9th July 2016

Still turning up around the 50 species mark, which at least makes it easier to check through before work! I did however spend a bit of time potting a few micros after dusk, which possibly inceased the haul.

Highlights were three species I haven't recorded in Cottenham before: Large Emerald (in pretty horrendous condition unfortunately), Yarrow Plume and Reddish Light Arches. The latter species is generally found in grassland on chalky or limestone soils, so I hadn't expected to record it here.

Reddish Light Arches Apamea sublustris

Large Emerald Geometra papilionaraia

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla

Other highlights of the 15 new for the garden moths were a couple of Swallow-tailed Moths, Buff Footman (I've recorded only a handful of these in the village) and Wax Moth:

[176] Swammerdamia pyrella
[177] Timothy Tortrix
[178] Ancylis achatana
[179] Yarrow Plume
[180] Eudonia lacustrata
[181] Wax Moth
[182] Large Emerald
[183] Small Fan-footed Wave
[184] Buff Footman
[185] Swallow-tailed Moth
[186] Garden Dart
[187] Reddish Light Arches
[188] Marbled Beauty
[189] Broad-barred White
[190] The Fan-foot

Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria

Buff Footman Eilema depressa

Garden Dart Euxoa nigricans

Eudonia lacustrata

Ancylis achatana

7th July 2016

A little bit busier with 51 species, which still isn't too fantastic for July. However there were two moths that were new two me, the first one provided no identification challenges - a superb Bordered Sallow. This is a species that I have hoped to catch for a while and it didn't disappoint.

Bordered Sallow Pyrrhia umbra

The second new moth was a pug. Great. however, it certainly looked different and although I was concerned it might be a worn Plain Pug, after a bit of chat on Cammoths, it looks good for Shaded Pug, which isn't particularly common here in the Fens:

Shaded Pug Eupithecia subumbrata

Eleven species to add to the list in total:

[165] Blastodacna hellerella
[166] Blastobasis adutella
[167] Plum Tortrix
[168] Bramble Shoot moth
[169] Eucosma cana
[170] Crambus perlella
[171] Gold Triangle
[172] Shaded Pug
[173] Yellow Shell
[174] Smoky Wainscot
[175] Bordered Sallow

Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana

6th July 2016

Eight new species for the garden, so things still ticking over somewhat slowly. Mostly expected common species turned up, although two micros were more of interest: the scarce pyralid Sitochroa verticalis (only recorded once at Corbett St) and another dull Bryotropha species, this time appearing to be B. senectella. 

[157] Bryotropha senectella
[158] Sitochroa verticalis
[159] Least Carpet
[160] Grey Pug
[161] Scalloped Oak
[162] Scarce Footman
[163] Lesser Yellow Underwing
[164] The Rustic

Sitochroa verticalis

Bryotropha senectella

Another Coronet turned up, this time a better marked individual while Buff Arches seem to be doing ok this year. Also thought I would post a photo of Dark Arches, an abundant species that I tend to ignore - but they are fairly smart to be fair.

Coronet

Buff Arches

Peppered Moth

Dark Arches

Thistle Ermine

3rd July 2016 - more clearwing action

I thought I would try again for Yellow-legged Clearwing and I was pleased when a clearwing came into the VES lure after about 30 minutes...only it was a Orange-tailed Clearwing. I had totally forgotten that this species comes to the same lure, so an unexpected bonus. Less thrilling was that the moth made a run for it before I had got any photos at all.

Also found in the day time was a larva of The Vapourer which had hitheto been unnoticed on the garden rose and was seemingly also attracted to the lure? A pretty cool caterpillar and the first for the garden.

Vapourer Orgyia antiqua

Overnight trapping was dominated by micros with a strange absence of the commoner macros that were present in abundance a couple of days ago. 

The eleven new moths for the garden over the day took the list to over the 150 mark. In a good year at Corbett Street I would be pushing 300 but 2016 hasn't been too great so far so I expect a somewhat lower return.

[146] Batia unitella
[147] Orange-tailed Clearwing
[148] Large Fruit-tree Tortrix
[149] Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix
[150] Pseudagyrotoza conwagana
[151] Marbled Orchard Tortrix
[152] Homoeosoma sinuella
[153] Endotricha flammealis
[154] Shaded Broad-bar
[155] Dot Moth
[156] Vapourer

Pseudagyrotoza conwagana

Homoeosoma sinuella

Batia unitella

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana

30th June 2016

A total of fourteen new moths for the year / garden included a fairly dowdy Coronet, a species I didn't record at all for the first 4 years of trapping in the village but has been annual since:

Coronet Craniophora ligustri

Lozotaeniodes formosana is a very smart micro:

Lozotaeniodes formosana 

While Burnished Brass is always welcome:

Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis

There were some numbers of common macros for really the first time this year (for example 45 Large Yellow Underwing and 25 Heart & Dart) while the list of new moths were:

[132] Celypha lacunana
[133] Lozotaeniodes formosana
[134] Phycita roborella
[135] Barred Yellow
[136] Buff-tip
[137] Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
[138] Light Arches
[139] Bright-line Brown-eye
[140] Sycamore
[141] Clay
[142] Coronet
[143] Uncertain
[144] Burnished Brass
[145] The Spectacle

Light Arches Apamea lithoxylaea

Phycita roborella

Heart & Club Agrotis clavis

Sycamore Acronicta aceris

Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata

27th June 2016

A new moth for me was the less than inspiring Bryotropha domestica but thankfully new for the year/garden Buff Arches and Pebble Prominent were a bit more aesthetically pleasing. A Scorched Carpet was also quite tidy and only the second (I think) that I have caught in Cottenham.

Scorched Carpet Ligdia adustata

Bryotropha domestica

Pebble Prominent Notodonta ziczac 

Altogether another eight species added to the list:

[124] Bryotropha domestica
[125] Codling Moth
[126] Ephestia unicolorella
[127] Common Plume
[128] Barred Straw
[129] Scorched Carpet
[130] Buff Arches
[131] Pebble Prominent 

Ephestia unicolorella

Barred Straw Gandaritis pyraliata

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella

26th June 2016 - Currant Clearwing

Rushed the TIP lure out at 4pm and after around 30 minutes I had to quickly stop play with our two year old - a Currant Clearwing had arrived. I managed to net it and get some decent photos. Excellent!

Also in the garden this afternoon were single Silver Y and Pyrausta aurata.

[122] Pyrausta aurata
[123] Currant Clearwing

23rd June 2016

Another rush of new moths included some dashes of colour from a Green Silver-lines and what is probably the best of the regular hawk-moths - an Eyed. There was also a tidy Small Elephant Hawk-moth which is far from annual here. Sol its just Lime Hawk-moth to go for the garden now for the 'regular' hawkmoths, although this species doesn't appear to be anywhere near as common here in Cottenham than in central Cambridge for example.

Green Silver-lines Pseudoips prasinana

Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus

Eyed Hawk-moth Smerinthus ocellata

A bit more dowdy was a migrant Rush Veneer and an absolutely minuscule micro appears to be Elachista atricomella.  Beautiful Hooktip continues its general increase locally and the 4th of the year appeared amongst some real mid-summer species.

So new moths were:

[110] Elachista atricomella
[111] Eudonia mercurella
[112] Rush Veneer
[113] Treble Brown-spot
[114] Eyed Hawk-moth
[115] Small Elephant Hawk-moth
[116] Common Footman
[117] Double Square-spot
[118] Common Rustic
[119] Straw Dot
[120] Green Silver-lines
[121] The Snout

Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella

Straw Dot Rivula sericealis

Beautiful Hooktip Laspeyria flexula

Elachista atricomella