17th - 21st June, Maidencombe, Devon

I had high hopes for a trip to the south-west but mothing was slightly underwhelming. Species diversity and abundance was rather low. However, here's a few species that I don't record (or have rarely) at home:

Barred Red Hylaea fasciaria

The Magpie Abraxas grossulariata

Rosy Footman Miltochrista miniata

Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella

Brussels Lace Cleorodes lichenaria

Small Angle Shades Euplexia lucipara

The Fern Horisme tersata

84 species in total were recorded:

Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella)

Honeysuckle Moth (Ypsolopha dentella)

Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella)
Carpatolechia fugitivella

Blastobasis lacticolella

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana)

Clepsis consimilana

Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

Celypha striana

Eucosma cana

Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)

Chrysoteuchia culmella

Eudonia lacustrata

Ringed China-mark (Parapoynx stratiotata)

Pyrausta despicata

Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella)

Endotricha flammealis

Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta)

Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)

Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides)

Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)

Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)

Dwarf Cream Wave (Idaea fuscovenosa)

Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)

Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)

Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata)

Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)

Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)

Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata)

Pine Carpet (Thera firmata)

July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata)

The Fern (Horisme tersata)

Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)

Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)

The V-pug (Chloroclystis v-ata)

Green Pug (Chloroclystis rectangulata)

Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

Small Yellow Wave (Hydrelia flammeolaria)

The Magpie (Abraxas grossulariata)

Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)

Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria)

Peppered Moth (Biston betularia)

Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)

Brussels Lace (Cleorodes lichenaria)

Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata)

Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata)

Barred Red (Hylaea fasciaria)

Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)

Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)

Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea)

Rosy Footman (Miltochrista miniata)

Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola)

Buff Footman (Eilema deplana)

Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)

Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum)

Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

Heart And Club (Agrotis clavis)

Heart And Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)

Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)

The Flame (Axylia putris)

Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)

Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)

Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)

Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae)

Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)

Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala)

The Sycamore (Acronicta aceris)

Grey Dagger (Acronicta psi)

Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis)

The Coronet (Craniophora ligustri)

Small Angle Shades (Euplexia lucipara)

Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha)

Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula)

Common Rustic (Mesapamea secalis)

Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)

The Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)

The Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda)

Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)

Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula)

The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)

9th July 2016

Still turning up around the 50 species mark, which at least makes it easier to check through before work! I did however spend a bit of time potting a few micros after dusk, which possibly inceased the haul.

Highlights were three species I haven't recorded in Cottenham before: Large Emerald (in pretty horrendous condition unfortunately), Yarrow Plume and Reddish Light Arches. The latter species is generally found in grassland on chalky or limestone soils, so I hadn't expected to record it here.

Reddish Light Arches Apamea sublustris

Large Emerald Geometra papilionaraia

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla

Other highlights of the 15 new for the garden moths were a couple of Swallow-tailed Moths, Buff Footman (I've recorded only a handful of these in the village) and Wax Moth:

[176] Swammerdamia pyrella
[177] Timothy Tortrix
[178] Ancylis achatana
[179] Yarrow Plume
[180] Eudonia lacustrata
[181] Wax Moth
[182] Large Emerald
[183] Small Fan-footed Wave
[184] Buff Footman
[185] Swallow-tailed Moth
[186] Garden Dart
[187] Reddish Light Arches
[188] Marbled Beauty
[189] Broad-barred White
[190] The Fan-foot

Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria

Buff Footman Eilema depressa

Garden Dart Euxoa nigricans

Eudonia lacustrata

Ancylis achatana

7th July 2016

A little bit busier with 51 species, which still isn't too fantastic for July. However there were two moths that were new two me, the first one provided no identification challenges - a superb Bordered Sallow. This is a species that I have hoped to catch for a while and it didn't disappoint.

Bordered Sallow Pyrrhia umbra

The second new moth was a pug. Great. however, it certainly looked different and although I was concerned it might be a worn Plain Pug, after a bit of chat on Cammoths, it looks good for Shaded Pug, which isn't particularly common here in the Fens:

Shaded Pug Eupithecia subumbrata

Eleven species to add to the list in total:

[165] Blastodacna hellerella
[166] Blastobasis adutella
[167] Plum Tortrix
[168] Bramble Shoot moth
[169] Eucosma cana
[170] Crambus perlella
[171] Gold Triangle
[172] Shaded Pug
[173] Yellow Shell
[174] Smoky Wainscot
[175] Bordered Sallow

Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana

6th July 2016

Eight new species for the garden, so things still ticking over somewhat slowly. Mostly expected common species turned up, although two micros were more of interest: the scarce pyralid Sitochroa verticalis (only recorded once at Corbett St) and another dull Bryotropha species, this time appearing to be B. senectella. 

[157] Bryotropha senectella
[158] Sitochroa verticalis
[159] Least Carpet
[160] Grey Pug
[161] Scalloped Oak
[162] Scarce Footman
[163] Lesser Yellow Underwing
[164] The Rustic

Sitochroa verticalis

Bryotropha senectella

Another Coronet turned up, this time a better marked individual while Buff Arches seem to be doing ok this year. Also thought I would post a photo of Dark Arches, an abundant species that I tend to ignore - but they are fairly smart to be fair.

Coronet

Buff Arches

Peppered Moth

Dark Arches

Thistle Ermine

3rd July 2016 - more clearwing action

I thought I would try again for Yellow-legged Clearwing and I was pleased when a clearwing came into the VES lure after about 30 minutes...only it was a Orange-tailed Clearwing. I had totally forgotten that this species comes to the same lure, so an unexpected bonus. Less thrilling was that the moth made a run for it before I had got any photos at all.

Also found in the day time was a larva of The Vapourer which had hitheto been unnoticed on the garden rose and was seemingly also attracted to the lure? A pretty cool caterpillar and the first for the garden.

Vapourer Orgyia antiqua

Overnight trapping was dominated by micros with a strange absence of the commoner macros that were present in abundance a couple of days ago. 

The eleven new moths for the garden over the day took the list to over the 150 mark. In a good year at Corbett Street I would be pushing 300 but 2016 hasn't been too great so far so I expect a somewhat lower return.

[146] Batia unitella
[147] Orange-tailed Clearwing
[148] Large Fruit-tree Tortrix
[149] Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix
[150] Pseudagyrotoza conwagana
[151] Marbled Orchard Tortrix
[152] Homoeosoma sinuella
[153] Endotricha flammealis
[154] Shaded Broad-bar
[155] Dot Moth
[156] Vapourer

Pseudagyrotoza conwagana

Homoeosoma sinuella

Batia unitella

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana

30th June 2016

A total of fourteen new moths for the year / garden included a fairly dowdy Coronet, a species I didn't record at all for the first 4 years of trapping in the village but has been annual since:

Coronet Craniophora ligustri

Lozotaeniodes formosana is a very smart micro:

Lozotaeniodes formosana 

While Burnished Brass is always welcome:

Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis

There were some numbers of common macros for really the first time this year (for example 45 Large Yellow Underwing and 25 Heart & Dart) while the list of new moths were:

[132] Celypha lacunana
[133] Lozotaeniodes formosana
[134] Phycita roborella
[135] Barred Yellow
[136] Buff-tip
[137] Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
[138] Light Arches
[139] Bright-line Brown-eye
[140] Sycamore
[141] Clay
[142] Coronet
[143] Uncertain
[144] Burnished Brass
[145] The Spectacle

Light Arches Apamea lithoxylaea

Phycita roborella

Heart & Club Agrotis clavis

Sycamore Acronicta aceris

Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata