Essex Moths

Catch Report - 24/01/12 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2012-01-31T19:55:00.003Z

Only the 4th trapping session of the new year and as we roll into a very cold start to February there is little pickings, and it just has not been worth articulating the trap into position and then proceeding to burn 125 watts of electricity for upto 10 hours.

On the positive side I managed my first 'Micro' Moth of the year, unexpectedly it turned out to be an Acleris cristana, not a common Moth for me.

Catch Report - 24/01/12 - 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland]

Macro Moths

2x Chestnut

Micro Moths

1x Acleris cristana [NFY]

Chestnuts

Acleris cristana

Spurge Hawk-moth - Chalk Pastel

2012-01-17T20:26:00.001Z

Spurge Hawk-moth - Chalk Pastel, a photo by Bennyboymothman on Flickr.

Done recently by me whilst supporting special needs people at Art College with whom I work with.

Catch Report - 11/01/12 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2012-01-12T17:53:00.002Z

Much cooler this morning and with just one moth to count, things were looking grim indeed, luckily it was a nice fresh Spring Usher which is a new one for the year.
The next week looks very cold indeed and so therefore I won't be trapping.

Catch Report - 11/01/12 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Spring Usher [NFY]

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Spring Usher

Catch Report - 09/01/12 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2012-01-10T19:14:00.003Z

Well nothing of note, but 13 moths (7 of which were Chestnuts) was a good catch, using just my 22w Actinic about 80 metres closer to the woodland that overlooks my farm.
The MV the previous night situated in the garden attracted only 4 Moths, so I think again it proves that it is not the power of the light but the location.
Need some more cable now to reach right upto the corner of the woodland (more expense in the game of Mothing!)

Catch Report - 09/01/12 - 22w Actinic - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

7x Chestnut [NFY]
1x Mottled Umber
5x Winter Moth

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Catch Report - 08/01/12 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2012-01-09T23:53:00.006Z

A pleasing start to the year with 4 moths this morning, a bonus being all different species to get the species count off to a good start for 2012.
Best Moth was a single Early Moth, a Moth i've only recorded a few times before (this being my 3rd ever).
Mild conditions continue to dominate our weather systems with highs of 10c and lows of 6c expected over the next few days.

Catch Report - 08/01/12 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Early Moth [NFY]
1x Mottled Umber [NFY]
1x Winter Moth [NFY]
1x Pale Brindled Beauty [NFY]

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Early Moth (An overdue better picture of this species)

Pale Brindled Beauty

Catch Report - 22/12/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-12-23T07:52:00.002Z

Well I think that's it for the year now, just a few found this morning and to be honest not worth the electricity burnt all night! See you all in the new year!

Catch Report - 22/12/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

2x December Moth
3x Mottled Umber
1x Chestnut

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Mottled Umber

Catch Report - 21/12/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-12-22T18:59:00.002Z

Mild again and averaging about 10c all night, so the trap was put out in some vain attempt in attracting something other than flies and beetles, indeed it did, by morning 12 Moths were found in and around the trap. Being the longest night as well made it about 1 moth per hour!

Catch Report - 21/12/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

5x Winter Moth
4x December Moth
2x Mottled Umber
1x Satellite

Micro Moths

None Recorded

December Moth

My top 10 moths of the year

2011-12-20T21:31:00.004Z

This was very difficult to choose! all ten were new species for me this year.

Here goes....

1. (Chalk Carpet) : Not seen in Essex since 1984, we chanced upon this specimen at Grays Chalk Pit in Essex, the Moth's last stronghold, it must still be present at low density.

2. (Cream-spot Tiger) : Having seen Garden Tiger last year at this same location, it was nice to see this species in abundance with 8 individuals turning up to our light on Canvey Island.

3. (Dog's Tooth) : On the same night we managed a single specimen of this uncommon species confined to coastal areas.

4. (Festoon) : Gray's Chalk Pit at Thurrock again came up trumps with this scarce Essex species, which seems to be doing better in recent years and a colony was also found at Thorndon Park in Brentwood.

5. (Green Arches) : Having driven nearly 100 miles to a field trip on a relatively cool June evening with the Bedfordshire Moth Group at Marston Thrift, I was wondering if it was worth it! it was indeed as this beauty turned up, although listed as common, it is far from it in the South-East.

6. (Pearly Underwing) : During the great migrant spell which saw many Dark Sword-grass, Rusty Dot Pearl and singles of Scarce Bordered Straw and Small Mottled Willow, this turned up unexpectedly and was one of two trapped the same week on my farmland.

7. (Pine Hawk-moth) : Another Hawk-moth tick and 1 became 3 as I recorded them in 3 succesive weeks in the back garden/farmland, this being the most vividly marked

8. (Red-necked Footman) : Was pretty pleased with this one from the farmland, as I was recording a video when I made the discovery of it on one of my egg trays, it made it all the more special I think.

9. (Small Marbled) : Earlier on in May some of us reaped the rewards of early season migrants, not to be left out I promptly trapped 2 of these stunning little moths, possibly the best species for the farmland to date.

10. (Reed Dagger) : Not a rare species but typically confined to Salt-marsh and Shingle, several turned up at Canvey Island during another memorable trapping session.

Daffodils are blooming!

2011-12-20T20:02:00.002Z

At my local park in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. 7 miniature Daffodils have bloomed, not mothy but thought it was worth a mention!

Here's a rather awful mobile phone picture of one.

A chance for trapping....

2011-12-20T08:15:00.004Z

Maybe tomorrow and thursday evening the traps will get dusted off and put to use for the first time this month!

Catch Report - 18/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-21T20:22:00.002Z

Nothing much of note, apart from another migrant Dark Sword-grass looking pretty worse for wear.
We continue to prevail with mild conditions but the temperature has dropped to an un-favourable 6c most nights as we experience clear and misty nights, tonight looks an exception so the trap is again out after a weekend break.

Catch Report - 18/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Dark Sword-grass
4x December Moth
1x Feathered Thorn
1x Scarce Umber
2x Sprawler
1x Chestnut

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Dark Sword-grass

Catch Report - 17/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-19T14:26:00.004Z

Cold and very damp nights usually aren't the best conditions for Moths, but it didn't seem to put off the 21 Moths I recorded in the morning with the temperature hovering at 7c. 15 December Moths is a record for me. Winter Moth was also nice to see in very fresh and newly emerged condition.

Catch Report - 17/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

15x December Moth
2x Winter Moth
1x Feathered Thorn
1x Scarce Umber
1x Sprawler
1x Mottled Umber

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Mottled Umber

Winter Moth

December Moths!

Catch Report - 16/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-17T08:02:00.003Z

Not a bad night by recent weather conditions with 7 moths last night, including 3 more Scarce Umber's which was a nice surprise, having never recorded this species in the previous 5 years, to get 4 over 2 nights is pretty special.

Catch Report - 16/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

3x Scarce Umber

1x December Moth

1x Sprawler

1x November Moth

1x Feathered Thorn

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Scarce Umber

Catch Report - 14/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-15T20:54:00.003Z

Trapped again last night and with just 4 Moths I would have normally have been thoroughly disappointed....but one of the moths was a first for me in the form of a Scarce Umber, having never seen it in the previous 5 years of Moth trapping!
Shame about the chip in the wing though! can't have everything I suppose.

All was worth it in the end, very chilly this morning at 7c.
It just goes to show that you never know what you might find in the morning!

Catch Report - 14/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Scarce Umber [NEW!]
1x Chestnut
1x Dark Chestnut
1x Sprawler

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Scarce Umber

Catch Report - 13/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-14T19:58:00.002Z

Still getting enough to keep me happy although last night was much cooler. Nice to see another Silver-Y, a moth that has really struggled in my garden this year, with less than 20 records in total.
December Moth being the most common with 6 individuals.
Brick also still hanging on.... but no more Large Yellow Underwings as we slip into the usual November pickings.

