Monday, January 2, 2017

Year review 2016 part 3

Macros

The garden yielded 276 species this year, this ranks only 3rd compared to 289 in in 2014 and an incredible 304 in 2013. After a few good years and with 361 macros already on the garden list, it is becoming increasingly hard to add new ones.

2016 saw the addition of another 12 species-

Blossom Underwing 30/03- 8th county record.
Pinion-spotted Pug 11/05- 13th county record, last seen in 2012.
Alder Moth 30/05- Uncommon resident, 83rd record.
Dotted Fan-foot 25/06- two caught this year, the 4th and 5th county records.
Slender Pug 06/07- Gen det A. Banthorpe, uncommon resident, 80th record.
Small Scallop 22/07- Common, a long awaited tick!
Coronet 22/07- 16th county record.
Jersey Tiger 27/07- 50th county record.
Hoary Footman 02/08- Gen det A. Banthorpe, only the 2nd record, after one trapped in Luton in 2014.
Dewick's Plusia 22/09- Other than this one, three other records in the county in 2016, after the first ever record in 2015.
Dark Spectacle 23/09- 20th county record.
Cypress Carpet 28/10- A new record for VC30!


Blossom Underwing

Pinion-spotted Pug

Alder Moth

Dotted Fan-foot

Slender Pug


Small Scallop

Coronet

Jersey Tiger

Hoary Footman

Dewick's Plusia


Dark Spectacle

 Cypress Carpet

Year review 2016 part 2

Buccalatrix ulmella


Agriphila selasella


Pediasia contaminella


Aproaerema anthyllidella


Palpita vitrealis


Stigmella sakhalinella

  Monopis crocicapitella 

Year review 2016 part 1

To say I haven't blogged much recently is a bit of an understatement. Just one post in 2016, way back in March!
I had, however, carried on mothing throughout the year adding 6763 records and 40 more species to the garden list which now totals 714 species (373 Macro, 341 Micro)
I trapped less often than previous years, with only 220 trap nights. But did use more than one trap for the majority of these. July was my most productive month, recording 313 species from 27 days. February was my least productive, trapping on just two nights and recording ten species.

The top ten most abundant species of the year were as follows-

63.115 Acentria ephemerella Water Veneer 4631
73.359 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 1947
73.342 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 1174
18.001 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 1025
73.325 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 583
73.357 Xestia xanthographa Square-spot Rustic 404
73.317 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 397
63.080 Chrysoteuchia culmella Garden Grass-veneer 364
73.291 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 297
73.162 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 282


It is no surprise that  Acentria ephemerella is the most abundant. On some nights it reaches near plague proportions, c1000 were recorded on 27th July alone.

Micros

This year I made a bit more of an effort with micros and logged a record number of species. I kept a few more for gen detting and paid more attention to collecting, photographing and identifying. This along with Louie's sweep netting managed to add 28 new species to the garden list. 230 species were recorded, beating my previous best of 218 in 2013.

Crocidosema plebejana 24/01- A scarce migrant to Beds, 15th county record
Scrobipalpa costella 03/04- Common
Depressaria ultimella 10/05- Gen det D. Manning, 13th record for Beds, last seen in 2011
Cryptoblabes bistriga 29/05- 14th record for Beds, last seen in 2014
Aethes tesserana 29/05- 22nd record for Beds
Cauchas fibulella 04/06- Gen det D. Manning, 23rd Beds record.
Nematopogon swammerdamella 06/06- Common
Elachista argentella 07/06- Common
Lesser Wax Moth Achroia grisella 23/06- 2 caught this year, 16th and 17th county records.
Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella 07/07- This presumed migrant was VC30's first ever adult record after a larval record found and bred through from imported fruit. Later corrected, species was actually Anarsia innoxiella- a first for VC30!
Athrips mouffetella 07/07- 2 caught this year. Bedfordshire's 22nd and 23rd records
Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana 15/07- Gen det, A. Banthorpe, common
Coleophora coracipennella 16/07- Gen det A. Banthorpe, 20th County record
Brachmia blandella 19/07- 2 caught this year, common
Coleophora saxicolella 21/07- Gen det A. Banthorpe, Common
Elachista consortella 21/07- Gen det A. Banthorpe, 27th for the county, not seen since 2010
Monochroa lucidella 23/07- 2 caught on the same night, only the 5th and 6th Beds records.
Stigmella trimaculella 23/07- Gen det A. Banthorpe, common
Aethes cnicana 27/07- Common
Bucculatrix ulmella 29/07- Common
Coleophora versurella 02/08- Gen det A. Banthorpe, Common
Agriphila selasella 06/08- Local, 41st county record
Pediasia contaminella 07/08- Gen det A. Banthorpe, 5th county record.
Dichrorampha simpliciana 14/08- Gen det A. Banthorpe, common
Aproaerema anthyllidella 25/08- 3 caught this year, 35-37th record, not seen since 2013
Palpita vitrealis 12/09- Migrant, 5th county record.
Stigmella sakhalinella 14/10- Two Mines found in Birch, 39-40th county record
Monopis crocicapitella 28/10- 11th county record


Depressaria ultimella


Cryptoblabes bistriga

Aethes tesserana

Elachista argentella

Lesser Wax Moth Achroia grisella

Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella  Anarsia innoxiella

Athrips mouffetella

Brachmia blandella

Monochroa lucidella

Aethes cnicana