oops!

My mistake, garden total 277 for the GMC!

Micros!

June continues to be very good for moths, and especially for the micros. Epinotia bilunana was a first for Portland, and Pammene fasciana, a second. Ethmia dodecea, although becoming more common on Portland, was a first for the Garden and a nice little moth. Spatalistis bifasciana was a second for the garden.

Garden totals so far: 227

New and early moths in Beds.

New species for the year have been piling in recently after a great month of moths. A couple of moths new to Bedfordshire turned up at the end of May: the Pauper Pug and the micro Ancylis uncella, although the latter was on the reserve not in the gardens so can’t be included in the challenge! Other highlights were a Red-necked Footman, of which we had the 5^th and 6^th records in the county last year; this being the 7^th record. Our 200^th lepidopteran turned up in the toilets of all places and was the jazzy micro Chrysoclista linneella, which would have been feeding on the lime trees just outside and happens to be the 4^th record for Beds. and a nationally notable species!

Dark Arches, Heart & Dart and Heart & Club have been dominating the trap recently and we’ve had an assortment of Rustics. Some species have been turning up earlier than expected, including the Rosy Footman (9^th June) and Buff Footman (17^th June). The butterfly count is also on the rise, with Painted Lady and Marbled White being recent additions, although we’re still yet to see any Small and Large Whites – hopefully we’ll catch the second broods. No Silver Y yet either, but Hummingbird Hawk-moths have been spotted on quite a few occasions.

Bordered White

Red-necked Footman

Buff-tip

Elephant Hawk-moth

Angle Shades

a very strange Peacock Moth

Burnished Brass

Rosy Footman

Blotched Emerald

Chrysoclista linneella

We’re on 206 species now (192 moths + 14 butterflies).

Good Night in Bucks

After lots of very poor garden catches, last night I had a comparatively decent haul of 18 species (plus a couple pending in the fridge...) which was the best since 1st June by far.

As expected, this included a fair few new species for the garden year list and a couple new to the all-time garden list. There has also been a trickle of new species over the last week, so time for an update methinks:

65. Archips podana (Large Fruit-tree Tortrix)
66. Lozotaenia forsterana
67. Ditula angustiorana (Red-barred Tortrix)
68. Olindia schumacherana
69. Chrysoteuchia culmella (Garden Grass-veneer)
70. Eudonia lacustrata
71. Eudonia mercurella
72. Parapoynx stratiotata  (Ringed China Mark) - NFG
73. Udea prunalis
74. Common Emerald
75. Riband Wave
76. Silver-ground Carpet
77. Purple Thorn
78. Mottled Beauty
79. Purple Clay - NFG
80. Beautiful Hook-tip
81. Fan-foot

 Common Emerald

Purple Clay

...and a couple of late additions:

82. Celypha lacunana
83. Small Dusty Wave

200!

The past few mothing nights have been very busy, especially for micro moths. I've reached 201 for the GMC with 8 butterflies, 7 micro "types" and 186 moth species.

June update

What a year for moths. The weather is fantastic. Most moths seem to be about 3 weeks early and range of species has been really good

On 151 for the year. On track to beat my 300 total for last year by a long shot.

My third new macro of the year was this Purple Clay yesterday. Maybe I had overlooked them in past? But a fairly local one
Also last night was a Red N Footman. One that seems to turn up annually here in June

A few more in Bucks

With the recent muggy nights, the trap has been out and luring a few new species for the garden list. There's still a lot of things I've not seen compared to previous years, but here's a few more:

51. Pandemis cerasana (Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix)
52. Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
53. Hedya nubiferana (Marbled Orchard Tortrix) (NFY)
54. Codling Moth (NFY)
55. Small Magpie
56. Peppered Moth
57. Light Emerald
58. Buff Ermine
59. Large Yellow Underwing
60. Marbled Minor agg.
61. Green Silver-lines
62. Silver Y (NFY)
63. Straw Dot
64. Small Fan-foot

Whetstone Leics. Update

Corr - look at this one ....

Saxon

Trouble is it was trapped by me in a garden - but not my garden. I think a rule change is in order! Anyway, after a great week away in the highlands I'm only slowly getting back into garden mothing. I think there is going to be problem after next week with late nights watching world cup football not being conducive to early mornings emptying moth traps. Not sure if I'm hoping for great football and pants weather or vice-versa!

Since getting back, I've managed to add another 31sp to take me up to 152. Seems like I'm missing a few but, to put into context, at this point last year I'd just scraped a round 100. Here's the latest additions.

	Taxon	Vernacular	Earliest
122	Pandemis cerasana	Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix	31/05/2014
123	Hedya pruniana	Plum Tortrix	31/05/2014
124	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	31/05/2014
125	Scoparia ambigualis		31/05/2014
126	Rusina ferruginea	Brown Rustic	31/05/2014
127	Paradrina clavipalpis	Pale Mottled Willow	31/05/2014
128	Oligia latruncula	Tawny Marbled Minor	01/06/2014
129	Ptycholoma lecheana		01/06/2014
130	Udea olivalis		01/06/2014
131	Agonopterix propinquella		01/06/2014
132	Cydia pomonella	Codling Moth	01/06/2014
133	Hedya nubiferana	Marbled Orchard Tortrix	01/06/2014
134	Oligia strigilis	Marbled Minor	01/06/2014
135	Agrotis segetum	Turnip Moth	01/06/2014
136	Dipleurina lacustrata		01/06/2014
137	Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot	01/06/2014
138	Axylia putris	Flame	01/06/2014
139	Malacosoma neustria	Lackey [larval]	01/06/2014
140	Epiblema trimaculana		06/06/2014
141	Ditula angustiorana	Red-barred Tortrix	06/06/2014
142	Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell	06/06/2014
143	Hecatera bicolorata	Broad-barred White	06/06/2014
144	Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald	06/06/2014
145	Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	06/06/2014
146	Caradrina morpheus	Mottled Rustic	06/06/2014
147	Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	06/06/2014
148	Apamea anceps	Large Nutmeg	06/06/2014
149	Autographa gamma	Silver Y	06/06/2014
150	Celypha striana		07/06/2014
151	Chrysoteuchia culmella	Garden Grass-veneer	07/06/2014
152	Argyresthia spinosella		07/06/2014

Good to see Large Nutmeg again (blanked on this one last year) and Broad-barred White is always a favourite of mine, less than annual and this was the first in the garden since 2010.

Broad-barred White

Green Pug

Silver-ground Carpet

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

Derby Garden Catch Up (of sorts)

I've been very slack at GCM blogging and keeping up to date with my records - still yet to write a single one on to a meaningful record sheet this year.  Excuses are many but mostly work to blame.

Monday 2nd June I was due to do a local BBS in Derby so thought was I could set the trap Sunday night, get up (early) and go through the trap pre-survey.

Trap set, bed and then up at 0430 to empty trap and go off to complete the survey.  My plan (which was a very good one) didn't quite work out as well as hoped on account of catching a very full trap so I went through and ID'd what I could but 40 pots were hastily put in to the fridge for later ID.

Final totals were 130+ moths of 30 species with one or two which are and will always remain (on account of being released) un-identified.

Here's a few highlights which included a new for garden Green Silver Lines.  Photos were all taken in a home made light-box which produced some nice results (I hope!!).  I am particularly pleased with the Hook-tip.

Pebble Hook-tip

Campion

Clouded Silver

Clouded-bordered Brindle

Thistle Ermine

Figure of 80

Green Silver Lines

Lime-spec Pug

Snout 

ps = BBS went well and I even managed to see/find Tree Sparrow just about with the city limits of Derby which was exceedingly pleasing and a massive highlight!

A good night in Weston VC6

12 year ticks last night thanks to the warm southerly airflow. Total now 167 for the year with 11 new for the garden which I'm quite pleased with considering I've had a lot of moth trap breakdowns this year.

Crescent Dart

Hummingbird Hawk-moth

The wisdom is "lots of moths before a thunderstorm" and last night proved the case. 210 moths, 43 species. I usually only get these numbers in July-August on a good night.

It was enough to take my total to 156, 8 butterflies, 144 moth species and 4 moth types.

Here's a nice one from last night: Small Magpie

Unexpected Garden Moth...

I ran my GMS trap last night and got a species I didn't expect to see in my garden, although given the fact that we found quite a few in local woodlands (well, 2 miles away) last week, I guess they may now be roaming...

48.Red-necked Footman

Also new to the list:

49. Treble Brown Spot

50. Grey Pug

Birch Mocha, L-Album Wainscot, and ID help on a mystery moth please....

Going well here in Hampshire with a steady flow of new moths appearing. The only problem is our Robin has discovered them too....

There was a moth in the box this morning which has flummoxed me, so any help with an ID would be much appreciated. I'm hazarding a Small Clouded Brindle, but not very confidently! 

 Also had my first ever Birch Mocha, which was a nice surprise....

And likewise an L-Album Wainscot...

Happy Days! :-)

Early moths in Bergen, western Norway

The weather has been abnormally warm in western Norway this spring. Mothtrappers in the region have caught lots of species emerging up to a month earlier than normal. So it has been in my garden as well, and by the 3rd of June I've recorded a total of 135 lepidoptera species (incl. two butterflies and a few aggs). Four highlights are depicted below, and you can see more lepi-shots from 2014 in my garden in this gallery.

Roeslerstammia erxlebella	Actinotia polyodon
Drepana curvatula	Elophos vittaria

The new species since my last update on May 8 has been:

