13/15th July 2017

A nice bunch of  moths included eight new for the garden, of which three were totally new for me:

[349] Helcystogramma rufescens
[350] Argyotaenia ljungiana
[351] Eucosma obumbratana
[352] European Corn-borer
[353] Maple Pug
[354] Bordered Pug
[355] Dark Umber
[356] Phoenix
[357] Southern Wainscot


Helcystogramma rufescens is a fairly distinctive gelechid and quickly identified once I had bothered looking properly at it. I've not recorded this in Cottenham before:

Helcystogramma rufescens

Argyotaenia ljungiana is a moth that is rather inconsistent in appearance at my Cottenham traps. In some years it is common and in others completely absent (like last year). I do wonder sometimes if I'm overlooking it due to the unusually low standard illustration in Waring but I'm sure that is not the case - its reasonably distinctive:

Argyotaenia ljungiana

Eucosma obumbratana is a relatively local tortrix and the first I've recorded:

Eucosma obumbratana

The final micro caused me a headache but turned out to be a worn European Corn-borer:

European Corn-borer Ostrinia nubilialis

On to a tale of two pugs - one distinctive and one not so. The latter has caused some split opinions but looks a very strong candidate for Maple Pug. Bordered Pug otherwise is quite smart and recorded most years in Cottenham:

Bordered Pug Eupithecia succenturiata

Maple Pug Eupithecia inturbata

Dark Umber is a less than stunning moth (marginally better than the awful Brown Scallop!) but rare here - this my only record in the village since two in July 2013:

Dark Umber Philereme transversata

Southern Wainscot has a distinctive feature - a grey 'alice band' on the forehead. It not as obvious on this individual as others I've recorded but it is there.....

Southern Wainscot Mythimna straminea

I had completely overlooked that Phoenix is new for the garden (it was recorded annually at Corbett Street), so I didn't take too much care in getting a photograph;

Phoenix Eulithis prunata

New for the year moths included my second ever Webb's Wainscot:

Webb's Wainscot Globia sparganii

..and a Timothy Tortrix...

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana