Amazing Moth Night

Last night, I switched the garden Skinner 125W on and set off for East Wood at TL463214. After carting the trap, net, sheet, pots, chair, bottle of beer and battery for half a mile, I set up next to a large clump of Bird's Foot trefoil in a small, sheltered pasture adjacent to the beech wood.
By 9.30pm the moths began flying with plenty of straw dot, Agapeta hamana and Tortrix viridana. When moths are in such number, I count the first 25 and then disregard those in flight, but do add any that are on the sheet or in the trap at the end of the evening.

Clouded silver

Ghost moths made an appearance as did several blood vein as I wandered through the pasture, netting as I went. Occasionally, I returned to the sheet, potted what was roosting and either put them aside to id at home or took them for a wander to release in a field far from the trap so as not to count them twice.
By midnight, I had a large collection of potted moths for home and a good list. I checked the trap, listing and potting and returned home at 1a.m to find the garden fence next to the trap and the perspex full of moths, which I then just potted to sort out in the morning. By 2.15 I had identified all but 12 of the East Wood moths and these were sorted in better natural light this morning.
In total: 231 moths of 51 species. Nothing new for parish records but a fair few to add to the year list.

13.06	6 Ghost moth	EW
	34 Straw dot	EW
	40 Agapeta hamana	EW
	7 Crambus lathoniellus	EW
	4 Common swift	EW
	Aphelia paleana	EW	78th micro
	6 Snout	EW
	Angle shades	EW
	5 Blood vein	EW
	30 Tortrix viridana	EW
	2 Middle barred minor	EW
	Riband wave	EW
	37 Chrysoteuchia culmella	EW
	Silver ground carpet	EW
	2 Clouded silver	EW
	2 Udea olivalis	EW
	Common wainscot	EW
	Marbled minor	EW
	Barred yellow	EW
	Drinker	EW	144th macro
	2 Mottled beauty	EW
	2 Celypha lacunana	EW
	Hofmannophilia pseudospretella	EW
	Setaceous Hebrew character	EW
	Pterophorus pentadactyla	EW
	Light emerald	EW
	Treble brown spot	EW
	Heart and dart	EW
	2 Brown silver line	EW
	Foxglove pug	EW
	Pseudargyrotza conwagana	EW	79th micro
	Pandemis corylana	EW	80th micro
	Acleris forsskaleana	EW	81st micro
	Archips podana	EW
	Aliemma loefligiana	EW	82nd micro
	Apotomis turbidana	EW	83rd micro
	Notocelia trimaculana	EW
	5 Archips xylosteana	EW
	Eucosma cana	EW	84th micro
	2 Hedya pruniana	EW
	Scoparia subfusca	EW
	Pandemis cerasana	EW
	Blastobasis lacticolella	EW
	Single dotted wave	EW	145th macro
	Wormwood pug	EW
	Brimstone	EW
	Aethes smeathmannianna	EW	85th micro
	2 Paraswammerdammia albicapitella	EW
	Epinotia nisella	EW	86th micro
	Ingrailed clay	EW
	Anthophila fabricana	EW

This morning, I emptied the Skinner and started identifying all, including those from last night. Incredibly, 2 new for parish records:

Pretty chalk carpet

Grapholita janthinana

Sadly, rather worn, but a Pretty Chalk Carpet. About as unexpected in my trap as the 2012 Jersey Tiger!!

Grapholita janthinana, another new for parish records

Grapholita janthinana

As well as these, 6 new for year records, as noted here:

In total, 86 moths of 51 species. So, 317 moths in total with plenty to add to the year lists that now stand at 2349 moths: 149 macros and 91 micros. This year continues to impress and tonight looks like another busy night. I, however, will just be running the garden trap as long walk planned for tomorrow to record all aspects of the local natural history by walking the entire parish boundary, some 18 miles, beginning near East Wood.

Clouded brindle

Nephopterix angustella

Blue bordered carpet

Phycitodes binaevella

Photos of some of the species to follow this evening.

	7 Heart and dart	G
	Agapeta hamana	G
	Beautiful golden Y	G
	2 Flame	G
	3 Marbled minor	G
	4 Buff ermine	G
	2 Dark arches	G
	Straw dot	G
	Nutmeg	G
	Small fan footed wave	G	146th macro
	Mottled beauty	G
	Silver ground carpet	G
	Clouded brindle	G
NFM	Pretty chalk carpet	G	147th macro
	Common wave	G
	Blue bordered carpet	G	148th macro
	Tawny marbled minor	G
	Scoparia subfusca	G
	2 Ingrailed clay	G
	Rufous marbled minor	G
	Flame shoulder	G
	5 Riband wave	G
	2 Common wainscot	G
	2 Chrysoteuchia culmella	G
	2 Treble brown spot	G
	2 Clouded border	G
	Privet hawkmoth	G	149th macro
	2 Common footman	G
	Large yellow underwing	G
	Fern	G
	2 Beautiful hooktip	G
	5 Celypha lacunana	G
	Brimstone	G
	Emmelina monodactyla	G
	2 Scorched wing	G
	Udea olivalis	G
	Anania hortulata	G
	2 Large nutmeg	G
	Double striped pug	G
	3 Archips podana	G
	2 Notocelia uddmanniana	G	88th micro
	Rhodophea formosa	G	89th micro
	Celypha rosaceana	G
	Hedya nubiferana	G
	Common pug	G
	Nephopterix angustella	G
NFM	Grapholita janthinana	G	90th micro
	Phycitodes binaevella	G	91st micro

Few more moth species

A wonderful week camping on the Isle of Wight meant a break from local mothing, so these records are from 31st May - 2nd June and then 10th - 11th June, where new species continue to arrive.

On the 31.v.17 I ran the Heath 15W actinic trap on a grassy footpath, adjacent to several horse fields.
A total of 52 moths of 14 species were taken in the 2 hours the trap was one.
New for year were:
Phtheochroa rugosana
Hedya pruniana

That night, the home Skinner 125W gave up a pleasing 49 of 29 species with year additions being:
Mottled rustic
Small dusty wave
Least black arches
shoulder striped wainscot
Beautiful golden Y

Beautiful golden Y

Small dusty wave

Least black arches

Shoulder striped wainscot

The Following night I switched on the garden trap and headed off with all my gear for a long wander out to Stocking Wood. A superb habitat with much potential, having already taken some new for parish records here. Trap set by dusk and off wandering, netting as I went.
By 12.45a.m. I had plenty of records and these increased upon opening the trap before setting off for home.
New for my parish records were:
Phyllonorycter leucographella
Elasticha maculicerusella
Bucculatrix ulmella

Whilst the following made it on to the 2017 list:
Parornix anglicella
Lozotaenia forsterana
Pandemis cerasana
Wormwood pug
Blood vein
Tortrix viridana
Archips podana
Tinea semifulvella
Scoparia basistrigalis
Paraswammerdamia albicapitella
Choristoneura hebenstreitella

In total, Stocking Wood gave up an impressive 130 moths of 41 species. Back home, another 36 of 21 species were recorded, including NFY:
Cinnabar
Barred yellow
Lobster moth

The night of the 2nd meant just a garden trap as we were off for the ferry from Southampton early. Additions were:
Ribande Wave
Elephant hawkmoth
Suspected

Parornix leucographella

Lobster moth

Wormwood pug

Tinea semifulvella

Cinnabar

Returning from the IOW, I once again just ran the garden trap on the 10th, taking NFY:
Green pug
Celypha rosaceana
Uncertain
Barred straw
Dark arches
Clepsis consimilana
Apotomis betuletana
Paraswammerdamia nebulella
Adela crosella

Adela crosella

Dark arches

Last night, the heath trap ran for no more than an hour in Millennium Wood whilst the garden trap was on as usual.
From the wood:
Small fan foot
Beautiful hooktip
Yellowshell
Archips xylosteana

whilst at home, new for year records were:
Clouded border
Burnished brass
Hofmannophila pseudospretella
Hedya nubiferana
eudonia angustea
Treble brown spot

Yellowshell

All these additions mean I have now recorded 1957 moths this year of 210 species: 139 macros and 71 micros.
This compares to last year where had recorded 1115 moths made up of 160 species: 102 macros and 57 micros.
Just to emphasise how much better this year is than last, in 2016 by this time I had been away and not trapped on 4 nights only, whilst birdwatching in Aviero, Portugal.
This compares to this year, where I have been away on 23 nights, having visited Sri Lanka, The Camargue and the Isle of Wight.

Moths keep arriving

The moth season is now in full swing, with new moths for the year records arriving everyday. Over the 3 nights of 28th, 29th and 30th May there have been several additions and 2 trips out with the Heath 15W actinic trap.

