Quick wander around Hadham Hall 05.07.15

Set off this afternoon with an hour spare to check dragons and damsels east of Hadham Hall. Left the 400mm lens at home, consequently great views of the male barn owl! No photos. I came across a stand of 33 pyramidal orchids, with 9 bee orchids and several large flowered evening primroses. I disturbed a grass snake whilst on the lagoon, a mallard duck with 2 juveniles, 5 non breeding tufted duck and a pair of mute swans.
I netted a few common blue and azure damsels and 2 emperor dragonflies were flying over the water. Upon arrival dark clouds from the west appeared and most odonata went to roost. 2 shaded broad bar moths were disturbed from the grass and overhead, linnets and swallows. In the hedgerow a reed bunting and yellowhammers called. A most pleasant hour.

pyramidal orchid

bee orchid

large flowering evening primrose, with pollen bettles

shaded broad bar

adult azure damselfly

close up of teneral common blue damselfly

complete view of common blue damsel recently emerged and ready to gain colour.

Monochroa palustrella

Another unusual moth for Herts, but maybe under recorded rather than uncommon. However, a new one for my parish records. A record shot taken here with phone camera. It flew off upstairs when I tried to get a proper shot. Hopefully, it'll turn this evening when we put on the lights!

Rare moths keep on coming

Another successful night at the trap, with 3 new for my parish records as well as 4 additions to the year list. These were Carcina quercana, Ancylis achatana, turnip moth and scalloped oak.
However, the highlights were: Monochroa palustrella, 16th county record, Eucosma obumbratana, 15th county record and Synaphe punctalis 2nd county record as far as I know. The first of this species was taken in 1997 and presumed to be a vagrant from The Brecks, to the north east of Hertfordshire. Shall confirm present status when the county recorder returns from his trip.
All in all, a most satisfactory night, with 64 of 44 species recorded
The 1 Herts rare and 2 Herts uncommons add to the list for the week of unusual moths, with previous catchings of Calamotropha paludella, Ancylis comptana (5th county record), Argyresthia cupressella (2nd county record) Swammerdamia caesiella (18th county record) and Nephopterix angustella (18th county record.) Long may this rarity streak continue!

Anania coronata

Carcina quercana

Scalloped oak

Dwarf cream wave

Notocelia roborana

Lateral view

Synaphe punctalis (2nd county record)

Eucosma obumbratana (uncommon Herts. moth)

Westland Green and Garden mothing

meadow plant bug

A quick trip with my sweep net to Westland Green yesterday afternoon, proved successful with a fair few insects netted in the short time I had. A Roesel's bush cricket was a first for me here, with plenty od meadow grasshoppers, groundhoppers and cantharsis nigrans and cantharsis rustica, too. Mirius striatus taken on many a sweep, whilst meadow plant bug (Leptopterna dolabrata) were too numerous to count. As the summer continues, I plan to spend more time collecting, identifying and listing local bugs and beetles. Flies and hoverflies too, but I shall not be specifically targetting these, just yet.

Meadow grasshopper

Roesel's bush cricket

Last night looked really good for another successful mothing night, but a huge electrical storm and a downpour in the early hours meant much was washed away. However, a haul of 33 moths of 25 species was better than I had anticipated as I lazily emptied the trap at 7.30am. Many had not survived the heavy rain and were unidentifiable and several egg boxes just good for a papier mache project!
Of note as new for the year were clouded brindle and small emerald, with nothing else apart from the expected regulars at this time of the year eg riband wave, clouded silver, common footman, brown rustic,Anaia hortulata, Celypha striana and lacunana etc.

clouded brindle

small emerald

clouded silver, on variegated pineapple mint, not a larval foodplant as far as I know!

