Hemel Hempstead Field Trip - Back to Gadesprings

Had another much anticipated trip back to Gadesprings, and was joined by Roger on a very mild night with increasing cloud cover, the clouds did look threatening and we were expecting rain soon after setting up, but as forecast the rain held off. We were hoping for some Wainscots, and we did get a few, well they were all Common Wainscots apart from one Bulrush Wainscot.
Unfortunately the Garden Darts that I suspected that we had caught, all turned out to be just a variation of Square-spot Rustic, all looking slightly odd with extreme over-lapping of forewings.
Best micro was  Ypsolopha alpella a scarce moth in the southern part of Hertfordshire, it is a moth that I recorded on my parents farm for the first time in 2011.
We were surprised with the good count of species for this time of year, 2 good conditioned Heart & Darts was a surprise and being dive-bombed by lots of Old Ladies was fun!
All in all a good trip and well worth the effort of setting up 4 traps.

Numbers below are approximate 

29/08/13 - Gadesprings - Hemel Hempstead - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Trap & 1x 80w Actinic Trap run from 8.20pm until 1.00am

 
98 Species in total
56 Macro Moths & 42 Micro Moths


Macro Moths

1x Angle Shades
8x Brimstone Moth
1x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Bulrush Wainscot
1x Burnished Brass
6x Centre-barred Sallow
5x Common Carpet
1x Common Footman
2x Cloaked Minor
2x Common Rustic
8x Common Wainscot
2x Common Wave
5x Copper Underwing
2x Dark Arches
15x Dingy Footman
2x Double-striped Pug
1x Dun-bar
1x Dusky Thorn
8x Feathered Gothic
1x Flame Carpet
5x Flame Shoulder
2x Flounced Rustic
2x Garden Carpet
5x Green Carpet
2x Heart & Dart
5x Large Yellow Underwing
1x Least Yellow Underwing
10x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
3x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Lime-speck Pug
1x Maiden's Blush
1x Nut-tree Tussock
8x Old Lady
4x Orange Swift
1x Phoenix
1x Purple Bar
1x Rosy Rustic
1x Scalloped Oak
1x Scorched Carpet
4x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1x Silver-Y
1x Single-dotted Wave
1x Small Fan-footed Wave
1x Small Phoenix
2x Small Square-spot
2x Snout
1x Spectacle
25x Square-spot Rustic
15x Straw Dot
1x Tawny Speckled Pug
1x Tree-lichen Beauty
10x Vine's Rustic
2x Willow Beauty
4x Yellow Shell
2x Yellow-barred Brindle

Micro Moths

1x Batrachedra praeangusta
1x Cochylimorpha straminea
1x Caloptilia robustella
2x Argyresthia pruniella
2x Pandemis heparana
1x Agriphila tristella
1x Acleris variegana
1x Phycita roborella
2x Catoptria falsella
1x Cameraria ohridella
2x Coleophora sp.
1x Yponomeuta sp.
2x Eudonia mercurella
1x Prays fraxinella
1x Prays ruficeps
2x Scrobipalpa costella
1x Chrysoteuchia culmella
5x Limnaecia phragmitella
2x Blastobasis adustella
2x Ypsolopha scabrella
1x Emmetia marginea
1x Celypha lacunana
8x Elachista maculicerusella
1x Anthophila fabriciana
1x Ypsolopha alpella
1x Cataclysta lemnata
5x Clepsis spectrana
1x Bactra lancealana
10x Pleuroptya ruralis
1x Scythropia crataegella
2x Emmelina monodactyla
2x Pandemis corylana
1x Cydia splendana
1x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
5x Epinotia nisella
1x Epinotia immundana
4x Agriphila geniculea
2x Trachycera advenella
2x Acleris laterana
1x Agonopterix arenella
1x Apotomis lineana
1x Dichrorampha sp.

 

Dichrorampha sp.

