End of the Mothing Year: Review of macro moths 2014

With temperatures now below moth flight temperatures, I have decided to put the trap away until the New Year and only then when the evening temperatures increase. A very successful year with several new species of macro moth discovered and recorded, with the following being highlights: These are new moths for the garden record, in total 11 new species.

31.03.14: Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea)

01.06.14: Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica)

01.06.14: Mother Shipton (Callistege mi)

03.06.14: Chocolate Tip(Clostera curtula)

12.07.14: Shark (Cucullia umbratica)

20.07.14: Lesser Common rustic (Mesapamea didyma)

20.07.14: Maple Pug (Eupithecia inturbata) no photo.

25.07.14: Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceta)

05.09.14: Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana)

26.09.14: Deep Brown Dart (Aporophyla lutulenta)

01.11.14: Pale November moth (Epirrita christyi)

In all, 212 species of macro moth, with a few unusual records as well as these first sightings for my parish list.

Flame carpet were more common this year than ever before, with 7 records for the garden Skinner 125W.

On 22.05.14 I took only my 2nd record of lobster moth, a good find indeed.

On 22.06.14 a lilac beauty was taken, a 3rd garden record. 2 more were to follow over the following week.

The following day, I took the 1st of 5 waved blacks for 2014. A moth I have taken every year since I began running a nightly trap in 2011.

On the 15.08.14, A 2nd garden Jersey Tiger was taken. This time it was the rarer lutescens form. This is the type that, as shown here, has orange and not red hindwings

Finally, on 26.10.14 I took the first of 4 merveille du jour, always a good end of season moth.

So, all in all, a total of 212 macro species as well as 123 micro species, totaling 335 moth species for the garden trap in 2014. In all, my list for macro moths now stands at a reasonable 290 for the garden.
In total, I have forwarded 3622 moth records to Colin, our County Recorder.
I look forward to next year and passing, with luck, the 300 macro moth species for the garden and also adding to the total of 413 moth species in total. 500 would be a reasonable target, so best get busy with sorting out the more difficult micros. A return trip to Sri Lanka in January should be excellent as I plan on taking head torch and mothing net. Catching should be easy whilst identifying them, somewhat more tricky as I don't seem to be able to find a field guide for the moths of Sri Lanka. There are, however, a few on line photo guides, so I shall be downloading these soon and begin studying what ones I shall be taking in January.