micro challenge / unidentified

23rd July 2016

Nemapogon cloacella?

Eucosma obumbratana?

9th July 2016

Ancylis sp? doesn't appear to be A achatana so possibly uncicella or unguicella?

Tortrix!

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7th July 2016:

Worn Plain Pug or an unlikely Shaded Pug? **EDIT: Seems good for Shaded Pug**

Epinotia immundana?

just Hedya nubiferana? Quite diminutive and lacks significant raised scales. ** EDIT:As pointed out by David Griffiths, quite obviously Plum Tortrix H. pruniana**

Spilonota ocellana? **EDIT: confirmed S. ocellana **

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June 2016

***edit: 27/05/2016: Possibly/probably Elachista atricomella****

22nd June 2016

A muggy night so a good bunch of moths, the pick of which was my first Red-necked Footman. A very smart an usual species although this individuals was found wet and upside down in the trap and consequently looked a bit worn even after recovering in the fridge.

Red-necked Footman Atolmis rubricollis

A nice selection of other moths new for year / garden meaning that 100 species barrier was broken:

[93] Ghost Moth
[94] Scoparia basistrigalis
[95] Agapeta hamana
[96] Clepsis consimilana
[97] Epinotia bilunana
[98] Acrobasis consociella
[99] Ringed China-mark
[100] Riband Wave
[101] Foxglove Pug
[102] Green Pug
[103] Clouded Silver
[104 Figure of Eighty 
[105] Red-necked Footman
[106] Heart and Club
[107] The Nutmeg
[108] Grey / Dark Dagger agg.
[109] Small Fanfoot

Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis

Epinotia bilunana

Clepsis consimilana

Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata

Foxglove Pug Eupithecia pulchellata

Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli

Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata

18th June 2016 - Red-belted Clearwing

Tried a few pheromone lures in some seemingly decent conditions around midday. Not a huge amount of success although a single Red-belted Clearwing came in rapidly. This is the same species I lured in at Corbett St, although I recorded many more individuals there. Hopefully I will have chance in weekends to come for some other species.

[92] Red-belted Clearwing

15th June 2016

A fine Beautiful Hooktip was the best moth in a small pool - although it evaded the camera unfortunately. On the other hand I got a second chance in getting some shots of Scorched Wing - a moth of real quality. Otherwise, only Silver Ground Carpet was notable - I see this moth in the daytime out on the outskirts of Cottenham more often than in a trap. 

[89] Chrysoteuchia culmella

[90] Silver Ground Carpet

[91] Beautiful Hooktip

Scorched Wing Plagodis dolabraria

Silver Ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata

Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens

11th June 2016

One of the first moths pulled out of the trap was a weird looking plume - a quick browse of Sterling and Parsons and the distinctive resting posture in a 'Y' shape appeared to be diagnostic for Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii. I rattled off a few poor photos of the now potted and consulted a bit more widely. UK moths detailed that the species " has very distinctive resting posture, with its narrow wings held forward, and the front part of the body raised on the forelegs". So far so good!

Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii

Its vernacular name was a bit of a giveaway but it was clear that this was a rare moth in deepest VC29. It is a species of coastal saltmarsh restricted in the main to Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincs.... so what was it doing in Cottenham? Interestingly Norfolk Moths details that occasional wanderers can be found inland, and there are a handful of records not far from Cambs. There was also a record in Hunts in August 2014 which was identified at the time then further confirmed by dissection. The only confusion species is the even more unlikely Cliff Plume A. meridionalis found in the south-west and south Wales. 

After waiting a while, I let mine go after getting some better photos. Its not listed in the now dated spreadsheet of VC29 moths, so this is possibly the first for the county (assuming a photographic record is sufficient!).

There were quite a few other new for the garden species:

[75] Phycitodes binaevella

[76] Water Veneer

[77] Large Tabby

[78] Saltmarsh Plume

[79] Crambus pascuella

[80] Small Magpie

[81] Bud Moth

[82] Common Marbled Carpet

[83] Elephant Hawkmoth

[84] Pale Prominent

[85] Iron Prominent

[86] The Flame

[87] Dark Arches

[88] Brown Rustic

Iron Prominent Notodonta dromedarius

Poplar and Privet Hawk-moths

Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor

Large Tabby Aglossa pinguinalis

Phycitodes binaevella

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana

Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella

June orchids in Cambridgeshire

I've come across a few orchid species in the last week, most of which are looking quite tidy. As the photograph demonstrates though, I'll have to go back for the Lizard Orchids when they have developed a bit further....

Pyramidal Orchid

Lizard Orchid

Early Marsh Orchid

Bee Orchid

9th June 2016

A quieter night with Diamond-back Moths back down in to single figures. The most interesting moth was a Hadena coronet, which I intituially passed off as Varied Coronet. This species is annual in small numbers in Cottenham (or was at Corbett Street at least). However on looking at photos the white blotches on the subterminal line led me to consider Marbled Coronet. So ..a little confusing. Feedback has been varied (excuse the pun) but on balance it's small size probably means its just a slightly unusual Varied Coronet? Either way, its a smart moth...

Including this species, 4 new for the garden:

[71] Monopis crocicapitella
[72] Common Carpet
[73] Turnip Moth
[74] Varied Coronet

7th June 2016

A humid night that included some prolonged heavy downpours resulted in a good set of moths at last - a total of 38 species, which probably what is expected of early June.

The Diamond--back moth invasion continued unabated - a ridiculous 120 at least were in the trap and there could have been a lot more - a fair amount of them flew out as soon as i opened the trap. Some were also looking at providing the next generation too:

The main highlight though was an Orange Footman, a woodland species that ~I have only recorded in Cottenham twice before.

Orange Footman (Eilema sorocula)

New in for the garden were:

[47] Thistle Ermine

[48] Red-barred Tortrix

[49] Notocelia cynosbatella

[50] Cinnabar

[51] Light Emerald

[52] Green Carpet

[53] Clouded Border

[54] Scorched Wing

[55] Peppered Moth

[56] Mottled Pug

[57] Willow Beauty

[58] Privet Hawkmoth

[59] Buff Ermine

[60] Orange Footman

[61] Large Yellow Underwing

[62] Rustic Shoulder-knot

[63] Tawny Marbled Minor

[64] Middle-barred Minor

[65] Mottled Rustic

[66] Poplar Grey

[67] Common Wainscot

[68] Light Brocade

[69] Silver Y

[70] The Herald

Light Brocade (Lacanobia w-latimum)

Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)

Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)

The Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix)

Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus)

Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula)

White Helleborines at Beechwoods LNR

It does take a lot for me to look at non-flying objects but orchids can be out down as an exception. Many White Helleborines were out in various stages of flowering over the weekend at Beechwoods near Fulbourn. This is a site I had a never been too before and on our brief visit it looked quite useful for butterflies too. 

4th June 2016

The bulk of moths that turned up were predictably a bunch of Diamond-backs but this was a tiny fraction of the hordes seen along Cottenham Lode - they are just about everywhere. 

A few common species added to the garden list:

[42] Argyresthia goedartella 
[43] Scoparia ambigualis
[44] Heart & Dart
[45] Cabbage Moth
[46] Vine's Rustic

Argyresthia goedartella f. splendida

Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis

Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua

 There was also the first Cockchafer of the year - a proper beast.

Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha