15th June 2020

Another good June night as we approach the summer solstice. Three excellent new moths for the garden included two unexpected micros:

[581] Aethes dilucidana

[582] Brown Oak Tortrix

[583] Clay Triple Lines

I've recorded three species of tortricid in the genus Aethes before, however I quickly noted the incomplete median fascia of this individual:

Aethes dilucidana

This feature is diagnostic of A.dilucidana which is a very scarce species both locally and nationally. It hasn't been recorded in modern times in Hunts while there have been only two recent records in Norfolk (in the Broads). I'm not sure how many records there are in VC29 but it has been recorded at Wicken Fen at some point.

Cottenham isn't exactly blessed with many oak trees or indeed woodland so this Brown Oak Tortrix was a surprise occurrence:

Brown Oak Tortrix Archips crataegana

Clay Triple-lines is perhaps a little more expected but still scarce locally. Its just a shame that the individual trapped had clearly had a hard time of it recently:

Clay Triple-lines Cyclophora linearia

A supporting cast included several species recorded very infrequently here:

Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella

 

Double Lobed Lateroligia ophiogramma

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata

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