On Tuesday night the temperatures around 10pm were most conducive to mothing, so I decided to attend to the trap until the early hours. Consequently, I was potting moths, identifying them and then releasing them (away from the trap) until 3 in the morning. In all I trapped 57 species of macro moth with over 250 macros visiting the trap. A most hectic and busy night, that gave me 10 new species for the year and 2 new species for the garden. Well worth the effort. The new moths were a large twin spot carpet and a foxglove pug whilst the year listers were: white satin, small yellow wave, common white wave, yellowtail, yellowshell, browntail, July highflier, turnip moth, dark barred twin spot carpet and engrailled. I began identifying the micro moths but was just overcome by the quantity. Over 200 micros were apparent: Agapeta hamana, Spininota ocellana, Plueroptya ruralis, Choristoneura hebenstreilla, Crambus lathoniellus, Pandemis ceresana, Notocleia uddmanniana, green oak tortrix and white plume moth. Many more tortrix and pyralids were present, I just didn't have enough pots to pop them into to identify!
I would estimate a minimum of 450 moths from 10pm to 3 a.m. and then I returned to the trap before 6a.m. to empty it. Another 3 hours identifying, with some having to be fridged to slow them down. All were released alive. A most successful night.
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| engrailled |
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| white satin |
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| Large twin spot carpet |
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| Just part of the sheet next to the light trap! |
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| small yellow wave. |
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| Foxglove pug |
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