These sexton beetles are a regular catch in the moth trap during March-April. It’s always good to catch a big beetle! The adults overwinter emerging in the Spring. They tend to fly at night, searching by smell for dead birds or mammals, where the female lays her eggs and on which the larvae subsequently feed.
After some warmer days, this was the first outing in 2025 for my moth trap, catching some typical moths for mid-March. All of these moths fly for a couple of months in a single generation in the early Spring.
Moths are getting a bit thin on the ground, but normally I’s expect more than just a single Light Brown Apple Moth by the trap in the morning. There were a lot of gnats attracted to the light thpough, including Winter Gnats and a Sylvicola species, which I believe is Window Gnat. The latter turns out to be a new species for the garden, as previously I only noticed Clear-tipped Window Gnat (Sylvicola punctatus), whereas last night’s has grey wing-tips if you look close enough. This is a common species though, that can be found all year round.
As we had a nice dry night on Friday, I was able to put out the moth trap. I caught nine species, including this trio - all of them fairly typical for the time of year. Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) flies during Aug-Sept, it’s larvae live inside the stems of thistle plants. Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri) is found around Cypress trees and flies a bit later - Oct-Nov. It is a non-native species first recorded in UK in 1951, but now widespread in gardens across most of England. Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis) flies from July-September; its larvae are found on grain of cereal crops, including those that have been harvested.
Out of 38 moths this morning, 19 were Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) - fairly typical for the season. These are common Autumn moths, colloquially known as “blunderwings” as they fly off clumsily when disturbed from their daytime resting spots. The sandy-coloured Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) is a similar size also with a yellow hind-wing, but this time with a broader black band around the margin. Of the other moths in and around the moth trap nine were Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum).
Three exotic-looking moths from the other day… it’s always a thrill to find beautiful creatures like these when you check the light trap in the morning.
I had a good haul of moths in and around the moth trap yesterday morning - the biggest catch of the year so far - which included these three new species.
The Sycamore is similar to the Poplar Grey, which seems more common round here - but prefers Sycamore and Field Maple trees, rather than Poplars and Aspens.
The Marsh Pearl or Fenland Pearl (Anania perlucidalis), told from the similar Mother of Pearl moth by the two dark dots on the wings, seems not that common in Gloucestershire, away from its main range in East Anglia.
A couple of non-moths in the moth trap yesterday, including a new caddisfly, Limnephilus marmoratus. This caddisfly, distinguishable by its boldly marked wings, lives around ponds and commonly comes to light. The Ophion ichneumon wasp (hard to identify to species level) is also nocturnal and commonly found in moth traps - this family of wasps are parasitoids of noctuid moths.
Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis) and yesterday’s other new moth, Double-striped Tabby (Hypsopygia glaucinalis), are closely related species both of whose larvae live in dry, dead vegetable matter, such as straw or birds nests. Given this, I suspect that they might originate from my neighbour’s thatched roof. Both species fly in July-August and are mostly found in Southern England.
This morning I achieved my “1000 species” goal from when I started this project back on 1st June 2018, with a brace of new moths. The first of these was a Large Emerald, which with a wingspan of 50-60 mm is our biggest UK all-green Emerald moth. It is a woodland species associated with birch and hazel with a single flight period peaking in July.
#1000 Large Emerald (Geometra papilionaria)
Here’s a few more moths from the other night: my first Riband Waves of the season and this nicely green Green Pug. There are more micros now too, including my first grass moths and these two fruit tree species: Bramble Shoot Moth and Codling Moth - the former as you might guess eats bramble leaves, while the larvae of the latter grow inside the cores of apples and other hard fruit like quinces & pears.
This pretty, pea-green moth is a fairly common woodland species flying in May-July. With a preference for Oaks, though it will also lay eggs in other deciduous trees, its caterpillars feed from within a rolled up leaf. It can be a pest, sometimes completely defoliating trees. A new species for my garden it brings my total to 999.
Three handsome, but quite different moths. Cinnabar Moth is very distinctive species, whose yellow & black striped caterpillars are found (often in numbers) on ragwort plants. Green Pug is a summer species which lays eggs in the blossom of fruit trees such as apple or pear, while Light emerald is a woodland moth found on various trees and hedgerow plants with two generations in Spring & Summer.
Here’s a selection of other moths caught on Sunday morning. Poplar Hawk-moth was the first hawk-moth of the year; the others also firsts for the year as spring moves into summer.
A varied selection of moths this morning, with surprisingly three new species. All three of these moths fly only for one season, during May/June. The Lychnis is named after the latin name of its food plant, Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria). Campions are also the food-plant of Sandy Carpet, while the larvae of Rustic Shoulder-knot feed on grasses.
I’m getting quite close to my 1000 species target, but on the way recorded my 300th moth this weekend, adding May Highflyer, Grass Rivulet and Oak Knot-horn.
Grass Rivulet is a species of open grassland, it’s larval food-plant being Yellow Rattle. I do have that in my mini wildflower meadow; which as it’s only about 2 square metres maybe shows that every little really does help! Oak Knot-horn is a micro usually associated with Oak trees; it’s a common enough species, but usually flies in June-July.
Lots of carpet moths on Sunday morning, including different forms of Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata) and one new species, May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata, #988). May Highflyer has one generation flying from May-June and is usually around Alders - a tree I do not have nearby, to my knowledge. The white bar across the centre of the wings helps identify this species from other carpet moths.
Big beetles were flying the other night, with two each of these coming to the moth trap. Cockchaffers are an annual thing at this time of the year, but it’s always a thrill to catch one. Carrion feeding Black Sexton beetles are the most impressive black beetles that I’ve found so far - maybe one day I’ll get a Stag Beetle!
As a new species for the garden, Chocolate Tip moth (Clostera curtula) was the highlight, but there were also some other beautiful moths in and around the trap this morning. With some warmer weather we were up to 20 types of moth today. In England, Chocolate Tip has two generations, one now and another in Aug/Sept; it is a woodland species preferring Poplar, Aspen & Sallows. It’s not rare, but seems less frequently encountered than the other moths caught today.
The small collection of moths in the moth trap this morning, included this Nut-tree Tussock Moth, which is a new species for my list. This moth’s food-plants are trees such as hazel and beech. It flies in 2 generations, in April-June and July-September.
Other moths included four Sliver Cloud moths, which are a local speciality with a small range in UK centred on the Severn & Wye valleys, and a few other typical Spring fliers.
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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