24th August 2011

A tiny but very distinctive micro was the highlight of a fairly quiet night - the second county record of Parectopa oninidis. Several macros were new for the year and included the third garden record of Orange Sallow, much earlier in the year than the previous two records and so somewhat less worn.

Parectopa ononidis:

Orange Sallow:

19th August 2011

The first Caloptilia stigmatella since 2008 was the highlight of a very busy night where nearly half of the catch 0f 567 moths were Setaceous Hebrew Characters. A very dark tort was easily identified as Eudemis profundana from its bright orange crest. A second Pyrausta despicata for the year was a better marked individual than I've had here before.

Caloptilia stigmatella:

Eudemis profundana:

Pyrausta despicata:

11th August 2011

A very warm and humid night produced just over 300 moths of 76 species with the micro Monochroa lutulentella new to the garden. Only a few were new for the year with the first Maiden's Blush since 2008, just the second garden record of Epinotia nisella and the first Bryotropha domestica since 2009.

Monochroa lutulentella:

Maiden's Blush:

Epinotia nisella:

2nd August 2011

Warm and humid again overnight but an influx of thousands of tiny beetles meant that the moths couldn't settle and I suspect many more than usual escaped. There were a few new for the year including one that I suspect will prove to be Ear Moth.

Ypsolopha dentella was just the second garden record, the first being on 2nd August 2004 - 7 years ago to the night.

1st August 2011

Another warm and humid night produced a good crop of moths, although not in the huge numbers I'd expect at this time of year. Several species were new for the year and two were new for the garden. The beautiful tort Lozotaeniodes formosanus has long been near the top of my most wanted list and didn't let me down when it finally appeared. There have been a few reports of Marbled Clover being seen in Cambridgeshire in the past few days - presumably straying from their stronghold in the Brecks - but it was still a great surprise to find one in the trap this morning.

Marbled Clover

Lozotaeniodes formosanus

31st July 2011

A definite improvement over the past few days of cool, dry nights with a warm and humid one. Four or five species new for the year, the best of them the second garden record of Epinotia ramella being the first typical form: