegana.

A Silky Wainscot was getting on a bit and a good record. 

 

A couple of okish nights followed by a few cool windy and wet ones, a real mixed bag unfortunately! 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 681 species 

 

06/09/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Silky Wainscot

Macro Moths

Acleris variegana

Apotomis lineana

Ditula angustiorana

Parornix sp 

 

Silky Wainscot

Acleris variegana

Apotomis lineana

Ditula angustiorana

Parornix sp

France Day 5 - 26/08/26

Another night trapping on the patio of our villa, and another extraordinary array of different species.

An led trap was also placed in the adjacent lower garden which was only run for 3 hours before bedtime (And did yield 2 species that didn't come to the other lights).

Species were slowing, a slightly cooler night of 18 degrees, but it was the breeze that was the problem, gusting every 20-30 seconds, and the moths struggled I think.

Still, who can complain with species like Loryma egregialis, Nola delicata & the first of the holidays Great Darts turning up. 

Huertasiella italogallicella was the best moth of the night, quite a scarce species in Southern France, and a cracking example that I managed to quickly pot up.

There was to be one last night on Thursday night, Friday night was out of the question as we had to leave the villa at 6:15am and it was still pitch black! 

 

26/08/26 - Felines Minervois - Herault Department - 40w Actinic & 30w UV LED lamp

 

Macro Moths

Bryophila vandalusiae

Channel Islands Pug - Eupithecia ultimaria

Great Dart - Agrotis bigramma

Leucania zeae

Mythimna sicula

Nola delicata 

Micro Moths

Bactra venosana

Clavigesta purdeyi

Ephestia kuehniella

Ethmia dodecea

Huertasiella italogallicella 

Loryma egregialis 

Pyrausta aurata

 

Leucania zeae

Loryma egregialis

Marbled Green - Bryopsis muralis

Mythimna sicula

Nola delicata

Bactra venosana

Channel Islands Pug - Eupithecia ultimaria

Ephestia kuehniella

Great Dart - Agrotis bigramma

Huertasiella italogallicella

 

Latest from the garden moth trap

A warmer day on Saturday night, followed by a rather chilly start to Sunday, so numbers weren't great.

New ones are really struggling now, but at least on this occasion there was still one new species, the micro Aethes smeathmanniana.

A second Vestal in a week was notewoorthy, a similar brown example, in fact I had to check to see if it wasn't just a recapture, lucky not the case.

A lateish Light Emerald was nice, especially as it seemed to be sporting a red fringe, something that I have never seen in this species before!

The return of a Mottled Rustic was good to see, a species that was once a really common moth, not so much these days.

A slightly a-typical Square-spot Rustic was worth a quick snap of.

Not much to report lately.

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 681 species 

 

05/09/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths

Aethes smeathmanniana 1 [NFY]

Vestal

Aethes smeathmanniana

Light Emerald

Mottled Rustic

Square-spot Rustic

 

France Day 4 - 25/08/26

A really warm day followed the slightly cooler night of Monday, with highs of 31 degrees and a real humid feel to the day.

Early morning we made tracks up into a local nature reserve. There were very few moths due to the wind, but plenty of Grayling species and Browns struggling to make level flight in the gusts. 

 

By nightfall the wind had abated and the lights were busy with moths.

 

The species were absolutely incredible, and one of the most diverse species list so far during the holiday was witnessed.

 

The moths, well where do I start.

 

There were several extremely scarce moths potted up.

 

Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella was the first region for the Herault region in 11 years, last seen West of Montpellier on the 9th of September 2015.

The name is confusing and there seems to be a debate about the synonym that is currently being listed as an absolute synonym. Waaay above my pay grade I'm afraid! 

 

Hoyosia codeti, an unusual looking species much like the Festoon & Triangle moths that we get back home, to get two and both a male & female was rather spectacular.

To date, it is only found in 3 regions of France, and with just 49 records for the whole of France, it certainly was exciting to record them at our villa.

 

A rather distinct pyralid proved some initial major headaches, and sourcing help from others, we finally settled on Pseudacrobasis tergestella, another quite scarce species, an unusual moth with it's black raised scale tufts, much like Acrobasis tumidana, but in grey scale format!

 

Trichophaga bipartitella was one of my favourites of the night, initially thinking it was my first Tapestry Moth (Trichophaga tapetzella), then not realising that there was a second possible species, which it has turned out to be, so it seems like I still need to see a Tapestry Moth after all!

 

Uncinus obductellus was a moth I only recently ticked off down the road at Wicken Fen, a site first and a pyralid that seems to be spreading quite rapidly. In fact one was reported to me only yesterday from my village, Leslie popped round with said moth and it is indeed a lovely specimen of Uncinus obductellus.

In France it has a hugely scattered distribution. For the Herault department, it is only the 2nd record ever, and was last seen in 2022. 

 

All that lot and there were so many other cool moths, too many to write up individually about so I will let the list and photos do the rest of the talking. 

 

 

25/08/26 - Felines Minervois - Herault Department - 40w Actinic & 30w UV LED lamp

 

Macro Moths

Apaidia mesogona

Barrett's Marbled Coronet - Conisania andalusica

Hoyosia codeti 

Idaea eugeniata

Itame vincularia

Metachrostis velox 

Small Black Arches - Meganola strigula 

Zebeeba falsalis 

Micro Moths

Acrolepiopsis vesperella

Agdistis sp

Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella

Apodia bifractella 

Blastobasis glandulella

Chrysoteuchia culmella

Clepsis consimilana

Euzophera pinguis

Homoeosoma sinuella

Notocelia incarnatana

Pempelia palumbella

Pseudacrobasis tergestella

Pseudococcyx tessulatana 

Trichophaga bipartitella

Uncinus obductella 

 

Zebeeba falsalis

Acrolepiopsis vesperella

Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella

Hoyosia codeti

Itame vincularia

Notocelia incarnatana

Pseudacrobasis tergestella

Pseudococcyx tessulatana

Trichophaga bipartitella

Uncinus obductella

 

A couple of back to back migrants

A quick post on back to back catches made on the 3rd and 4th of September.

Less moths recently as temperatures dip to around 12 degrees, not tragic but cool for this time of year in the east.

It was certainly very nice to score a Vestal on Thursday night and a shimmering white Palpita vitrealis on Friday night.

Flounced Rustic and Straw Underwing are still battling for top spot, but there are a few new contenders who's numbers are increasing, Square-spot Rustic and Vine's Rustic are getting more regular, as are Large Yellow Underwing, which is a much less common species in my garden these days.

The weather turned quite hot today for one day only, could be a good night!

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 680 species 

 

03/09/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Vestal 1 [NFY]

04/09/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Micro Moths

Palpita vitrealis 1 [NFY]

Vestal

Palpita vitrealis

Super start to September

On the 2nd I ran my first trap for the month of September. 

I stayed up fairly late, and rose early enough to limit escapees. 74 species was the grand total. That must be a record for September here in my garden, I'm sure of it.

There were two new macro moths for the year making it the best year on record, species-wise at least, with 678 species logged so far in 2026.

The two new ones were Cypress Pug & Orange Sallow, the latter I missed out on last year.

Clancy's Rustic was back, with 3 coming to the trap overnight, not seen since mid-June. 

A second garden record of Crocidosema plebejana was most welcome, both from this year. 

Drinker was rather late, I don't see many in September.

Cooler nights were coming up, a real feeling of Autumn in the mornings. 

 

Moth garden list for 2026 stands at 678 species 

 

02/09/26 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

 

Macro Moths

Cypress Pug 2 [NFY] 
Orange Sallow 1 [NFY]
Angle Shades 
Blue Underwing 
Cabbage Moth 
Centre-barred Sallow 
Clancy's Rustic 
Delicate 
Double-striped Pug 
Drinker 
Dusky Thorn 
Flounced Rustic 
Frosted Orange
Garden Carpet 
Large Yellow Underwing 
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
L-album Wainscot 
Lime-speck Pug 
Mouse Moth 
Nutmeg
Pale Mottled Willow 
Pebble Hook-tip 
Setaceous Hebrew Character 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 
Silver Y 
Spectacle
Small Blood-vein 
Small Dusty Wave
Small Ranunculus 
Snout 
Straw Underwing 
Square-spot Rustic 
Tawny-speckled Pug 
Toadflax Pug 
Treble-bar 
Turnip Moth 
Vine's Rustic 
Yellow Shell 
White-point 
Willow Beauty 

Micro Moths

Achroia grisella 
Agriphila geniculea 
Agriphila tristella 
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 
Ancylosis oblitella 
Aproaerema anthyllidella 
Archips podana 
Cameraria ohridella 
Celypha lacunana 
Celypha striana 
Clavigesta purdeyi 
Crocidosema plebejana 
Cydalima perspectalis 
Cydia splendana 
Emmelina monodactyla 
Epiphyas postvittana 
Galleria mellonella 
Grapholita funebrana 
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 
Hypsopyqgia costalis 
Monopis crocicapitella 
Monopis weaverella 
Neocochylis atricapitana 
Neocochylis molliculana 
Nomophila noctuella 
Pandemis corylana 
Parapoynx stratiotata 
Paraswammerdamia nebulella 
Plutella xylostella 
Pyrausta aurata 
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 
Udea ferrugalis 
Yponomeuta evonynella

Orange Sallow

Achroia grisella

Aproaerema anthyllidella

Clancy's Rustic

Crocidosema plebejana

Cypress Pug

Drinker