1st June 2016

A warm and muggy night brought some quite spectacular results - at least 89 species of over 300 moths. This took the best part of two hours to sift through, not an unpleasant way to spend my Saturday morning..that was until the local Robins decided that a moth breakfast/brunch/lunch was in order. It is definitely time to change tactics on when releasing everything!

Four moths were new for the garden, two of which were lifers:

[406] Coptotriche marginea
[407] Argyresthia trifasciata
[408] Argyresthia cupressella
[409] Freyer's Pug

Jon Heath reported catching Argyresthia cupressella  (AKA Cypress-tip Moth), an adventive species, a couple of nights previously. I was however still a little surprised that an Argyresthia  potted not long after dusk turned out to be this species too. Not sure how many records there have been in VC29 but looks like they might be a more regular occurrence from now on. Another one was in the trap by morning:

Argyresthia cupressella

Argyresthia trifasciata is more expected (I recorded it in both 2014 and 2015 at Corbett Street) but still good to see alongside the above species:

Argyresthia trifasciata

It took a suggestion from David Griffiths to sort the identity of the Coptrtriche marginea. A tiny moth that I also nearly overlooked, never mind put an identity to:

Coptrtriche marginea 

Freyer's Pug was regular at Corbett Street with over 20 records between 2010 and 2015. So its been somewhat of a mystery why its been missing on the High Street  until now. 

Freyer's Pug Eupithecia intricata

Other good moths including two Sitochroa verticalis (3rd and 4th records in Cottenham:

Sitochroa verticalis

And my second ever Small Square-spot here:

Small Square Spot Diarsia rubi

And my third Cochylis nana:

Cochylis nana