Ghastly northern wind

This awful wind just will not leave us alone, and having a north facing garden and very little cover, the garden trap is extremely exposed. 

Once again, a windy cool night, but not as cold as of late, hovering around 11 degrees, we also had a fair bit of cloud cover which helped.

30 species was a very good return given how hard it's been in the east. What was more pleasing was 12 new ones for the year, smashing through the 200 species barrier for the year. 

 

New species included a great big Privet Hawk-moth, the delicately dappled in pink, Peach Blossom and the uncommon Small Clouded Brindle.

 

The weather still remains fairly average with no warm spikes and very low humidity.

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 208 species

17/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Buff Ermine 1 [NFY]
Mottled Pug 2 [NFY]
Peach Blossom 1 [NFY]
Privet Hawk-moth 1 [NFY]
Seraphim 1 [NFY]
Small Clouded Brindle 1 [NFY]
Treble-bar 1 [NFY]
V-pug 1 [NFY]
Angle Shades 1
Cinnabar 1 
Common Pug 1
Common Swift 2
Common Wainscot 2
Double-striped Pug 1
Heart & Dart 1
Marbled Clover 1
Marbled Minor sp 4
Pebble Prominent 1
Peppered Moth 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
Toadflax Brocade 1
Treble Lines 3
Vine's Rustic 3
White-point 1
Willow Beauty 1

Micro Moths

Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella 1 [NFY]
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1 [NFY]
Neocochylis molliculana 1 [NFY]
Phyllonorycter maestingella 1 [NFY]
Epiphyas postvittana 2

V-pug

Buff Ermine

Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Jersey Tiger Caterpillar

Mottled Pug

Peach Blossom

Phyllonorycter maestingella

Privet Hawk-moth

Small Clouded Brindle

 

A local wander around the hedgerows

I stretched my legs (and my back) today for a good hour, with a net in one hand and a long stick in the other, disturbing the foliage as I wandered about.

With plenty of pots in my pockets I was expecting a bumper haul, as the winds were supposed to subside, in short... this wasn't true. In fact it got breezier and I struggled to find areas out of the wind (From past experience it's nigh on impossible to net moths in the wind).

It was also quite sad to see the drought taking hold on the low growing herbaceous plants, some withering away in desert like conditions.

I finally stumbled upon a hedgerow going east to west and focused on this area, shielded from the north window to a degree, it was much easier to spot the moths.

A few minutes in and I didn't expect to get a new moth for me! A slightly shabby but equally impressive Phtheochroa schreibersiana, get in!

This fantastic little micro that came from a mixed deciduous hedge, wasn't the only interest. Several Adela croesella were found, as were two day-flying macro moths, the Mother Shipton and the rarely seen (because it's so small) Small Yellow Underwing.

 

A fantastic little bit of bushcraft in challenging conditions.

 

17/05/25 - Fordham Hedgerows - East Cambridgeshire

Macro Moths

Cinnabar 1

Common Carpet 2

Mother Shipton 1

Small Yellow Underwing 1

Yellow-tail (caterpillar) 1

 

Micro Moths

 

Adela croesella 3

Crambus lathoniellus 1 

Glyphipterix simpliciella 100+

Hedya pruniana 10+

Nematopogon schwarziellus 4

Nematopogon swammerdamella 1

Notocelia cynosbatella 2

Phtheochroa schreibersiana 1 (NEW!) 

Yellow-tail Caterpillar

Struggling vegetation

Herbaceous plants during a May drought

Adela croesella

Crambus lathoniellus

Mother Shipton

Phtheochroa schreibersiana

Small Yellow Underwing

 

Cavenham Heath - West Suffolk - Field Trip - 11/05/25

Pre-back mess up, I did a field trip to Cavenham Heath, the nearest nature reserve to me located in neighbouring Suffolk. I was joined by good friend Leslie Gardiner.

We arrived at just after 8pm, and I did a brief 10 minutes of netting and sweeping the vegetation. To say there were moths everywhere would have been an understatement, and in hindsight I should have arrived half hour ago!

I netted 8 species just standing by the car, only 2 of which would be later attracted to the traps.

 

But with time against us and with some welcome cloud rolling in, it was time to setup the traps.

 

I ran 3 lights and Leslie ran 1, perfectly enough for the time that we had.

 

The breeze that was persistent all day had dropped, the cloud was enough to obscure the moon and it actually felt warm up until 11pm. We did get some light heavy droplets of rain at times, but it didn't come to much.

 

97 species was the grand total, nearly getting to the 100 mark, although we did start packing up at midnight as it felt a lot cooler and we lost quite a chunk of cloud.

 

I recorded two new species for my records, the very local Grey Carpet and a stunning Yellow Belle.

