I.D. sos...........30/07

This is what greeted me this morning when I emptied the trap- 18mm from nose to tail. Any takers??

Flounced Rustic

After trawling through books and images, I'm still non the wiser. It looks reminiscent of Small Clouded Brindle, but I'm just not sure............. It was originally ID'ed as a Dusky Brocade by VC30 Moth Group. But that wasn't the end of it, as a furthur investigation concluded with a reidentification of Flounced Rustic. So rather than a new species for the garden, I've ended up with a year tick instead..........

I did a full count as well, the results are as follows-

1. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 12
2. Agriphila tristella- 6
3. Lesser Yellow Underwing- 5
4. Chrysoteuchia culmella- 4
5. Straw Underwing- 4
6. Turnip Moth- 4
7. Nutmeg-3
8. Scalloped Oak- 3
9. Dark Arches- 3
10. Agriphila straminella- 2
11. Bird-cherry Ermine- 2
12. Ruby Tiger- 2
13. Buff Ermine- 2
14. Uncertain- 2
15. Crambus pascuella
16. Flounced Rustic- Year Tick (see photos)
17. Pale Mottled Willow
18. Pebble Prominent
19. Brown House-moth
20. Riband Wave
21. Flame
22. Cabbage Moth
23. Common Rustic agg.
24. Scarce Footman
25. Codling Moth
26. Pyrausta aurata
27. Emmelina monodactyla
28. Marbled Beauty
29. Argyrotaenia ljungiana

Macro Highlights............

These are a few recent Macros from the garden trap. I've only been putting out a twin 15w actinic/UV for the last 2 weeks.

Olive

Pale Mottled Willow

Small Waved Umber

Dingy Footman (f.stramineola)

Chinese Character

Scorched Carpet

Micro catch up..............

These are a few images of micros from the last week. It's a constant challenge keeping up with them, many thanks to VC30 micro recorder David Manning for his help with identification..........

Blastobasis adustella (873) 

1st caught on 24th.

 Grapholita janthinana (1245)

1st caught on 24th.

 Oegoconia deauratella (871)

Another debutant on 24th.

 Apotomis lineana (1091)

Quite a rarity, not found in VC30 since 2005, caught on 26th.

 Bryotropha terrella (787)

Caught on 26th.

Eucosma obumbratana (1202) 

New for the garden on 26th.

Acleris laterana (1038) 

1st caught on 28th.

Bucculatrix bechsteinella (275) 

Swept from Purging Buckthorn on 28th.

 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla (1497)

2nd record, caught on 29th.

Sweeping at Broom ect............24-25/07

Not too many highlights from the garden of late, apart from the expected arrival of the Underwings in larger numbers. Weather has been generally good, with highish temperatures and fairly overcast, still conditions. I did a full count for the garden on 24th and visited Broom Gps with the sweep net during the day on 25th. A few shots from both sites below.........

Sallow Kitten

2nd record for the garden.

Mouse Moth

1 of 2, 1st of the year on 24th.

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

1st of many, me thinks?

Maple Pug??

Very worn, though it looks good for a Maple, size and shape fit- Upper Caldecote 25th.

Maple Pug??

Caught in a copse at Broom GPs on 25th. This also looks good for a Maple- just wish I could find a fresher one!

Aethes rubigana (946)

Found on Nettle at Broom Gps- 25th.

I've been recording just the highlights recently- but did a full count on Saturday 24th-

1. Epiblema foenella
2. Dingy Shears
3. Pleuroptya ruralis
4. Endotricha flammealis- 4
5. Parapoynx stratiotata
6. Phlyctaenia coronata
7. Riband Wave- 2
8. Turnip Moth- 2
9. Catoptria pinella
10. Mere Wainscot - 6th Record
11. Dark Arches- 4
12. Cloaked Minor- 3
13. Brown House-moth
14. Early Thorn
15. Mouse Moth- 2- Year tick
16. Dusky Sallow- 2
17. Least Carpet- 3
18. Pyrausta aurata- 4
19. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 13
20. Cnephasia sp.- 2
21. Chrysoteuchia culmella- 4
22. Nut-tree Tussock
23. Double Square-spot
24. Celypha striana- 2
25. Common Rustic agg.- 6
26. Uncertain- 3
27. Ruby Tiger
28. Eurrhypara hortulata
29. Oegoconia deauratella- 1st Ever
30. Blastobasis adustella- 1st Ever
31. Lozotaeniodes formosanus
32. Agriphila tristella
33. Silver Y- 8
34. Willow Beauty
35. Mottled Beauty
36. Small Waved Umber
37. Buff Ermine- 3
38. Pale Prominent
39. Chinese Character
40. Large Yellow Underwing
41. Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner
42. Lesser Yellow Underwing- 3
43. Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
44. Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
45. Flame Shoulder
46. Lime-speck Pug
47. Yponomeuta evonymella
48. Dwarf Cream Wave
49. Batia unitella
50. Eudonia mercurella
51. Yponomeuta cagnagella
52. Udea olivalis
53. Trachycera advenella
54. Crambus pascuella
55. Small Blood-vein
56. Argyrotaenia ljungiana
57. Garden Carpet
58. Agriphila straminella- 3

