28th May 2016

A return of just two moths in late May is incredibly awful, although if one of them is a Pine Hawk-moth it doesn't feel too bad.....

[41] Pine Hawk-moth

Pine Hawk-moth Sphinx pinastri

27th May 2016

The first hawk-moth of the year was a dapper Poplar, although there was only a handful of other species. These included a couple of White Ermine - not a terribly common species over (albeit annual) and this was, I think, my first ever multiple record. 

[37] Poplar Hawk-moth
[38] White Ermine
[39] Treble Lines
[40] Pale Mottled Willow

Poplar Hawkmoth Laothoe populi

White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda

Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica

Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis

results are in pt.2

In terms of species recorded, the Top 20 in terms of abundance were....

1. Large Yellow Underwing (3420)

2. Dark Arches (2873)

3. Shuttle-shaped Dart (1607)

4. Setaceous Hebrew Character (1379)

5. Heart And Dart (1341)

6. The Uncertain (1283)

7. Common Rustic agg. (1122)

8. Double Square-spot (1062)

9. Dot Moth (767)

10. Willow Beauty (728)

11. Large Nutmeg (715)

12. Lesser Yellow Underwing (640)

13. Chrystoeuchia culmella (527)

14. Common Footman (448)

15. Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (407)

16, Square-spot Rustic (365)

17. Silver Y (364)

18. Flounced Rustic (358)

19. Riband Wave (343)

20. Buff Ermine (334)

Most abundant moth species 2009 - 2015

So perhaps its no surprise that Large Yellow Underwing comes out top. Somewhat insane that I've counted 3420 of the critters over the years. That's a significant amount of bat food.

All the top 9 are noctuids until we get to Willow Beauty at #10. A single micro, the crambid C.culmella sneaks in at #13. This species would have course be a lot higher if I'd bothered recording them before 2013. 

If we look at records of each species rather than abundance:

Moth records 2009 - 2015

So good old Large YU comes out on top again (recorded on 232 occasions!)  but things elsewhere are a bit different. Willow Beauty jumps to #2, while Garden Carpet is a new entry at #5, while a few other geometers are present (Brimstone, Riband Wave, Double-striped Pug). 

For what its worth here's the top 10 micros, which are dominated by 3 abundant crambids, followed by the increasingly ubiquitous Light Brown Apple Moth: 

The results are in

After finally sitting down to the data entry for 2015's moth trapping (I blame the house move) it appears that the final species total at Corbett Street was 457.

This was from 6 full years and also the tail end of 2009. This is more than I ever expected, especially as I only started looking at micro moths in 2013.

Keeping records of each trap night provides a bit of an opportunity at looking at some stats...here's the cumulative list as it developed from 2009 to 2015:

Corbett Street Moth List

Obviously that doesn't tell the whole story as the rapid increase in 2013 reflects when I first started recording micros. Although it does imply that I hadn't reached a plateau quite yet, but it does suggest that it might be quite difficult to record much over c.300 macro moth species round here.

Species totals in each year showing both macro and micro moths:

Moth species recorded each year

2009 doesn't really count as I started in late July, but overall the number of macro moths species recorded was quite variable. 2012 was the best year while last year was quite poor. 2015 had a cold spring and I didn't trap in late summer much at all. The total of micro species recorded in a year does in contrast seem remarkably consistent; which is quite surprising as I expect that I overlooked some of the more cryptic species in 2013.

 A graph showing trap effort:

Trap nights each year at Corbett St

So although 2012 was the year when most macro species were recorded, effort was not at the level of 2011 or 2014. Quite amazing (or worrying?!) that the trap went out 70 times in 2014! 2014 did result in the greatest species total of all moths.

A graph showing species recorded in each month gets a predictable result:

Moth species recorded each month

So July rules without having any real competition (324 species), while both June and August (219 and 218 respectively) are some way behind. The graph does suggests that I need to get the trap out in January and February...perhaps!

21st May 2016

It couldn't get any worse than the previous night so a return of 12 species seems almost reasonable. A bonus was a species I've never seen before Nephopterix angustella ('Spindle Knot-horn') and a tortrix I've failed to identify (**later identified as Epinotia immundana by David Griffiths**). 

New for the garden:

[28] Common Swift
[29] Light Brown Apple Moth
[30] Nephopterix angustella
[31] Streamer
[32] Spruce Carpet
[33] Setaceous Hebrew Character
[34] Marbled Minor
[35] Epinotia immundana
[36] Common Pug

Nephopterix angustella

Epinotia immundana

Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

Streamer Anticlea derivata

Spruce Carpet Thera britannica

Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta

20th May 2016

Despite seemingly favourable conditions the results were pretty disastrous - 2 moths!

One was the first grass moth (crambid) - Crambus lathoniellus, but I'm not sure that counts as a highlight.

[27] Crambus lathoniellus

Crambus lathoniellus

19th May 2016

A handful of common species new for the year but both numbers and diversity still low. A Diamond-back Moth has the honour of being the first 'migrant' caught in the garden. 

[23] Pebble Hook-tip
[24] Large Nutmeg
[25] Brimstone Moth
[26] Diamond-back Moth

Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

Large Nutmeg Apamea anceps

17 May 2016

A poor catch for this time of year especially as the weather appeared quite useful. Our local Soprano Pipistrelles were out in force early on but judging by the results in the moth trap they would have struggled (unless they munched everything in sight befoire it got to the trap of course....).

Just 10 moths of 8 species with a few expected (and common locally) species new for the garden:

[16] Brown House Moth
[17) Agonopterix arenella
[18] Bee Moth
[19] Double-striped Pug
[20] Garden Carpet
[21] Waved Umber
[22] Muslin Moth

There was the second Swallow Prominent of the year and no apologies for posting another photo of that species below.

Agonopterix arenella

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella

Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria

Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctata

Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

8th May 2016

A scorching day so the trap was out again and 6 new species were added. Was good to get two of my favourite species, Puss Moth and Chocolate-tip. The former was on the fence and nearly over looked in the rush to cycle to work. 

[10] Hebrew Character
[11] Knot Grass
[12] White-shouldered House Moth
[13] Flame Shoulder
[14] Chocolate-tip
[15] Puss Moth

Puss Moth Cerura vinula

Chocolate-tip Clostera curtula

Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica

Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis

New garden, new moth list - 7th May 2016

Finally charged the battery and dusted off the trap for a first trapping night at the new house. The first moth seen was a Nut-tree tussock on the outside of the trap. Overall there was a moderate result of 9 species:

[1] Nut-tree Tussock
[2] Pale Tussock
[3] Red Twin-spot Carpet
[4] Pine Beauty
[5] Angle Shades
[6] Shuttle-shaped Dart
[7] Swallow Prominent
[8] Powdered Quaker
[9] Early Grey

No micros of any persuasion. Pine Beauty is possibly the scarcest species - I only recorded it 2/3 times in the old garden. 

So the Corbett Street moth list ended on a respectable 455. Merveille du Jour ended up being the final addition which was a suitable way to finish I would say. 

Nut-Tree Tussock Colocasia coryli

Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda

Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula