The Garden Moth Challenge: Whetstone, Leics. Mega Catches

The current spell of brilliant weather has produced the best summer garden mothing that I can remember, certainly for years. But the late night trap checks and early morning emptying is starting to take its toll and I am starting to feel distinctly jaded. I really should give myself a night off, but at the moment I'm still picking up new species for the year and a few new for the garden. I usually run two traps to maximise chances of picking up diversity, but I did give myself a reprieve on Sunday night and just ran one. Catch summaries since my last post are:

13/07 : 497 of 117sp.
14/07 : 233 of 78sp. (1 trap)
15/07 : 533 of 115sp.
16/07 : 463 of 120sp.
17/07 : 529 of 120sp.

Prior to this year, 112sp. on one night was the highest total on 30/06/2009. The highest number of invdividuals up to mid July previously was 484 on 02/07/2009 (but there are higher totals from late July and August with the yellow underwings in full flow).

New species for the garden since last update are:

Muslin Footman

Carpatolechia fugitivella

Parachronistis albiceps

Batrachedra pinicolella

Yearlist up to 317sp., including Ringlet - only the seventh butterfly on the yearlist and think I've ignored a few as Small Tort, GV White and Comma missing from the list at the moment. Additions are:

	Taxon	Vernacular	Date Added
271	Eulithis prunata	Phoenix	13/07/2013
272	Batia unitella		13/07/2013
273	Perizoma alchemillata	Small Rivulet	13/07/2013
274	Mesoligia furuncula	Cloaked Minor	13/07/2013
275	Limnaecia phragmitella		13/07/2013
276	Agapeta hamana		13/07/2013
277	Philereme vetulata	Brown Scallop	13/07/2013
278	Helcystogramma rufescens		13/07/2013
279	Blastobasis adustella		13/07/2013
280	Rhopobota naevana	Holly Tortrix	13/07/2013
281	Mesapamea secalis	Common Rustic	13/07/2013
282	Stigmella splendidissimella [larval]		14/07/2013
283	Aphantopus hyperantus	Ringlet	14/07/2013
284	Eilema complana	Scarce Footman	14/07/2013
285	Eilema griseola	Dingy Footman	14/07/2013
286	Argyresthia retinella		14/07/2013
287	Eupithecia simpliciata	Plain Pug	14/07/2013
288	Crocallis elinguaria	Scalloped Oak	14/07/2013
289	Orthopygia glaucinalis		15/07/2013
290	Euthrix potatoria	Drinker	15/07/2013
291	Oegoconia quadripuncta		15/07/2013
292	Pleuroptya ruralis	Mother of Pearl	15/07/2013
293	Paraswammerdamia albicapitella		15/07/2013
294	Nudaria mundana	Muslin Footman	15/07/2013
295	Ectropis bistortata	Engrailed	15/07/2013
296	Mompha ochraceella		15/07/2013
297	Parachronistis albiceps		15/07/2013
298	Lasiocampa quercus	Oak Eggar	15/07/2013
299	Carpatolechia alburnella		15/07/2013
300	Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	15/07/2013
301	Catoptria pinella		15/07/2013
302	Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	15/07/2013
303	Yponomeuta padella/malinellus	Yponomeuta sp.	15/07/2013
304	Carpatolechia fugitivella		15/07/2013
305	Noctua fimbriata	Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing	16/07/2013
306	Athrips mouffetella		16/07/2013
307	Grapholita janthinana		16/07/2013
308	Acronicta megacephala	Poplar Grey	16/07/2013
309	Lomaspilis marginata	Clouded Border	16/07/2013
310	Chloroclystis v-ata	V-Pug	17/07/2013
311	Catoptria falsella		17/07/2013
312	Borkhausenia fuscescens		17/07/2013
313	Pyrausta purpuralis		17/07/2013
314	Bena bicolorana	Scarce Silver-lines	17/07/2013
315	Argyresthia curvella		17/07/2013
316	Phyllonorycter coryli	Nut Leaf Blister Moth	17/07/2013
317	Batrachedra pinicolella		17/07/2013