The End of Summer........

.........usually means the end of huge amounts of 'brown stuff' and heralds the beginning of more manageable numbers and the odd splash of colour.

Brown-spot Pinion f. rufa-pallida

 I don't get many B-s P's anyway. But have never seen the aberrant form before.

Centre-barred Sallow

Deep-brown Dart

Large & Small Ranunculus

 Caught on 18th September, this is the first time I've ever caught both on the same night. Whereas Large Ranunculus have remained fairly constant (4-5 per year), Small Ranunculus have become much more common. The late second generation idividuals overlap with their larger name sakes.

Orange Sallow

Sallow

White-point

A good year for these- this is my 3rd record so far.

New Macro- 14-09

After weeks of standard brown noctuids in the trap, the 14th September finally had something slightly more interesting. Two NFY's and a NFG in the shape of a superb Lunar Yellow Underwing. I've been looking out for this after the first VC30 confirmation in Spring this year. This is now the 2nd confirmed record of this declining, but probably overlooked species.

Lunar Yellow Underwing

In the same trap a Deep-brown Dart was also new but expected. More eye catching was this totally pink Vestal. A variation I haven't ever seen before.

Vestal

Also a couple of notables from last week.

Brown-spot Pinion

 NFY- 11th September

Feathered Gothic

 NFY- 9th September. Only my second ever record

 Upper Caldecote Garden- 14-09-2014, Twin 20w Synergetic Skinner- 80 moths of 21 species

1309  Agriphila geniculea  1
1316  Catoptria falsella  1
1342  Eudonia angustea  1
1413  Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis)  3
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1
1716  Vestal (Rhodometra sacraria)  1 NFY
1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  1
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  2
1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  10
1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  3
2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  8
2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  20
2108  Lunar Yellow Underwing (Noctua orbona)  1 NFG
2109  Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)  2
2126  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  11
2134  Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)  3
2199  Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)  1
2231  Deep-brown Dart (Aporophyla lutulenta)  1 NFY
2270  Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)  7
2353  Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)  1
2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  1

Ptocheuusa paupella.........

Really struggling to trap anything worth much of a mention recently as Awful August drew to a close. But a decent list from 28th yielded a new micro for the garden. NFG's as expected, are getting fewer and further between these days after a halcyon year in 2013.

748 Ptocheuusa paupella

Only the 5th record for VC30- though probably under recorded due to a lack of interest!

Upper Caldecote Garden- 28-08-2014- 2 traps- 343 of 40 species

0015  Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina)  7

0464  Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella)  2

0647  Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)  2

0748  Ptocheuusa paupella  1 NFG

0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  2

1076  Celypha lacunana  2

1134  Epinotia ramella  1

1260  Cydia splendana  1

1305  Agriphila tristella  3

1309  Agriphila geniculea  51

1413  Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis)  1

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1

1651  Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)  7

1707  Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata)  1

1742  Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)  2

1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  5

1914  Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria)  1

1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  2

1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  1

2007  Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)  1

2087  Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum)  4

2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  5

2102  Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)  6

2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  85

2109  Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)  5

2110  Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata)  1

2111  Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe)  5

2126  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  43

2134  Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)  29

2154  Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae)  1

2199  Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)  10

2297x  Copper Underwings (Amphipyra pyramidea agg.)  2

2299  Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis)  1

2303  Straw Underwing (Thalpophila matura)  2

2343x  Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.)  1

2353  Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)  21

2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  22

2389  Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis)  4

2450  Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)  1

2477  Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)  1