The Year So Far - Derbyshire

So far this year has been slow to say the least.  Only 10 species of moth caught so far (plus 1 Butterfly) with trapping being very hit and miss (mostly due to the weather and being away with work!).

Things can only get better and hoping this cool spell ends soon!

Highlights this year (not many to choose from) would be Grey Shoulder-knot and a Satellite.  Here's a selection of species caught.

Chestnut (21st February)

Silver Y (4th March)

Clouded Drab (09th March)

Common Quaker (09th March)

Early Grey (09th March)

Satellite (09th March)

Beautiful Plume (16th March)

Still waiting for Pine or Oak Beauty!!  Hoping the weather is better next weekend and I get a few more new for the year!.

Happy mothing folks and look forward to all of your updates (#teammoth)

Small Ranunculus - Great Record for Derbyshire

Caught this wee beauty the other night and no matter how hard I looked in the books I couldn't ID it. Posted this picture to #teammoth and @Stewchat suggested Small Ranunculus. Checked in Waring and it looked good, however on reading the text appeared doubtful as this species recently disappeared from the UK.  It's classed as a Nationally Scare B species and has slowly been spreading north since its reappearance in Kent in 1997. 

No way, not in my garden. 

Les Hill (@dorsetmoths) confirmed the ID of Small Ranunculus as did my County Recorder who added the following interesting information - 

'The Small Ranunculus first turned up at Beeston in 2009. It was then recorded in Alvaston in 2010 and later at Midway in 2012.  Your record serves to consolidate the likely breeding in the area.'

I have since had one more fresh looking one at the light trap so I had best get checking Prickly Lettuce!

Small Ranunculus (19/07/2013)

Just goes to show the importance and value of moth trapping and that even records from a small urban gardens are very valuable.  

Certainly the highlight of my moth-ing year (so far!) 

Derby Update - Creeping (slowly) Towards 200

Mothing continues apace in my small Derbyshire garden and results have been very good over the recent spell of good weather.

At the last count (16th July) I have recorded 173 Lepidoptera in the garden which includes 8 butterflies. 

Checking the trap is now a whole family activity and has resulted in a few nearly late arrivals to school.  Getting the kids involved is very rewarding especially as my 4 year old was shown a mobile picture of a moth seen in her nursery teachers house.  Daughter came home fetched the book from the shelf, found the moth, took the book in to nursery today and showed the teacher.  Spot on - daughter got a sticker!  Moth was a Swallow-tailed of which we have had plenty in the garden so a little bit of cheating but nonetheless I was very proud!

Here's a little selection of those caught recently.

Barred Yellow

 Burnished Brass and Small Fan-foot

Golden Plusia

 Leopard Moth

 Epiblema foenella

 Couple of Buff Arches

 Silver Y

If only I was a little better at micros I would be well over the 200 mark!  Hoping over time they get a little easier!