The Scarlet Tiger was certainly unexpected and a stunning moth to catch here. It actually landed on the trap just as I was giving it a check at 23:15 - brilliant. I used to get numbers of this moth in my garden in central Oxford - this was before I knew much about moths but I still have a few photos of them I think. Over this way, they are rather rare - not sure about VC29 but pretty much unheard of in Norfolk for example.
There were also a few other good moths amongst 85 species recorded, with a total of six new for the garden:
[312] Argyresrthia brockeella
[312] Cherry Fruit Moth
[313] Aethes beatricella
[314] Variegated Golden Tortrix
[315] Scarlet Tiger
[316] Blackneck
The Argyresrthia brockeella was tricky to photograph but eventually it worked out ok. A very smart little moth indeed and the first for me away from Chippenham Fen:
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| Argyresthia brockeella |
In the same genus as the above, the Cherry Fruit Moth was a lifer for me:
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| Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella |
Yet another lifer, was this Aethes beatricella, a fairly local species:
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| Aethes beatricella |
The Variegated Golden Tortrix isnt bad looking either:
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| Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana |
Blackneck is always scarce here and this is my first record since 2012:
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| Blackneck Lygephila pastinum |
Other decent moths included the first adult Vapourer for the garden after a caterpillar last year:
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| Vapourer Orgyia antiqua |
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| Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
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| Fan-foot Herminia tarsipennalis |
