2nd quarter Moth review: April - June 2017

On April 1st my moth records stood at a rather sorry 392 moths with 9 micros and 29 macros having been recorded in the first 3 months of the year. Things needed to improve during the next quarter, which, by mid June, they most certainly did. Anyway, back in the cold, dank April months I continued to run the Skinner 125W trap in the garden trap every night and also use the 15W heath actinic battery trap on average 3 nights per week at one of fourteen selected sites, all within Little Hadham parish.
New for parish records and new for the year moths became increasingly more common over the 3 month period, meaning I ended June with 4174 moths:197 macro species, 131 micro species and had added 21 species to the parish list, taking that to a grand total of 686 species for Little Hadham.

The first new for parish was on 6th April, a Epermenia chaerophyllela, which was taken in the garden in a haul of just 4 moths, about average for this time of year.
A trip to Pigs Green on the 9th gave up Least black arches and Agonopterix arenella as new for year, soon to be followed at home with a Brimstone and Muslin moth.
As April moved on I added Common carpet (14th), Waved umber (14th), Dwarf pug (16th), Scorched carpet (17th), red twin spot carpet (21st) Green carpet (22nd).
A red chestnut at home was my 500th moth on 22nd April and Mompha subbistrigella (23rd) were recorded before several days of freezing conditions meant no moths taken on 24th - 27th. A common white wave (28th) and a Bright line brown eye (29th) completed the month. This meant 512 moths: 14 micros, 41 macros.
May continued in the same vein as April with low numbers taken at both traps, numbers rarely in excess of 10 insects until the first larger haul on 16th May when I took the heath trap to Stocking Wood. Once set up I netted with the head torch, recording 18 species, including 52 green carpet, 9 silver ground carpet and 8 Nemapogon swammerdamella. However, the highlight was a Sallow kitten, new for the parish. This followed another new for parish record of Mullein, to the garden trap on the 6th.

Sallow kitten

Mullein

Seraphim

It must be noted that no trapping took place 8th - 11th as I was birdwatching in The Camargue. The next large trapping was on 22nd May when the heath was placed along an overgrown footpath in a dark, damp site. Here, 21 species of over 100 moths were noted including a Seraphim, a new record for the parish.

A first visit to East Wood on the 25th gave up over 100 moths with a fair few new for year, but at home a Nemphopterix angustella was new for parish. On the 29th I took a record for 2017 of 57 moths of 31 species to the Skinner, including new for record of Vitula biviella.
May concluded with 1623 moths recorded: 120 macros and 49 micros. The records were beginning to pile up and I was now considerably ahead of the 2016 total.
June began with a bang: 130 moths/41 species to the heath trap in Stocking Wood on the 1st, including new for records of Phyllonorycter leucographella, Elasticha macuicerussella and Bucculatrix ulmella. Great start to what was to become a memorable month, with some really warm nights.
A camping trip to the Isle of Wight on the 3rd to 9th stopped recording, but appeared to coincide with colder wet weather in the village, so maybe not too much missed. The weather perked up upon our return. A homoeosoma sinuella was new for the parish on 12th whilst the 2000th moth, a marbled minor was also taken on the 12th

Nephopterix angustella

Homoeosoma sinuella

A follow up trip to East Wood on the 13th gave up 321 moths of 51 species and that night the garden record was also broken: 83 of 50 species, including a real surprise, a Pretty Chalk carpet and Grapholita janthinana. This was the beginning of a good run.
14th June meant I took the 150th macro, whilst on the 16th I scored with 2500th moth. On the 18th the trap was back at the damp Pigs Green site where a Niditinea striolella was taken, a first for Herts!
Also, at home I took a new year record of 118 moths of 64 species. On the 19th I added Ostrina nubilalis to the parish records along with Piniphila bifasciana. The 20th gave me my first ever Maple prominent and tawny barred angle. The following night, back to Stocking Wood for 172 moths of 64 species including new for parish Scythropia crataegella and twin spot carpet.

Grapholita janthinana

Maple prominent

The garden record was beaten again on the 22nd where 136 of 65 species
were recorded, including a new record: Ruddy carpet.

A very worn ruddy carpet

The 300th moth species for the year, a Dot moth was trapped on the 23rd. The month concluded with a Ypsolopha parentsella being new for records on the 29th, when a Least carpet was 4000th moth for the year.

Ypsolopha parenthsella

Let's hope July continues in the same manner, some really gratifying moths being taken and I now look forward to the 700th species for the parish later this summer.