Three New Moths

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.

#1003 Sycamore (Acronicta aceris)

#1004 Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana)

#1005 Marsh Pearl (Anania perlucidalis)

October Moths: White-point (Mythimna albipuncta, #966)

There are less moths, but this weekend some new species and a bit more variety. White-point was a new one for the garden. Flying in the Autumn, it’s an immigrant from the continent caught mainly in the South-East of England, that may have started establishing a resident population - not a bad catch for Gloucestershire. Superficially similar the Satellite has a different shaped while spot on its wings. This moth can be caught throughout the Autumn & Winter, from September until April. Deep-brown Dart and Black Rustic are both autumn species, typical for this period.

#966 White-point (Mythimna albipuncta)

#915 Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)

#912 Deep-brown Dart (Aporophyla lutulenta)

#683 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra)

Midsummer Moths

Four new moths in and around the trap on Sunday morning out of a total of 40 species, showing that there’s still plenty of new ones to catch - especially at this time of the year. All of these fly in a single generation in the summer.

Maiden’s Blush is a species favouring Oak woodlands, while Small Emerald is quite restricted in range on the chalk/limestone areas of southern England where its larval food-plant is Traveller’s Joy (Clematis vitalba). Blue-bordered Carpet and Common Groundling are fairly common and widespread in England, food-plants are Hawthorn & Blackthorn.

#939 Maiden's Blush (Cyclophora punctaria)

#940 Small Emerald (Hemistola chrysoprasaria)

#941 Blue-bordered Carpet (Plemyria rubiginata)

#942 Common Groundling (Teleiodes vulgella)

Mid-May Moths

A few more moths this weekend, but not yet a big catch. Puss Moth is always a welcome visitor, and this is only my second Silver Cloud, which is a local specialty only really found along the Severn Valley in UK, for some reason. Female Muslin Moths are white and often found flying in the daytime, while the males and dark like this one and strictly nocturnal. Meanwhile the last moth is a rather beaten-up looking Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata), actually my first of this springtime species.

#746 Puss Moth (Cerura vinula)

#855 Silver Cloud (Egira conspicillaris)

#745 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica)

#923 Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata)

#915 The Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)

After a wet March and being away over Easter, I finally put the moth trap out for the first time this year. Catches included my first Satellite (Eupsilia transversa, #915). This moth over-winters as an adult and can be caught right through the winter when the weather is mild, up until April. Sometimes the spot on the wing is white, rather than orange like in this case. Apart from Common & Small Quakers and several Clouded Drabs, the more interesting catches were a handsome Streamer, a (rather early) Scorched Carpet and this fine Black Sexton Beetle.

#915 Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)

#809 Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata)

#839 Streamer (Anticlea derivata)

#733 Black Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus humator)

September 1st Moths

It starts to get colder overnight, and there are fewer moths, especially fewer small moths, and less variety. More interesting moths today included a Chinese Character on the window by the trap and a Burnished Brass.

#876 Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)

#788 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)

#682 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

#761 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi)

Back from Holiday

After a 2-week break there are some different moths around. New species today were Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon) and Brindled Flat-body (Agonopterix arenella). The former is a migrant species that does not survive winter in UK; today I caught three of them. Orange Swift and Copper Underwing were the first of the year.

#904 Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)

#682 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

#761 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi)

#821 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra sp.)

#815 Orange Swift (Triodia sylvina)

#774 Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis)

#905 Brindled Flat-body (Agonopterix arenella)

#336 Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer (Agriphila geniculea)

Weekend Moths: 7 Aug

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.

#691 Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis)

#896 White-spotted Pug (Eupithecia tripunctaria)

#776 Currant Pug (Eupithecia assimilata)

#897 Small China-mark (Cataclysta lemnata)

#111 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

#256 Gold Argent (Argyresthia goedartella)

#696 Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria)

#850 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)

Weekend's Macros

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.

#890 Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria)

#673 Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)

#245 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)

#546 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

#808 August Thorn (Ennomos quercinaria)

#827 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria)

#778 Cloaked Minor (Mesoligia furuncula)

#796 Dusky Sallow (Eremobia ochroleuca)

#663 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)

Heatwave Moths Part II

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.

