October 2011

Dissection from October.

Acleris ferrugana, 12th October, 1st garden record:

August 2011

Dissections from August.

Coleophora artemisicolella, 2nd August, 3rd garden record:

Parornix betulae, 5th August, 1st garden record:

Bryotropha similis, 10th August, first since 2007:

Coleophora saxicolella, 11th August, 1st since 2007:

Epermenia falciformis, 15th August, first since 2008:

July 2011

Dissections from July.

Cnephasia pasiuana, 5th July, caught regularly here but this is one of the first good photos:

Coleophora spinella, 7th July, last caught in 2006:

Coleophora taeniipennella, 8th July, 1st garden record:

Coleophora glaucicolella, 10th July:

June 2011

Dissections from June 2011

Haplotinea insectella, 13th June. Trapped several times in the past but this is the first reasonable photo:

Aethes beatricella, 22nd June:

Falseuncaria degreyana, 26th June, 1st garden and 4th county record:

Coleophora prunifoliae, 26th June, 2nd garden record:

Coleophora paripennella, 27th June, 1st garden record:

May 2011

Every year I retain a number of the more difficult micros for my county recorder to identify by dissection. The results for this year include 8 new species for the garden and another dozen or so that haven't been recorded here for several years. Photos of all these follow under the moth they were originally trapped. The total number of species trapped in 2011 now stands at 490 and the garden list moves up to 738 species.

I thought this might be a female Incurvaria pectinea but it proved to be my first Lampronia morosa and only the 5th county record:

Lampronia morosa:

11th October 2011

A beautifully marked female Feathered Thorn was new for the year in a trap with ever decreasing numbers of moths despite the prolonged spell of warm nights. The non-moth interest was a Birch Shield-bug which hasn't shown up in the trap before.

4th October 2011

I was briefly very excited by this moth-like insect found in the trap this morning. A closer look revealed the wings to be semi-transparent and once it moved a very unmoth-like head and neck appeared. It is a Brown Lacewing - Drepanepteryx phalaenoides.

2nd October 2011

Another warm but clear night and once more the hoped for migrants stayed away. Compensation this time came in the form of a stunning Merveille du Jour - just the third record for the garden and the first since 2009.


I couldn't resist adding a picture of this amazing bug, the weevil Curculio nucum:

1st October 2011

A rather dull result in the moth traps was livened up a bit with the presence of a House Cricket and a Dak Bush-cricket, both females.

30th September 2011

Several successive nights of warm weather have had me hoping for a migrant or two in the trap but so far no luck. Just the 4th Choreutis pariana (Apple Leaf Skeletonizer) for the county that appeared tonight made up for previous disappointment.

8th September 2011

After several nights of cold, windy, very autumnal weather things calmed down and warmed up. Three species were new for the year: a surprisingly worn Black Rustic, Frosted Orange and a very welcome Small Mottled Willow, the first here since 2006.

2nd September 2011

A huge female Bulrush Wainscot and the first Centre-barred Sallow of the year were the highlights of a rather disappointing catch given the warm and humid conditions overnight. The number of species is quickly reducing now but numbers of particular species are rising - around 50 each of Large Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic and Flounced Rustic.

Bulrush Wainscot:

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:

12th July 2011

The final trapping session before a two week break in Lesvos so it was nice to get another addition to the garden list - Lunar-spotted Pinion - as well as several new for the year including the first Bordered Sallow since 2007.

Lunar-spotted Pinion

Bordered Sallow

Yellow-tail

A tort trapped on 11th July has been identified as the second garden record of Endothenia ericetana:

10th July 2011

A warm and humid night resulted in a huge catch - Chrysoteucha culmella were everywhere and simply uncountable. With several micros still to be identified the eventual total will be over 100 species across the two traps.

The very distinctive crambid Platytes alpinella, normally a coastal species, looks like being new for Huntingdonshire whilst a very pretty Scorched Carpet was new for the garden. The brown form of Agapeta zoegana caused me some grief in identifying it, Lesser Wax Moth was a second for the garden and just the fourth for Hunts, whilst the huge Orthotaelia sparganella was the first here since 2007.

Platytes alpinella

Scorched Carpet

Agapeta zoegana

Lesser Wax Moth

Orthotaelia sparganella