9th & 11th May 2018

Despite predicting that I wouldn't get many new moths from now on, a few appeared over the nights of 9th and 11th May:

[400] Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
[401] Purple Bar
[402] Yellow-barred Brindle
[403] Least Black Arches

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet is often indistinguishable from Red Twin-spot Carpet (they both have 'red' and 'dark' barred versions) but all the pointers on this individual seem to be towards Dark-barred:  

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata

Purple Bar is a smart carpet (that isn't very purple mind) and this one is only my 3rd record in Cottenham. Both previous records were 2nd generation individuals in July and August 2013.

Purple Bar Cosmorhoe ocellata

Yellow-barred Brindle was regular at Corbett Street so its a little surprising that it hasn't turned up here before now. This one nearly eluded me too, helped by young Dylan I noticed it up high up on a wall late in the afternoon:

Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata

Least Black Arches was something I caught on my very first trap night in Cottenham I believe. However I haven't recorded in since 2014; so it was nice to find two on the wall next to the trap:

Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

6th May 2018

The bank holiday weekend was tremendously warm although night time temperatures were relatively cool. Consequently moth numbers are still low but I did manage two new moths for the garden:

[398] Mullein
[399] Campion

So the 400 is nearly up in just over two years of trapping. Considering my list at Corbett Street reached just 457 after seven years it has obviously been a productive couple of years. It does suggest that new moths are going to be quite hard to come by now. 

The Mullein is a superb moth and this one is only my second record in the village, with the Corbett Street record being as far back as 2010 (also in May).

Mullein Cucillia verbasci

Campion has completely avoided my Cottenham traps until now. It was slightly mystifying as it seems to be fairly regular nearby including northern Cambridge. I was concerned I was overlooking worn specimens and putting them down as Lychnis but there was certainly no mistaking this one:

Campion Sideridis rivularis

Best of the rest was this Puss Moth, always a great one to catch:

Puss Moth Cerura vinula

3rd May 2018

[397] Emperor Moth

After seeing some reports of the EMP lure working in attracting the odd Emperor Moth locally I thought I would give it a try. I put out the lure at 12:30 in seemingly perfect conditions - and didn't have a sniff over a lunch hour. Bill Mansfield did get success in the late afternoon though, so I returned to the garden at 16:00. Within 20 minutes I wondered why that Peacock butterfly was playing so much attention to the lure...when it slowly dawned on me what it was! Suddenly there was three Emperor moths doing laps around the garden. I manged to net two of them and took the lure in to give the other male a break.

Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia

A completely brilliant moth and one I had only seen once before - a tatty female in the Cairngorms about 20 years ago. 

7th April 2018

A very tardy start to the mothing year for me although to be fair the weather has in general, been woeful. The trap produce a reasonable bunch of moths although dominated by a very high count of Common Quaker (44 individuals). I was however surprised to get three new moths for the garden including one that looks likely to be a first for VC29!

[394] Caloptilia populetorum
[395] Brindled Pug
[396] Pale Pinion

So, the only micro recorded turned out to be quite interesting. It took a while to work out but the identification looks pretty safe for Caloptilia populetorum, a scarce species of heathland and scrub with birch as its foodplant. Its been recorded once before in Hunts (in 2015) but excluding any potential 2017 records yet to be ratified, it hasn't been recorded at all in Cambs. Its slightly more regular in Norfolk, with the nearest records coming from the Lakenheath area it seems. One photo taken in Norfolk looks a dead ringer for mine. 

Caloptilia populetorum

Pale Pinion is a far from regular early spring species here and as well as being new for the garden I only recorded it once at Corbett Street on a near identical date (the 6th) in 2014.

Pale Pinion Lithophane hepatica

Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata

Otherwise, there was a couple of  Small Quaker:

Small Quaker Orthosia cruda

In addition to a Satellite, which comes quickly after the gardens first in November last year:

The Satellite Eupsilia transversa

December 2017

December has had both  cold and mild spells - with the latter being somewhat prolonged I manged to put the trap out a couple of times. This is a rare occurrence in December and I managed two new species for the garden: a single Dark Chestnut on the 22nd and two male Pale-brindled Beauty on the 30th. The latter are a new moth for me and a good end of year bonus.