#880 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina)

#881 Black Arches (Lymantria monacha)

#882 Maple Button (Acleris forsskaleana)

#883 Waved Black (Parascotia fuliginaria)

#879 Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata)

#804 Least Carpet (Idaea rusticata)

#750 Oak Hook-tip (Watsonalla binaria)

#606 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

Four New Moths

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.

#848 Alder Moth (Acronicta alni)

#743 Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis)

#740 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)

#850 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)

#663 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)

#592 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)

#851 Treble-bar (Aplocera plagiata)

#849 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)

#526 Common Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha)

Last Night's Moths

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.

#742 Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria)

#836 Shoulder Stripe (Earophila badiata)

#837 March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)

#741 Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria)

#725 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)

#723 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)

March Moths

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!

#835 Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria)

#728 Oak Beauty (Biston strataria)

#727 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)

#729 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)

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)

Saturday's Moths (28/8)

A nice collection of moths on Saturday morning, including two new species: Gold Spot (Plusia festucae) and Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea). The gold-coloured marks on the Gold Spot do look distinctly metallic.

#819 Gold Spot (Plusia festucae)

#358 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)

#606 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

#700 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)

#687 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)

#818 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)

#682 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

#761 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi)

August Moths

After a break, here are some August moths caught this week. A trio of new species included Orange Swift (Triodia sylvina), Rosy Tabby (Endotricha flammealis) and Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata).

#259 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)

#817 Rosy Tabby (Endotricha flammealis)

#815 Orange Swift (Triodia sylvina)

#660 Straw Underwing (Thalpophila matura)

#673 Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)

#807 Sallow Kitten (Furcula furcula)

#754 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)

#816 Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)

200 Moths

A fine selection of moths captured on Monday morning included a spectacular Poplar Hawk Moth, Sallow Kitten, four new types of “carpet” and many ermine moths including Thistle Ermine. All this brings my count of moth species to over 200.

#663 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)

#750 Oak Hook-tip (Watsonalla binaria)

#807 Sallow Kitten (Furcula furcula)

#808 August Thorn (Ennomos quercinaria)

#778 Cloaked Minor (Mesoligia furuncula)

#802 Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica)

#804 Least Carpet (Idaea rusticata)

#806 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)

#809 Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata)

#805 Chequered Grass-veneer (Catoptria falsella)

#811 Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta)

#812 Ethmia dodecea (Ethmia dodecea)

800 Species

Some moth trapping this weekend brought my 800 species for the garden. Some of the highlights are shown below. Of the two new macros, the Dusky Sallow is a species from the Cotswolds liking drier calcareous habitats where its caterpillars live on grasses, whereas the Dun-bar is a woodland species needing deciduous trees. Apparently the caterpillars of the Dun-bar are partly carnivorous, augmenting their plant-based diet with caterpillars of other (and even sometimes their own) species.

#245 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)

#783 Miller (Acronicta leporina)

#546 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

#796 Dusky Sallow (Eremobia ochroleuca)

#533 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)

#605 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus)

#731 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)

#797 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina)

#800 Yellow-spot Twist (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana)

Burnished Brass

There are hardly any butterflies around during the day, but at night I seem to be doing pretty well catching moths. Last night I struck gold with a flashy Burnished Brass, a striking Shaded Broad-bar and a Scarce Footman, among seven new species. It’s not certain if the metallic marks on some moths are to deter or confuse predators, or if it’s just to look good.

#788 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)

#789 Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata)

#786 Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis)

#657 Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria)

#279 Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae)

#787 Scarce Footman (Eilema complana)

#790 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella)

#791 White-foot Bell (Epiblema foenella)

#792 Little Grey (Eudonia lacustrata)

2nd July Macro Moths

I caught a bumper haul of moths on Friday morning, following a still, warm & overcast night. This included four elephant hawk moths, and a several Heart & Date, Large Yellow Underwing, Uncertain, Flame, Buff Ermine and other commoner moths. Among these here are some of my favourites, including four new species of macro moths for my garden list.

#781 Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria)

#783 Miller (Acronicta leporina)

#611 Grey Dagger (Acronicta psi)

#780 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia)

#782 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata)

#632 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata)