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

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

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/F	Taxon	Vernacular	Qty
15	Hepialus sylvina	Orange Swift	8
873	Blastobasis adustella	(=lignea) Dingy Dowd	1
998	Epiphyas postvittana	Light Brown Apple Moth	1
1304	Agriphila straminella	Pearl Veneer	1
1305	Agriphila tristella	Common Grass-veneer	12
1309	Agriphila geniculea	Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer	6
1331	Acentria ephemerella	Water Veneer	2
1937	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	20
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	2
2134	Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	7
2223	Calophasia lunula	Toadflax Brocade	1
2293	Cryphia domestica	Marbled Beauty	6
2303	Thalpophila matura	Straw Underwing	1
2321	Apamea monoglypha	Dark Arches	1
2353	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	28
2373	Archanara sparganii	Webb's Wainscot	1
2384	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	3

	First - for - year
	First - for - garden

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/F	Taxon	Vernacular	Qty
15	Hepialus sylvina	Orange Swift	6
998	Epiphyas postvittana	Light Brown Apple Moth	1
1048	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix	1
1305	Agriphila tristella	Common Grass-veneer	11
1306	Agriphila inquinatella	Barred Grass-veneer	2
1309	Agriphila geniculea	Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer	8
1742	Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell	1
1937	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	1
2085	Agrotis vestigialis	Archer's Dart	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	10
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	3
2293	Cryphia domestica	Marbled Beauty	1
2353	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	27

	First - for - year
	First - for - garden

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/F	Taxon	Vernacular	Qty
15	Hepialus sylvina	Orange Swift	5
985	Cacoecimorpha pronubana	Carnation Tortrix	1
1304	Agriphila straminella	Pearl Veneer	1
1305	Agriphila tristella	Common Grass-veneer	14
1309	Agriphila geniculea	Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer	8
1742	Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell	1
1906	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	1
2092	Agrotis puta	Shuttle-shaped Dart	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	20
2134	Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	3
2293	Cryphia domestica	Marbled Beauty	1
2303	Thalpophila matura	Straw Underwing	2
2353	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	18

	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/F	Taxon	Vernacular	Qty
15	Hepialus sylvina	Orange Swift	3
1304	Agriphila straminella	Pearl Veneer	1
1305	Agriphila tristella	Common Grass-veneer	3
1309	Agriphila geniculea	Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer	7
1742	Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell	2
1906	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	2
1937	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	1
2102	Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	23
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	1
2134	Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	5
2293	Cryphia domestica	Marbled Beauty	4
2343x	Mesapamea secalis agg.	Common Rustic agg	1
2353	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	14
2384	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	2

	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/F	Taxon	Vernacular	Qty
1063	Celypha striana	Barred Marble	1
1076	Celypha lacunana	Common Marble	1
1305	Agriphila tristella	Common Grass-veneer	4
1309	Agriphila geniculea	Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer	1
1862	Gymnoscelis rufifasciata	Double-striped Pug	1
2107	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	16
2126	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	1
2353	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	5
2384	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	1

	First - for - year
	First - for - garden