Ampthill Park..............23/07

A decent trip to the elevated Ampthill Park with VC30. Weather wise, pretty good though did get down to 12°C. On the plus side, barely a breath of wind. I have just included a few highlights I managed to photograph, a full list will appear on VC30 email group in the next day or 2.........

Oak Eggar

Only 1 caught, but what a stunner!

Black Arches

5 caught on the night.

Phoenix

Just 1 drawn to a 125w MV.

Purple Bar

Just 1 record.

Shark

Just 1 attracted to 125w MV.

Small Angle Shades

1 caught by 15w Actinic.

White-line Dart

Just 1 to 125w MV.

Copper & Brass.....22/07

The cooler weather continues, but a new one in the shape of a Copper Underwing turned up to keep the list ticking over.

Copper Underwing

The crucial feature to distinguish from Svensson's is the definite line between the copper last 3rd and the paler straw coloured inner 2/3rds. Also the dark band is broken to form separate dots.

Burnished Brass

This is the f. juncta type.

Ghost Moth

Female- 2nd record.

Agriphila tristella (1305)

A grass moth species, this is now replacing the slightly smaller Crambus pascuella.

Other moths included-

• Ruby Tiger- 3 High Count
• Silver Y- 2
• Privet Hawk-moth
• Dun-bar
• Double-striped Pug

I'll Drink to that!..........21/07

Numbers and temperature down slightly, but a surprise in the form of my 1st ever Drinker underneath the egg boxes.

Drinker

 Pebble Prominent

 Bramble Shoot Moth (1175)

 Rush Veneer (1398)

Others included-

• Dwarf Cream Wave- 3
• Oak Hook-tip

Drawing Straws............20/07

Another warm night with what will probably be the 1st of many Straw Underwings for the year. Plenty of moths but again, no time for a comprehensive count. Nothing special, but some good species none the less.

Straw Underwing

Eyed Hawk-moth

Large Yellow Underwing

Ringed China-mark

Also-

• Iron Prominent
• Dingy Footman- 2
• Ruby Tiger- 2
• Flame Shoulder
• Catoptria pinella- 3rd Record

New Micro for VC30!...........19/07

7 more to the good with a fantastic humid night. Temperatures didn't drop any lower than 17°C so it was always going to be good. I only did a partial count as there was so many! I've posted some highlights and all of the newbies, including a new addition to the VC30 micro moth list.......

Lesser-spotted Pinion

The 1st time I've ever seen this one. I had White-spotted last year.......

Dingy Footman

After checking through loads of Commons and Scarce. I've finally got something different at last!

Lesser Yellow Underwing

A 1st of the year.

Mere Wainscot

This time it was 2 of the paler form, my 4th and 5th of the year.

Vapourer

2nd for the year.

Oak Hook-tip

Another 1st for the garden.

Duponchelia fovealis (1403a)

According to the literature, this moth was found in Britain for the 1st time in 1996 as a suspected stowaway.

It has now been confirmed as the 1st Ever for VC30(Bedfordshire) by David Manning. It is an immigrant species originating from Southern Europe and feeds on a variety of cultivated vegetables. These include Beets and Spinach, so would be right at home.....well, here!

Carcina quercana (658)

2nd record for this pretty micro.

Large Tabby (1421)

1st for the garden.

Some of the others caught were-

• Smoky Wainscot- 4- My highest count
• V-Pug- 3- My highest count
• Iron Prominent
• Chinese Character
• Peppered Moth