Millennium Wood Mothing 02.07.15

As Wendy was away for the night, babysitting for daughter, I took the opportunity to take the trap, generator, head torch and net to a local wood. All set up and lights on about 9.30. Plenty of micro activity early on, with numerous Archips xylosteana and Chrysoteuchia culmella on the wing. Other early flyers included several common emeralds, july highflier (NFY) and another new for year, Endotricha flammealis.
As the night progressed larger macros headed into the trap whilst I netted, potted, identified and listed, before taking those that didn't require further examination away so not  to trap them again.
In all, just over 100 moths identified, with notables being: Archips rosana, Archips xylosteana, Acleris rhombana, light arches, Large emerald, Catoptria falsella being new for year moths and, until I check, Argyresthia albistria and Calamotropha paludella new for my parish records.
Don't know if it is harder for moths in woods than gardens but appeared to be a higher proportion of the captures were very worn, whereas the garden trap only occasionally turns up one that is unidentifiable. Last night 5 were impossible and one, a very battered mottled willow only made it due to the shape of the cross lines, about all that was left to note.
Also of note, a Celypha lacunana was my 1000th moth of the year, now running at 1076.

All set up, all that's missing is the beer! (and more moths)

Competing with a bright moon

Archips xylosteana

Argyresthia albistria

Slightly lower angle 

Catoptria falsella

Silver ground carpet

Macro species list:

Large emerald (NFY)
10 common emerald
treble brown spot
2 riband wave
silver ground carpet
2 yellowshell
Barred straw
2 July highflier (NFY)
3 green pug
2 brimstone
Swallow -tailed moth
3 willow beauty
Mottled beauty
5 double square spot
4 common wainscot
Dark arches
Light arches (NFY)
Uncertain
3 beautiful hooktip
2 straw dot
Snout

Total: 48 macros of 21 species.

Micro list:

Argyresthia albistria (NFM)
3 Agapeta hamana
2 Acleris rhombana (NFY)
Archips podana
Archips crataegana
11 Archips xylosteana (NFY)
Archips rosana (NFY)
Pandemis cerasana
Hedya nubiferana
3 Celypha lacunana
Aphomia sociella
Endotricha flammealis (NFY)
Eucosma cana
5 Scoparia pyralella
2 Eudonia lacustrata
2 Scoparia ambigualis
Eudonia mercurella
3 Calamotropha paludella (NFM)
10 Chrysoteuchia culmella
Crambus lathoniellus
Catoptria falsella (NFY)
2 Anania hortulata
Udea olivalis

Total: 56 micros of 23 species.
Total: 104 moths of 44 species. A most pleasing night.

July highflier

Another excellent night

With temperatures remaining in the high teens, I remained at the moth trap until 1.30 and returned soon after 5. My original target of 100 moths was not reached, but the moths that were trapped included some superb county records. Strangely, the majority of the creatures were micro moths, so these were potted to identify this morning, whilst most macros were identified immediately. New for the year moths were fern, yellowshell and treble bar, whilst one of the first to visit the trap was a new record for my parish list, a blue bordered carpet.
Ploughing through endless pots of micros took many hours this morning and, such was the rarity value of of several that a trip to the county recorder was required to guarantee my original identifications. Pleasingly, these were correct. Another good night tonight so plan to take the trap and generator out to Millennium Wood and also, spend time with net and head torch at Westland Green, so a real chance of topping 100 moths in a single night.

Last night's macros:

Barred straw
2 treble brown spot
Blue bordered carpet (NFM 292nd macro for parish records)
heart and dart
yellowshell (NFY)
small yellow wave
common footman
bright line brown eye
barred yellow
treble bar (NFY)
2 riband wave
tawny marbled minor
rustic
privet hawkmoth
straw dot
marbled minor
double square spot
heart and club
fern (NFY)

21 macros of 19 species

Barred yellow

Barred yellow

Blue bordered carpet

Blue bordered carpet

Last night's micros:

