Catch Report - 21/07/20 - Back Garden

Just a smattering of new species for the year on the 21st of July, and all expected species here, the best being the tiny micro Cosmiotes stabilella which as become annual only in recent years.

Some variation was also observed in Straw Underwing, which is having an excellent year with over 20 records so far as of the 03rd of August.

Still trying to catch up with my moth reports, but it's tough going.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 389.

Only New For Year Species Reported

125w MV Robinson Trap min 13c at 4:15am

Catch Report - 21/07/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths

September Thorn 1 [NFY]
Straw Underwing 3 [NFY]
Square-spot Rustic 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Cosmiotes stabilella 1 [NFY]

Cosmiotes stabilella

September Thorn

Straw Underwing

Straw Underwing

Another garden first, two of them with Duskies & Oaks

Another cracking night on the 18th of July was had in my garden here in Stevenage and despite the temperatures not being blisteringly high (max 22c) the minimum did not fall away below 15.5c and with a muggy feel with dominant cloud cover.

9 new for year species was great and included some quite scarce moths for here.

Oak Eggar, a really large Female as well, was only my 2nd garden record after first recording it last year.
A third Dioryctria abietella of the year was pleasing as well as a smart Clavigesta purdeyi, again scarce here for lack of coniferous trees.

Best of all were not one but two Gelechia scotinella, a moth i've recorded at Home Wood in Bedfordshire a few years back now.
One had a chunk out of it's wing, but it was just about identifiable with enough markings present including the white thoracic dot.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 385.

Only New For Year Species Reported

250w MV Clear  Robinson Trap min 15.5c at 4:30am

Catch Report - 18/07/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths

Dusky Sallow 1 [NFY]
Dusky Thorn 2 [NFY]
Oak Eggar 1 [NFY]
Tree-lichen Beauty 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Blastobasis adustella 1 [NFY]
Cameraria ohridella 1 [NFY]
Clavigesta purdeyi 1 [NFY]
Elachista canapennella 1 [NFY]
Gelechia scotinella 2 [NFG]

Blastobasis adustella

Cameraria ohridella

Clavigesta purdeyi

Dusky Sallow

Dusky Thorn

Elachista canapennella

Gelechia scotinella

Oak Eggar

Tree-lichen Beauty

Catch Report - 14/07/20 - Back Garden

A new garden moth was awaiting me on the 14th of July, the unusual Drepanidae, Scalloped Hook-tip.
Moth species no.745 for the garden and the 5th new macro moth species this year

Also it was nice to record both Galleria mellonella (Wax Moth) and Ear Moth. Both scarce species here, notable the Ear Moth (last and first seen in 2015 with just one previous record here).

Also another observation, Agonopterix alstromeriana is typically common out in the field in Spring as it over-winters and comes out of hibernation, but I haven't seen one in Spring for 4 years now, and the new for year examples hatch quite consistently between the 12 and 15th of July here.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 376.

Only New For Year Species Reported

125w MV  Robinson Trap min 12c at 4:30am

Catch Report - 14/07/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths

Ear Moth 1 [NFY]
Scalloped Hook-tip [NFG]

Micro Moths

Agonopterix alstromeriana 1 [NFY]
Carpatolechia fugitivella 1 [NFY]
Galleria mellonella 1 [NFY]

Agonopterix alstromeriana

Carpatolechia fugitivella

Ear Moth

Galleria mellonella

Scalloped Hook-tip

A superb catch under average conditions

I'm not sure why the 13th of July was such a good catch in my garden.
With highs on only 22 degrees and dropping to 15 again, I thought I would struggle, especially as we were experiencing brief showers in the afternoon.
I put it down to the increased humidity, something that has been a feature of most of July this year.

Highlights were plentiful, with a migrant Dark Sword-grass, a wandering Kent Black Arches and two stunning Black Arches and also my favourite grey moth, the Sycamore. Just some of the new for the year species.

