7th August 2020 - hot stuff

What a night. Sometimes, all things align and moths come in abundance with several surprises all at once and this was one of those occasions. It was a roasting night and an incredible six were new for the garden:

[607] Bucculatrix thoracella
[608] Phyllonorycter quercifoliella
[609] Ash Bud Moth
[610] Cochylidia implicitana
[611] Dusky Thorn
[612] Gypsy Moth

Gypsy Moth has turned up a handful of times locally recently but it was still great to see this charismatic species. It was formerly common in East Anglia but became extinct at around 1900:

Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar

Just as rare, if not more so in VC29 is Oak Processionary. I recorded two individuals in 2018 which I think may have been the joint first for the vice county. I had predicted that they would turn up here this year as several were reported outside of their usual haunts. Again, there were two in the trap:

Oak Processionary Thaumetopoea processionea

Dusky Thorn is a widespread species I have trapped readily elsewhere. For some reason its not regular round here and they've taken quite a few years to find their way to my garden trap:

Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria

On to the micros, Cochylidia implicitana was a good one to find:

Cochylidia implicitana

After recording the species that was split from it, Prays ruficeps a couple of times, I was happy to catch up with two Prays fraxinella (Ash-bud Moth): 

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella

A worn Bucculatrix thoracella is another one of this tricky group that I can add to the list:

Bucculatrix thoracella

Talking of tricky groups, 2020 has been the year of the Phyllonorycter here and there was another new one. P. quercifoliella has a diagnostic lengthy longitudinal streak:

Phylloncorycter quercifoliella

There was another P. comparella too:

Phyllonorycter comparella

Also, there was a final Phyllonorycter that couldn't be identified to species. It resembles the hostis / spincolella group I think. 

Phyllonorycter sp. 

24th July 2018

A surprise when checking the egg boxes was not one but two male Oak Processionary moths. I had heard about some turning up in coastal locations but still! Even more amazing was that it quickly became apparent that an influx was under way with multiples also recorded by Pete Holt and Ian Barton on the same night. This bunch may be the first VC29 records? The species isn't exactly popular due to various issues and the London adventive population is subject extensive control measures. These migrant individual are all males though - and possibly from the continent so no threat locally just yet....

Oak Processionary Thaumetopoea processionea

There were three new for the garden in total:

[459] Bactra furfurana
[460] Oak Processionary
[461] Fen Wainscot

There were two, probably three Bactra furfurana of various forms. This one being the most distinctive:

Bactra furfurana

Fen Wainscot has been one I was concerned that i had overlooked in the past - however after capturing this one I don't think I have - they are quite obvious:

Fen Wainscot Arenostola phragmitidis

Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina