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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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)

2nd August 2013

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

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.

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.