Sunday, April 22, 2018

SP9326: 14/04/18 - Two new garden moths

Tmin: 10.4°C; W: light air; P: 0mm;

Following the warmest April day since 1949 it was inevitable the trap was going to be deployed. Expectations were realised with the addition of two new species to the garden records. Weather has limited the amount of trapping this time of year, so there are some glaring omissions to the garden list, however, neither of last night's debutants were expected.

First up was a Tawny Pinion (Lithophane semibrunnea) which, by chance, was fresh in my mind having recently viewed an image of one on social media. This specie hibernates through winter, appearing again in the spring. The food plant is mainly Ash (Fraxinus excelsior).

VC30 Status: rare resident;

2235 Tawny Pinion

2235 Tawny Pinion


Also new was Semioscopis steinkellneriana :-


VC30 Status: 20 records of 13 individuals - so quite rare despite the larvae feeding on blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and hawthorn (Crataegus).

667 Semioscopis steinkellneriana

0667 Semioscopis steinkellneriana -1
0998 Epiphyas postvittana -1
1288 Twenty Plume Moth -1
1428 Bee Moth -1
1917 Early Thorn -1
2182 Small Quaker -1
2186 Powdered Quaker -1
2187 Common Quaker -2
2188 Clouded Drab -1
2235 Tawny Pinion -1
2258 The Chestnut -1



Sunday, April 15, 2018

SP9326: 14/04/18 - New: Brindled Beauty

Tmin: 6.9°C; W: SE 0-3mph; P: 1mm;

A short, sharp shower drenched the trap an hour or so after dusk. The rain RADAR hinted that would be it for the night so the trap was left out. Fortuitously, daylight revealed a new moth for the garden - Brindled Beauty  Lycia hirtaria. A variable moth of which it is the male that comes to light.

VC30 Status: common resident;

1927 Brindled Beauty

Sunday, August 30, 2015

SP9326: 29/08/15 - New: Toadflax Brocade

Tmin: 13.8°C; W: calm; P: 1.5 mm;

The full moon was hidden by cloud, and a parasol was deployed as there was moderate rainfall.

The usual suspects were accompanied by a garden first - Toadflax Brocade Calophasia lunula.
VC30 Status: rare vagrant / resident; Distribution: extremely local.
A second site record of Webb's Wainscot was notable following the first on 2nd August.

2223 Toadflax Brocade

2373 Webb's Wainscot
Stats ! -

First garden record of Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula)

Second garden record of Webb's Wainscot (Archanara sparganii)

Highest garden count (28) of Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)


Date:29/08/15
Site:Leighton Buzzard: Garden
Trap:Skinner
Total: 18 species/102 moths
B/FTaxonVernacularQty
15Hepialus sylvinaOrange Swift8
873Blastobasis adustella(=lignea) Dingy Dowd1
998Epiphyas postvittanaLight Brown Apple Moth1
1304Agriphila straminellaPearl Veneer1
1305Agriphila tristellaCommon Grass-veneer12
1309Agriphila geniculeaElbow-stripe Grass-veneer6
1331Acentria ephemerellaWater Veneer2
1937Peribatodes rhomboidariaWillow Beauty1
2107Noctua pronubaLarge Yellow Underwing20
2126Xestia c-nigrumSetaceous Hebrew Character2
2134Xestia xanthographaSquare-spot Rustic7
2223Calophasia lunulaToadflax Brocade1
2293Cryphia domesticaMarbled Beauty6
2303Thalpophila maturaStraw Underwing1
2321Apamea monoglyphaDark Arches1
2353Luperina testaceaFlounced Rustic28
2373Archanara sparganiiWebb's Wainscot1
2384Hoplodrina ambiguaVine's Rustic3
First - for - year
First - for - garden

Friday, August 28, 2015

SP9326: 27/08/15 - Another Archer's Dart

Tmin: 8.8°C; W: SW 0-8 mph; P: 0 mm;

Second garden record of Archer's Dart (Agrotis vestigialis)

Highest garden count (27) of Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)