28th May I placed the trap on rough ground near a wheatfield margin along Millfield Lane off the A120. I had trapped here on 3 previous occasions and scored with 1 moth, a winter moth but Sunday night looked promising and an opportunity to raise the average moth per visit count.
I left the trap in long grass near elder trees and plenty of grass and nettles and returned at 11.15. The sheet was swarming with Common swift! In total 90 were counted but the actual number was far higher as I counted 78 in the trap alone.
New for year was Plutella xylostella (diamond back moth) with 8 species in total. Not great, but a start and an encouragement to run the trap again here, in June.

Plutella xylostella

On the 30th I placed the trap in Alder Wood, a mixed woodland, predominantly beech and conifer but with alders bordering the adjacent golf course. A sandy carpet was netted as I walked to the site.
Returning at 11.30, a good haul was taken including new for years:
small waved umber
mottled beauty
Scoparia ambigualis
Notocelia trimaculana
bryotropha sennectella

Notocelia trimaculana

Back home, a clouded brindle, foxglove pug, Scoparia subfusca, parapoynx stratiotata were NFY whilst Vitula biviella  was new for my parish records on the 28th
The following day, Lime speck pug, Pale oak beauty, Rufous minor, Morophaga chorogella, Celypha striana, Sloe pug and Flame were all new for the year and this was followed up last night with a Shears and Vine's rustic.

Lime speck pug

Shears

This takes the running totals to 1523 moths, made up of 115 macro species and 47 micro species.. A couple more nights trapping locally before a break.

Ghost moth

Pale oak beauty

Foxglove pug

Latest moth news

A period of good mothing, 19th May to 27th May meant many additions to the year list and a new for parish records in the form of a Seraphim. Amazingly, the 1st, taken at Pig's Green on the 22nd was followed by one to the garden trap a few hours later. This constitutes my 670th moth species for the parish.
Away trips with the 15W heath actinic trap have been:
21st: Ash Valley Golf Course where Anthophilia fabricana was new for the year
22nd: Pig's Green where, apart from Seraphim, sandy carpet, small rivulet, clouded bordered brindle, red green carpet and Anania hortulata got on the year list.
24th: Valley Fields where I added pale prominent, Garden carpet, and Crambus lathionellus were added.
25th: East Wood, a new site within the parish for me that gave up Ghost moth, Brown silver lines, Yellow barred brindle, Scoparia pyralella and Elasticha canapennella.

At Home to the garden 125W skinner trap gave the following new for year records
20th: buff ermine, Common carpet, Setaceous hebrew character, chocolate tip. The latter being my 100th moth species for 2017.
21st: pale tussock, Common marbled carpet, Snout
22nd: straw dot, common wainscot, Esperia sulpherella
23rd: Cydia pomonella, Iron prominent and Scorched wing
24th: Swallow prominent, Celypha lacunana, Epiphyas postvittana, Ditula angustiorana, Notocelia cynosbatella, Agapeta hamana, Large nutmeg, Middle barred minor and small clouded brindle.
25th: Clouded silver (100th macro species for the year), White spotted pug and  Nephopterix angustella
26th: Buff tip, orange footman, tawny marbled minor and Nutmeg.

A good week or so with fine temperatures that looks set to continue. Totals so far:
1250 moths
105 macros
38 micros.

Swallow prominent

Small clouded brindle

rustic shoulder knot

pale prominent

Middle barred minor

Buff tip

Nutmeg

Orange footman

Sandy carpet

Glphipterix simpliciella

Moth round up.

Trap set in Stocking Wood. Rain brought an early finish at just after midnight

Last 2 nights have seen the moths eventually arrive. Trapping in Stocking Wood with my portable 15W trap on Tuesday night realised 97 moths of 18 species whilst the home trap added another 22 moths of 16 species with many new for year records.
The highlight was a first for my parish records, a Sallow kitten shown here:

330th macro moth for the parish and 668th species in total.