 

Other good macros that we saw, were literally hundreds of Narrow-winged Pugs, several Fox Moths and Great Prominents, and 3 mint Birch Mochas.

 

Micros did not disappoint either, with species such as Coleophora violacea, Ectoedemia minimella, Lobesia reliquana, Neofaculta ericetella, Phylloporia bistrigella & Pseudococcyx posticana all putting in a appearance.

My favourite micro was a completely brown and obscurely marked Teleiopsis diffinis, an absolute corker of a form and one of at least 10 seen at the traps and netted.

 

A very good session indeed and a place that always does well despute thin sandy soils and rapidly falling temperatures.

 

11/05/25 - Cavenham Heath - West Suffolk - 1x 125w Trap, 1x 250w Robinson Trap, 1x 40w/22w Bucket Trap & 1x 20w Heath Bucket Trap

Macro Moths

Angle Shades     
Birch Mocha     
Blood-vein     
Brimstone Moth     
Brown Silver-line     
Buff Ermine     
Buff-tip     
Cinnabar     
Clay Triple-lines     
Clouded Buff     
Common Carpet     
Common Heath     
Common Marbled Carpet     
Common Pug     
Common Wainscot     
Common White Wave     
Coxcomb Prominent    
Cream-spot Tiger     
Flame Shoulder     
Fox Moth     
Garden Carpet     
Great Prominent     
Green Carpet     
Grey Carpet     
Grey Pug     
Grey-pine Carpet     
Knot Grass     
Latticed Heath     
Least Black Arches     
Light Brocade     
Lime-speck Pug     
Maiden's Blush     
Marbled Minor     
Marbled White-spot     
Muslin Moth     
Narrow-winged Pug 100+    
Nutmeg     
Nut-tree Tussock     
Oak-tree Pug     
Pale Prominent     
Pale Tussock     
Peacock Moth     
Pebble Hook-tip     
Purple Bar     
Red Twin-spot Carpet     
Ruby Tiger     
Scalloped Hook-tip     
Shears     
Small Dusty Wave    
Spectacle     
Treble Lines     
Waved Umber     
White Ermine     
Yellow Belle    

Micro Moths

Aphomia sociella
Bucculatrix ulmella
Caloptilia pop
Carpatolechia proximella
Celypha lacunana
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Cnephasia
Coleophora violacea
Cryptoblabes bistriga
Ectoedemia minimella
Ectoedemia sp (TBC)
Elachista argentella
Emmetia marginea
Epinotia bilunana
Epinotia immundana
Eulia ministrana
Evergestis forficalis
Hedya pruniana
Lobesia reliquana
Monopis weaverella
Musotima nitidalis 5
Nematopogon schwarziellus
Nematopogon swammerdamella
Neofaculta ericetella 20+
Notocelia cynosbatella
Notocelia trimaculana
Pempelia palumbrella
Phyllonorycter maestingella
Phyllonorycter quercifoliella
Phyllonorycter trifasciata
Phylloporia bistrigella 5
Plutella xylostella
Pseudococcyx posticana
Ptycholoma lecheana
Scoparia ambigualis 100+
Scrobipalpa ocellatella
Sitochroa verticalis
Stigmella sp (TBC)
Swammerdamia caesiella
Teleiopsis diffinis 10
Thyraylia nana
Tinea semifulvella
Tischeria eklebladella

Yellow Belle

Birch Mocha

Cavenham Heath in the twilight

Coleophora violacea

Ectoedemia minimella

Grey Carpet

Lobesia reliquana

Narrow-winged Pug

Neofaculta ericetella

Peacock Moth

Pempelia palumbella

Phylloporia bistrigella

Teleiopsis diffinis

 

A good night for moths, bad days for me

Terrible time lately with sciatica to a point where I now can barely put my socks on! So a few nights off for the moths in my garden as I just don't have the energy.

This was a catch from Monday night where I could feel my back twinging before bed.

 

Some really good moths were found come the morning, an absolutely stunning Cream-spot Tiger the pick of the bunch.

Followed closely by a shiney Burnished Brass and a super coloured Green Carpet.

 

Nephopterix angustella, the Spindle loving species was only my 4th for the garden.

 

A Marbled Minor species was checked and identified as a year first Tawny Marbled.

 

During the day, the first Clearwing moths arrived, with two Red-belted Clearwings to the VES lure.

 

Just 4 species off of 200 for the year, levelling out now and just 12 ahead of last year currently.

 

That was to be it until I feel better.

