11th August 2017

Although I was back using the actinic in order to not upset next door who had recently returned from holiday, there were still four new moths for the garden:

[372] Epinotia ramella

[373] Udea lutealis

[374] Latticed Heath

[375] Yellow-tail

The Latticed Heath was my first since 2013 in Cottenham (although I recorded 8 individuals at Corbett St between 2011 and 2013). It made a getaway before being photographed unfortunately, unlike this Yellow-tail:

Yellow-tail Euproctis similis

This declining species was my first in the village since 2014, while E. ramella is a species I've only recorded on one occasion before (August 2013):

Epinotia ramella f. costana

U lutealis is another one I've only recorded in August 2013 (two individuals):

Udea lutealis

Otherwise, diversity is now dropping although both Marbled Beauty, Sallow Kitten and Mouse Moth appeared for the first time this year:

Marbled Beauty Cryphia domestica

Sallow Kitten Furcula furcula

Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopogonis

While the smart Carcina quercana occurs annually in small numbers and for some reason I haven't posted a photo before:

Carcina quercana

4th August 2017

I was lucky enough to receive a rather tasty MV trap for my birthday and this was the first opportunity of getting it out. First impressions were definitely favourable with the number and range of moths seeming pretty good considering that it wasn't optimal weather conditions. 

Eight were new for the garden, with of two of these being 'Cottenham lifers' - so a good night:

[364] Beautiful Plume
[365] Aethes smeathmanniana
[366] Acleris laterana
[367] Rhyaconia pinicolana
[368] Agriphila straminella
[369] Plain Pug
[370] Barred Rivulet
[371]Square-spotted Clay

This all means that I have now recorded over 100 new species in this second year of trapping compared to last year. The first completely new species was Barred Rivulet and in fact there were at least two individuals (another probable got away) - this is a species of chalk soils so perhaps its no surprise that I haven't seen it before. 

Barred Rivulet Perizoma bifaciata

Barred Rivulet Perizoma bifaciata - second individual

A. smeathmanniana was the other totally new one and the third species of Aethes recorded this year:

Aethes smeathmanniana

After the above two, Square-spotted Clay was the undoubted highlight. A very smart moth which is nationally scarce and only the second time I've picked one up in Cottenham:

Square-spotted Clay Xestia stigmatica

Rhyaconia pinocolana is a smart tortrix and recorded very infrequently here my me (just two records in 2013):

Rhyaconia pinicolana

Acleris laterana and comariana are a difficult species pair normally requiring dissection. Although I may report this eventually as the aggregate species, the time of capture and size of the moth points firmly to the former species:

Acleris laterana

Plain Pug is never a stunner but this one is even worse than normal:

Plain Pug Eupithecia simpliciata

Even less interesting than pugs perhaps are grass moths - I am surely guilty of totally overlooking A. straminella as its an abundant species. However, I looked at the small crambids this time around and they were all this species rather than C. culmella. 

Agriphila straminella

Just to get some colour in the post, here's a few good looking species:

Canary-shouldered Thorn Ennomos alniaria

Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis

White-point Mythimna albipuncta