	Species	Scientific name
135	Pearl Dwarf	Elachista apicipunctella	02.06.2014
134	Brown House Moth	Hofmannophila pseudospretella	02.06.2014
133	Apple Fruit Moth	Argyresthia conjugella	02.06.2014
132	Spruce Carpet	Thera variata	01.06.2014
131	Barred Red	Hylaea fasciaria	31.05.2014
130	Narrow-winged Pug	Eupithecia nanata	31.05.2014
129	Common Lutestring	Ochropacha duplaris	31.05.2014
128	Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer	Crambus lathoniellus	31.05.2014
127		Phiaris bipunctana	30.05.2014
126	Foxglove Pug	Eupithecia pulchellata	30.05.2014
125	Brown Rustic	Rusina ferruginea	30.05.2014
124	Bronze Argent	Argyresthia arceuthina	26.05.2014
123	Birch Mocha	Cyclophora albipunctata	26.05.2014
122	Small Square-spot	Diarsia rubi	26.05.2014
121	Mottled Pug	Eupithecia exiguata	26.05.2014
120	Hook-tipped Roller	Ancylis apicella	26.05.2014
119	White-triangle Slender	Caloptilia stigmatella	25.05.2014
118	The Spectacle	Abrostola tripartita	25.05.2014
117	Common Grey	Scoparia ambigualis	25.05.2014
116	Yellow-barred Gold	Micropterix aureatella	25.05.2014
115	Light Streak	Pleurota bicostella	25.05.2014
114	Bee Moth	Aphomia sociella	24.05.2014
113	Dusky Hook-tip	Drepana curvatula	24.05.2014
112	Copper Ermel	Roeslerstammia erxlebella	24.05.2014
111	Brassy Tortrix	Eulia ministrana	24.05.2014
110	Bordered White	Bupalus piniaria	23.05.2014
109	Broken-barred Carpet	Electrophaes corylata	23.05.2014
108	Square-barred Bell	Epinotia tetraquetrana	23.05.2014
107	The Seraphim	Lobophora halterata	23.05.2014
106		Elophos vittaria	22.05.2014
105	Birch Bent-wing	Bucculatrix demaryella	22.05.2014
104	Little Dwarf	Elachista canapennella	22.05.2014
103	Buff Dwarf	Elachista subalbidella	22.05.2014
102	Common White Wave	Cabera pusaria	22.05.2014
101	Clouded-bordered Brindle	Apamea crenata	22.05.2014
100	Narrow-winged Marble	Apotomis sororculana	22.05.2014
99	The Saxon	Hyppa rectilinea	22.05.2014
98	Common Tortrix	Capua vulgana	22.05.2014
97	Purple Cloud	Actinotia polyodon	22.05.2014
96		Parornix sp.	22.05.2014
95	Pale Pinion	Lithophane socia	21.05.2014
94	Small Fan-footed Wave	Idaea biselata	21.05.2014
93		Hedya atropunctana	21.05.2014
92	Broom Moth	Ceramica pisi	21.05.2014
91	Common Spruce Bell	Epinotia tedella	21.05.2014
90		Stictea mygindiana	21.05.2014
89	Cream Wave	Scopula floslactata	20.05.2014
88	Common Heath	Ematurga atomaria	20.05.2014
87	Clouded Border	Lomaspilis marginata	19.05.2014
86	Chocolate-tip	Clostera curtula	19.05.2014
85	Satyr Pug	Eupithecia satyrata	18.05.2014
84	Tawny-barred Angle	Macaria liturata	18.05.2014
83	Dark-barred Tortrix	Syndemis musculana	18.05.2014
82	Small Angle Shades	Euplexia lucipara	18.05.2014
81	Broken-barred Roller	Ancylis unguicella	18.05.2014
80	Common Pug	Eupithecia vulgata	18.05.2014
79		Coleophora sp.	18.05.2014
78		Stigmella tityrella	18.05.2014
77	Large Dark Prominent	Notodonta torva	17.05.2014
76	Common Wave	Cabera exanthemata	17.05.2014
75	Pale Mottled Willow	Caradrina clavipalpis	17.05.2014
74	Flame Shoulder	Ochropleura plecta	17.05.2014
73	Coxcomb Prominent	Ptilodon capucina	17.05.2014
72	White-shouldered House Moth	Endrosis sarcitrella	17.05.2014
71	Large Long-horn	Nematopogon swammerdamella	17.05.2014
70	Brimstone Moth	Opisthograptis luteolata	17.05.2014
69	Water Carpet	Lampropteryx suffumata	17.05.2014
68		Jodis putata	16.05.2014
67	Diamond-back Moth	Plutella xylostella	16.05.2014
66	Dark Brocade	Mniotype adusta	13.05.2014
65	Black-speckled Groundling	Carpatolechia proximella	13.05.2014
64	Peppered Moth	Biston betularia	12.05.2014
63	Ochreous Pug	Eupithecia indigata	12.05.2014
62	Pebble Prominent	Notodonta ziczac	12.05.2014
61	Iron Prominent	Notodonta dromedarius	11.05.2014
60	Purple Thorn	Selenia tetralunaria	11.05.2014
59		Ancylis myrtillana	10.05.2014
58	Common Oak Purple	Eriocrania subpurpurella	10.05.2014
57		Incurvaria oehlmanniella/masculella	10.05.2014
56	Pale Prominent	Pterostoma palpina	09.05.2014

Things may be improving in Bucks?

I've continued to see a range of decent moths on my trips out, but until last night, I've had very little in my garden, when I had 17 species in and it was the first night when I've had loads of those stripey caddisflies that rattle continually against the trap, which makes me feel it may at last be summer.

Anyway, my new species for the challenge are:

28. Ghost Moth (first ever for the garden)
29. Esperia sulphurella
30. Scoparia ambigualis
31. Udea olivalis (NFY)
32. Bee Moth
33. Garden Carpet (NFY)
34. Grey Pine Carpet
35. Mottled Pug
36. White-spotted Pug (NFY)
37. Dwarf Pug
38. Green Pug (NFY)
39. Tawny Barred Angle
40. Brimstone
41. Willow Beauty
42. Buff Tip
43. White Ermine
44. Heart & Dart (NFY)
45. Ingrailed Clay
46. Tawny Marbled Minor (agg.)
47. Middle Barred Minor

Ghost Moth