30th June 2020

The first half of July has been really poor with regards to weather, a bit of a comedown from June. The trap has barely been out so here's a few good moths caught at the end of June to report. Nothing new for the garden but several species that are seen in small numbers only:

Ypsolopha sequella

Recurvaria nanella

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana

Cydia fagiglandana

25th July 2019

It was the hottest night here since like ever so I was looking forward to the results in the trap. A storm in the early hours did affect things however although there were well over 100 species again.

White-line Dart is new for the garden and only my second recorded in the village:

White-line Dart Euxoa tritici

Another day another pyralid, although this time the new garden record involved a more widespread species Acrobasis repandana. Unfortunately in the process of trying to get it into a pot it made its escape, so this is the only shot obtained:

Acrobasis repandana

I've had a few Caloptilia species this year and another new one turned up, C. stigmatella:

Caloptilia stigmatella

Another species I've recorded just once in the village before is the striking tortrix Epiblema foenella. However, this one is a fairly dull individual, the white blotch on the forewing is normally bright white:

Epiblema foenella

The final new one was Mompha epilobiella, an apparently common species which I haven't come across before:

Mompha epilobiella

The best of the rest included the gardens second record of Recurvaria nanella, a fairly rare species of gelechiid:

Recurvaria nanella

[537] Caloptilia stigmatella
[538] Mompha epilobiella
[539] Epiblema foenella
[540] Acrobasis repandana
[541] White-line Dart

3rd August 2018

After a week away not much has changed - the heatwave goes on. Still plenty of moths around but diversity has started to fall as is typical in August. Still some micros of interest including three new:

[468] Stigmella atricapitella
[469] Prays ruficeps
[470] Recurvaria nanella

At least two of these tiny stigmella were present, the second species of this genus I've recorded this year. The black head and white eye caps look a good fit for S. atricapitella (AKA Black-headed Pigmy) although there are similar species:

Stigmella atricapitella

Prays ruficeps

Recurvaria nanella

New for the year was Tawny Speckled Pug which is annual in small numbers:

Tawny Speckled Pug Eupithecia icterata