Serious lepidoptera day: Mothing marathon

I started the day with an early afternoon trip to Stocking Wood near Bury Green. Last year at this time I recorded many butterflies, including new for parish records of silver washed fritillary and white letter hairstreak. These constituted the 28th and 29th butterfly species for the parish. Also present last year were several purple hairstreak. However, this year, nothing so exotic so far. A fine comma, many meadow brown, ringlets, large skipper and large whites were all that were recorded

Having walked back home,I decided to have a serious moth night as the temperatures remained high, good cloud cover and just a hint of a breeze. Basically, perfect July conditions.
 Out with the Heath Trap at 9pm to leave this on the side of a beech and oak lined green lane with horse grazing fields eitherside. Having done this I then headed to a footpath in Pigs Green, the far west of the parish to try netting with a head torch. Very little was about which surprised me, but then again, it was early and only recently dark, being 10.15pm. Eventually I had a selection of 9 moths: Yellowshell, Agriphila straminella, Brimstone, Beautiful hooktip, clouded bordered brindle (NFY) Aphomia sociella, 2 common emeralds and Endrosis sarcitrella (NFY)
It was still early, so a quick, 15 minute check on the grass area that is Westland Green. Plenty of common wainscot as I netted 8 more in the short time present:
3 common wainscot (probably 25+ on the wing,) Pandemis cerasana, Paraswammerdamia nebulella (await confirmation) Scoparia ambigualis, Blastodacna hellerella and best of all, a new for parish record of a yet to be confirmed Syncapacma species. Only 2 pssibilities but dissection required.

From here, I returned with the confirmation moths potted and labelled to Valley Fields bridleway. It was immediately clear I was going to be some time! Moths everywhere, on the sheet, in and on the trap and generally all around the bulb. I collected all my pots and started on the sheet. The more I potted the more came so I closed and switched off the trap. My headtorch still attracted some and I reckon I probably only potted 75% of those present. Many fluttered and didn't land and netting them would have meant I would have been there all night.
By 12.45 I was finished and heading home with bags bursting with pots. I eventually just potted everything and returned to the moth shed at home to begin listing. I had completed this, with all identifications bar a few for gen det by 2.15 and then began potting from the garden skinner perspex and adjacent fence. I eventually enjoyed a glass of wine before bed.
From the heath trap, an all time record of 106 moths of 36 species with: peppered moth, Eucosma obumbratana, Hedya salicella, Epagoge grotiana all new for year, apart from H. salicella which is new for parish records. I had now passed 600 moth species for Little Hadham parish. Roll on 700.
As Wendy was off to work early (4.45am) I too got up and identified those potted from the skinner earlier and released them so I had enough pots. This was done some way away from the trap so not to count them twice. The trap was heaving as I listed and potted. Back to the moth shed with piles of pots and a large mug of black coffee (strong!) By 7.45 I had identified and listed all I could, with just 1 taht I just can't fathom and with several that I need confirming, some by dissection and some by more expert eyes than mine.
In all: 160 moths of 72 species taken at the skinner. New for parish records were:
Eudonia pallida and suspected Epinotia signatana with several Cnephasia sp awaiting dissection.May well be C. stevensiana judging by the dark markings.
New for year were: small yellow wave, Notocelia trimaculana, Archips rosana, Pandemis corylana, Fan foot, Privet hawkmoth, Broad bordered yellow underwing, Yponomeuta evonymella, Brown tail, Phycitodes binavella, Teleiodes vulgella, Gypsonoma dealbana and Acrobasis suavella.

In total for the night: 284 moths of at least 97 species. Thorough check needed to see if it was more than 100, but not presently!!

This takes the totals to 2005 moths for 2016, made up of 124 micro species and 151 macros. The parish total moves to a probable 604 species. All records typed up and recorded by 2pm and I now need to go and lie down in a dark room until Monday. However, shall just run the Skinner tonight, or then again, it maybe overcast and warm!!


The List; Bold indicates new for year,

Pigs Green: head torch and net:

1. yellowshell
2. Agriphila straminella
3. Brimstone
4. Beautiful hooktip
5. Clouded bordered brindle
6. Aphomia sociella
7.  Common emerald 2
8. Endrosis sarcitrella

Westland Green head torch and net

  9. Common wainscot 3

10. Pandemis cerasana

11. Syncopacma sp  TBC

12. Paraswammerdamia nebulella

13. Scoparia ambigualis

14. Blastodacna hellerella

Valley Fields 15W heath trap

15. Short cloaked minor

16. Brimstone 3

17. Chrysoteuchia culmella 40+

18. Aphomia sociella 5

19. Common wainscot 5

20. Treble brown spot

21. Celypha striana

22. Anthrophila fabricana

23. Mottled beauty

24. Small emerald

25. Eucosma cana 3

26. Timothy tortrix 2

27. Pandemis cerasana

28. Light emerald

29. Green pug 6

30. Yellowshell

31. July highflier 4

32. Agapeta hamana 4

33. Double square spot 3

34. Scoparia subfusca 2

35. Riband wave 4

36. Epiblema uddmanniana

37. Swallowtail

38. Blastobasis adustella

39. Peppered moth

40. Carcina quercana

41. Willow beauty

42. Clouded silver

43. Grey pug

44. Eudonai lacustrata

45. Eucosma obumbratana

46. Hedya salicella

47. Epinotia grotiana

48. Double striped pug

49. Swammerdamia caesiella

50. Hedya pruniana

Garden 125W Skinner trap

51. Riband Wave 17

52. Buff ermine 4

53. Clouded border 3

54. Emmelina monodactyla 5

55. Scoparia subfusca

56. Green pug 4

57. Agriphila straminella 8

58. Carcina quercana 3

59. Common footman 5

60. Clepsis consimilana 5

61. Celypha lacunana 4

62. Least carpet 2

63. Chrysoteuchia culmella 5

64. Paraswammerdamia nebulella

65. Scoparia ambigualis

66. Dwarf cream wave

67. Common emerald

68. Small yellow wave

69. July Highflier 2

70. Celypha rosaceana 2

71. Celypha striana 3

72. Pandemis cerasana 2

73. Notocelia trimaculana 3

74. Willow beauty 3

75. Endotricha flammealis

76. Large yellow underwing 2

77. Ditula angustiorana

78. Udea prunalis

79. Rustic 2

80. Archips rosana 2

81. Spectacle

82. Buff tip 2

83. Pandemis corylana

84. Eucosma cana 2

85. Elephant hawkmoth 2

86. Anania hortulata 2

88. Fan foot 2

89. Beautiful hooktip 2

90. Heart and dart 5

91. Dark arches

92. Privet hawkmoth

93. Double square spot

94. Common wainscot

95. Brimstone

96. Swallowtail

97. Broad bordered yellow underwing

98. Phoenix

99. Treble brown spot 8

100. Yponomeuta evonymella

101. Eudonia mercurella 2

102. Single dotted wave 2

103. Archips xylosteana

104. Notocelia uddmanniana

105. Browntail

106. Heart and club 3

107. Uncertain

108. Snout

109. Eudonia lacustrata

110. Udea olivalis

111. Clouded silver

112. Phycitodes binavella

113. Cydia pomonella

114. Garden carpet

115. Mottled rustic 2

116. Eudonia pallida

117. Epinotia signatana TBC

118. Teleiodes vulgella

119. Gypsonoma dealbana

120. Acrobasis suavella TBC

121. Cnephasia sp TBC

ringlet

large skipper

large skippper

comma