2085 Archer's Dart


Date:27/08/15
Site:Leighton Buzzard: Garden
Trap:Skinner
Total: 13 species/73 moths
B/FTaxonVernacularQty
15Hepialus sylvinaOrange Swift6
998Epiphyas postvittanaLight Brown Apple Moth1
1048Acleris varieganaGarden Rose Tortrix1
1305Agriphila tristellaCommon Grass-veneer11
1306Agriphila inquinatellaBarred Grass-veneer2
1309Agriphila geniculeaElbow-stripe Grass-veneer8
1742Camptogramma bilineataYellow Shell1
1937Peribatodes rhomboidariaWillow Beauty1
2085Agrotis vestigialisArcher's Dart1
2107Noctua pronubaLarge Yellow Underwing10
2126Xestia c-nigrumSetaceous Hebrew Character3
2293Cryphia domesticaMarbled Beauty1
2353Luperina testaceaFlounced Rustic27
First - for - year
First - for - garden

Thursday, August 27, 2015

SP9326: 26/08/15 - New: Carnation Tortrix

Tmin: 11.4°C; W: SW 3-8 mph; P: 0 mm;

First garden record of Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana

985 Cacoecimorpha pronubana

Date:26/08/15
Site:Leighton Buzzard: Garden
Trap:Skinner
Total: 13 species/76 moths
B/FTaxonVernacularQty
15Hepialus sylvinaOrange Swift5
985Cacoecimorpha pronubanaCarnation Tortrix1
1304Agriphila straminellaPearl Veneer1
1305Agriphila tristellaCommon Grass-veneer14
1309Agriphila geniculeaElbow-stripe Grass-veneer8
1742Camptogramma bilineataYellow Shell1
1906Opisthograptis luteolataBrimstone Moth1
2092Agrotis putaShuttle-shaped Dart1
2107Noctua pronubaLarge Yellow Underwing20
2134Xestia xanthographaSquare-spot Rustic3
2293Cryphia domesticaMarbled Beauty1
2303Thalpophila maturaStraw Underwing2
2353Luperina testaceaFlounced Rustic18
First - for - year
First - for - garden

SP9326: 25/08/15 - Less than average

Tmin: 13.6°C; W: SSW 3-13 mph; P: trace;

Moderate rainfall all afternoon which stopped at dusk. Parasol deployed, breezy though no further rain until dawn (then rather heavy).

The barren spell continues.


Date:25/08/15
Site:Leighton Buzzard: Garden
Trap:Skinner
Total: 15 species/70 moths
B/FTaxonVernacularQty
15Hepialus sylvinaOrange Swift3
1304Agriphila straminellaPearl Veneer1
1305Agriphila tristellaCommon Grass-veneer3
1309Agriphila geniculeaElbow-stripe Grass-veneer7
1742Camptogramma bilineataYellow Shell2
1906Opisthograptis luteolataBrimstone Moth2
1937Peribatodes rhomboidariaWillow Beauty1
2102Ochropleura plectaFlame Shoulder1
2107Noctua pronubaLarge Yellow Underwing23
2126Xestia c-nigrumSetaceous Hebrew Character1
2134Xestia xanthographaSquare-spot Rustic5
2293Cryphia domesticaMarbled Beauty4
2343xMesapamea secalis agg.Common Rustic agg1
2353Luperina testaceaFlounced Rustic14
2384Hoplodrina ambiguaVine's Rustic2
First - for - year
First - for - garden

SP9326: 24/08/15 - Most unremarkable

Tmin: 9.9°C; W: W v. SW 3-5 mph; P: 1 mm;

After a day of rain and a delayed start to the session, it was little wonder the catch was poor.



Date:24/08/15
Site:Leighton Buzzard: Garden
Trap:Skinner
Total: 9 species/31 moths
B/FTaxonVernacularQty
1063Celypha strianaBarred Marble1
1076Celypha lacunanaCommon Marble1
1305Agriphila tristellaCommon Grass-veneer4
1309Agriphila geniculeaElbow-stripe Grass-veneer1
1862Gymnoscelis rufifasciataDouble-striped Pug1
2107Noctua pronubaLarge Yellow Underwing16
2126Xestia c-nigrumSetaceous Hebrew Character1
2353Luperina testaceaFlounced Rustic5
2384Hoplodrina ambiguaVine's Rustic1
First - for - year
First - for - garden