9th July 2016

Nothing particularly rare or exciting in the traps last night as the poor weather continues - warm and muggy but with a strong wind. However several moths in the catch were the ones that make it worth getting up at 4am:

Garden Tigers

The Coronet

Peach Blossom

Not in this league but the first record here since 2009:

Plodia interpunctella

7th July 2016

A very disappointing summer so far with lots of rain, wind and chilly nights. Some improvement in the last few days but still few moths worth getting up at 4am for. One such was the third garden record of Goat Moth and the first attracted without the use of a pheromone lure.

7th June 2016

The recent influx of Diamond-backed Moths continues with over 300 in the two traps and many more flying in the garden. Overnight there were thunderstorms and some heavy rain but over 100 moths of 42 species were still attracted to the traps. Amongst several new for the year was this attractive tort, Ptycholoma lecheana, a new garden record.

 

5th June 2016

Another non-moth visitor  - a female Broad-bodied Chaser visited the garden pond briefly this afternoon looking more like a giant wasp than a dragonfly.

8/9th May 2016

Amongst a good catch for early May the first Incurvaria masculella since 2012.

Nothing to do with moths but this fellow was terrorising the newts and frogs in the garden pond yesterday:

1st May 2016

A game of two halves last night with 11 moths of 9 species in the MV trap and absolutely nothing in the actinic - I'm not sure if that has happened before. Highlight of the catch was a Chamomile Shark which is new for the garden. Slightly smaller than the very similar Shark which is common here later in the year, the black lines extending into the fringe of the wing are clearly visible in the photos but difficult to see in the hand.

19th April 2016

Between 1 and 3 male Emperor Moths in the garden this afternoon attracted to the EMP pheromone lure. This is the first time I've been successful with the lure the only previous record of EM here being of 2 males attracted to a 'singing' female a few years ago. It all seems a very hit and miss affair with the male hurtling around the garden rarely going anywhere near the lure. I netted one and, after taking some rather poor photos, released him onto the lure. He immediately flew off.