6th July 2018

An amazing night and morning with 115 species identified which is likely a record catch for me in Cottenham. After over two hours of processing I ended up with eleven moths new for the garden with four of these completely new to me:

[430] Batia lunaris
[431] Batrachedra pinicolella
[432] Parachronistis albiceps
[433] Gelechia sororculella
[434] Epinotia tenerana
[435] Cydia fagiglandana
[436] Pammene fasciana
[437] Acrobasis suavella
[438] Small Emerald
[439] Large Twin-spot Carpet
[440] July Highflyer


Batia lunaris is smart micro that I've recorded just once previously (July 2013):

Batia lunaris

Terrible photo but this minuscule Batechedra pinicolella was nearly missed. The first record for me of this Nationally Scarce B species which is very local in East Anglia. 

Batrachedra pinicolella

Parachronistis albiceps is a distinctive gelechid which again seems to be far from regular in the area; this is the first that I have trapped:

Parachronistis albiceps

Another gelechid, not as smart as the above but still relatively distinctive is this Gelechia sororculella. It is supposed to be common nationally but there aren't many records from either Hunts or Norfolk:

Gelechia sororculella

Same goes with this tortrix, Epinotia tenerana (AKA Nut Bud Moth), although it does seem a bit more regular in north Norfolk. 

Nut Bud Moth Epinotia tenerana

I had a run of a few records of Cydia fagiglandana records in 2015 which at that time were some of the first records in VC29 I seem to remember. I haven't caught any since however and I struggled to recognise this ones identity!

Cydia fagiglandana

Yet another tortrix, Pammene faciana I've recorded a few times but not since 2015:

Pammene fasciana

Of several species of similar looking pyralids, Acrobasis suavella is one of the more rarely encountered here. I trapped this species three times at Corbett Street  (in 2013 and 2014):

Acrobasis suavella

Small Emerald used to be pretty common with several recorded at Corbett Street annually. Not sure why but glad to get it on the High Street list at last:

Small Emerald Hemistola chrysoprasaria

Despite being apparently common in the region I've trapped just one Large Twin-spot Carpet before (July 2014). So I was surprised to get three in the trap this morning:

Large Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe quadrifasciata

and finally, my first July Highflyer since 2013:

July Highflyer Hydriomena furcata

4th July 2018

Two new micros for the garden amongst 95 species recorded:

[428] Parawammerdamia nebulella
[429] Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana

I struggled to get anywhere with the tortrix so thanks to Malcolm Anderson for pointing me in the right direction (its AKA Spruce Bud Moth):

Spruce Bud Moth Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana

Paraswammerdamia nebulella

Amongst those new for the year was this Dun-bar:

Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina

While it was good to get male and female Ghost Moths side by side:

Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli

30th June 2016

Just one new and a boring (and probably previously overlooked) scoparid at that:

[427] Eudonia pallida

Eudonia pallida

A bit better looking was this unusually well marked Buff Ermine:

Buff Ermine Spilosoma lutea

Agapeta hamana is regular during mid-summer:

Agapeta hamana

While I've trapped Small Rivulet just a handful of times:

Small Rivulet Perizoma alchemillata

I stopped attempting to differentiate at Uncertain / The Rustics a long time ago but this one seems as good as Rustic as you can get I guess:

Rustic Hoplodrina blanda

25th June 2018

The warm nights continue and again, two new for the garden:

[425] Argyresthia albistria
[426] Four-dotted Footman

The micro below caused a lot of headaches and it took some time before I was content that it was an Argyresthia. It matched no particular species in Sterling & Parsons however, so I had to do plenty of digging. I found reference in a couple of places to unicolorous forms of A. albistria and A. conjugella. My moth certainly isn't the latter so partly by a process of elimination I became comfortable with it being the former (AKA Purple Argent). This was supported by an independent suggestion of the same conclusion. 

Argyresthia albistria

Four-dotted Footman is scarce round here and I've recorded it just once before (June 2014):

Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella

The other highlight was this superb Poplar Hawk-moth of the uncommon 'buff' form - although its more lilac than anything:

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi

Other footmen are quite prolific at the moment - here's a shot of both Common and Scarce:

Scarce Footman Eilema complana; Common Footman Eilema lurideola

Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata

23rd June 2018

Two good looking species new for the garden:

[423] Blue-bordered Carpet
[424] Lilac Beauty

Unfortunately the Lilac Beauty scarpered before being photographed but the carpet stuck around:

Blue-bordered Carpet Plemyria rubiginata

Plenty of 'waves' are now regular in the trap, with these the most common:

Riband Wave Idaea aversata 

Riband Wave Idaea aversata f. remutata

Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata

Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata

Dwarf Cream Wave Idaea fuscovenosa

19th June 2018

I'm picking up some interesting micros this year and this continued with these three new for the garden:

[420] Hawthorn Moth
[421] Exoteleia dodecella
[422] Epermenia chaerophyllella

I've recorded Hawthorn Moth just once before (June 2014):

Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella

I needed some help in identifying the E. dodecella possibly as it doesn't feature in the plates of Stirling &Parsons. It's yet another Scots Pine species that's fairly local in East Anglia:

Exoteleia dodecella

While E. chaerophyllella was a little easier to identify:

Epermenia chaerophyllella

Another good micro was this Phycitodes binaevella which I get in very small numbers most years:

While Beautiful Hook-tips are continuing their upturn, with several trapped so far this year:

Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula

One of the most common grass moths is Crambus pascuella, which are turning up now:

Crambus pascuella

15th June 2018

Over 85 species to sift through and rewarded with four new micros for the garden:

[416] Ectoedemia heringella
[417] Apple Leaf Miner
[418] Gypsonoma sociana
[419] Notocelia rosaecolana

A minuscule moth at the bottom of the trap caused me to wander back and forth cluelessly trying to work out what family it was from never mind species. Thanks to Rob Partridge for the identification, it looks like it is Ectoedemia heringella (New Holm-Oak Pigmy). This species was first discovered in 2002 and has since spread substantially; even so it is the leaf mines that are commonly recorded not the adult. 

Ectoedemia heringella

Also tiny was this Apple Leaf Miner (shocking photo I know). I had a run of several records of this species in 2013 and 2014 but not since.

Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella

Gypsonoma sociana is, for a black and white tortrix, reasonably distinctive:

Gypsonoma sociana

I can't say the same for various Notocelia / Epiblema species however. A second opinion on this one though has allowed me to claim N. rosaecolana:

Notocelia rosaecolana

I don't record many Catoptria pinella, the smartest of the grass moths that occur here:

Catoptria pinella

Hypsopygia glaucinalis is also annual in very small numbers:

Hypsopygia glaucinalis

 While scoparids are generally a nightmare and unfortunately quite abundant right now (!). This one looks good for the common Eudonia mercurella:

Eudonia mercurella

The fourth Cochylis of the year appeared; this is the most regular species here - C.hybridella:

Cochylis hybridella

Clearwings June 2018

Courtesy of James Hanlon who twitched my garden, here's some photos of four species of clearwing caught in a mad 90 minute session on the 15th:

Currant Clearwing - 3 caught (second garden record):

Orange-tailed Clearwing - 3 caught:

Red-tipped Clearwing - 2 caught:

Red-belted Clearwing - 3 caught: