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.

Recess

Well the weather has turned and the trap has been rested for a couple of nights. The night of the 12th did contain a couple of highlights. Full list at the foot of this post. The brown stuff is now finally beginning to abate so I'm hoping for some good, mild Autumn weather if I'm going to break the 300 macros in a year target.

Small Ranunculus

The best year in the garden so far- this being the 10th record in 2013. In this part of the world at least this moth has become fairly common in a short period of time and now has to be reclassified.

 White-point

The second record this year- a bad photo of a pristine individual.

Upper Caldecote Garden- 12-09-2013- Twin T12 20w Synergetic Skinner 162 of 35 species

0450  Hawthorn Moth (Scythropia crataegella)  1

0964  Cochylis dubitana  1

0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  2

1048  Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana)  2

1309  Agriphila geniculea  2

1342  Eudonia angustea  1

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1

1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  1

1867  Treble-bar (Aplocera plagiata)  1

1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  1

1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  4

2087  Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum)  2

2089  Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)  1

2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  20

2109  Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)  9

2110  Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata)  1

2126  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  49

2134  Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)  8

2145  Nutmeg (Discestra trifolii)  1

2154  Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae)  2

2165  Small Ranunculus (Hecatera dysodea)  1

2194  White-point (Mythimna albipuncta)  1

2199  Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)  5

2270  Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)  2

2274  Sallow (Xanthia icteritia)  1

2298  Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra berbera)  2

2299  Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis)  13

2306  Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)  1

2353  Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)  3

2361  Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea)  1

2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  17

2389  Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis)  2

2434  Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)  1

2452  Red Underwing (Catocala nupta)  1

2477  Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)  1

Recent Macro Highlights.......

I didn't do too much blogging in a 3 week period in Late June and early July. So here is a few highlights from that time.........

Single-dotted Wave

1st caught 25th June. 2 so far this year.

 Large Twin-spot carpet

Garden debut 25th June.

 Lesser-spotted Pinion

Only the 2nd ever record, 26th June.

 Clay

NFY on 27th June. 2 caught this year.

 Bird's Wing

Again only the 2nd record. NFY 27th June.

 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

NFY, 4th July.

 Ghost Moth

NFY, 8th July. The 1st male I've ever seen.

 Purple Thorn

Only the 2nd record after 1 was caught in 2009. 8th July.

 Small Ranunculus

2nd record for this steadily increasing moth. Found on the house, nowhere near the trap.

200 Macros and Counting.........01/08

And for #200, he finally gets his Small Ranunculus.This is a rare moth in Bedfordshire, despite there being well over 20 records from 5 different sites so far. Surprisingly, this wasn't found near the trap preferring to nectar on Buddleia instead. Big thanks to Steve Blain for giving me this tip, as I would have probably missed out. I have 3 different types of Buddleia, the Ranunculus was found on Davidii 'White Profusion'. If you haven't had this species yet, why not try staking out this reliable food plant after dark......you never know?

Small Ranunculus

Small Rivulet

Another garden 1st.

Poplar Grey

Clouded Border

3rd Garden record.

Catoptria falsella (1316)

1st record.

Notable were-

• Silver Y- 10
• Ringed China-mark- 8
• Brimstone Moth- 2
• Red Twin-spot Carpet
• Garden Carpet
• Sallow Kitten
• Pebble Hook-tip