21st August 2010

Atrocious weather conditions overnight meant thoroughly drenched traps but a surprisingly good catch. Epinotia ramella, the dark form, becomes the 700th moth on the garden list whilst Webb's Wainscot and a late Broad-barred White were both new for the year.

Epinotia ramella f. costana:

Webb's Wainscot:

20th August 2010

662 moths of 75 species was a considerable improvement on recent days despite a strong breeze throughout the night. Only two species were new for the year although a ting Stigmella sp. will be a garden first but requires dissection.

Oak Hook-tip, 1st since 2006:

Campion, 1st since 2007:

Cydia splendana, dark form:

16th August 2010

A second garden record of Square-spotted Clay was the highlight of another busy night (400+ moths of 63 species), along with 2nd garden record of Six-striped Rustic. Gold Spot was the fourth record this year and there was a fifth White-point.

Square-spotted Clay:

Six-striped Rustic:

15th August 2010

Still in the doldrums before the autumn species arrive so most traps are rather unexciting. Setaceous Hebrew Character numbers are building with nearly a third of the total catch of 360 moths being SHC; total species was down to just 42. The only real highlight was a first record of Ypsolopha parenthesella for the garden.

8th August 2010

The arrival of two further White-points, this time fully-winged individuals, lends weight to my theory that they are breeding locally, I think, especially as other migrants are very thin on the ground. Having said that there was also a Rusty Dot Pearl in the trap this morning and I was surprised to see that it is the first recorded here since 2008. The highlight however was the first Mompha propinquella for the garden.

6th August 2010

A White-point was the only addition to the year list from a busy night although the 2nd Ear sp of the year looks substantially different to the first (larger and plainer) (Edit: identified by gen.det. as Saltern Ear). The White-point has one deformed wing which presumably hinders flight and makes me doubt its migrant status.

White-point (4th garden record):

Saltern Ear:

3rd August 2010

We seem to be alternating warm and cold nights at the moment. Last night was warm (and wet) and resulted in over 500 moths of 91 species. A second garden record of Agapeta zoegana was the highlight with an Ear species which will have to wait for determination (edit: identified by gen.det. as Ear Moth).

Agapeta zoegana:

Ear Moth:

1st August 2010

After a couple of cool nights producing disappointing catches to close down July, August started with a muggy night and 380 moths of just under 100 species. There were several year firsts and another tort new for the garden, Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana:

Third garden record of one of my favourite moths, Latticed Heath: