Sunday 27 October 2013

August pt 2

Acleris laterana (20/08/13) 2nd garden record

Acrolepia autumnitella (23/08/13) 2nd garden record

Aroga velocella (28/08/13) 3rd garden record

Celypha rosaceana (28/08/13) 2nd garden record

August 2013 pt 1

Anacampsis populella (01/08/13)

Acleris sheperdana (01/08/13) 2nd garden record

Scrobipalpa atriplicella (08/08/13)

Lyonetia clerkella (08/08/13) dark morph

July 2013 pt 3

Dichrorampha flavidorsana (31/07/13) 2nd county record

July 2013 pt 2

Coleophora adspersella (17/07/13) 3rd county record
Dichrorampha vancouverana (18/07/13)

Lesser Common Rustic (18/07/13) 2nd garden record

Pammene albuginana (22/07/13)

Caloptilia rufipennella (22/07/13) 2nd garden record

Gypsonoma aceriana (23/07/13)
Argyresthia bonnetella (23/07/13)



July 2013 pt 1

Grapholita tenebrosana (04/07/13) 3rd county record

Coleophora gryphipennella (05/07/13)

Scopari basistrigalis (13/07/13) 3rd garden record

Epinotia nanana (14/07/13) 3rd county record

Satin Beauty (14/07/13)

Coleophora anatipennella (15/07/13)

Coleophora coracipennella (15/07/13)


June 2013

I've received the results of the dissections of moths collected here over the season from Barry Dickerson, the county recorder. Fourteen new species are added to the garden list taking the total to 791. Lots more are added to the year list which despite a very poor spring now stands at a record 513 species. For once I have reasonable photos of all the newly added moths.

Phalonidia manniana (20/06/13):

Monochroa hornigi (29/06/13) 2nd county record:

Saturday 19 October 2013

18th October 2013

After a series of cold and dry nights a warm and wet one. The second Vestal of the year after one at the beginning of August together with a very fresh looking Silver Y show that there is still the chance of a few migrants turning up.


Tuesday 27 August 2013

26th August 2013

Yellow Belle in the MV trap this morning was a bit of surprise and would appear to be yet another wanderer from Breckland. It turns out to be just the second record for Huntingdonshire after an individual in 1954!


Sunday 25 August 2013

24th August 2013

A second Oblique Striped, very different-looking to the first, was the highpoint of a very damp catch after a night of torrential rain.


Saturday 24 August 2013

23rd August 2013

The threatened heavy rain held off until well after dawn and the traps only got slightly damp. It was a very warm and humid night and the catch improved over recent nights with 450 moths of over 70 species. New for the garden and perhaps for the VC was Oblique Striped - possibly a migrant but more likely a wanderer from the Breckland population.


Thursday 15 August 2013

14th August 2013

A warm night after several rather chilly ones saw good numbers of moths despite a stiff breeze and heavy rain just after dawn. At last I can add Pale-shouldered Brocade to the garden list along with the tiny micro Phyllocnistis saligna - just the 4th county record for this one, I believe. Pretty well the last moth out of the MV trap turned out to be just the second garden record of Dark Spectacle.




Sunday 11 August 2013

11th August 2013

Reluctantly clearing a patch of rosebay willowherb from the garden I came across this huge larva and two others - Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillars.


Saturday 10 August 2013

9th August 2013

Initially discounted as a rather bright Eucosma obumbratana it finally occurred to me that this is in fact my first record of Lathronympha strigana, actually fairly common in the county so I wonder if I've mis-identified it before!


 I've caught Endothenia ericetana here on several occasions but have never seen one as nicely marked as this one:


Finally, this Marbled Beauty looks so different to the normal form it took me some time to work out its true identity:



Monday 5 August 2013

4th August 2013

A big reduction in numbers with a decrease in overnight temperatures but still some very good moths:

                    Tawny-barred Angle(2nd garden record, first in 2006)
  

Mompha propinquella (2nd garden record, first in 2010)

The Drinker (4th garden record, last caught in 2010)

Scoparia subfusca (last recorded in 2011)

Saturday 3 August 2013

2nd August 2013

The second garden record of The Vestal last night following one in 2006, the last good migration year.



Friday 2 August 2013

1st August 2013

A huge catch of at least 115 species but in the dash to get everything done and get to work I wasn't able to count individuals - 500+ at a guess.

The two highlights were a slightly battered Royal Mantle, a garden first, and Tree-lichen Beauty, a second garden record.



Thursday 1 August 2013

30th July 2013

The spell of excellent mothing weather continues and last night produced two micros new for the garden. The plume moth Oxyptilus distans is resident in the Brecks but this looks like being the first record for the county - there is an outside chance of it being the rare migrant O.laetus and I'll retain it for dissection to confirm the identity.

The second new moth is Epiblema costipunctana, a comparatively common Hunts moth that I've avoided until now.


Saturday 27 July 2013

25th July 2013

A very fresh Brown-veined Wainscot was new to the garden during another busy night.


Thursday 25 July 2013

24th July 2013

Just the second garden record of Scarce Silver-lines was the highlight of a slightly quieter night with very few micros. A battered Dark Sword-grass was the first since 2010 and hopefully the first of many migrants.



Tuesday 23 July 2013

22nd July 2013

The spell of fine weather finally came to a close with the hottest day of the year followed by heavy rain and thunderstorms. Both traps took a bit of a battering but it didn't seem to discourage the moths. It was another 100+ species night with 3 new for the garden and several new for the year.

Haworth's Pug is easy to identify from the orange coloured abdomen but it is a shame that the first one was so worn:

  

Hedya salicella:

 
 Ethmia dodecea: