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
