14-15-16/06

Well, for a start the less said about the 16th the better as it was terrible. The cold and blustery conditions kept the traps contents down to 26 of 11 species, in mid June! Luckily the 2 nights previous were pretty good......

871a Oegoconia caradjai?

Without a gen. det. its difficult to tell the 3 similar species apart. But 871a seems to be the most likely candidate. Caught 15th June.

 1452 Phycita roborella

1st of the Year 15th June

 Vapourer

1st of the year, 15th June.

 Small Fan-foot

Surprisingly, a Garden 1st on 15th June. Swept from the hedge during the day.

 Dun-bar

The only new addition for 14th June.

 V-pug

1st of the year, 15th June.

 Least Carpet

Bit of an odd pose, but a very well marked specimen. 15th June.

Triple-spotted Clay ??

After already finding loads of Double Square-spot, this looked slightly different. Although a bit battered, it still has the narrow, sleeker look of Triple-spotted Clay. It has been retained for inspection by VC30 recorders, so fingers crossed.

List for 15-06- 126 of 52 species-

• 0450 Scythropia crataegella Hawthorn Moth 2 
• 0765 Teleiodes vulgella 2 
• 0787 Bryotropha terrella 1 
• 0871a Oegoconia carajai? 1 NFY 
• 0893 Mompha epilobiella 1 
• 0905 Blastodacna hellerella 1 
• 0983 Choristoneura hebenstreitella 1 
• 0994 Clepsis consimilana 1 
• 1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 1 
• 1063 Celypha striana 2 
• 1083 Hedya nubiferana Marbled Orchard Tortrix 1 
• 1261 Cydia pomonella Codling Moth 1 
• 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella 4 
• 1294 Crambus pascuella 1 
• 1302 Crambus perlella 2 NFY 
• 1334 Scoparia ambigualis 2 
• 1361 Pyrausta aurata 2 
• 1413 Hypsopygia costalis Gold Triangle 3 NFY 
• 1428 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 3 
• 1452 Phycita roborella 1 NFY 
• 1474 Ephestia parasitella unicolorella 1 
• 1513 Pterophorus pentadactyla White Plume Moth 1 
• 1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1 
• 1699 Idaea rusticata Least Carpet 1 NFY 
• 1711 Idaea trigeminata Treble Brown Spot 1 
• 1713 Idaea aversata Riband Wave 1 
• 1758 Eulithis pyraliata Barred Straw 2 
• 1817 Eupithecia pulchellata Foxglove Pug 1 
• 1837 Eupithecia subfuscata Grey Pug 3 
• 1858 Chloroclystis v-ata V-Pug 1 NFY 
• 1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 2 
• 1887 Lomaspilis marginata Clouded Border 1 
• 1931 Biston betularia Peppered Moth 1 
• 1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 3 
• 1976 Sphinx ligustri Privet Hawk-moth 3 
• 2026 Orgyia antiqua Vapourer 1 NFY 
• 2050 Eilema lurideola Common Footman 2 
• 2069 Tyria jacobaeae Cinnabar 2 
• 2087 Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 3 
• 2088 Agrotis clavis Heart and Club 15 
• 2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 17 
• 2098 Axylia putris Flame 6 
• 2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 1 
• 2127 Xestia ditrapezium Triple-spotted Clay? 1 Retained for confirmation…….. 
• 2128 Xestia triangulum Double Square-spot 2 
• 2321 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 6 
• 2337x Oligia strigilis agg. Marbled Minor agg. 1 
• 2381 Hoplodrina alsines Uncertain 8 
• 2387 Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic 2 
• 2389 Paradrina clavipalpis Pale Mottled Willow 1 
• 2474 Rivula sericealis Straw Dot 1 NFY 
• 2492 Herminia grisealis Small Fan-foot 1 Garden 1st

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

The end of the Vapour trail?.............

This is the sinister end of our much loved Vapourer female. She didn't have a chance as a Garden Orb Spider made a nocturnal raid.

The spider continues to wrap the helpless moth and carries her up to the upper most branches of the Rosemary bush, leaving the eggs unattended. Will they survive? Only time will tell............

In the morning all that is left is the shrivelled remains of the moth and a

larger spider!

Vapour trail update..........

First the male Vapourer, flying by day finds the female in her ready made nursery......





........After mating the female remains and begins to lay eggs. This is all taking place in a Rosemary bush on the patio just a few metres from the moth trap!

To be continued.........

Vapour trail

This female Vapourer came walking along the patio today. They are flightless and spend most of their time tending to eggs. This one appeared to be a bit lost!