August Moths

This is a selection of moths from last weekend (17/8). The Canary-shouldered Thorn is particularly cute and fluffy.

#92 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata)

#700 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)

#663 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)

#286 Common Grass Veneer (Agriphila tristella)

#318 Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer (Agriphila geniculea)

#660 Straw Underwing (Thalpophila matura)

#671 Nutmeg (Anarta trifolii)

#966 White-point (Mythimna albipuncta)

Cypress Pug (Eupithecia phoeniceata, #961)

Cypress Pug is a new species for my garden; seemingly not that common in Gloucestershire. It is a non-native moth, first found in UK in Cornwall in 1959, which has since spread across southern England and up to the Midlands. It lives on (also non-native) Cypress trees.

Other nice moths today included this Canary-shouldered Thorn - very fluffy, several Centre-barred Sallows and another Old Lady moth.

#961 Cypress Pug (Eupithecia phoeniceata)

#827 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria)

#820 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago)

October 10th

There was not a lot in the moth trap this morning, so it was a pleasant surprise to get 4 new garden species. The Box Tree Moth is a recent immigrant from South-East Asia that only arrived (presumably from imported plants) in UK in 2007 and is spreading pretty fast across the country - it is bad news if you have a box hedge as its caterpillars will eat all the leaves. Green-brindled Crescent and Canary-shouldered Thorn are both rather attractive native species with a single generation in the Autumn. The large and delicately marked caddisfly Halesus radiatus was also a welcome addition to the list.

#825 Box-tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis)

#826 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae)

#827 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria)

#828 Halesus radiatus (Caddis fly)