May 2018

5th May 2018

Second session of the year brought in  just five moths, but all new to the garden list

Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria

This was quite an easy moth to identify for a change, reasonably common in the south of the country. flies in a single generation from April to June, so my May sighting fits into this slot nicely.

Said to inhabit woodland, parks and gardens. The larvae feed on garden privet and lilac.

The end of my garden has two huge garden privet bushes, so should be expected.

Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta

Another moth described as common throughout Britain, although this is the first one thats made it into the moth trap.  Two generations, the first flying in May and June, again fits nicely, the second generation flying in August to September.

This moth has a wingspan of 25-30 mm, found in woodland fringes and gardens.

Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis

Another new moth for the garden list described as a variable species, but shows a curved white mark on the rear edge of the fore-wing which can just be made out in the first photograph. On the wing in May to July, fits nicely. Also a second brood in August to September in the south of the country.

Widely distributed and quite common, although not in my garden this being the first to make it into the trap.

Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis

Another moth described as fairly common over much of Britain, said to fly between July to September but can be found earlier or latter.

This species has several dark spots along the leading edge which can be seen in the photograph. The hind-wings are described as very white, did not see those.

Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

9th May 2018

Just three species of moth in the trap from last night, two Brimstone Moths, one Bright-Line, Brown- eye, and one new species in the form of a Rustic Shoulder knot.

Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea

Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens

Described as a dull brownish grey moth, although I think quite an attractive looking moth, can be recognized by the black shoulder-knot, these are the black streaks at the base of the fore-wing.
Common throughout most of Britain, flies in May and June, frequents meadows fields and other gardens.

16th May 2018

Another poor showing in the moth trap which I have been running with one of the new UV LED lamps. not sure if its the cold nights or the bulb at the moment.
Catch included two Double striped Pugs, one Pale mottled Willow one unidentified moth. two Garden Carpets another first for the garden.

Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata

Although a common moth found in the suburban habitat this is the first of two Garden Carpets finding there way into the moth trap so far.
Can be found at any time from April through to September

Pale Mottled Willow

Least Yellow Underwing Noctua interjecta

20th May 2018

Found this lovely Peppered Moth on the house wall under the porch light, second one found in the garden, with one finding its way into the moth trap last year.

Another six new species for the garden (2018)

69. - Waved Umber

70. - Flame Shoulder

71. - Pale Mottled Willow

72. - Knotgrass

73. - Rustic Shoulder-Knot

74. - Garden Carpet

April 2018 - A New year begins !

 20th April - A first opportunity to dust off the moth trap and see whats about in the garden for this year.
Lots of Wasps were attracted to the Moth trap making me a bit wary when I  checked through the egg boxes, a single Bee fly, and my first Moth of the year and new species recorded for the garden .

Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli

This one took me a while to track down in my Moth field guide, hopefully I have the right identification. The flight period is about right with the adults flying between April and June and then again July to September in the south of the country. The field guide does state that the basal area of the wings has a  ground colour which can be variable from a silver to a brownish grey and described as a short cloak. The stigmata are round and outlined in black sometimes white in the centre.

The larvae of this moth feeds on a variety of deciduous trees  like Hazel, Birch and Hornbeam.

Two Hebrew Characters were also found in the trap.

Just one micro type moth in the form of a Double-Striped Pug shown below.

This tiny Moth has a wing span of 15-19mm and described as fairly common, flies in April and May and then again in August.

Described as a variable species, but always easy to recognize due to the two prominent dark fascia across each forewing which give the species its common name.The forewing ground colour is ranges from light to dark reddish brown.

I can just about make the so called prominent stripes across the forewing, and a hint of reddish brown ground colour on the forewing

Said to occupy a wide range of habitats and a regular visitor to the light trap.
   




Garden list


1. Brimstone
2.-Yellow Shell
3.-Silver-Y
4.-Straw Underwing
5 - Small Square-Spot
6.- Square Spot Rustic
7.- Lesser Yellow underwing
8.- Uncertain !
9.- Common Wainscot
10.-Light Brown Apple Moth
11.- Lime-Speck Pug
12.- Double-Striped Pug
13.-Brown House moth
14.-Common Plume

Additions to Garden list :- 15/8/16

15. Common Carpet
16. Copper Underwing
17. Spectacle
18. Scalloped Oak
19.Lesser Bordered Yellow Underwing
20. Bright line, Brown Eye
21. Jersey Tiger.

Additions - September 2016

22. The Snout *
23. Setaceous Hebrew Character *
24. The Clay *
25. Lunar Underwing (3) *

additions to garden list, March 2017

26. - Hebrew Character
27. - Common Quaker
28. - March Dagger Moth
29. - The Streamer

additions April 2017

30. - Early Grey

additions May 2017

31. - Cabbage Moth
32. - Light Emerald
33.- Common Marbled carpet
34. - Campion
35. - Peppered Moth
36. - Green Pug
37.- Silver-Ground Carpet
38. - Willow Beauty
39. - Clouded Border
40. - Marbled Minor
41. - Dark Spectacle
42. - Treble Brown Spot

additions June 2017

43.- White Ermine
44.- Magpie
45.- Common Emerald
46.- Small Magpie
47- Clouded Silver
48.- Riband Wave
49.- Large Yellow Underwing
50.- Least Carpet
51.- The Flame
52.- Spindle Ermine
53.- Rosy-striped Knot-horn
54.- L-Album Wainscot
55.- Smoky Wainscot

 Additions July 2017

56.- Riband Wave

57.- Dark Arches
58.- Early Thorn
59.- Humming-Bird Hawk-Moth ( in garden day time)
60.- Ruby Tiger

Additions for August 2017

61. White-Point
62. Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer Moth
63. Old Lady
64. Gold Triangle

additions for Sept 2017

65. - Black Rustic

additions Oct 2017

66.- Feathered Thorn,

67.- Merveille du Jour

additions April 2018

68.- Nut-Tree Tossack

October 2017

26th October -   The only moth  found in the moth trap this evening was this beautiful  Merveille du Jour .
I had placed the moth trap in front of the flowering Ivy, a food source for this particular moth species.
Another autumnal moth which flies between September and October and is attracted to light fortunately.
A medium sized moth with a wingspan of  42-52 mm, said to frequent woodland and parks and is common and widespread,

Garden list now stands at 67 species
additions :- Feathered Thorn, Merveille du Jour

 2017 ( garden )  32 new species

Merveille du Jour Griposia aprilina

24th October -      On my return from an evening walk with the dog I noticed a moth resting on the glass of the porch door under a wall lamp.

one of the Thorn species, in fact a male Feathered Thorn,  only the male has the feathered antennae which gives this moth its name.

A fairly medium sized macro moth of the Geometridae family of moths with a wingspan of 35mm-45 mm.

A single generation moth which flies in the autumn September-November described as fairly common and widespread.

Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria

September 2017

22nd September a relatively cold and chilly night, but the weather forecast was for a dry night so my first opportunity this month to get the moth trap out. I was not expecting to catch much, and that is exactly what happened.

A couple of Brimstones were fluttering around the trap late evening but did not enter,
 2 -L-album Wainscot moths in the trap, 1- Yellow Shell Moth, 2- Lunar Underwing .

The last eggbox checked revealed a very dark looking moth which I suspected rightly was a Black Rustic and another new species recorded for the garden, and a herald that autumn is on the way.

Black Rustic Aporophyla nigra

From a distance a very black looking moth, but on closer inspection an attractive looking moth, the whitish stigmata on each wing stands out distinctively. described as a longish winged moth with a wingspan of 40- 46mm, this was not really noticeable on my specimen. The hind-wing is whitish but this was not visible on my moth.

Another common moth in the south of the country, although this is the first and only one caught in the garden. Reported as flying in September to October, so right on schedule, favours heathland and downland, may be the reason not many seen in my garden as yet.

Black Rustic

Black Rustic

Lunar Underwing 

Garden list now stands at :-

 65 - Black Rustic

August 2017

29th August 2017 - " Old Lady in the garden "

 Last session for August brought in seven species of Moth, two of which were new for the garden.
1. Old Lady *
2. Large Yellow Underwing (2)
3. Lesser Yellow Underwing
4. L-Album Wainscot
5. Common Quaker
6. Yellow Shell
7. Gold fringed Moth *

Old Lady Mormo maura

Old Lady Mormo maura

First Old Lady for the garden was a nice surprise, usually flying between July and August, so fits nicely. also known as a Black underwing.

Said to frequent gardens and waste ground, hiding by day in old buildings and sheds.

Surprised by the size of this moth when seen flying around the light trap, large winged and sombre coloured.

So called because the pattern resembles the shawl worn by old ladies. Can't really see it myself though.

Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis

Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis

Nearly missed this tiny micro moth, fairly common species in the south of the country. Flies in July to August and has a wingspan of 16-23mm

Apparently this moth has two resting positions, In one, the moth adopts a 'triangular' shape, with the hindwings hidden by the forewings, as in the photograph above.

 At full rest, all four wings are splayed out, and the tip of the abdomen is tilted upward.

 Other notable moths in the trap was this fine looking Yellow Shell

Yellow Shell

Large Yellow Underwing

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Additions for August 2017

61. White-Point
62. Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer Moth
63. Old Lady
64. Gold Triangle

26th August 2017 -  Tortrix? 
 Not such a good catch this evening with just nine moths of 6 species, One new moth species for the garden in the form of a Elbow-Striped Grass Veneer moth.

1. Common Wainscot (2)
2. L-Album Wainsot
3. Common Quaker (3)
4. Light Brown Apple Moth
5. Tortrix species unknown
6. Elbow-Striped Grass Veneer

62 species now on the garden list

L-album Wainscot

Elbow-Striped Grass Veneer

 A common and widespread grass moth which flies between July to October, identification is made easier by the dark elbow shaped cross lines just visible on this photograph.



16th August 2017  " whats the point "
  A good nights catch with at least 20 moths in the trap and one Jersey Tiger outside, a couple of Brimstone moths were fluttering around the trap late evening but managed to avoid the light trap.
A new Moth for the garden list in the form of this White-Point.

White-point Mythimna albipuncta

White-point Mythimna albipuncta

My first thoughts on seeing this moth in the trap was to identify it as another Clay moth, a few of which have been caught in the garden earlier this year. but on closer inspection I have re-identified this as a White-Point , I hope correctly.

This moth is an immigrant to this country although it is now believed to breed here in the south and south east of the country. Seen in August to September.

For a comparison here's a Clay moth caught back in June

The Clay Mythimna ferrago

 A single White Ermine moth was found in the trap, not as heavily marked as the previous male caught last month, I 'm pretty sure that this is a female, the abdomen was spotted with rows of black spots, although the wings are very sparsely spotted, these are suppose to be quite varied in appearance ,so nothing unusual there, the antenna as you can see in the photograph were not as feathered as last months leading me to conclude a probable female.

female White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda

Another moth from the  Yponomeuta family of Ermine Moths was this single Spindle Ermine, easily overlooked but attractive little moth all the same. sometimes referred to as the  Bird-cherry Ermine

Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella

A single Straw Under-wing Thalpophila matura  in good condition and very photogenic, found its way to the light trap,

Straw Underwing Thalpophila matura

A Setaceous Hebrew Character, just the one  in the light trap, these fly between July and August, so right on schedule, this one seemed quite small.

Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum

Two Wainscots were in the trap one in good condition which I believe is a Common Wainscot, the other was in a very worn state and unidentifiable by me anyway.

Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens

Five Common Quakers of varying shades and hue making identification questionable.

Three Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwings in the trap giving me the opportunity to get a better record photograph of this species. quite an easy one to identify with its sharply defined pale buff frontal area, which gives a very neat appearance. these all appeared midway between its flight period of  July to September.

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua janthe

Moths seen and caught during the evening included the following

Jersey Tiger 1, White ermine 1, Straw Under-wing 1, Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing 3, Setaceous Hebrew Character 1, Common Wainscot 2, Common Quaker 5, White Point 1, Spindle Ermine, Apple Moth 1, Brimstone 2.

11 species in all,

Additions for August 2017

61. White-Point
62. Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer Moth