New for year species were:
Stocking Wood 15.05.17
Micros:
Evergestis forficalis
Eulia ministrana
Nemapogon cloacella
Syndemis musculana

Macros:
Maiden's blush
Angle shades
Light emerald
Rivulet
Ingrailed clay
Mottled pug

Nemapogon cloacella

Rivulet

Garden New for Year 15.05.17
Micro
Ypsolopha mucronella

Macros
White ermine
Shuttle shaped dart
Spectacle
Chinese character
Treble lines

This morning, after perpetual rain all night, I was surprised to find 27 moths in the Skinner trap, including these new for year insects.
Garden New for year 16.05.17

Micro:
Tinea trinotella

Macros:
Lesser swallow prominent
Heart and dart
Large yellow underwing

Tinea trinotella

Lesser swallow prominent

Chinese character

Spectacle

In all, this takes the number for 2017 to:
69 macros
23 micros
Total of 722 moths. This is far ahead of last year and, even better when you think last year I had trapped every night except for 5 and this year I have already missed 16 nights due to work and holidays.

Bug Hunt: Millennium Wood Sunday 14th May

10 adults and 10 children met in Millennium Wood yesterday at 11a.m for a Big Bug Hunt. Using several techniques, knocking trees and observing what fell out on to a white sheet, netting flying insects over bramble and around oak, turning over log piles placed 2 years ago and generally checking leaves in sunny positions, we managed to create a good list of creatures, several new for parish records.
Without doubt, the highlight was finding 3 great crested newts under several logs. These were photographed and put back under the log. A superb find and one that has been reported to Natural England and Herts and Essex Wildlife Trust. With this find come several important rules for Millennium Wood but it must be noted that they were discovered in an area where we carried out improvement work in the winter of 2015/16. At that time I wished to improve the quality of the grassland by removing many poor and failing trees. By removing these, it meant light and rain could penetrate through the gaps in the woodland canopy and permit grasses and wild flowers to prosper. This work was further enhanced by the placement of many small log piles, under which, we discovered the newts. With the nearest pond some 400 yards away, it is now imperative that we find time and money to scrape out the original pond within the wood, add a quality liner and allow it to fill naturally with rain water. Once certain pond vegetation is added, this could be a superb opportunity to increase the newt population. Newts, as amphibians, only return to ponds to breed. The rest of the time they remain under log piles, hunting by night in grassy areas. Just the habitat we have provided, so all present were very excited by this excellent discovery.
The only other highlight was the flushing of a field mouse that scurried over several pairs of feet before hiding itself away. Another good record as their presence will encourage creatures towards the top of the food chain to move in, such as falcons, owls, foxes etc.
Creatures identified so far from the 2 hour search:

Butterflies: (Lepidoptera)

• Speckled Wood
• Brimstone (male)

Micro Moths: (Lepidoptera)

• Nematopoon swammerdammella (longhorn moth species)
• Agonopterix arenella

Macro moths: (Lepidoptera. Note these were trapped overnight and released back into the habitat once seen by the children)

• Green carpet
• silver ground carpet
• Scorched carpet
• common swift
• nut tree tussock
• small white wave

Green carpet

Flies:(Diptera)

• Tipula lunata (cranefly)
• Tipula maxima (cranefly)
• Greenbottle (Lucilia sericata)
• St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)
• Dark edged bee fly (Bombylius major)

Bugs: (Hemiptera)

• Phytocoris tiliae
• Scolopostethus thomsonii
• Rhabdomiris striatellus
• Aphis urtica (Dark green nettle aphid)
• Common froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)

Nettle weevil

Beetle: (Coleoptera)

• Violet ground beetle (Carabus violaceus)
• Stomis pumicatus
• Pterostichus elanarius
• Pterostichus nigrata
• Pterostichus madidus
• Pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus)
• Green nettle weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)

Violet ground beetle

Pterostichus melanarius

Crickets and Grasshopper: (Orthoptera)

• Common groundhopper (Tetrix undulata)

Earwigs: (Dermaptera)

• Common earwig (Forficula auricularia)

Centipedes and millipedes (Chilopoda)

• Millipede (Cylindrolulus caeruleocinctus)
• Common centipede (Lithobius forficatus)

Mammal: (Mammalia in this case Rodentia)

• Field mouse

Birds: (Aves)

• whitethroat
• chiffchaff
• blackcap
• robin
• blackbird
• collared dove
• blue tit
• great tit

Blackcap

Amphibians :(Amphibia)

• Great Crested newt  (Triturus cristatus)

As can be seen, the children did a great job of finding and potting creatures. We also tapped trees where we found caterpillars, mainly small green jobs from oak. Very difficult to identify these to specific species at this stage of their development. Consequently, I have potted them with plenty of leaf material and shall await their emergence as moths in high summer.