12 - 13th June 2020

Two warm nights convinced me to do back to back trap nights for the first time in a while. I was rewarded with five new moths for the garden, all of which were lifers:

[576] Paraswammerdamia albicapitella

[577] Phyllonorcycter leucographella

[578] Coleophora mayrella

[579] Cydia nigricana

[580] Blotched Emerald

We'll get the Blotched Emerald out of the way first. I have no photo as it escaped while I tried some cack-handed attempts to pot it. I was pretty gutted as its a stunning moth and one I had been hoping to catch. There have been a few records in recent years in the County but mostly south of the city. 

Paraswammerdamia albicapitella isn't quite as exciting but glad to catch a good specimen after relegating one to the 'possible' camp last year:

Paraswammerdamia albicapitella

I wait 7 years for an identifiable Phyllonorycter leaf miner in the garden and I get two in a couple of weeks. This one is the adventive Firethorn Leaf-miner:

Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella

I've been looking quite hard at the metallic Coleophora in the last couple of years and a notable gap in the garden list was C.mayrella with its distinctive ringed antennae:

Coleophora mayrella

An unassuming tortrix turned out to be Cydia nigricana a pest of pea crops. It is actually quite scarce in the County although not sure it is in Cottenham as I netted one in a local wood later in the afternoon!

Cydia nigricana

A couple of other nice micros were new for the year:

Phtheochroa rugosana

Gypsonoma sociana