30th July 2010

Only Twin-spotted Wainscot was new for the year amongst the catch last night but one of each form gave me the chance to show the pair side-by side:

27th July 2010

The purplish patch continues with another new tortrix for the garden - Apotomis lineana.


Phycita roborella, new for year:

26th July 2010

Catches are slowly reducing in both numbers and variety with 250 moths of 85 species across both traps last night. One was new to the garden, a beautiful Eucosma campoliliana.

25th July 2010

Lots of micros to the trap last night with lots new for the year and one new to the garden.

Phyllonorycter harrisella, garden first:

Cochylis dubitana:

24th July 2010 (overnight)

Large Twin-spot Carpet, a garden first, was the highlight of a smallish catch here which also included several year firsts.

Bulrush Wainscot:

Gelechia senticetella:

24th July 2010

A warm, still morning tempted me to put out clearwing lures again. This time I tried for Six-belted and sure enough within twenty minutes this fine individual turned up. I left the lure out for about 2 hours but nothing else was tempted.

21st July 2010 - daytime

When I got back from work at around 4.30 it was very warm and less windy than the last few days - perfect weather for clearwing lures. Checking the ALS guide I noted that Yellow-legged Clearwing was listed as being out in July and active in the afternoon, so out went the VES lure. Within ten minutes two males had arrived and allowed me to net and photograph them with the minimum of fuss. Despite numerous luring attempts over the past 4-5 years this was a garden first and the 4th clearwing species recorded.

Yellow-legged Clearwing:

20th July 2010

Another large catch with several new species for the year.

Pine Hawkmoth, 3rd garden record:

The Gothic:

The Drinker, 3rd garden record, but a very worn individual:

Copper Underwing, identified from underneath of hindwing:

Eudemis profundana, a better marked individual than last year:

Small Scallop, a less worn moth than last year:

19th July 2010

A very warm, humid night resulted in a large catch which I rushed to get through before work. At least 107 species (several micros remain to be ID'd) including several new for the year and a garden first.

Buff Footman, new for the garden:

Juniper Webber, 3rd garden record:

16th July 2010

Several nights of cool, windy evenings reduced catches drastically. Some improvement last night resulted in just over 200 moths of 67 species. Five were new for the year: the first Plain Wave since 2007, an early Svensson's Copper Underwing, confirmed by checking the underside of the hindwing, the 2nd garden record of Aethes rubigana, Least Carpet and The Clay.

11th July 2010

A much cooler night but although rain was forecast it didn't materialize. Numbers were well down in the MV trap with half the moths of the previous night but interestingly the actinic actually performed better with c60 more moths of 9 more species.

Six species were new for the year including the second garden records of Mere Wainscot and V-Pug. Unfortunately the pug was dead in the bottom of the trap. I've also included a photo of a Double Lobed together with a Common Rustic trying to look like a Double Lobed.

Mere Wainscot:
Double-Lobed (left) & Common Rustic:

10th July 2010

A species list of just over 100 again overnight one new species for the garden and 13 new for the year.

Shaded Broad-bar, new to the garden:

Garden Dart:

Crambus pascuella:

9th July 2010

Moth numbers down a little from previous nights with 372 moths of at least 104 species. One species was new for the garden and a further 19 were new for the year.

A second garden record of The Blackneck was rather spoilt when the moth escaped before I could photograph it. I've cheated by including a photo of the previous individual, caught in 2006.

Stenoptilia pterodactyla, nfg, the white marking on the costa can be seen in the 2nd photo:

Oak Eggar, female, second garden record:

Brown-tail, last recorded in 2008:

Peppered Moth ab. carbonaria, first garden record of this form:

Epiblema foenella, first record since 2008:

The Blackneck:

8th July 2010

Another excellent night with 16 new species for the year and 3 new for the garden. Nearly 400 moths of 100 species with Chrysoteuchia culmella again too numerous to count.

Ruddy Carpet was new for the garden list:

Dotted Fan-foot (nfg):

Batrachedra pinicolella (nfg):

Leopard Moth, first since 2006:

Pediasia contaminella, first since 2005 and very nearly overlooked amongst the other crambids:

Sitochroa palealis, more photogenic than last year's individual:

7th July 2010

Both traps out for another muggy night produced just short of 400 moths of 91 species with several micros still to be identified. Again there was a phenomenal number of crambids (nearly all Chrysoteuchia culmella and Crambus perlella) which may well have taken the total moth count to over 1000 - if I'd counted them!
Stars of the night were a lovely Pammene fasciana, a new garden tick, and only the second record of the equally lovely July Highflyer. Burnished Brass f.aurea was the first of this form trapped this year and I had to include a picture of the most brightly marked Double-striped Pug that I've seen.

Pammene fasciana:
July Highflyer:
Burnished Brass f.aurea:
Double-striped Pug:

6th July 2010

After a fortnight in moth-free (and very nearly bird-free) Kefalonia I put out the MV trap as soon as I got back. Things have improved and there were 266 moths of 70 species with so many crambids that I didn't count them. Lots new for the year including a poorly marked Oak Nycteoline and several Dingy Shears, including a very nicely marked individual.