Catch Report - 13/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

6x December Moth
3x Sprawler
2x Feathered Thorn
1x Satellite
3x Chestnut
1x Brick
1x Silver-Y

Micro Moths

None Recorded

Silver-Y

Catch Report - 07/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-13T19:16:00.006Z

A shade milder and south winds blowing prompted me to put the trap out, I was lucky I did as it rewarded me with my second UK Pearly Underwing specimen, and a bonus that it was a lovely pinky form.

Catch Report - 07/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden/Farmland

Macro Moths

1x Pearly Underwing
1x Turnip Moth
3x December Moth
7x Sprawler
1x Green-brindled Crescent
5x Feathered Thorn
3x Satellite
1x Yellow-line Quaker
2x Brick
3x Chestnut
2x Mottled Umber

Micro Moths

1x Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

Turnip Moth & Pearly Underwing

Mottled Umber

Catch Report - 04/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-06T19:11:00.006Z

Still picking up the odd nice species including my second Grey Shoulder-knot of the year, a very mottled Mottled Umber and my first December Moth of the year, the little furry beast it is!
Weather wise we are well into autumnal weather now with cooler winds swinging around from the north and dominant cloud cover with misty and damp mornings.

Catch Report - 04/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

1x December Moth [NFY]
6x Sprawler
2x Green-brindled Crescent
2x Red-green Carpet
4x Feathered Thorn
1x Large Yellow Underwing
2x Satellite
3x Yellow-line Quaker
1x Chestnut
1x Mottled Umber
1x Grey Shoulder-knot

Micro Moths

2x Blastobasis adustella

December Moth

Grey Shoulder-knot

Mottled Umber

Catch Report - 02/11/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-03T08:07:00.003Z

Very pleased to find a single Scarce Bordered Straw sitting next to the trap this morning! my 3rd ever sighting and 1st record for Hertfordshire (previously I had 1 from Slovenia recently and 1 from Essex back in 2009) Nothing much else to repor apart from another female Feathered Thorn which was nice.

Catch Report - 02/11/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden Macro Moths

Macro Moths

1x Scarce Bordered Straw [NFY]
3x Sprawler
1x Mottled Umber
3x Satellite
1x Red-green Carpet
2x November Moth
5x Feathered Thorn (inc my 2nd ever female)
1x Brick
4x Yellow-line Quaker
3x Chestnut

Micro Moths

1x Light Brown Apple Moth E.postvittana

Scarce Bordered Straw

National Moth Night 2012 Announced

2011-11-02T20:34:00.003Z

Thanks to Dave (MrShentz on BGM) for the head's up

A good time of year let's just hope the weather plays ball!

http ://w ww.mot hscount.or g/text/29/national_moth_night.html

Catch Report - 31/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-11-02T19:46:00.007Z

Not a bad catch again under cooler conditions, highlights were 3 Dark Chestnut's a late Rosy Rustic and Large Yellow Underwing and my first Pale Mottled Willow this year, a Moth that I use to get commonly in my old Essex haunt, just must not be the best habitat here to support this Moth.

Catch Report - 31/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden Macro Moths

Macro Moths

1x Pale Mottled Willow [NFY]
7x Sprawler
5x Green-brindled Crescent
2x Beaded Chestnut
2x Barred Sallow
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot
4x Satellite
3x Yellow-line Quaker
3x Dark Chestnut
1x Large Wainscot
3x Feathered Thorn
5x Merveille du Jour
3x Angle Shades
6x Chestnut
1x Large Yellow Underwing

Micro Moths

1x Caloptilia semifascia
1x Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella
4x Blastobasis adustella

Rosy Rustic & Pale Mottled Willow

Pale Mottled Willow

Dark Chestnut

Caloptilia semifascia

Catch Report - 28/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-30T15:35:00.004Z

Still mild and with winds from the south again, recorded another bumper catch on the farm, with 73 Moths of 21 species with a few migrants including a good amount of Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1 Dark Sword-grass and a first for me in the UK, a Pearly Underwing! very happy with this rather non-descript Moth that looks like a worn Dark Sword-grass! It's not a rare Moth by any means but I believe it is the first to be recorded this year for Hertfordshire. A night break last night because of Halloween Party meant the trap stayed in the garage, but it's going out again tonight as we are in for a warm, still and dry one.

Catch Report - 28/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden Macro Moths

Macro Moths

1x Pearly Underwing [NEW!]
1x Dark Sword-grass
3x Sprawler
8x Chestnut
3x Feathered Thorn
1x November Moth
3x Red-green Carpet
11x Satellite
3x Red-line Quaker
6x Brick
3x Large Wainscot
2x Barred Sallow
5x Yellow-line Quaker
2x Angle Shades
1x Dusky-lemon Sallow
5x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1x Beaded Chestnut
2x Green-brindled Crescent
8x Merveille du Jour

Micro Moths

3x Blastobasis adustella

Pearly Underwing

Left: Dark Sword-grass Right: Pearly Underwing

Catch Report - 25/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-26T14:01:00.003+01:00

After being quite ill last night I forgot that I had put the trap out, and so at 9am I realised and quickly sorted through what was left and went back to bed!

Not much to report, best were 3 more Merveille du Jour's with quite distinct pattern differences and a Brick which I haven't seen for ages now.

Catch Report - 25/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden Macro Moths

3x Merveille du Jour
2x November Moth
3x Sprawler
3x Feathered Thorn
3x Yellow-line Quaker
8x Chestnut
1x Satellite
1x Setaceous Hebrew Character
3x Green-brindled Crescent
1x Brick
1x Beaded Chestnut
1x Turnip Moth
1x Large Wainscot

Micro Moths

2x Blastobasis laticolella

Merveille du Jour

Catch Report - 24/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-25T18:01:00.004+01:00

A much better catch with over 50 moths this time and 2 more Dark Chestnut's added to my life list of just 6 of them.
Nice to see Sprawler starting to turn up in good number's as well, after yesterday night's first specimen of the year.
5 specimens of Setaceous Hebrew Character was also a welcome surprise and these can only be immigrants from France at this late stage of the season and both the common Yellow Underwing's are still desperately hanging on!

We did have rain during the night and it looks the same tonight for a short shower or two.

Catch Report - 24/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

4x Sprawler
4x Chestnut
1x Sallow
2x Dark Chestnut
12x Yellow-line Quaker
5x Feathered Thorn
5x November Moth
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot
2x Large Yellow Underwing
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Turnip Moth
3x Beaded Chestnut
2x Green-brindled Crescent
2x Satellite
1x Red-green Carpet
2x Red-line Quaker
2x Merveille du Jour
5x Setaceous Hebrew Character

Micro Moths

1x Blastobasis laticolella

Dark Chestnut's

Catch Report - 23/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-24T21:06:00.004+01:00

A little windier and a little cooler last night and as a result less Mothage was to be found in the morning at 7am, ah I wish it meant getting up this late in the height of summer as opposed to 4.30am!
Was nice to get a new one for the garden, a Sprawler and one I use to get a lot in my old cottage garden in Essex with upto 20 individuals on certain nights in November.

Another migrant Rusty Dot Pearl was also a good addition, it's certainly having a cracking year with more records to the West of the Country.

Catch Report - 23/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

1x Sprawler [NFY]
4x Chestnut
1x Sallow
6x Yellow-line Quaker
3x Feathered Thorn
1x Turnip Moth
1x Beaded Chestnut
1x Green-brindled Crescent
1x Satellite
1x Red-green Carpet
1x Red-line Quaker

Micro Moths

1x Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

Sprawler

Catch Report - 22/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-23T17:29:00.007+01:00

A great result last night with 34 moths of 15 species which included only my 3rd ever Dark Chestnut, not much to look at but it was in pristine condition and it does exist still! also another moth turned up that I have less than 10 records for and that was a single Grey Shoulder-knot. The mothing season is not over yet then! it also looks pretty peachy for tonight as well. The temperature holding at about 9c all night and dominant cloud cover no doubt made all the difference.

Catch Report - 22/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

1x Dark Chestnut [NFY]
1x Grey Shoulder-knot [NFY]
2x Grey-pine Carpet
1x Sallow
3x Green-brindled Crescent
1x Turnip Moth
2x November Moth
8x Yellow-line Quaker
5x Chestnut
4x Satellite
1x Barred Sallow
2x Red-line Quaker
1x Beaded Chestnut
1x Mottled Umber

Micro Moths

1x Blastobasis laticolella

Dark Chestnut

Left: Dark Chestnut Right: Chestnut

Grey Shoulder-knot

Turnip Moth

Satellite

Catch Report - 12/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-23T08:59:00.003+01:00

Somehow I managed to miss a post! here is my catch results from the day before last, a much better catch as we still had mild nights back then (although last night held at 9c and I was pleasantly surprised at what species I got, more to follow on that soon!)

Catch Report - 12/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

7x Green-brindled Crescent
3x Merveille du Jour
10x Large Yellow Underwing
8x Barred Sallow
1x Sallow
3x Red-green Carpet
3x Setaceous Hebrew Character
3x Beaded Chestnut
1x Spruce Carpet
2x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1x Red-line Quaker
3x Brown-spot Pinion
5x Chestnut
9x Yellow-line Quaker
3x Large Wainscot
9x November Moth
1x Vine's Rustic
1x Mallow

Micro Moths

1x Blastobasis laticolella
1x Zelleria hepariella
1x Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana
1x Acleris sparsana
1x Acleris notana
1x Phyllonorycter messaniella

Catch Report - 13/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-22T21:57:00.007+01:00

Playing catch up, this was 9 days ago now but marked the end of the mild spell, recently we have been experiencing typical autumnal weather with a few light frosts.
I will continue to put my trap out on mild nights but I won't expect much now that I haven't seen already and will do it on a purely records basis to compare to other years.
Best Moth of the night had to go to a single Feathered Thorn, special because it was my first ever female of this species. Also both November Moth & Pale November Moth (Gen det) turning up to the trap.

Catch Report - 11/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

5x November Moth
1x Pale November Moth
3x Large Yellow Underwing
5x Barred Sallow
2x Merveille du Jour
6x Beaded Chestnut
3x Green-brindled Crescent
3x Setaceous Hebrew Character
3x Red-line Quaker
1x Feathered Thorn
5x Yellow-line Quaker
4x Brown-spot Pinion
1x Large Wainscot
2x Chestnut
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot

Micro Moths

None Recorded!

Feathered Thorn - Female

Large Wainscot

November Moth

Pale November Moth

Catch Report - 11/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-13T19:32:00.003+01:00

Cooling down now and a little breezy tonight with clearing skies, a heavy dew was present come early morning. Grey-pine Carpet was a nice treat, it's a Moth I rarely see which is odd considering it is listed as common, this being the first for my Garden after moving back last August.
Dusky-lemon Sallow is still around which is great news, and must be my 14th record this year of this scarce Moth.

Catch Report - 11/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

1x Grey-pine Carpet [NFY]
3x Beaded Chestnut
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Barred Sallow
7x Large Yellow Underwing
4x Green-brindled Crescent
1x Yellow-line Quaker
1x Black Rustic
1x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Sallow
5x Brown-spot Pinion
1x Dusky-lemon Sallow
1x Red-line Quaker

Micro Moths

1x Acleris variegana
2x Phyllonorycter messaniella

Grey-pine Carpet

Dusky-lemon Sallow

Catch Report - 09/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-13T19:24:00.003+01:00

32 Moths of 17 species I counted this morning which is getting a bit more like an October catch, but still very pleased with this amount.
Still some late flyer's including Shuttle-shaped Dart, Celypha lacunana, Snout and Burnished Brass.

Catch Report - 09/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

3x Barred Sallow
3x Vine's Rustic
1x Large Yellow Underwing
1x Orange Sallow
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot
4x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Yellow-line Quaker
5x Brown-spot Pinion
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3x Beaded Chestnut
2x Snout
1x Chestnut
1x Turnip Moth
1x Burnished Brass
1x Mallow
1x Shuttle-shaped Dart

Micro Moths

1x Celypha lacunana

Catch Report - 03/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-13T19:01:00.004+01:00

Still adding new species for the year, Mallow being another. Was also nice to record a new Micro Moth for me, which was a good example of Mompha sturnipennella.
Moth number's slightly down from previous nights due to dwindling cloud cover and a stronger breeze.

Catch Report - 03/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

1x Mallow [NFY]
2x Merveille du Jour
3x Yellow-line Quaker
2x Pink-barred Sallow
22x Brown-spot Pinion
13x Large Yellow Underwing
11x Barred Sallow
2x Sallow
1x Blood-vein
1x Orange Sallow
3x Black Rustic
2x Blair's Shoulder-knot
12x Setaceous Hebrew Character
2x Snout
3x Red-line Quaker
17x Lunar Underwing
3x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Green-brindled Crescent
24x Beaded Chestnut
2x Willow Beauty
2x Chestnut
5x Angle Shades

Orange Sallow

Micro Moths

1x Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis
1x Mompha sturnipennella [NEW!]
1x Eudonia pallida
1x Acleris cristana

Mompha sturnipennella

Acleris cristana

Catch Report - 01/10/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-05T19:49:00.009+01:00

Another start to another month, and amazingly mild as well, prompted me to put the trap out once again. Still the usual suspects turning up in fantastic numbers, best of all was an aberrant Barred Sallow.
76 Beaded Chestnut's was indeed a record amount for me.

Catch Report - 01/10/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

1x Spruce Carpet
1x Merveille du Jour
1x Dusky-lemon Sallow
11x Yellow-line Quaker
1x Turnip Moth
3x Pink-barred Sallow
37x Brown-spot Pinion
36x Large Yellow Underwing
20x Barred Sallow
1x Latticed Heath
10x Sallow
1x Red-green Carpet
5x Brick
1x Orange Sallow
2x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
7x Black Rustic
1x Rosy Rustic
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1x Silver-Y
20x Setaceous Hebrew Character
5x Snout
2x Common Wainscot
1x Feathered Thorn
1x Deep-brown Dart
1x Red-line Quaker
23x Lunar Underwing
8x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Light Emerald
1x Green-brindled Crescent
2x Large Wainscot
1x Common Marbled Carpet
76x Beaded Chestnut
1x Dark Arches
1x Willow Beauty
3x Brindled Green
5x Vine's Rustic
2x Chestnut
5x Angle Shades

Barred Sallow - Aberration.

Barred Sallow - 3 of the 20 that turned up.

Spruce Carpet

Micro Moths

2x Acleris variegana
1x Cochylis atricapitana
1x Eudonia angustea
1x Acleris sparsana
1x Caloptilia semifascia
1x Agonopterix heracliana

Caloptilia semifascia

Agonopterix heracliana

Catch Report - 30/09/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-03T20:12:00.010+01:00

30^th September 2011: Braughing Friars, Herts. TL 4024

The old farmyard at Braughing Friars sits in an area of the county that remained poorly recorded for moths when we produced the book, so when Ben Sale told me he was moving back from overseas (or as he prefers to call it - Essex) to his parents home here I was naturally delighted. I was even more delighted last week when he started catching Dusky-lemon Sallows by the bucket load hence the impromptu Herts Moth Group outing last night. I apologise for the very, very short notice some of you did manage to make it and it all went rather well. Ben has been getting well over a hundred moths per night here, of around 30 or so species, in his single mv trap for the last week. So, we added another three lights and he added another one to make 5 traps altogether; these were run from just before dark (about 7 pm) to about 6.30 am (well, Ben's traps at least were examined that early. I was eventually awoken at 7.30 by someone who shall remain nameless violently shaking the Landrover and demanding that I get my traps in!!! The air temperature stayed in the twenties and it was shirt sleeves until around 10 pm when it started to become just a little cooler. A heavy dew fell by morning, but was soon dispersed by the hot sun. Unless I missed anything, there were exactly 50 species by morning, of which 9 came to the lights after midnight when we had abandoned them until the morning. These nine were 2091: A. ipsillon, 2092: A. puta, 2232: A. nigra, 2240: L. leautieri, 2256: E. transversa, 2297: A. pyramidea, 2364: G. flavago, 2375: R. lutosa and 2384: H. ambigua. Most others came to the traps by 22.30 hours. Numbers are approximate. Note the third generation of Willow Beauty also evident elsewhere across the county the moths are all minute! The Merveille-de-Jour were all spanking fresh, we got 3 Dusky-lemon Sallow in all and as a bonus we caught some Deep-brown Dart the taxonomic status of which is questionable in that the European species is probably not the same as ours! The full list is below.

Colin's list

Yponomeutidae

0462 Ypsolopha sequella (Clerck, 1759) 4

0464 Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) Diamond-back Moth 1

Oecophoridae

0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Stainton, 1849) Brown House Moth 1

Blastobasidae

0874 Blastobasis lacticolella Rebel, 1940 1

Tortricidae

1036 Acleris forsskaleana (Linnaeus, 1758) 1

1041 Acleris sparsana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) 1

1048 Acleris variegana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Garden Rose Tortrix 4

Crambidae

1395 Udea ferrugalis (Hübner, 1796) Rusty-dot Pearl 1

Pterophoridae

1524 Emmelina monodactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) 1

Geometridae

1760 Chloroclysta siterata (Hufnagel, 1767) Red-green Carpet 3

1764 Chloroclysta truncata (Hufnagel, 1767) Common Marbled Carpet 2

1769 Thera britannica (Turner H J, 1925) Spruce Carpet 2

1894 Chiasmia clathrata (Linnaeus, 1758) Latticed Heath 1

1906 Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758) Brimstone Moth 2

1923 Colotois pennaria (Linnaeus, 1761) Feathered Thorn 1

1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Willow Beauty 3

Noctuidae

2087 Agrotis segetum ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Turnip Moth 2

2091 Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766) Dark Sword-grass 1

2092 Agrotis puta (Hübner, 1803) Shuttle-shaped Dart 1

2107 Noctua pronuba Linnaeus, 1758 Large Yellow Underwing 10

2109 Noctua comes Hübner, 1813 Lesser Yellow Underwing 1

2110 Noctua fimbriata (Schreber, 1759) Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 3

2126 Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758) Setaceous Hebrew Character 2

2134 Xestia xanthographa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Square-spot Rustic 1

2199 Mythimna pallens (Linnaeus, 1758) Common Wainscot 1

2231 Aporophyla lutulenta ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Deep-brown Dart 2

2232 Aporophyla nigra (Haworth, 1809) Black Rustic 1

2240 Lithophane leautieri Boursin, 1957 Blair's Shoulder-knot 1

2247 Dichonia aprilina (Linnaeus, 1758) Merveille du Jour 5

2248 Dryobotodes eremita (Fabricius, 1775) Brindled Green 5

2256 Eupsilia transversa (Hufnagel, 1766) Satellite 1

2258 Conistra vaccinii (Linnaeus, 1761) Chestnut 5

2262 Agrochola circellaris (Hufnagel, 1766) Brick 15

2263 Agrochola lota (Clerck, 1759) Red-line Quaker 3

2264 Agrochola macilenta (Hübner, 1809) Yellow-line Quaker 10

2266 Agrochola litura (Linnaeus, 1761) Brown-spot Pinion 40

2267 Agrochola lychnidis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Beaded Chestnut 70

2270 Omphaloscelis lunosa (Haworth, 1809) Lunar Underwing 25

2272 Xanthia aurago ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Barred Sallow 15

2273 Xanthia togata (Esper, 1788) Pink-barred Sallow 20

2274 Xanthia icteritia (Hufnagel, 1766) Sallow 10

2275 Xanthia gilvago ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Dusky-lemon Sallow 3

2297 Amphipyra pyramidea (Linnaeus, 1758) Copper Underwing 1

2306 Phlogophora meticulosa (Linnaeus, 1758) Angle Shades 1

2361 Hydraecia micacea (Esper, 1789) Rosy Rustic 1

2364 Gortyna flavago ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Frosted Orange 1

2375 Rhizedra lutosa (Hübner, 1803) Large Wainscot 1

2384 Hoplodrina ambigua ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Vine's Rustic 1

2434 Diachrysia chrysitis (Linnaeus, 1758) Burnished Brass 2

2477 Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Snout 6

Below are my lists from both of my traps.

Catch Report - 30/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland

Macro Moths

5x Sallow
2x Pink-barred Sallow
24x Large Yellow Underwing
3x Wilow Beauty
16x Brown-spot Pinion
3x Black Rustic
9x Barred Sallow
2x Angle Shades
12x Lunar Underwing
15x Beaded Chestnut
2x Snout
3x Yellow-line Quaker
4x Chestnut
8x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Red-line Quaker
2x Burnished Brass
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Vine's Rustic

Micro Moths

1x Acleris variegana
1x Emmelina monodactyla

Catch Report - 30/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Back Garden

Macro Moths

5x Sallow
1x Turnip Moth
1x Deep-brown Dart
1x Rosy Rustic
2x Blair's Shoulder-knot
1x Frosted Orange
2x Pink-barred Sallow
16x Large Yellow Underwing
1x Latticed Heath
3x Wilow Beauty
23x Brown-spot Pinion
3x Black Rustic
2x Barred Sallow
2x Angle Shades
1x Satellite
1x Common Wainscot
7x Lunar Underwing
21x Beaded Chestnut
9x Snout
3x Yellow-line Quaker
3x Chestnut
8x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1x Red-line Quaker
1x Square-spot Rustic
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Brindled Green
2x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Micro Moths

1x Acleris variegana
1x Ypsolopha Sequella

Chestnut

Dusky-lemon Sallow

Satellite

Green-brindled Crescent

Merveille du Jour

Rusty Dot Pearl

Catch Report - 28/09/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-10-02T16:39:00.009+01:00

Still lots of Moths about including lots of Sallows, I barely have time to write much so i'm afraid it's list's and photo's time!
Well over 200 moths again in just the 1 Robinson 125w MV trap.

Best moth was a Dusky-lemon Sallow of which I caught 3. Also new for year were 3 Red-line Quaker's and a Merveille du Jour, also a single micro I have yet to ID.

The micro turned out to be a Nut Bud Moth Epinotia tenerana.

Catch Report - 28/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

3x Dusky-lemon Sallow [NFY]
3x Red-line Quaker [NFY]
1x Merveille du Jour [NFY]
2x Yellow-line Quaker
1x Dark Sword-grass
1x Red-green Carpet
1x Feathered Thorn
2x Mottled Umber
13x Angle Shades
3x Blair's Shoulder-knot
6x Pink-barred Sallow
1x Brick
3x Brindled Green
34x Beaded Chestnut
2x Common Marbled Carpet
8x Black Rustic
31x Lunar Underwing
2x Latticed Heath
52x Large Yellow Underwing
6x Vine's Rustic
3x Common Wainscot
40x Brown-spot Pinion
16x Barred Sallow
2x Rosy Rustic
19x Setaceous Hebrew Character
6x Snout
2x Turnip Moth
1x Square-spot Rustic
6x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2x Burnished Brass
2x Silver-Y
4x Willow Beauty
3x Brimstone Moth

Micro Moths

1x Nut Bud Moth Epinotia tenerana [NFY]
2x Acleris sparsana
1x White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella
2x Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2x Acleris forsskaleana

Dusky-lemon Sallow

Left: Red-line Quaker Right: Yellow-line Quaker

Nut Bud Moth Epinotia tenerana

Merveille du jour

Catch Report - 26/09/11 and 27/09/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-09-28T21:30:00.008+01:00

Bulking these two back to back catch results together to save time (which I have very little of recently it seems) Superb conditions still seeming to dominate here, although the sky is clear, the temperatures have been holding with only a slight drop come early morning. Nice to see my 2rd ever Large Wainscot (albeit from a different locality this time) and also my 3rd ever Large Ranunculus (the other two were trapped at a different in Essex) A Massive number of Angle Shades which I am not use to and some very late flying species, including Blood-vein and Acleris forsskaleana.

Catch Report - 26/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

23x Angle Shades
1x Dark Sword-grass
1x Mottled Umber [NFY]
1x Blair's Shoulder-knot [NFY]
1x Orange Sallow
2x Pink-barred Sallow
1x Brick
3x Brindled Green
36x Beaded Chestnut
4x Common Marbled Carpet
14x Black Rustic
20x Lunar Underwing
12x Latticed Heath
5x Centre-barred Sallow
82x Large Yellow Underwing
7x Vine's Rustic
2x Common Wainscot
17x Brown-spot Pinion
8x Barred Sallow
2x Frosted Orange
4x Rosy Rustic
1x Copper Underwing
15x Setaceous Hebrew Character
5x Snout
2x Turnip Moth
2x Square-spot Rustic
4x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2x Burnished Brass
2x Cabbage Moth
2x Silver-Y
1x Willow Beauty
3x Light Emerald
1x Dusky Thorn
3x Brimstone Moth

Micro Moths

1x Acleris aspersana
1x Acleris sparsana
1x Catoptria falsella
2x White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella
1x Celypha lacunana
4x Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1x Ypsolopha parenthesella
1x Acleris forsskaleana

Catch Report - 27/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

1x Large Wainscot [NFY]
1x Feathered Thorn [NFY]
1x Large Ranunculus [NFY]
1x Blood-vein
15x Angle Shades
2x Blair's Shoulder-knot
3x Pink-barred Sallow
2x Brick
1x Brindled Green
29x Beaded Chestnut
1x Common Marbled Carpet
11x Black Rustic
24x Lunar Underwing
8x Latticed Heath
2x Centre-barred Sallow
77x Large Yellow Underwing
5x Vine's Rustic
1x Common Wainscot
22x Brown-spot Pinion
9x Barred Sallow
3x Rosy Rustic
13x Setaceous Hebrew Character
3x Snout
1x Turnip Moth
3x Square-spot Rustic
2x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Burnished Brass
1x Silver-Y
1x Willow Beauty
6x Brimstone Moth

Micro Moths

1x White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella
2x Celypha lacunana
2x Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Large Ranunculus

Blair's Shoulder-knot

Feathered Thorn

Large Wainscot

Large Wainscot and Common Wainscot

Mottled Umber

Acleris forsskaleana

Acleria sparsana

Catch Report - 23/09/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-09-25T09:50:00.009+01:00

Still ticking over nicely in the garden with another nice selection of autumnal species including one i've only ever see twice before, an Orange Sallow albeit a worn one.
Other species of note included a single Brick, Brindled Green and Pink-barred Sallow, all of them being new for the year.
The weather next week appears to be improving once again with mid 20's expected upto 26c! and a south wind blowing recently has seen many migrants on the kent coast.
Excited? you should be.... so get those traps out every night guys and girls!

Catch Report - 23/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

1x Orange Sallow [NFY]
1x Pink-barred Sallow [NFY]
1x Brick [NFY]
1x Brindled Green [NFY]
7x Beaded Chestnut
1x Common Marbled Carpet
9x Black Rustic
19x Lunar Underwing
5x Latticed Heath
1x Centre-barred Sallow
20x Large Yellow Underwing
4x Vine's Rustic
4x Common Wainscot
6x Brown-spot Pinion
3x Barred Sallow
1x Frosted Orange
2x Rosy Rustic
9x Setaceous Hebrew Character
4x Snout
2x Turnip Moth
2x Square-spot Rustic
1x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Burnished Brass
1x Cabbage Moth
1x Silver-Y

Micro Moths

2x Acleris variegana
1x Ypsolopha parenthesella
1x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Orange Sallow - Shame it's worn.

Beaded Chestnut

Brick

Pink-barred Sallow

Brindled Green

Catch Report - 19/09/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-09-23T18:05:00.009+01:00

Well i've not trapped much lately, but here was my catch from Monday evening, I hope to get the trap out tonight just to see if I get anything.
This was surprisingly a good catch under mild cloudy conditions, but cooling towards the morning.

Latticed Heath still hanging on and new for year in the form of a few Sallow's and a single Deep-brown Dart

Noticed a huge drop-off with the Micro Moths though!

Catch Report - 19/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

3x Barred Sallow [NFY]
2x Centre-barred Sallow
2x Brimstone Moth
2x Latticed Heath
3x Beaded Chestnut [NFY]
12x Brown-spot Pinion
3x Rosy Rustic
7x Black Rustic
1x Turnip Moth
11x Large Yellow Underwing
2x Setaceous Hebrew Character
3x Snout
1x Green Carpet
2x Frosted Orange
14x Lunar Underwing
3x Dark Arches
2x Sallow *(inc 1x f.flavescens) [NFY]
2x Dusky Thorn
4x Mouse Moth
2x Copper Underwing
1x Svensson's Copper Underwing
4x Uncertain
10x Vine's Rustic
1x Silver-Y
1x Common Wainscot
3x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2x Burnished Brass
3x Lesser Yellow Underwing
9x Square-spot Rustic
3x Light Emerald

Micro Moths

1x Acleris variegana
1x Celypha lacunana

Barred Sallow's

Barred Sallow

Beaded Chestnut

Beaded Chestnut's

Sallow (f.flavescens)

Sallow (Normal form)

Deep-brown Dart

Catch Report - 09/09/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-09-10T21:23:00.015+01:00

Back to trapping in England, and after that massive previous post, good stuff to report including 1 Red Underwing (only my 4th ever specimen) and 2 cracking Brown-spot Pinons were the pick of the catch of a respectable 40+ species. Both species seem to have very irregular years from my experience.
Nice to also see Frosted Orange and Angle Shades in good numbers 5 and 8 specimens!

Ypsolopha alpella was the best Micro, there being 10 or so previous County records and a new one for me.

Catch Report - 09/09/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

12x Square-spot Rustic
22x Centre-barred Sallow [NFY]
5x Brimstone Moth
8x Latticed Heath
6x Vine's Rustic
36x Large Yellow Underwing
4x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
3x Black Rustic [NFY]
13x Setaceous Hebrew Character
5x Common Wainscot
1x Copper Underwing
1x Snout
7x Light Emerald
1x Rosy Rustic
3x Lunar Underwing
4x Mouse Moth
1x Feathered Gothic [NFY]
8x Angle Shades
1x Maiden's Blush
1x Green Carpet
2x Early Thorn
1x Small Square-spot [NFY]
3x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Silver-Y
3x Common Rustic
2x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2x Brown-spot Pinion [NFY]
1x Cabbage Moth
4x Flame Shoulder
1x Burnished Brass
1x Turnip Moth
1x Nutmeg
1x Orange Swift
1x Engrailed
5x Frosted Orange [NFY]

Brown-spot Pinion

Two different marked examples

Lunar Underwing

Frosted Orange

Red Underwing

Micro Moths

1x Acleris emargana
2x Celypha lacunana
2x Agonopterix arenella
1x Agonopterix ocellana
3x Blastobasis adjustella
2x Agiphila geniculea
1x Agapeta hamana
1x Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis
1x Eudonia pallida
5x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
4x Agriphila tristella
1x Ypsolopha alpella [NEW!]
1x Ypsolopha parenthesella
1x Ypsolopha sequella
1x Epinotia nisella

Ypsolopha alpella

Acleris emargana

Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis

Trip to Slovenia – 7 Night’s Mothing

2011-09-09T07:41:00.031+01:00

Trip to Slovenia – 7 Night’s Mothing

28^th August – 04^th September 2011

Just got back from an amazing trip to Slovenia near Moravske Toplice, on the border of the Goricko National Park.

It really is a stunning location and allows you to explore the 3 neighbouring Countries Austria, Hungary and Croatia, all of which are within a 20 minute drive away.

In seven nights I managed 125 species of Macro Moths, which at this slow time of year was more than I expected!

The conditions were perfect most evenings, clouding over as the sunset (total opposite to most night’s here in the UK!) 2 nights, Thursday & Friday we experienced huge thunderstorms and extremely wet conditions so only the wall mounted light was used on these nights.

Most days ranged from 24c to 31c and there was little wind and the temperatures at night kept to a minimal 20c!

Unfortunately being located within a vineyard Wasps and Hornets were a big problem (the Hornets had even taken residence under the eaves of the cottage). This did present some problems going through the catch in the morning and as a result decided against using a trap, but to just rely on the walls.

Now, when I first arrived I was deciding where to put the 160w MBT Tripod set-up that I had brought, and then on inspection of the cottage, to the rear was a wall mounted bulb that was water-proofed, it turned out to be a 250w Mercury Vapour bulb, result! All I had to do was flick the switch on at dusk then check the wall in the morning. I decided to set-up my other light at the front of the property over-looking the wood.

The surrounding habitat looked perfect, adjacent woodland, a good sized garden and positioned on top of a hill to intercept anything that was flying across, there was also no light pollution at all.

Here is the complete list from those 7 nights, Starred species are new species to me.

Macro Moths

Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina)
Lemonia taraxaci *
Antheraea yamamai *
Scalloped Hook-tip (Falcaria lacertinaria)
Oak Hook-tip (Watsonalla binaria)
Barred Hook-tip (Watsonalla cultraria)
Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria)
Scarce Hook-tip (Sabra harpagula) *
Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis)
Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides)
Little Emerald (Jodis lactearia) *
Maiden’s Blush (Cyclophora punctaria)
Clay Triple-lines (Cyclophora linearia)
Blood-vein (Timandra comai)
Streaked Wave (Scopula virgulata) *
Lesser Cream Wave (Scopula immutata)
Bright Wave (Idaea ochrata cantiata) *
Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiate)
Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)
Gem (Orthonama obstipata) *
Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe decoloraria)
Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)
Royal Mantle (Catarhoe cuculata) *
Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)
Purple Bar (Cosmorhoe ocellata)
Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)
Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)
Pine Carpet (Thera firmata) *
Cloaked Carpet (Euphyia biangulata) *
Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata)
Freyer’s Pug (Eupithecia intricata)
Plain Pug (Eupithecia simpliciata)
Treble Bar (Aplocera plagiata)
Small White Wave (Asthena albulata)
Small Seraphim (Pterapherapteryx sexalata)
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)
Peacock Moth (Macaria notata)
Tawny-barred Angle (Macaria liturata)
Latticed Heath (Chiasmia clathrata)
Large Thorn (Ennomos autumnaria)
August Thorn (Ennomos quercinaria)
September Thorn (Ennomos erosaria)
Lunar Thorn (Selenia lunularia) *
Luna Beauty (Ascotis selenaria) *
Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)
Feathered Beauty (Peribatodes secundaria) *
Pale Oak Beauty (Hypomecis punctinalis)
The Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata)
Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria)
Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)
Barred Red (Hylaea fasciaria)
Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli) *
Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)
Small Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus)
Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)
Lobster Moth (Stauropus fagi)
Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedaries)
Three-humped Prominent (Notodonta tritophus) *
Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac)
Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma)
Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)
Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina)
Maple Prominent (Ptilodon cucullina)
Clostera anastomosis *
Oak Processionary (Thaumetopoea processionea) *
The Vapourer (Orgyia antique)
Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)
Rosy Footman (Miltochrista miniata)
Scarce Footman (Eilema complana)
Buff Footman (Eilema depressa)
Four-spotted Footman (Lithosia quadra) *
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum)
Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)
Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)
Small Black Arches (Meganola strigula) *
Kent Black Arches (Meganola albula)
Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum)
Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)
Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)
Plain Clay (Eugnorisma depuncta) *
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)
Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata)
Pearly Underwing (Peridroma saucia) *
Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)
Square-spotted Clay (Xestia rhomboidea)
Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)
Beautiful Brocade (Lacanobia contigua) *
Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)
Double Line (Mythimna turca) *
The Delicate (Mythimna vitellina) *
Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impure)
L-album Wainscot (Mythimna l-album)
Beautiful Arches (Blepharita satura) *
Large Dagger (Acronicta cuspis) *
Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis)
Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea)
Orache Moth (Trachea atriplicis) *
Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)
The Olive (Ipimorpha subtusa)
The Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina)
Common Rustic (Mesapamea secalis)
Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)
The Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)
The Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda)
Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)
Bordered Sallow (Pyrrhia umbra)
Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera)
Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga)
Shining Marbled (Pseudeustrotia candidula) *
Spotted Sulphur (Emmelia trabealis) *
Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana)
Scarce Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chryson) *
Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
Dark Spectacle (Abrostola triplasia)
Clifden Nonpareil (Catocala fraxini) *
The Passenger (Dysgonia algira) *
Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula)
Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)
The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)
Shaded Fan-foot (Herminia tarsicrinalis) *
Small Fan-foot (Herminia grisealis)
Clay Fan-foot (Paracolax tristalis)

Antheraea yamamai

September Thorn & August Thorn

Beautiful Arches

Beautiful Brocade

Bright Wave

Cloaked Carpet

Clostera anastomosis

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Delicate

Double Line

Four-spotted Footman Left: Male Right: Female

Gem

Jersey Tiger

Large Dagger

Large Thorn

Lemonia taraxaci

Little Emerald

Luna Beauty

Lunar Thorn

Oak Processionary

Orache

Passenger

Pearly Underwing

Pine Carpet

Plain Clay

Royal Mantle

Scarce Burnished Brass

Scarce Hook-tip

Shaded Fan-foot

Small Black Arches

Spotted Sulphur

Streaked Wave

Three-humped Prominent

Slovenia

2011-08-26T11:11:00.002+01:00

Well I shall be off to Slovenia on sunday to sample some vine-yard relaxation, the traps will be packed and put in the garden and in the local woodland every night, can't wait to pick up some new European species.

See you in a week!

Catch Report - 20/08/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-08-21T09:39:00.008+01:00

Not a riveting night by any means but a few moths about which wasn't too bad mostly made up by 42x Setaceous Hebrew Character, 22x Flame Shoulder and 14x Latticed Heath. New species for the year included Square-spot Rustic, Agriphila geniculea & Eudonia angustea

Catch Report - 20/08/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

7x Brimstone Moth
1x Burnished Brass
4x Common Rustic
5x Common Wainscot
1x Common Wave
1x Copper Underwing
1x Dark Arches
1x Dusky Thorn
1x Early Thorn
22x Flame Shoulder
3x Flounced Rustic
1x Green Carpet
8x Large Yellow Underwing
14x Latticed Heath
1x Least Carpet
5x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Lesser Yellow Underwing
5x Light Emerald
2x Orange Swift
2x Riband Wave
1x Rosy Rustic
2x Rustic
42x Setaceous Hebrew Character
2x Shuttle-shaped Dart
1x Small Waved Umber
2x Square-spot Rustic [NFY]
2x Square-spotted Clay
1x Straw Dot
2x Straw Underwing
1x Turnip Moth
10x Uncertain
3x Vine's Rustic
1x Willow Beauty

Square-spot Rustic

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Common Rustic

Micro Moths

1x Agriphila geniculea [NFY]
1x Eudonia angustea [NFY]
13x Agriphila tristella
2x Agriphila straminella
1x Emmelina monodactyla
2x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
2x Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis
1x Agapeta hamana
1x Helcystogramma rufescens
1x Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana
1x Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana
1x Eudonia pallida
1x Eucosma ombumbratana
2x Chrysoteuchia culmella
3x Catoptria falsella
2x Acrobasis consociella
4x Celypha lacunana
4x Blastobasis adustella
2x Crambus perlella

Eudonia angustea

Agriphila geniculea

Some recent Moths

2011-08-18T20:29:00.009+01:00

Here are some i've trapped recently, best one of all was Niditinea fuscella, a new species of clothes moth that I found in my bedroom! Arghhh! otherwise very quiet and the weather hasn't been very nice and not worth trapping in.

Cabbage Moth - not a common species for me, 1 or 2 per year.

Flounced Rustic - A common species this time of year.

Square-spotted Clay - The best marked example yet!

Magpie Moth - Second brood, just as stunning.

White-point - A regular migrant.

Agriphila straminella - Just emerging, very common.

Niditinea fuscella - The new species of the week.

Agonopterix liturosa - another good record for Hertfordshire

2011-08-13T22:19:00.009+01:00

Found this whilst packing away the egg cartons some 3 hours after turning off the trap! very lucky indeed that it didn't blow away, it's about the 6th or 7th County record for Hertfordshire and a first for me, well chuffed!
And it joins a good list of Agonopterix's that i've seen over the year's!

Agonopterix liturosa

Waaaay back in : 2008

Agonopterix alstromeriana

Agonopterix heracliana

A year on and 4 more added to the list : 2009

Agonopterix arenella

Agonopterix nervosa

Agonopterix purpurea

Agonopterix subpropinquella f.rhodochrella

2010 : just the one addition

Agonopterix ocellana

A new Macro & Micro

2011-08-13T12:04:00.005+01:00

Two traps out last night as it looks nice and balmy, 1x 125w MV Robinson and my new 160w MBT Tripod set-up, ready to take on holiday with me to Slovenia.

Not a bad night, although my tripod 160w MBT blew as it got too wet, thank god I have a spare bulb, luckily the 125 MV was still running although pretty soaked.
Usual suspects but amongst that included 2 firsts in the shape of Purple Clay and Eudonia trunciolella, also a garden first Sallow Kitten
I nearly discounted the Purple Clay for a Square-spotted Clay, as you can see them side by side they are quite different!

Catch Report - 11/08/11 - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

1x Brimstone Moth
2x Cloaked Minor
1x Clouded Border
1x Common Carpet
9x Common Rustic
2x Common Wainscot
4x Dark Arches
2x Double-striped Pug
2x Double Square-spot
2x Dusky Sallow
2x Flame Shoulder
1x Garden Carpet
4x Green Carpet
2x Heart & Dart
6x Large Yellow Underwing
2x Latticed Heath
1x Least Carpet
9x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Maple Pug
2x Mouse Moth
1x Oak Hook-tip
7x Orange Swift
1x Purple Clay [NEW!]
1x Red Twin-spot Carpet
6x Riband Wave
2x Rosy Rustic
2x Ruby Tiger
2x Rustic
2x Sallow Kitten
1x Scarce Footman
11x Setaceous Hebrew Character
5x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2x Silver-Y
1x Small Waved Umber
2x Smoky Wainscot
2x Spectacle
5x Square-spotted Clay
3x Straw Underwing
1x Svensson's Copper Underwing
1x Swallow Prominent
10x Uncertain
1x Vine's Rustic

Purple Clay

Square-spotted Clay & Purple Clay

Sallow Kitten

Micro Moths

1x Eudonia trunciolella [NEW!]
3x Cnephasia sp.
9x Agriphila tristella
3x Agriphila straminella [NFY]
2x Emmelina monodactyla
1x Udea prunalis
6x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
5x Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis
9x Agapeta hamana
2x Agapeta zoegana
9x Scoparia ambigualis
2x Eucosma ombumbratana
4x Cochylis atricapitana
4x Chrysoteuchia culmella
3x Phycita roborella
3x Batia unitella
1x Crambus perlella

Eudonia trunciolella

Agapeta zoegana - Orange Form

Catch Report - 04/08/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-08-05T20:34:00.008+01:00

A slightly smaller catch this morning but with some cracking Moths, including 4 of the Nationally scarce Square-spotted Clay, a single Dark Sword-grass, both Swallow & Lesser Swallow Prominent and two new Micro Moths Aethes smeathmanniana & Bactra lacteana.

Catch Report - 04/08/11 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

1x Black Arches
6x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2x Brown-line Bright-eye
1x Buff Ermine
2x Burnished Brass
2x Clay
9x Cloaked Minor
1x Clouded Border
1x Common Carpet
11x Common Footman
5x Common Rustic
2x Copper Underwing
2x Dark Arches
1x Dark Sword-grass
1x Dingy Footman
1x Double Square-spot
2x Dun-bar
2x Dwarf Cream Wave
3x Flame Shoulder
3x Large Yellow Underwing
5x Latticed Heath
3x Least Carpet
6x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Lesser Swallow Prominent
8x Lesser Yellow Underwing
2x Lime-speck Pug
1x Mouse Moth
2x Red Twin-spot Carpet
4x Riband Wave
9x Ruby Tiger
1x Rustic
1x Scalloped Oak
4x Scarce Footman
3x Setaceous Hebrew Character
4x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2x Smoky Wainscot
4x Square-spotted Clay
3x Straw Underwing
1x Swallow Prominent
18x Uncertain
3x Yellow Shell

Square-spotted Clay

Swallow and Lesser Swallow Prominent

Micro Moths

1x Aethes smeathmanniana [NEW!]
1x Bactra lacteana [NEW!]
1x Cnephasia sp.
1x Agriphila tristella
1x Orthopygia glaucinalis
1x Emmelina monodactyla
1x Udea prunalis
2x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
7x Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis
3x Endotricha flammealis
2x Agapeta hamana
4x Scoparia ambigualis
1x Eucosma ombumbratana
3x Cochylis atricapitana
19x Chrysoteuchia culmella
2x Phycita roborella
2x Batia unitella
2x Crambus perlella
1x Euzophera pinguis
1x Monochroa palustrella
5x Eucosma cana

Aethes smeathmanniana

Bactra lacteana

Field Trip - Canvey Island (Wick) - 02/08/11

2011-08-04T18:04:00.026+01:00

Back to Essex and under probably the best conditions we've had this year, a trip was organised with 6 of us arranging to meet at the Morrison's Car Park at 9pm. It had been the hottest day of the year and the evening was very mild indeed under a cloudy sky. We set up on the concrete flats down near the coast and ran 4 traps, Don Down's 125w MV Tripod set-up, Graham's dual 40w Actinic and my 125w MV Robinson & 160w MBT Trap. The Moths came in at a steady pace to start with around Don's Tripod and then all of a sudden, it was hard to keep up and tick each species as they came in. Not quite as epic as our 126 species of Macro Moths last year, but we had a fair few new ones for the site and some local rarities to spice things up a bit! The actual site is still an absolute tip, as they continue to develop a road that will eventually lead to a distribution area, luckily much further over from this important site.

The Moths were superb including new Moths for me Dog's Tooth, Marbled Green, Reed Dagger, Sallow Kitten, Agdistis bennetii, Ebulea crocealis, Epiblema foenella, Eucosma campoliliana, Evergestis extimalis and Stathmopoda pedella, so 10 new species was astonishing!
Other species of note included 1 Crescent several White-points, 3 Garden Tiger's and the rare RDB3 Platytes alipinella was also very common there with at least 25 individuals, always nice to see!

Here is the provisional list that I made on the night, no counts were made by me and i'm probably missing a few as my pen run out of ink!

