NFG!...........

...............the 8th June was certainly a much better night than of late, in spite of the continuous northerly winds and cold nights. New macros in the garden are now becoming few and far between, so to get two in one night is a bit of a rare treat. These are macro numbers 311 and 312 for the garden after Scarce Tissue and what must almost certainly be a Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet earlier this year.

Flame Carpet

I can only assume both of these species reside in an area of woodland in close proximity to the north of my position. At this time of year it is very unusual to have a prolonged spell of northerly winds- this could explain these occurrences.

Pale Oak Beauty 

Shears

A good haul of four, 8th June.

 Spruce Carpet

 Light Brocade

 Tawny Marbled Minor

1st for year, unfortunately chewed by a spider.

 1356 Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis

 Scoparia sp.

Quite large for a Scoparia. Also fairly pale for S. ambigualis. Could possibly be S. basistrigalis. Kept for further analysis.

Upper Caldecote Garden, 8th June 2013- 3 traps- 45 of 28 species-

0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  2

0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  1

1356  Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis)  1 NFY

1722  Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)  1 NFG

1724  Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)  1

1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  1

1764  Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)  2

1769  Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica)  1 NFY

1819  Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)  1

1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  1

1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  1

1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  1

1944  Pale Oak Beauty (Hypomecis punctinalis)  1 NFG

1994  Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)  1

2028  Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)  1

2060  White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)  1

2089  Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)  4

2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  7

2147  Shears (Hada plebeja)  4

2157  Light Brocade (Lacanobia w-latinum)  1

2278  Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala)  1

2284x  Grey Dagger / Dark Dagger (Acronicta tridens/psi)  2

2334  Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)  1

2339  Tawny Marbled Minor (Oligia latruncula)  1 NFY

2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  3

2389  Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis)  2

2480  Buttoned Snout (Hypena rostralis)  1

........Trent's Nemesis

Over the past few nights Trent has got back into the lead in the Mothin' Marathon and now has to suffer the consequences. He got in front about a month ago and this was enough to receive a verbal warning. But now with the competition in full flow, it is time to unveil the ultimate sanction. 

When it was used last year I had my best results, as it retains a lot of which it attracts during the night. As I don't do much patrolling, just about everything I record is in the traps; therefore I probably miss an awful lot.

The Gazebo

 The harvesting method is very simple- 1) Wait until morning. 2) Let Louie out into the garden with a light weight insect net. 3) Give him some pots and zip down the sides. 4) Don't let him out until all moths are potted ready for photos and ID.

                          Gazebo Interior                                                             Tramp-o-trap

The light fitting inside the gazebo is a twin T12 40w BLB tube and fitting that neatly tie-wraps to the inside of the roof frame.
Mean while, last night's effort was to put the twin 25w FUL Skinner in the trampoline to test. This would be good for night patrols as all moths end up either on the in or outside of the safety net. However, by morning they all hide in the most inaccessible areas around the crash mats and underneath. Not something I will be doing again, though it did lead to my highest ever count of Large Nutmegs (43).

 1176 Epiblema trimaculana

New for year, 18th May.

 986 Syndemis musculana

Garden 1st, 18th May.

 1474 Ephestia parasitella

 Tawny Shears

 Light Brocade

 Poplar Grey

The results for 19th May- 121 of 29 species-

• 1707 Idaea seriata Small Dusty Wave 1
• 0275 Bucculatrix bechsteinella 1 1st of the year
• 0263 Lyonetia clerkella 1 Garden 1st
• 0247 Tinea trinotella 1
• 2389 Paradrina clavipalpis Pale Mottled Willow 1
• 1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 1
• 1728 Xanthorhoe fluctuata Garden Carpet 1
• 2278 Acronicta megacephala Poplar Grey 1 1st of the year
• 1177 Epiblema rosaecolana 3
• 1961 Campaea margaritata Light Emerald 2 1st of the year
• 2337x Oligia strigilis agg. Marbled Minor agg. 4
• 2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 31 High Count!
• 2092 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 7
• 2333 Apamea anceps Large Nutmeg 43 High Count!
• 2007 Pheosia tremula Swallow Prominent 1
• 2060 Spilosoma lubricipeda White Ermine 4
• 2384 Hoplodrina ambigua Vine's Rustic 4
• 2380 Charanyca trigrammica Treble Lines 6
• 2147 Hada plebeja Shears 1
• 2087 Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 1
• 1301 Crambus lathoniellus 1
• 2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 2
• 2334 Apamea sordens Rustic Shoulder-knot 2
• 2061 Spilosoma luteum Buff Ermine 1
• 2199 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 2
• 2167 Hadena perplexa Tawny Shears 1 Garden 1st
• 2157 Lacanobia w-latinum Light Brocade 1
• 1474 Ephestia parasitella unicolorella 1
• 1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 1

Catch up.......30/4,1/5

I didn't trap on the 2nd as temperatures plummeted, I probably won't tonight either as some areas of the region will approach 0°C. Although windy, the 2 days previous were quite good with 11 new species added. Nothing unexpected but nice all the same with another new micro for the garden life list.

Mottled Pug

Caught 30th April- then another 3 1st May

 Heart and Dart

1st of many- caught 30th April.

 Common Swift

This male was also caught 30th April

 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 998

Another Year tick- 30th April.

 Adela reaumurella 150

2 females caught- Gaden first 1st May

 Garden Pebble Evergestic forficalis 1356 

1 caught 1st May

 Eudonia angustea 1342

A tatty over wintering job- 1st May

 Light Brocade

Also new for the year- 1st May.

I also recorded Rustic Shoulder-knot and Lime-speck Pug, also 1st May.

A few recent highlights.......

Work commitments and a weekend break have kept blogging to a minimum, though the recording of moths has continued up to 27/05. I have included a few of the recent highlights and have now also brought all lists up-to-date. So far this year I have recorded 116 species in the garden, 91 of which are macros.....

ShearsRecorded for the 1st time on 27/05.

Vine's RusticA year tick on 25/05.

Blood-veinA year tick on 25/05.

Light BrocadeA real stunner, trapped for the 1st time ever on 24/05.

Iron ProminentA year tick on 24/05.

CinnabarA year tick on 24/05- 1st in the trap.

Lime HawkmothA 1st ever on 23/05.

Maidens BlushA 1st ever on 23/05.