It was also a double helping of both Agapeta and Pandemis, all for species appearing late this year.
Garden species count for 2020 now upto 371.

Only New For Year Species Reported

250w Clear MV  Robinson Trap min 15c at 4:30am

Catch Report - 13/07/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths


Black Arches 2 [NFY]
Cabbage Moth 1 [NFY]
Dark Sword-grass 1 [NFY]
Kent Black Arches 1 [NFY]
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2 [NFY]
Maple Pug 1 [NFY]
Red Twin-spot Carpet 1 [NFY]
Sycamore 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths


Agapeta hamana 1 [NFY]
Agapeta zoegana 1 [NFY]
Eucosma hohenwartiana 1 [NFY]
Pandemis cerasana 1 [NFY]
Pandemis heparana 1 [NFY]
Rhopobota naevana 1 [NFY]
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad sp 1 [NFY]
Ypsolopha ustella 1 [NFY]

Agapeta zoegana

Black Arches

Dark Sword-grass

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Sycamore

Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad sp

Ypsolopha ustella

Two new Nemophora species for my records

At work the last few weeks, I have been lucky to be able to glance regularly at the flora on the estate.

Whilst doing so, I've spotted many butterflies, moths and other insects.

On the 13th of July I was strimming and raking a patch of stinging nettles away from a small piece of chalk grassland next to our office car park at the Box Moor Trust Centre.
In the car park is plenty of Knapweed, Lady's Bedstraw, Bird's-foot Trefoil and Field Scabious, the latter is a foodplant associated with the day-flying longhorn moth, Nemophora metallica.

A quick scan whilst in the area, revealed 2 moths dancing around the heads of the flowers, with the breeze they weren't keen on settling so I managed to coax one into a pot when it got near the ground.

On closer inspection, Nemophora metallica has such beautiful green eyes.

The next day he was released (A male with long antennae) in the same spot.

Roll on to the end of the week, and on the 17th of July I was checking on some sheep that were grazing a scrubby area on the edge of Bovingdon Brickworks, when, walking back, I spotted another brightly coloured day-flying moth feeding from a Teasel in flower.

It turned out to be my first ever Nemophora cupriacella, a female this time and my 8th species (out of 10 possible in the family) that I've recorded in this Country.

I still need to find fasciella and minimella… maybe one day!

Nemophora cupriacella



Nemophora metallica

Catch Report - 12/07/20 - Tatty Lackey

Another report from over two weeks ago sees me playing catch up again, the joys of work and being a parent are so real during peak moth season!

Another warm still night was upon us, with lows of 14 degrees it was lights on once more after a break on the previous night.

Highlights were a tatty Lackey, not common here and the first slice of better migrant action, a worn Pearly Underwing.
Slender Brindle was also very welcome and usually another seldom seen moth in my garden trap (This year however, I've had 4 since this record).

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 355.

Only New For Year Species Reported

125w MV Robinson Trap min 14c at 4:30am

Catch Report - 12/07/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths

Lackey 1 [NFY]
Lime-speck Pug 1 [NFY]
Pearly Underwing 1 [NFY]
Shaded Broad-bar 1 [NFY]
Slender Brindle 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Agriphila straminella 1 [NFY]
Borkhausenia fuscescens 1 [NFY]
Elachista albifrontella 1 [NFY]
Mompha propinquella 1 [NFY]

Agriphila straminella

Borkhausenia fuscescens

Elachista albifrontella

Lackey

Lime-speck Pug

Mompha propinquella

Pearly Underwing

Shaded Broad-bar

Slender Brindle

Catch Report - 10/07/20 - Cool start to July

And not cool in the sense of really good!

July has started with sub-par daytime temperatures between 16 and 21 degrees and falling away under clear skies to 7 or 8 degrees.
Thus, the mothing in the garden has been extremely poor for this time of year.

On the 10th, things started to improve slowly.

Highlights were garden second records of both Aproaerema anthyllidella &  Dioryctria abietella (with a further 2 since so far this year).

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 346.

Only New For Year Species Reported

125w MV Robinson Trap min 11c at 4:30am

Catch Report - 10/07/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths

Nutmeg 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Acrobasis suavella 1 [NFY]
Aproaerema anthyllidella 1 [NFY]
Cydia splendana 2 [NFY]
Dioryctria abietella 1 [NFY]
Epinotia tenerana 1 [NFY]

Nutmeg

Epinotia tenerana

Dioryctria abietella

Cydia splendana

Aproaerema anthyllidella

Field Trip - Chippenham Fen - 04/07/20 - A complete shock

Well at least i'm back in the same month! After missing a June post.

This was a catch report from Chippenham Fen during the first week of July.

I was joined by Trevor my mothing pal, and after a rendezvous at a local garden centre, we went in convoy West to Snailwell and of course our final destination, Chippenham Fen.

It wasn't a particularly warm day at max 22 degrees, but it was warm and cloudy at setting up time and was not set to drop below 15c, so we were hoping it would be good.

Unfortunately the wind picked up quite soon after dark and some of the traps that were bearing the brunt of the wind, ended up with half the catch 3 feet away from the trap and sheet.
The traps that were in a more sheltered position did ok, and some lovely species were observed.

I didn't take that many photos from the night, a lot I had already seen before.

Micros were few and far between with the gusty conditions. Perhaps the best moths for me were 4 examples of Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla, a moth I've encountered only once before in 2011 on the Essex coast, what a stunning Plume moth.

We stayed until around 1:30pm and were nearly packed up, Trevor was just packing up his last trap so I came over to lend a hand and see what moths he had.
Standing just to the left of the trap and with the light off (and only light from Trevor's lantern and my torch) my attention was suddenly drawn to a large black striped moth 'GEOMETRICIAN' I shouted 'GET A POT QUICK', with wings vibrating, as soon as I got near the moth it flew, 'Shit'... I think I cursed...
Trevor meanwhile acted on instinct and fired the trap light back up in vain hope of it coming back, I was searching the grass, the egg trays already on the floor from going through the trap, and then, Trevor spotted it again 'THERE IT IS, QUICK', carefully I approached the settled moth and it was in the pot and we were able to look at it.

I look at it again and no... it wasn't the Geometrician, it was something even rarer, a Grammodes species and later confirmed as Grammodes bifasciata, a Moth new to Britain!
Naturally Trevor was over the moon and we just could not believe it... I even said earlier, that the wind might blow something good in migrant wise, and it did!!

 

Catch Report - 04/07/20 - Chippenham Fen - Cambridgeshire - 4 traps - 1x 125w MV Trap, 1x 160w MBT Trap, 1x 250w Clear MV Robinson Trap & 1x 40w U-Tube + 15w Actinic tube & 15w Synergetic tube Trap

93 Macro species & 79 Micro species - 172 species in total

Macro Moths

Barred Hook-tip
Beautiful Hook-tip
Blackneck
Bright-eye Brown-line
Brown-line Bright-eye
Brown Rustic
Brown Scallop
Brown-tail
Brimstone Moth
Buff Footman
Clay
Cloaked Minor
Clouded Border
Clouded Silver
Clouded Brindle
Common Carpet
Common Footman
Common Rustic
Common Swift
Common White Wave
Coronet
Currant Pug
Dark Umber
Dark Arches
Double Square-spot
Dotted Fan-foot
Dingy Footman
Dingy Shell
Drinker
Dwarf Cream Wave
Early Thorn
Elephant Hawk-moth
Engrailed
Eyed Hawk-moth
Fen Wainscot
Figure of Eighty
Flame
Ghost Moth
Gold Swift
Grammodes bifasciata
Green Silver-lines
Grey Dagger
Heart & Dart
Iron Prominent
July Highflyer
Kent Black Arches
Large Twin-spot Carpet
Large Yellow Underwing
Leopard Moth
Lesser Cream Wave
Light Arches
Marbled White Spot
Marbled Minor
Mere Wainscot
Mottled Beauty
Miller
Nut-tree Tussock
Oak Nycteoline
Pale Oak Beauty
Peach Blossom
Pebble Hook-tip
Peppered Moth inc 1 carbonaria
Pine Hawk moth
Poplar Grey
Poplar Hawk-moth
Reed Leopard
Riband Wave
Rosy Footman
Round-winged Muslin
Ruby Tiger
Rufous Minor
Rustic
Scalloped Oak
Scarlet Tiger
Scarce Footman
Short-cloaked Moth
Silver Barred
Single-dotted Wave
Silver Y
Small Elephant Hawk-moth
Small Fan-footed Wave
Small Dotted Buff
Small Rufous
Smoky Wainscot
Snout
Southern Wainscot
Straw Dot
Striped Wainscot
Swallow-tailed Moth
Treble Brown Spot
Willow Beauty
Wormwood Pug
Yellow Shell

Micro Moths

Acentria ephemerella
Acleris forskalleana
Acrobasis repandana
Adaina microdactyla
Aethes tesserana
Agapeta hamana
Agapeta zoegana
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Anacampsis populella
Anania crocealis
Anania lancealis
Anania perlucidalis
Apotomis capreana
Argyresthia brockeella
Argyresthia cupressella
Argyresthia spinosella
Batia lunaris
Blastobasis lacticolella
Bucculatrix cidarella
Caloptilia syringella
Cameraria ohridella
Cataclysta lemnata
Celypha lacunana
Celypha striana
Chilo phragmitrella
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Clepsis consimilliana
Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla
Cnephasia longana
Cnephasia sp
Coleophora paripennella
Cosmiotes stabilella
Cosmopterix to check
Crambus lathoniellus
Crambus pascuella
Crambus perlella
Crassa unitella
Cydia fagiglandana
Dichomeris alacella
Elachista albidella
Elachista maculicerusella
Elachista obliquella
Endothenia ericetana
Epinotia tenerana
Ethmia dodecea
Ethmia quadrillella
Eucosma cana
Eudonia lacustrata
Euzophera pinguis
Exoteleia dodecella
Hedya salicella
Homoeosoma sinuella
Mompha ochraceella
Oegoconia sp
Pandemis heparana
Parapoynx stratiotata
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella
Parornix sp
Phalonidia manniana
Phtherochroa inopiana
Phycita roborana
Phycitodes sp TBC
Phyllonorycter nicelii
Phyllonorycter stettinensis
Phylloporia bistrigella
Pleuroptya ruralis
Plutella xylostella
Prays fraxinella
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
Psyche casta
Pterophorus pentadactyla
Rhyacionia buoliana
Rhyacionia pinicolana
Scoparia ambigualis
Scoparia basistrigalis
Snycopacma sp
Stathmopoda pedella
Swammerdamia pyrella
Zeiraphera isertana

Grammodes bifasciata

The lost post - Garden Trapping - 30/06/20

I seemed to have sped straight into July and missed one last catch from June!

A really nice fresh Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing was lovely to see, and a rather striking streaky 'Heart & Dart' was unusual to say the least.

Below are the new for year species from that night.

Garden species count for 2020 now upto 340.

Only New For Year Species Reported

125w MV Robinson Trap min 11c at 4:00am

Catch Report - 30/06/20 - Back Garden - Stevenage - North Herts

Macro Moths

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1 [NFY]
Clay 1 [NFY]
Common Emerald 1 [NFY]

Micro Moths

Acrobasis advenella 1 [NFY]
Helcystogramma rufescens 1 [NFY]
Oegoconia sp 1 [NFY]

Acrobasis advenella

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Clay

Common Emerald

Heart & Dart

Helcystogramma rufescens

Oegoconia sp

Ypsolopha scabrella