UPDATED WITH TOTALS - 21/08/11

Macro Moths

2x Oak Eggar

15x Drinker

3x Pebble Hook-tip

1x Mullein Wave

1x Small Blood-vein

5x Lesser Cream Wave

15x Least Carpet

5x Small Fan-footed Wave

1x Single-dotted Wave

4x Small Scallop

15x Riband Wave

50x Shaded Broad-bar

4x Common Carpet

3x Yellow Shell

5x Slender Pug

15x Lime-speck Pug

2x Tawny Speckled Pug

2x Shaded Pug

3x Plain Pug

1x V-Pug

3x Double-striped Pug

1x Treble-bar

7x Magpie Moth

1x Clouded Border

1x Scorched Carpet

12x Sharp-angled Peacock

10x Brimstone Moth

4x Canary-shouldered Thorn

1x Early Thorn

2x Scalloped Oak

3x Willow Beauty

2x Common White Wave

1x Clouded Silver

1x Poplar Hawk-moth

15x Sallow Kitten [NEW!]

6x Pebble Prominent

2x Swallow Prominent

3x Pale Prominent

10x Brown-tail

2x Yellow-tail

1x Rosy Footman

1x Dingy Footman

25x Scarce Footman

3x Common Footman

3x Garden Tiger

20x Ruby Tiger

25x White-line Dart

1x Turnip Moth

1x Heart and Dart

40x Shuttle-shaped Dart

5x Flame Shoulder

5x Large Yellow Underwing

15x Lesser Yellow Underwing

10x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

3x Least Yellow Underwing

1x Dog's Tooth [NEW!]

2x Bright-line Brown-eye

4x Brown-line Bright Eye

20x Clay

5x White-point

4x Southern Wainscot

10x Smoky Wainscot

2x Common Wainscot

1x Grey Dagger

2x Knot Grass

5x Reed Dagger [NEW!]

8x Tree-lichen Beauty

4x Marbled Beauty

1x Chinese Character

1x Garden Carpet

1x Lesser Swallow Prominent

1x Marbled Green [NEW!]

1x Copper Underwing

20x Dun-bar

20x Dark Arches

1x Marbled Minor

30x Cloaked Minor

10x Common Rustic

10x Dusky Sallow

2x Rosy Rustic

1x Crescent

2x Bulrush Wainscot

4x Twin-spotted Wainscot

15x Fen Wainscot

5x Uncertain

10x Rustic

2x Vine's Rustic

2x Silky Wainscot

7x Cream-bordered Green Pea

1x Nut-tree Tussock

1x Straw Dot

Dogs Tooth

Garden Tiger's

Reed Dagger

Sallow Kitten

Sharp-angled Peacock

Silky Wainscot

Twin-spotted Wainscot

White Point

White-line Dart

Micro Moths

1x Coleophora sp.

1x Yponomeuta sp.

2x Argyresthia goedartella

1x Ypsolopha sequella

1x Batia unitella

1x Anacampsis blattariella

1x Helcystogramma rufescens

5x Blastobasis lignea

1x Stathmopoda pedella [NEW!]

1x Limnaecia phragmitella

4x Agapeta hamana

1x Cochylis hybridella

2x Pandemis cerasana Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix

2x Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth

1x Celypha striana

2x Apotomis betuletana

5x Eudemis profundana

2x Epinotia brunnichana

1x Epiblema foenella [NEW!]

1x Eucosma campoliliana [NEW!]

2x Eucosma cana

1x Eucosma obumbratana

2x Cydia pomonella Codling Moth

3x Calamotropha paludella

20 Chrysoteuchia culmella Garden Grass-veneer

5x Crambus perlella

10x Agriphila tristella

2x Catoptria pinella

1x Catoptria falsella

1x Pediasia aridella

20x Platytes alpinella

1x Schoenobius gigantella

5x Scoparia ambigualis

2x Eudonia pallida

2x Cataclysta lemnata Small China-mark

2x Evergestis forficalis Garden Pebble

2x Evergestis extimalis

2x Pyrausta aurata

1x Sitochroa palealis [NEW!]

2x Phlyctaenia coronata

1x Ebulea crocealis [NEW!]

5x Udea prunalis

50x Synaphe punctalis

30x Endotricha flammealis

2x Aphomia sociella Bee Moth

5x Trachycera advenella

5x Oncocera semirubella

3x Agdistis bennetii [NEW!]

Agdistis bennetii

Cochylis hybridella

Ebulea crocealis

Epiblema foenella

Eucosma campoliliana

Evergestis extimalis

Platytes alpinella

Schoenobius gigantella

Stathmopoda pedella

Catch Report - 01/08/11 - Farmland/Back Garden - Hertfordshire

2011-08-03T19:09:00.007+01:00

First trappings of August and a superb catch was awaiting me at 5am, after the warmest night we have had this year, with no less than 75 species of Macro Moth, I could not believe it! best moths included A first for the year Dusky Thorn, one I don't get very much and is still only my 3rd ever one, new for my garden Black Arches, Dark Umber and another Waved Black and Square-spotted Clay.
Also 18 Ruby Tiger's was just silly!

I'm pretty sure I had a Rufous Minor, which would have been new, but it flew off before I could pot it, so I am not counting it!

A new Micro Moth was observed, that being a single specimen of Argyresthia albistria a Blackthorn feeder.

Catch Report - 01/08/11 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap - Farmland/back garden

Macro Moths

1x Beautiful Hook-tip
2x Black Arches
1x Blood-vein
3x Bright-line Brown-eye
4x Brimstone Moth
4x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
3x Brown-line Bright-eye
2x Buff Ermine
3x Buff Footman
1x Burnished Brass
5x Clay
6x Cloaked Minor
2x Clouded Border
2x Common Carpet
20x Common Footman
7x Common Rustic
1x Common Swift
5x Dark Arches
1x Dark Umber
2x Dingy Footman
5x Double Square-spot
6x Dun-bar
5x Dusky Sallow
1x Dusky Thorn [NFY]
6x Dwarf Cream Wave
1x Flame Shoulder
2x Heart & Dart
1x July Highflyer
1x Large Twin-spot Carpet
4x Large Yellow Underwing
14x Latticed Heath
5x Least Carpet
5x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1x Lesser Swallow Prominent
3x Lesser Yellow Underwing
3x Lime-speck Pug
2x Maple Pug
1x Marbled Beauty
1x Marbled Minor
2x Middle-barred Minor
2x Mouse Moth
1x Nut-tree Tussock
4x Nutmeg
1x Orange Swift
1x Pebble Prominent
1x Poplar Hawk-moth
3x Red Twin-spot Carpet
14x Riband Wave
1x Rosy Rustic
18x Ruby Tiger
2x Rustic
1x Scalloped Oak
3x Scarce Footman
1x Setaceous Hebrew Character
6x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2x Single-dotted Wave
1x Slender Brindle
1x Small Emerald
2x Small Fan-footed Wave
2x Small Scallop
2x Small Waved Umber
1x Smoky Wainscot
1x Square-spotted Clay
1x Straw Dot
1x Straw Underwing
1x Turnip Moth
12x Uncertain
1x Waved Black
3x White Satin Moth
1x White-spotted Pug
3x Willow Beauty
1x Yellow Shell
4x Yellow-tail

Black Arches

Dusky Thorn

Micro Moths

1x Argyresthia albistria [NEW!]
1x Agriphila tristella [NFY]
1x Cnephasia sp.
3x Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana
3x Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella
1x Emmelina monodactyla
1x Udea prunalis
2x Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
22x Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis
2x Endotricha flammealis
3x Agapeta hamana
1x Scoparia ambigualis
2x Cochylis atricapitana
29x Chrysoteuchia culmella
5x Celypha striana
7x Phycita roborella
5x Batia unitella
3x Dipleurina lacustrata
2x Crambus perlella
5x Eucosma cana
1x Azalea Leaf Miner Caloptilia azaleella

Argyresthia albistria

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana