16th June 2017

The overnight temperatures have gone through the roof, so too have the moths. A really superb session with about 100 species recorded. In common with last year, no single species occurred in any real abundance but a tremendous 14 were new for the garden meaning that the 300 is up:

[295] Nemapogon koenigi
[296] Tinea semifulvella
[297] Hollyhock Seedmoth
[298] White Plume Moth
[299] Phteochroa rugosana
[300] Cochylis nana
[301] Aleimma loeflingiana
[302] Green Oak Tortrix
[303] Endothenia gentianaeana
[304] Calamotropha paludella
[305] Anania perlucidalis
[306] Leopard Moth
[307] Common Emerald
[308] The Miller
[309] White Point
[310] Cream-bordered Green Pea

Nemapogon klagei (known previously as N. wolffiella) took a while to work out as it isn't illustrated in Sterling and Parsons. Its seems to be pretty rare everywhere and it would be good to find out how many records there have been in VC29.

Nemapogon koenigi

Less scarce but still completely new to me was the related Tinea semifulvella:

Tinea semifulvella

I recorded Hollyhock Seedmoth a few times at Corbett St and considering how scarce it apparently is, I've recently been concerned that I was guilty of some stringing. This individual does however look ok to me:

Hollyhock Seedmoth Pexicopia malvella

Phteochroa rugosana is simply a brilliant moth and the first I've recorded since 2015:

Phteochroa rugosana 

Green Oak Tortrix is seemingly rare in Cottenham and I've only recorded 3 individuals before (all in 2013). Therefore it was somewhat surprising to catch four in one go - only this individual remained a decent shade of green though:

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana

This very smart tortrix looks good for Endothenia gentianaeana and is completely new to me:

Endothenia gentianaeana 

This Calamatropha paludella was nearly overlooked as a grass moth, so preventing a lifer slipping through:

Calamotropha paludella

I really thought  that I had recorded Anania perlucidalis before but a search of various spreadsheets suggests not. In any case two of these were present in the trap:

Anania perlucidalis

So, on to one of my favourite moths, the brilliant Leopard. Happy to have this on the High Street list:

Leopard Moth Zeuzera pyrina

Two Cream-bordered Green Pea were in the trap, a distinctive macro species that is pretty much annual:

Cream-bordered Green Pea Earias clorana