4 Celypha lacunana
6 Aphomia sociella
Phtheochroa rugosana
18 Chrysoteuchia culmella
3 Cydia pomonella
3 Crassa unitella
Hoffmannophila pseudospratella
5 Archips podana
2 Hedya pruniana
Yponomeuta evonymella
2 Scoparia ambigualis
2 Eudonia mercurella
3 Agapeta hamana
2 Pterophorus pentadactyla
Celypha striana
Celypha rosaceana
Eudonia lacustrata
Colephora trifolii (NFM)
Eucosma cana (NFY)
Pandemis cerasana
Elasticha rufocinera (NFM)
Archips crataegana (NFM)
Nephopterix angustella (NFM)
Argyresthia cupressella (3rd county record NFM)
Coleophora peribenanderi (NFM)
Cochylis hybridella (NFM)
Swammerdamia caesiella (NFM)
Lyonetia clerkella
Anania coronata (NFY)
Epinotia bilunana (NFM)
Ancylis comptana (NFM and 4th county record)

70 micros of 31 species.

Notocelia roborana

Galleria mellonella

Aliemma loeflingana

Phtheochroa rugosana

Phtheochroa rugosana

Eucosma cana

Epiblema bilunana

Swammerdamia caesiella

Cochylis hybridella

Argyresthia cupressella (3rd county record)

Nethopterix angustella

Elasticha rufocinera

Quick addition shows: 91 moths of 50 species with 11 new moths for my parish records. Therefore over the last two nights 185 moths. Excellent records.
The Coleophora peribenanderi also constituted the 200th moth species in the parish for 2015. In total this year, I have trapped 975 moths. About on par with last year, but the end of July will give a better comparison to which has been the better year, as high numbers could be taken every evening now for 4 weeks.

Record moth night

Expectancy for a good moth night at the garden Skinner 125MV trap was high as I returned home at 10.40 from presenting a talk to the local RSPB group in Broxbourne. I got to the trap and immediately was listing and potting many moths. This continued until 12.30 when I ran out of pots.
Identifying them and then releasing them out at the front carried on until bed beckoned, but I was back at the trap soon after 5 to check again.
In all, a record for the garden: 94 moths of 52 species. The best garden night of all time, but hoping I can break the century tonight, as temperatures are still hovering in the high 20's and it is nearly 7.30.
Really, a whole list of everything taken last night is the way forward, to keep for posterity until this new record is broken. Previous was July 2014 when I took 81 moths of 47 species.
Micros: NFY = new for year, NFM is new for parish records
3 Clepsis consimilana
Udea olivalis
2 Cydia pomonella
2 Apotomis tubidana (NFM)
Emmelina monodactyla
Pandemis cerasana
2 Archips podana
2 Agriphila straminella
4 Scoparia pyralella
Lozotaenia forsterana
3 Eudonia mercurella
Hedya pruniana
3 Celypha striana
7 Chrysoteuchia culmella
Aphoma sociella
Pterophorus pentadactyla
3 Hedya nubiferana
Yponomeuta evonymella (NFY)
Galleria mellonella (NFY)
2 Aleimma loeflingiana (NFY)
Celypha lacunana
2 Archips xylosteana (NFY)
2 Eudonia lacustrata

That's a total of 47 micros of 23 species.

Macros:
large yellow underwing
flame shoulder
4 Green pug
swallow tailed moth (NFY)
2 beautiful hooktip
Garden carpet
double square spot (NFY)
3 dark arches
privet hawkmoth
7 heart and club
5 heart and dart
snout
barred straw
2 rufous marbled minor (NFY)
Chinese character (NFY)
Mottled beauty (NFY)
common footman
fan foot
brimstone
2 Common white wave
marbled minor
straw dot
willow beauty
single dot wave (NFY)
rustic
small blood vein (NFY)
mottled rustic (NFY)
small dusty wave
Rustic shoulder knot

47 moths of 29 species.

brimstone

chinese character

Privet hawkmoth

swallow tailed

Agriphila straminella

Clepsis consimilana

Garden carpet