Epinotia immundana

Rosy Rustic

Scrobipalpa costella

Scythropia crataegella

Square-spot Rustic

Ypsolopha alpella

Some more good moths after a mild night

Last night I ran the trap again as it appeared to be alot warmer with a decent
amount of cloud cover present at dusk. I have often said this but I am so glad
I did,because the morning I had a huge catch of moths which were mostly brown
and grey but amongst them were some delights such as Small Square-spot (a moth
I see relatively frequently at wetland sites, so nice to add to the garden list
this year again)
Coxcomb Prominent was a late new one for the garden, and the Micro Nephopterix angustella was also new and a very good record, only being my second record for this species
(my 1st was from Essex in 2010)
Plenty of migrant action, with another better conditioned Udea ferrugalis.

Below I have just listed moths that came to the trap, that did not feature the
night before.

Catch Report - 28/08/13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap

Macro Moths

1x Coxcomb Prominent [NFG]
1x Dusky Thorn [NFG]
1x Svensson's Copper Underwing (Underside of hindwing checked)[NFG]
1x Small Square-spot [NFY]
3x Light Emerald
5x Silver-Y
2x Centre-barred Sallow
1x Copper Underwing
1x Cabbage Moth
1x Double-striped Pug
1x Red Twin-spot Carpet
1x Maiden's Blush
1x Common Wainscot

Micro Moths

1x Nephopterix angustella [NFG]
1x Caloptilia robustella [NFG]
1x Bactra sp [NFY]
1x Carcina quercana
1x Cameraria ohridella
1x Eudonia mercurella
1x Agonopterix alstromeriana
5x Plutella xylostella
1x Archips podana
1x Acleris variegana
3x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
1x Udea ferrugalis

Dusky Thorn

Centre-barred Sallow

Not so Common Wainscot

Coxcomb Prominent

Small Square-spot

Bactra sp

 

Nephopterix angustella

Udea ferrugalis

Back to the garden

Lots of moths this morning, but less variety and I suppose that is what to be expected of at this time of year as our seasons change, the mornings get a little nippier and moths such as the Centre-barred Sallow start making an appearance. 
Common Rustics seemed to have finished and Square-spot Rustics have taken over somewhat! Willow Beauty still going strong though.

Catch Report - 27/08/13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap

Macro Moths

1x Small Dusty Wave [NFG]
1x Centre-barred Sallow [NFY]
1x Treble-bar [NFY]
22x Willow Beauty
45x Square-spot Rustic
5x Brimstone
1x Blood-vein
1x September Thorn
1x Garden Carpet
18x Vine's Rustic
7x Flame Shoulder
7x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
6x Setaceous Hebrew Character
4x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Green Carpet
12x Large Yellow Underwing
1x Spectacle
1x Turnip Moth
2x Orange Swift
1x Mouse Moth
1x Common Rustic
1x Straw Dot
2x Dun-bar
1x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1x Double-striped Pug
1x Flounced Rustic
1x Burnished Brass

Micro Moths

1x Apotomis betuletana [NFG]
2x Rhopobota naevana [NFG]
2x Trachycera advenella
1x Spilonota ocellana
1x Emmelina monodactyla
5x Pleuroptya ruralis
1x Evergestis forficalis
8x Agriphila tristella
5x Agriphila geniculea
2x Celypha lacunana
4x Epiphyas postvittana
2x Mompha propinquella
2x Pandemis corylana
1x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
1x Eudemis profundana
1x Cydia splendana
1x Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Apotomis betuletana

Blood-vein

Emmelina monodactyla adult + pupa

Rhopobota naevana

Small Dusty Wave

Treble-bar

The diagnostic feature - pointed abdomen. Nb. Waring Macro Book gets it the wrong way around.

A total washout

Well what an absolutely abysmal time we had trapping moths last night. After having rained all day, the rain did let up at about 9pm but what we got instead were strong winds and then the rain returned at about 11pm. The vegetation was so saturated that it probably had a good deal to do with the lack of moths and species coming to light.
Only good numbers of Flame Shoulder and Square-spot Rustic were recorded, the rest was just dross.
Still, we had a small gathering of hardy Herts moth group members and we congregated in one of the sheds and put the world to rights with deep conversation, sometimes veering off moth related topics. All good fun!


Catch Report - 24/08/13 - Braughing Farmland - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap, 1x 160w MBT Trap and Actinic trap.

Macro Moths

1x Feathered Gothic
1x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Straw Dot
1x Orange Swift
1x Flounced Rustic
1x Six-striped Rustic
2x Purple Bar
2x Angle Shades
2x Large Yellow Underwing
2x Centre-barred Sallow
4x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2x Yellow Shell
5x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Dark Arches
2x Green Carpet
2x Silver-Y
2x Straw Dot
1x Common Carpet
1x Brimstone
2x Square-spotted Clay
20+ Square-spot Rustic
20+ Flame Shoulder
1x Dart sp to be confirmed 
1x Copper Underwing sp


Micro Moths

15+ Pleuroptya ruralis
2x Agapeta hamana
5x Catoptria falsella
5x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1x Elachista sp
1x Pandemis corylana
1x Ephestia parasitella

1x Blastobasis adustella
4x Agriphila tristella
1x Agonopterix alstomeriana
1x Agriphila straminella
2x Agriphila geniculea
1x Pandemis heparana
1x Evergestis forficalis

Sawbridgeworth Marsh

Had a quick trip to a nearby marsh in Sawbridgeworth, it is a lovely habitat
and usually has something unusual and worth going for.
Indeed it was but with rain threatening and then the sky clearing with a bright moon,
the catch was not huge, but did include some lovely species.
The moths I went for were the Webb's Wainscot and Crescent (both are common on the
marsh) but I did not expect to get 50+ individuals of the Webb's, there were 3
Crescents, all of the plain form.
Another good moth that I recorded was Small Rufous, a local moth.
On the tiddler front, 2 Orthotelia sparganella were great records and only my 2nd
and 3rd ever of this species.


Catch Report - 22/08/13 - Sawbridgeworth Marsh - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap, 1x 160w MBT
Robinson Trap and 1x 80w Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

1x Straw Underwing
1x Small Square-spot
1x Scorched Carpet
1x Common White Wave
2x Common Wave
1x Maple Pug
1x Silver-Y
3x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1x Small Phoenix
1x Black Arches
1x Green Carpet
2x Orange Swift
3x Crescent
1x Copper Underwing
1x Purple Bar
1x Swallow Prominent
1x Pinion-streaked Snout
2x Latticed Heath
2x Common Rustic
2x Willow Beauty
2x Lime-speck Pug
2x Tree-lichen Beauty
10 Six-striped Rustic
1x Dusky Thorn
3x Dingy Footman
2x Small Waved Umber
2x Bulrush Wainscot
1x Common Wainscot
1x Common Carpet
5x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Single-dotted Wave
2x Yellow-barred Brindle
1x Least Yellow Underwing
1x Common Footman
2x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Small Rufous
4x Brimstone
8x Flame Shoulder
2x Double-striped Pug
1x Ghost Moth
2x Cloaked Minor
50+ Webb's Wainscot
2x Straw Dot
2x Blood-vein
5x Square-spot Rustic
1x Ruby Tiger

Micro Moths

10x Bactra lancealana
60+ Limnaecia phragmitella
5x Pandemis heparana
5x Clepsis spectrana
7x Pleuroptya ruralis
2x Phycita roborella
3x Blastobasis lacticolella
2x Monopis laevigella
1x Catoptria falsella
1x Donacaula forficella
10x Agriphila geniculea
10x Acleris rhombana
2x Orthotelia sparganella
2x Parapoynx stratiotata
3x Elophila nymphaeata
1x Cochylis atricapitana
1x Cydia splendana
1x Emmelina monodactyla
6x Elachista maculicerusella
1x Adaina microdactyla
1x Agapeta hamana
1x Yponomeuta evonymella
1x Trachycera advenella
5x Agriphila tristella
1x Monochroa palustrella
1x Plutella xylostella
1x Epinotia foenella
2x Epermenia falciformis

Bulrush Wainscot

Clepsis spectrana

Clepsis spectrana

Crescent

Dusky Thorn

Epermenia falciformis

Orthotelia sparganella

Orthotelia sparganella

Small Rufous

Tree-lichen Beauty

Webb's Wainscot

Slowing up but a migrant and a wanderer saved the night!

Well the onslaught of the usual suspects is still going strong, but the amount of species turning up to the trap has really ground to a halt.
I have just listed extras that I got on this night, that did not feature in the previous nights catch, as time is of a premium lately.
Rusty Dot Pearl was new for the garden albeit extremely washed out, and heralds probably the end of migrant activity for now, as we are expecting the wind to swing around from the north.
Another possibly good record would be the micro, Gelechia nigra. It is a scarce moth nationwide and there is only one confirmed record from Hertfordshire in 1890! Labeled as extinct at present.
Unfortunately needs must and the moth has been pinned ready for genitalia dissection, see what you think, I hope I am right.
Another good one for the garden was the Tortrix, Cochylis molliculana. This species is certainly spreading northwards, having first seen it on the coast a few years back, then last year on my parents farm South-East of here.


Catch Report - 21/08/13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap
 
Macro Moths

1x Lime-speck Pug [NFY]
1x Oak Hook-tip
2x Marbled Beauty
1x Maple Prominent

Micro Moths

1x Gelechia nigra???? pending
1x Udea ferrugalis[NFG]
1x Cochylis molliculana [NFG]
1x Clepsis consimilana
1x Catoptria falsella
2x Acleris variegana
1x Carcina quercana
1x Cydia splendana
1x Evergestis forficalis
1x Cacoecimorpha pronubana

Cacoecimorpha pronubana

Cochylis molliculana

Lime-speck Pug

Maple Prominent

Gelechia nigra??

Rusty Dot Pearl

Old Lady in my trap!

Having not had time to set-up my trap on Sunday, I proceeded to last night and after a day of temperatures reaching 25 degrees, it all looked rather pleasant. This morning it was still reasinably mild at 14c. Some great new moths to add to the garden list aswell, with a stunning Old Lady, Tawny Speckled Pug and Ypsolopha scabrella. The catch was mostly made up by LBBYU's (51) and Square-spot Rustics (42)


Catch Report - 19/08/13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap
 
Macro Moths

1x Tawny Speckled Pug [NFG]
1x Old Lady [NFG]
1x Setaceous Hebrew Character [NFY]
1x Black Arches
2x Scorched Carpet
1x Cabbage Moth
1x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Single-dotted Wave
2x Riband Wave
1x Red Twin-spot Carpet
1x Uncertain
1x Mouse Moth
2x Scalloped Oak
1x Flounced Rustic
1x Turnip Moth
1x Scarce Footman
1x Beautiful Hook-tip
3x Flame Shoulder
16x Willow Beauty
2x Double-striped Pug
42x Square-spot Rustic
2x Yellow Shell
19x Silver-Y
7x Vine's Rustic
51x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
14x Common Rustic
4x Straw Underwing
2x Straw Dot
2x Dun-bar
1x Garden Carpet
2x Spectacle
3x Copper Underwing sp
2x Brimstone
2x Orange Swift
6x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1x Snout
2x Large Yellow Underwing
2x Magpie

Micro Moths

1x Ypsolopha scabrella [NFG]
2x Emmelina monodactyla
1x Endotricha flammealis
11x Pleuroptya ruralis
1x Ditula angustiorana
1x Udea prunalis
1x Yponomeuta evonymella
1x Pyrausta aurata
1x Mompha propinquella
2x Phycita roborella
3x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
2x Bryotropha affinis
7x Agriphila tristella
6x Agriphila geniculea
1x Agriphila straminella
3x Pandemis corylana
1x Plutella xylostella
1x Trachycera advenella
2x  Spilonota ocellana
1x Epiphyas postvittana
1x Eudonia mercurella
1x Blastobasis adustella
1x Caloptilia alchiemella
1x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
1x Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Old Lady

Wormwood Pug

Tawny Speckled Pug

A Gem of a new moth! + another new Micro

On Wednesday night, I set-up the trap for the last time until Sunday night, as we are currently having a lovely weekend away.
Although it rained most of the night and the trap was full of wasps come the morning...it was all very much worth it, with my first ever UK Gem, I was so excited to get this moth and am astonished how it got past all of the town and factory lights to end up in the bottom of my trap.
The new Micro was Stenolechia gemmella, thinking it was initially a Carpatolechia species, it turned out to be this pretty species.

Argyresthia pruniella

Bryotropha affinis

Gem

 

Mouse Moth

Stenolechia gemmella

Chilly morning upon us - Still going strong!

Despite predicted clear skies all night and a dip to 9-10c, at 8.45pm it was still thick cloud cover so I promptly set-up the trap, having missed out the previous night. By this morning.... boy it was chilly!
Still the trap and the surrounding walls had plenty of moths present, mostly Willow Beauty and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.
Plenty of new species for the garden aswell, including Iron Prominent, Knot Grass, Small Phoenix and Flame Carpet.
Amazingly Common Carpet was new for year, and just shows you that it is never too late for a moth to appear in your trap!


Catch Report - 12/08/13 - Back Garden Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson trap


Macro Moths

1x Iron Prominent [NFG]
2x Knot Grass [NFG]
1x Flame Carpet [NFG]
1x Small Phoenix [NFG]
1x Common Carpet [NFY]
1x Pale Mottled Willow
1x Square-spotted Clay
19x Willow Beauty
1x Single-dotted Wave
1x July Highflyer
1x Grey Dagger
9x Silver-Y
7x Straw Underwing
1x Dot Moth
1x Flame Shoulder
25x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Phoenix
2x Dun-bar
2x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2x Snout
1x Cloaked Minor
18x Common Rustic
3x Dark Arches
1x Black Arches
2x Marbled Beauty
1x Yellow Shell
4x Riband Wave
1x Uncertain
6x Large Yellow Underwing
3x Shuttle-shaped Dart
3x Square-spot Rustic
3x Scalloped Oak
1x Early Thorn
1x Copper Underwing
3x Orange Swift
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Maple Pug
1x Cabbage Moth
2x Bright-line Brown-eye

Micro Moths

1x Bryotropha domestica [NFG]
1x Caloptilia rufipennella [NFG]
1x Gypsonoma dealbana [NFG]
1x Cochylimorpha straminea [NFG]
1x Acleris aspersana [NFG]
2x Emmelina monodactyla
10x Agriphila tristella
6x Pleuroptya ruralis
3x Endotricha flammealis
2x Blastobasis lacticolella 
1x Aleimma loeflingiana
2x Evergestis forficalis
2x Cameraria ohridella
2x Bryotropha terrella
1x Orthopygia glaucinalis
2x Epiphyas postvittana
6x Agriphila straminella
1x Pandemis corylana
1x Eudemis profundana
1x Amblyptilia acanthadactyla
1x Caloptilia alchimiella
4x Carcina quercana
1x Trachycera suavella
1x Blastobasis adustella
2x Euzophera pinguis
3x Eudonia mercurella
3x Agriphila geniculea
1x Celypha striana
1x Batia unitella
1x Chrysoteuchia culmella
1x Spilonota ocellana
2x Plutella xylostella

Acleris aspersana

Bryotropha domestica

Cochylimorpha straminea

Common Carpet

Flame Shoulder

Gypsonoma dealbana

Iron Prominent

Pandemis corylana