More Than Micro Interest at Farnham

After several weeks of appaling weather, I took my first proper outing with my loaned generator yesterday evening.  It was a bit windy, and the sky was rather clear by the end, but I was pretty happy with a total of 45 species, in what was my first real attempt at IDing all micros too (thanks to the new micro book of course!).  I trapped on a small water meadow next to the River Wey, on the RSPB reserve at Farnham Heath.  Best macros were only my second ever Sandy Carpet and Slender Pug.  I was delighted with how many micros I was able to successfully ID (I hope!), including the Reed feeder Elachista maculicerusella.

15th June, Farnham Heath:

7 Straw Dot

6 Celypha lacunana

5 Scorparia ambigualis

4 Agapeta hamana

4 Marbled Brown

3 Small Rivulet

3 Common Carpet

3 Common Marbled Carpet

2 Scorparia pyralella

2 Yellow Shell

2 Sandy Carpet

2 Brown Silver-line

2 May Highflyer

2 Common White Wave

2 Snout

2 Green Carpet

2 Peppered Moth

1 Cnephasia sp.

1 Coleophora sp.

1 Nemophora degreella (before dusk)

1 Elachista maculicerusella

1 Argyresthia retinella

1 Caloptilia alchimiella

1 Triaxomera parasitella

1 Fox Moth

1 Rivulet

1 Argyresthia brockeela

1 Silver-ground Carpet

1 Water Ermine

1 Grey Pug

1 Small Elephant Hawk

1 Heart and Dart

1 Udea olivalis

1 Clouded Border

1 Mottled Beauty

1 Grey Pine Carpet

1 Waved Umber

1 Buff Ermine

1 Bordered White

1 Pale Oak Beauty

1 Orange Footman

1 Iron Prominent

1 Middle-barred Minor

1 Bird's Wing

1 Slender Pug
1 Blastobasis laticolella

Total: 46

Elachista maculicerusella

Bordered White

Caloptilia alchimiella

Triaxomera parasitella

Sandy Carpet

Argyresthia retinella

Small Elephant Hawk-moth

I found this in the house the other day - the Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella) sitting by its case:

Quite recently, I worked out my pan-species British list (i.e. the list of ALL species of everything plants, birds, insects etc.).  These latest micros brought that list to 1999.  I'm hoping to twitch the Little Bittern in Hertfordshire tomorrow, as that would be a rather fitting 2000th (compared to a tiny dull micro moth for instance anyway!). 

Not exactly a Carpet of moths at Redlands

The event last night was at Redlands Wood, in the shadow of Leith Hill near Dorking. It had been yet another disappointing day in terms of temperatures, but it was forecast to cloud over. Did it? Of course not! Temps were down to 12 degrees when we packed up at 12:30. As a result, numbers were pretty poor, although better than I expected. Luckily, we did get one or two nice things, including a new species to me. It was a Twin-spot Carpet that was one of the first moths to appear, and we got another 4 or so by the nights end. Nice to see my second Ghost Moth and Bordered White also.

July 9th, Redlands Wood:
July Highflyer
Mottled Beauty
Twin-spot Carpet*
Small Fan-footed Wave
Common Emerald
Riband Wave
Heart and Dart
Purple Clay
Bordered White
Ghost Moth
Brimstone
Tawny-barred Angle
Barred Red
Light Emerald
Small Rivulet
Swallowtail
Satin Lutestring
Spruce Carpet
Dark Arches
Uncertain
Pine Hawk
Iron Prominent
Clay Triple-lines
Minor Shoulder-knot
Peppered Moth
Buff Arches
Scalloped Oak
Clouded Silver
Grey Arches
Suspected
Buff Footman
Grey Pine Carpet
Dunbar
Large Emerald
Fan-foot
Common White Wave
Total: 36

Epinota brunnichana

Satin Lutestring

Large Emerald

Ghost Moth

Bordered White

Twin-spot Carpet

Marley Borders on the brilliant

I took advantage of my newly acquired generator last night and trapped at a small heathland site close to me. The weather conditions were not ideal with a clear night and an almost full moon. Still, I am a little dissappointed at the numbers got. It was fantastic however to get two lifers, in the form of three Bordered White, and three Shoulder-striped Wainscot, I eagerly await the appearance of these species in my garden, just a mile or so away. Also a fantastic Clouded Buff.

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Marley Common - 24th June:

3 Buff Ermine

3 Bordered White

3 Shoulder-striped Wainscot

3 True Lovers Knot

3 Brown Rustic

2 Heart and Dart

1 Barred Red

1 Clouded Buff

1 Middle-barred Minor

Clouded Buff

Clouded Buff

Shoulder-striped Wainscot

True Lovers Knot

Bordered White