10th November 2018

Finally...a long awaited December Moth!

[488] December Moth

December Moth Poecilocampa populi

13th October 2018

After trapping the previous night where there were strong gusts, the continued mild overnight temperatures (and lighter winds)convinced me that I should try again. I was glad that I did despite torrential downpours when opening up the trap...three new species for the garden is rather unexpected in mid October. Overall, c.115 moths of 34 species was an almost unprecedented return for this time of year.

[485] Rhomboid Tortrix
[486] Olive-tree Pearl
[487] Brindled Green

The clear headliner was the Olive-tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis) which is a scarce migrant nationally with only a handful of Cambridgeshire records. It was the last moth located in the trap and nearly escaped my clutches. 

Olive-tree Pearl Palpita vitrealis

A couple of Acleris type tortrix had me stumped for a while - they are somewhat different to each other but both are clearly the the rather variable Rhomboid Tortrix. A supposedly common species that wasn't really on my radar - wonder if I've overlooked them previously? 

Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana

Brindled Green is normally noted as a common moth in the autumn but doesn't appear to be so here. This is just my second record in the village with the previous one being in late September 2018.

Brindled Green Dryobotodes eremita

Amongst many other autumn species there were seven Green-brindled Crescent which is by far the most I've caught in one night. Both forms (standard and the melanic f. capucina) were represented:

Green-brindled Crescent Allophyes oxyacanthae

6th October 2018

A single moth new for the garden:

[484] Buttoned Snout

I recorded this Nationally Scarce B species in each of 2013, 2014 and 2015 at Corbett Street so it is an expected addition to the High Street list.

Buttoned Snout Hypena rostralis

27th September 2018

An excellent addition to the garden list in the form of:

[483] Cypress Pug

Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniciata

This is a species that is slowly spreading its range northwards, although it is still rare in East Anglia. It was first recorded in VC29 in 2013 and there have been a few others since.

16th September 2018

A mild night brought some good moths in again, with four new for the garden:

[479] Dioryctria sylvestrella
[480] Toadflax Brocade
[481] Pink-barred Sallow
[482] Dark Spectacle

The Dioryctria pyralids are rather tricky but the one caught looks good for the largest of the group, D.sylvestrella (AKA New Pine Knot-horn) rather than abietella which I trapped over the summer:

Dioryctria sylvestrella

It was good to reacquaint myself with Toadflax Brocade - just my second record in the village with the previous being August 2015. There is a large stand of the food plant not too far away so its no real surprise that its turned up in the High St garden.

Toadflax Brocade Calophasia lunula

Pink-barred Sallow is surprisingly scarce here it seems - on checking my records this is my only third ever record in Cottenham. It's probably the sharpest of the sallows:

Pink-barred Sallow Xanthia togata

Dark Spectacle isn't too common either, I haven't picked one up since 2013:

Dark Spectacle Abrostola triplasia

Plenty of other moths were in the trap with Square-spot Rustic being ubiquitous at this time of year:

Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

While Gold Triangle is still on the wing:

Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis

10th September 2018

It's officially autumn judging by the appearance of some classic species from this time of year in the trap. There were also a couple of long awaited firsts for the garden:

[477] Centre-barred Sallow
[478] Small Ranunculus

I was surprised to find that I haven't picked up Centre-barred Sallow since 2013, when I had nine individuals in my Corbett Street trap in late August / Early September. It was annual in years before that too.

Centre-barred Sallow Atethmia centrago

This is the first Small Ranunculus I've recorded since 2014 - and the first time I have trapped both Small and Large Ranunculus together:

Small Ranunculus Hecatera dysodea

26th August 2018

One of my most wanted micros finally turned up, the exquisitely marked Ypsolopha sequella (AKA Pied Smudge)

[476] Ypsolopha sequella

Mid to late August normally coincides with a dramatic loss in diversity of catches and so it transpired with less than 35 species recorded. There are plenty of individual moths about though, it is just dominated by a handful of species such as:

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum

Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens

20th August 2018

Happy to add Large Thorn to the garden list, my first trapped in the village since 2012:
[475] Large Thorn

Large Thorn Ennomos autumnaria

Just as surprising was a Barred Sallow - a regular enough moth in the autumn but this is incredibly early - my previous early date was 29th September!

Barred Sallow Xanthia aurago

Also present was the fairly common Small Dusty Wave, just a species I hadn't bothered to photograph before:

Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata

16th August 2018

A much reduced catch compared to recent weeks but I was rewarded with an excellent new addition to the garden list:

[474] Mompha propinquella

Mompha propinquella

New for the year was this Epinotia ramella, which unlike last years record is of the standard form:

Epinotia ramella

7th August 2018

Three new for the garden this time:

[471] Epermenia falciformis
[472] Epinotia nisella
[473] Tawny-barred Angle

Epermenia falcifoirmis is a good looking micro that seems to be quite local in the region. Its also the second species of this genus recorded this year.

Epermenia falciformis

Last year at about this time I recorded some worn Epinotia species that remained unidentified. Two similar moths occurred in this trap, both with a faint chestnut patch on the forewing - so these (and presumably last years) seem good for E. nisella. 

Epinotia nisella

No such ID problems with this Tawny-barred Angle that was on the wall next to the trap. Only my second in Cottenham, with the previous record being from July 2015:

Tawny-barred Angle Macaria liturata

The other highlight was my second ever Oak Nycteoline and the first to stick around for a photo:

Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana

3rd August 2018

After a week away not much has changed - the heatwave goes on. Still plenty of moths around but diversity has started to fall as is typical in August. Still some micros of interest including three new:

[468] Stigmella atricapitella
[469] Prays ruficeps
[470] Recurvaria nanella

At least two of these tiny stigmella were present, the second species of this genus I've recorded this year. The black head and white eye caps look a good fit for S. atricapitella (AKA Black-headed Pigmy) although there are similar species:

Stigmella atricapitella

Prays ruficeps

Recurvaria nanella

New for the year was Tawny Speckled Pug which is annual in small numbers:

Tawny Speckled Pug Eupithecia icterata

Norfolk Moths July/ August 2018

A couple of trap nights on holiday in north Norfolk with the actinic resulted in a few species I haven't recorded down here:

Black Arches Lymnatria monacha

Rosy Footman Militochrista miniata

Agapeta zoegana f.ferrugana

Rosy Minor Litoligia literosa

Caryocolum fraternella (assumed)

Barred Hook-tip Watsonalla cultaria

Dioryctria sylvestrella

Dioryctria simplicella

Scalloped Hook-tip Falcaria lacertinaria

Lathronympha strigana

Eudemis profundana