[392] Dark Chestnut
[393] Pale-brindled Beauty

Pale-brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria

Dark Chestnut Conistra ligula

Otherwise, there was the ubiquitous Light-brown Apple Moth on both nights - of the 10 different months I've trapped in 2017 (Mar - Dec) this species has turned up in all. A Common Quaker on the 22nd was the only other moth and rather early, it normally turns up in March.

Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

3 November 2017

A relatively mild night, possibly the last for a while, didn't turn up much at all. However, a Satellite was new for the garden; a smart noctuid that has only been infrequently recorded in Cottenham over the years. This one being of the orange marked form:

[391] Satellite

Satellite Eupsilia transversa

A late Turnip Moth caused me to attempt to turn it into something rarer:

Turnip Moth Agrotis segretum

26th October 2017

There's still some of the more 'standard' autumn species missing from the garden list, and two of these turned up this time around - two Red-green Carpet and a single Red-line Quaker. In addition, a large tortrix appears to be Acleris sparsana which although underwhelming in appearance is completely new for me.

[388] Acleris sparsana
[389] Red-green Carpet
[390] Red-line Quaker

Red-line Quaker Agrochola lota

Acleris sparsana

There was also another excellent Feathered Thorn:

Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria

Although the most surprising moth was a Dark Arches, the first time I've caught a second generation individual. My previous latest record was 4th September!

Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha

24th October 2017

A good October catch with some minor migrant action thrown in through a nice Vestal arriving at about 10 pm. 

[384] Vestal
[385] Feathered Thorn
[386] Blair's Shoulder-knot
[387] Brick

I've recorded Vestal just once before (October 2013) but there was always a good chance of one turning up this year as many have been trapped on the coast.

Vestal Rhodometra sacaria

Feathered Thorn is a superb moth and I record one every couple of years it seems:

Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria

Blair's Shoulder-knot is a regular autumn species:

Blair's Shoulder-knot Lithophane leautieri

The Brick has been fairly scarce in Cottenham - this is just my fifth ever here, all in mid - late October:

Brick Agrochola circellaris

14th October 2017

Unseasonably mild weather forced my hand and the MV trap went out. amongst the decent haul of 24 species, I was rewarded with four new moths for the garden including the always superb Merville du Jour (two individuals) and an incredible five Large Wainscot (the number of which equals my total recorded in Cottenham from 2009 - 2015).

[380] Merveille du Jour
[381] Green-brindled Crescent
[382] Yellow-line Quaker
[383] Large Wainscot

Merveille du Jour Dichonia aprilina

Large Wainscot Rhizedra lutosa

Yellow-line Quaker Agrochola macilenta

Green-brindled Crescent Allophyes oxyacanthae

Beaded Chestnut Agrochola lychnidis

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

30th September 2017

I've not been doing much mothing through the autumn, which is a shame as I didn't do too much last year either. I have however got a trap out a couple of times. A few nice autumn species turned up in late September including one new for the garden:

[379] Barred Sallow

Barred Sallow Xanthia aurago

Its always good to get a Frosted Orange:

Frosted Orange Gortyna flavago

The Sallow Xanthia icteritia

22nd August 2017

A rather battered Dark Sword-grass was the first record of this migrant here. I recorded it quite regularly at Corbett St between 2010 and 2013 (11 records) but I've not had one anywhere since. 

Was also pleased to catch another Latticed Heath which this time stuck around for a photo.

[378] Dark Sword-grass

Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon

Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana

17 August 2017

Two new for the garden:

[376] Grapholita janthinana
[377] Currant Pug

Grapholita janthinana

Currant Pug Eupithecia assimilata

The tort is just my second record, with one identified at Corbett st in July 2014.