Yet another rescue from the paddling pool; in this case a Common Emerald Moth. This one flies usually in June-July, so it’s a little late. It’s larvae are found in hawthorn, blackthorn, willow, hazel & oak - so no shortage of habitat locally.
Would have been nice to reach 900 with something spectacular, but the new moths today were Dingy Footman, looking like a large sunflower seed, and (an even dingier) Rusty-dot Pearl. Magpie Moth and Lesser Swallow Prominent were more handsome catches amongst 100+ moths of 42 species caught.
A cooler night meant fewer moths than the previous week, but some of the highlights are here. White-spotted Pug ( Eupithecia tripunctaria) and Small China-mark (Cataclysta lemnata) were new species.
I don’t always catch a lot of micro moths, but this weekend (in addition to a lot of ermine moths, greys and grass moths) there were several interesting micros. Below a selection of them, including the five new species caught: Dingy Dowd, Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner, Grey Knot-horn, Spindle Knot-horn and Large Grey. These take the garden list several steps closer to 900, with now 252 species of moth.
A huge haul of moths on Saturday morning, with a selection of exotic & beautiful examples. 138 individuals of 55 species took me half the weekend to go through the photos. Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria) was the only new macro species, but there were some new micros too - more on those when I get time.
A few new species on the list this week. Most exciting thing was a Small Skipper butterfly (Thymelicus sylvestris) that stopped on the lavender for a while, but was too fast to get a decent photo. It was my first new butterfly species in three years. The hot weather early in the week certainly was good for butterflies. The Dingy Shears moth (Apterogenum ypsillon) appeared in the swimming pool and got fished out more or less unscathed - a species that so far didn’t get into my moth trap. Finally at least 2 meters high, I belatedly spotted a couple of Rosebay Willowherb plants (Chamaenerion angustifolium) that are established by the fence at the back of one of the borders.
Another warm and fine night for moths on Friday night, with 33 different spoecies caught, including five new ones for the list. Star of the show, for rarity value perhaps rather than looks, was a Waved Black (Parascotia fuliginaria), whose larvae live on rotten wood & fungi, and which is not often recording in Gliucestershire. Pale Prominent, looking much like a bunch of dead leaves was also a good catch.
On Saturday morning I had a bumper haul of 90 moths of 35 different types in and around the moth trap, thanks to a still, warm and cloudy night. This included no fewer than nine Elephant Hawk-moths and three new species: Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata), Large Tabby (Aglossa pinguinalis) and Clay (Mythimna ferrago). Seems the good weather is here to stay for a while, so it looks good for more mothing this week. A few moths below including the Tabby, Clay and three types of Ermine moth.
As well as the hawk-moths I posted earlier, there was a good selection of other moths including Brown Rustic and Hook-streak Grass Veneer, both of which were new ones for my garden. In total 52 moths of 25 different species. Some of the highlights below…
Three Elephant Hawk-moths in the moth trap and a fabulous Privet Hawk-moth on the fence nearby were the highlights from last night. Privet hawk-moth was a new species for the garden.
The moth trap was quite well filled the other morning; moth numbers starting to build. The only new moth was a Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion), a single-generation moth that flies between May-July, and apparently does not come to light that frequently. Aside from this there was quite a nice selection of other moths, plus a shiny Whirligig Beetle (presumed Gyrinus substriatus). These beetles are usually found spinning around on the surface of ponds, but they do fly between water sources and can be attracted to light.
It looks like it might be a bit wet for the rest of the weekend, but last night was dry and there were a few moths in the trap this morning. Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria) was a new species, while this Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) was a well marked individual. Nothing red, white & blue though!
Another beautiful hawk-moth in the trap; this time a Lime Hawk-Moth (Mimas tiliae, #856), a new species for my garden. This moth is fairly common in Southern and Central England, flying in May-June. Its caterpillars live on lime trees, but also birch, alder and elm.
This prettily marked small moth is also a new catch. The Small Phoenix has two generations in the spring and the summer, its caterpillars eating willowherbs. Where else would you expect to find a phoenix than in a clump of fireweed?
It took me a while to identify this moth, as it doesn’t get a mention on most of the moth sites that I use for identification, seeing as its distribution is very limited in UK. Silver Cloud (Egira conspicillaris, #855) is a spring flying moth which is widespread in Europe, but for some reason only occurs in UK around the Bristol Channel and Severn Valley north to about Birmingham. A nice catch this weekend.
A good haul of moths last night, including a Poplar Hawk Moth and four new moth species; Alder Moth (#848), Scalloped Hazel (#849), Swallow Prominent (#850) and Treble-bar (#851), all in and around the light trap. Also a couple of Common Cockchafers.
It was a pretty meagre catch of moths last night, despite the warm weather; never seem to do that well when there’s a clear sky and full moon. But out of only 6 moths, 3 of them were 2 new species. Two rather handsome purple-tinged Streamers and a Water Carpet all on the wall by the trap. Both are species only present in April-May.
As it was a warmer evening, I put out the moth trap. There wasn’t many moths in it this morning - maybe it was too clear overnight - but there were two new species: Shoulder Stripe and March Moth. All Spring moths during a period last year where whether prevented me doing much much trapping.
A first excursion of the year for my moth trap, resulted in a small catch of four different species. It might have been more if I hadn’t forgotten to put egg boxes in the trap - too much of a rush to get back to the rugby. Anyhow as well as three species I first caught last Match, there was this Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria, #835) - yes, there are still plenty of new moths to see in 2022!
Sunday was the nicest day of the year so far, weather-wise, with the first solitary bees around. This Double-Striped Pug moth (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) was resting on the fence. Time to get my moth trap out of the cupboard and see what else is around! Happy it’s (just about) Spring…
Passionate about nature, based in Gloucestershire UK; this site is about creating a wildlife friendly family garden and exploring the diversity of animal & plant species that share it with us.
As a nature lover and wildlife gardener I started wondering about the biodiversity in my backyard and just how many species from plants to insects to birds to mammals might live in or visit it.
Much of the wildlife in my small, village garden has been present right under my nose for years without my really appreciating it, so on the way I am learning a lot about different species and how to make a wildlife-friendly environment for them; also getting engaged more in conservation activities around Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.
My garden species tally started from zero on June 1st 2018, the target was 1000 species, which I eventually hit in June 2024. But there’s still plenty to see and learn about.
I'm very interested in your comments & advice: whether it's about the blog, some help with identification or just how to make my own little Eden better for wildlife. So please leave a comment or drop me a line if you feel like it!
Graham Tompsett
microedenproject@gmail.com
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