 

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 196 species

12/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Burnished Brass 1 [NFY]
Cream-spot Tiger 1 [NFY]
Green Pug 1 [NFY]
Peppered Moth 1 [NFY]
Purple Bar 1 [NFY]
Red-belted Clearwing 2 [NFY] - (To VES lure)
Sycamore 1 [NFY]
Tawny Marbled Minor 1 [NFY] - Gen Det
Vine's Rustic 1 [NFY]
White-spotted Pug 1 [NFY]
Bright-line Brown-eye 1
Buttoned Snout 1
Cinnabar 3
Common Pug 2
Coronet 6
Garden Carpet 4
Green Carpet 1
Latticed Heath 2
Oak-tree Pug 1
Pale Tussock 1
Pebble Hook-tip 1
Puss Moth 1
Red Twin-spot Carpet 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
Treble Lines 1
Turnip Moth 2
Waved Umber 1
White Ermine 2
White-spotted Pug 2
Yellow-barred Brindle 1

Micro Moths

Celypha lacunana 1 [NFY]
Dichrorampha plumbagana 1 [NFY]
Nephopterix angustella 1 [NFY]
Dichrorampha acuminatana 1
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Parornix sp 1
Phyllonorycter sp 1 (tbc)
Plutella xylostella 1

White-spotted Pug

Burnished Brass

Cream-spot Tiger

Green Carpet

Nephopterix angustella

Purple Bar

Red-belted Clearwing

Sycamore

Vine's Rustic

 

Early May Sunny Days

Saturday was a lovely warm day, if a bit breezy at times (as we found out when we went fishing)

The night was once again clear, but it didn't drop as much this time, as we imported some milder air from the continent on a South-easterly air flow, still not stellar but it stayed around 10 degrees all night. 

A great array of moths were attracted to the lights overnight, it being far too breezy to bother netting at dusk.

The first specimens of sometimes the most common moths, are always special to me. Take the uber abundant Heart & Dart as an example, the year first had a lovely purple/red hue along the edge of its wings, and barely a scale out of place. 

Best moth for me was the apple loving tiny, Callisto denticulella (Aptly named the Apple Nymph) nearly an annual moth here, dipping on one last year.

My second favourite was again, one of the common pugs in my garden, the Lime-speck Pug.

Again, another super fresh moth and worthy of it's portrait.

 

We had warm days on Sunday/Monday and the trap was busier, although a cooler day today, I wonder what tonight will bring.

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 183 species

10/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Heart & Dart 1 [NFY]
Lime-speck Pug 1 [NFY] 
Chinese Character 2
Common Pug 3
Common Wainscot 1
Coronet 1
Garden Carpet 3
Grey Pine Carpet 1
Latticed Heath 1
Least Black Arches 1
Muslin Moth 2
Puss Moth 1 
Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
Waved Umber 1
Yellow-barred Brindle 1


Micro Moths 

Callisto denticulella 1 [NFY]
Celypha striana 1 [NFY]
Prays fraxinella/ruficeps 1 [NFY]
Cameraria ohridella 1
Cochylis atricapitana 1
Epiphyas postvittana 3
Mompha subbistrigella 1
Neocochylis dubitana 2
Parornix sp 1
Platyedra subcinerea 1
Plutella xylostella 1
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 1

Prays fraxinella/ruficeps

Callisto denticulella

Celypha striana

Heart & Dart

Least Black Arches

Lime-speck Pug

Neocochylis dubitana

 

 

Good species, low numbers

Friday night continued the same theme of clear moon-lit skies and a cool breeze with lows of 7 degrees after a warm day of 19 degrees.

There is always usually some interest this time of year, as we shift from late spring to early summer.

Friday night was no different, with one new macro moth, and several new micro moths, with a brief spot of netting after our family film night.

The first of the Wainscots arrived (usually Common, although Smoky being first isn't unheard of).

 

Pick of the micros was Aethes smeathmanniana, a moth that is pretty uncommon in my garden.

 

Warmer days arrived, but temperatures are still falling away under clear skies.

Moth garden list for 2025 stands at 178 species

09/05/25 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Common Wainscot 1 [NFY]
Brimstone Moth 1
Buff-tip 1
Chinese Character 1
Common Pug 1
Common Swift 1
Garden Carpet 1
Grey Dagger 1
Muslin Moth 3
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 3
Treble Lines 2

Micro Moths

Aethes smeathmanniana 1 [NFY]
Cacoecimorpha pronubana 1 [NFY] (Daytime)
Eudonia angustea 1 [NFY]
Monopis laevigella 1 [NFY]
Nemapogon cloacella 1 [NFY] (netted)
Alucita hexadactyla 1 (netted)
Cameraria ohridella 1 (netted)
Cochylis dubitana 2 (netted)
Elachista argentella 1
Emmetia marginea 1 (netted)
Epiphyas postvittana 1 (netted)
Nemapogon granella 2 (netted)
Platyedra subcinerea 1
Scrobipalpa ocellatella 1

Nemapogon granella

Aethes smeathmanniana

Cacoecimorpha pronubana

Common Wainscot

Elachista argentella

Monopis laevigella

Nemapogon cloacella