Moth Review of the Year: Part 3: July 2016

Returning from our Devon trip meant the first trapping day in July was the 3rd. Garden 125W MV Skinner on and off to Suffyldes Wood with the Heath actinic 15W. As previously, it would be a very long list if all new for year moths were mentioned, so I shall concentrate on new for parish records and touch on new for years that are unusual within Little Hadham VC20 parish.
On the 3rd a Lathronympha strigana, Epinotia rubiginosana and Epinotia abbreviana were all new to the parish, as was an Anania perlucidalis in the garden. In total 19 micros were trapped of which 11 were new for the year. Wonder what I missed whilst away?
The 4th was a busy night in the garden whilst a pleasing Aglossa pinguinalis was a new one on the 5th.

A very worn Brown veined wainscot

Catalysta lemnata

Leopard moth

The garden record was again beaten on the 6th with 96 moths of 56 species, including Cnephasia asseclana and Coleophora flavipennella, both new for records. Also, the first July highflier of the year, one of 58 taken, concluding with the final specimen on 16th August. A headtorch visit to Westland Green gave up plenty, including Syncopacma larseniella on the 7th and Hedya salicella to actinic at Valley Fields.
The parish records continued to grow, with Eudonia pallida and Epinotia signatana (garden 7th), Anacampsis populella and Mompha orchaeceella (Ash Valley Golf Course, 10th) Coleophora paripennella and Oidaematophorus lithadactyla (Westland Green 14th) and Small Dotted Buff, Mullein Wave. along with Brachmia blandella and Epiblema foenella (19th Alder Wood). This was indeed a good night  with many new for year species meaning the totals stood at 160 micros and 176 macros by the 20th July, with an Agapeta hamana being the 3000th moth of the year on the 19th.
Maybe one of the year's highlights was the Dusky Plume (Oidaematophorus lithodactyla), not a common moth in Hertfordshire and thanks to GJS for confirming my identification.

Dusky plume (Oidaematophorus lithodactyla.) Possibly moth of the year. GJS photo, Many thanks

The next moth on to my records was a surprise, a leaopard moth to the garden skinner on the 23rd, with a pleasing, if very battered Brown veined wainscot and Helcystogramma rufescens (25th garden), a Catalysta lemnata (Hadham Hall 27th), a Stigmella trimaculella (Garden 28th) and the final new for records was a Tinea trinotella in the garden on the 29th. However, one that had me rushing for the field guides turned up in the garden Skinner on the 26th, a moth I was not at all familiar with. An Olive which, surprisingly, is more common in Herts than I had expected.
A Tawny speckled pug was the 4000th moth of the year and by the end of July the totals were 183 micros and 199 macros. The target of 500 moths looked on but 10,000 moths recorded still seemed to be a long way off considering we were well over half way through the year. A good August and September were needed to guarantee success for both targets.

Epiblema foenella

Hadham Hall trapping site

Olive

Selected first and last dates in July:
Swallow tailed moth: 03.vii.16 - 27.vii.16
Buff tip: 04.vii.16 - 07.vii.16
Small emerald: 05.vii.16 - 25.vii.16
Short cloaked moth: 06.vii.16 - 17.vii.16
Clay: 09.vii.16 - 04.viii.16
Dusky Sallow: 21.vii.16 - 31.vii.16

Numbers this month were supplied by: Large Yellow underwing (180 until 16.x.16), July Highflier (58 until 16.viii.16) Clay (24) Small fan foot wave (43 until 16.viii.16) Dingy footman (155 until 18.viii.16) This total included a quite amazing 43 to the actinic trap in Suffyldes Wood on 25th.

Micro number: Eucosma cana (85) Epinotia nisella (30) Carcina quercana (52), Endotricha flammealis (45) Yponomeuta evonymella (80) Agriphila geniculea (171) Pleuroptya ruralis (116) Crambus perlella (82) and Agriphila tristella (124)

Next installment later in the week, August and September.