Festooned with success

As the weather has turned so warm, Paul Wheeler decided to do some trapping at Pewley Down last night. Although it was clear, the warm still air remained in situ, right up to 1:00 when we packed up. Under the light of Saturn, we kept a vigil on both traps, and they were almost constantly heaving with moths. Loads of highlights but I got two new species (the latter was even a lifer for the experienced Mr Wheeler!), which were a fantastic Festoon, and a stunning fresh Netted Pug. The other stars were heaps of Reddish Light Arches (50+), a few Lace Border (an also-ran now!), a Privet Hawk, and 7 Small Elephant Hawks.

Pewley Downs, 2nd June:
Small Dusty Wave
Middle-barred Minor
Common Swift
Clouded Silver
Barred Yellow
Reddish Light Arches
Light Brocade
Straw Dot
Heart and Dart
Treble Lines
Satin Wave
Green Carpet
Willow Beauty
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Scorched Carpet
Mottled Beauty
Light Arches
Small Elephant Hawk
Varied Coronet
Common Marbled Carpet
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Large Yellow Underwing
Iron Prominent
Dark Arches
Snout
Tawny Marbled Minor
Vine's Rustic
Privet Hawk
Clay
Cinnabar
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Light Emerald
Mottled Pug
Festoon*
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Blotched Emerald
Small White Wave
Peppered Moth (carbonaria)
Flame
Bright-line Brown-eye
Engrailed
Netted Pug*
Brimstone
Lobster Moth
Marbled Minor
Total macros: 47

White Point

Varied Coronet

Reddish Light Arches

carbonaria Peppered Moth

Mottled Beauty

Light Brocade

Lace Border

Engrailed

Cinnabar

Blotched Emerald

Netted Pug

Festoon

Small Elephant Hawk

Privet Hawk

Some new friends!

Pewley Borders on the amazing

Last night, it was the Guildford Borough Council night-life event at Pewley Downs - a pristine chalk downland site. I went on this event last year and saw loads of lifers, including such quality as Mocha and Tawny Shears.
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Neither of those appeared this time, but that did not really matter. After the starter of many female Glow Worms and a massive Wasp spider (I should have got shots of these, sorry), we had the main course of moths. We wondered whether there was any chance of seeing the main speciality of the site, but we needn't have worried, as at least four Lace Border came to the trap! The only lifer seen was a couple of Barred Rivulet, but what stunners they are. The main excitement on the night for the expert (Paul Wheeler), was finding four specimens of a very rare micro, and then capturing a possible first for Surrey (I've forgotten its name). Its at times like this I wish I wasn't so inept when it comes to micros! A most enjoyable evening.
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Pewley Downs, 29th July:
Shaded Broad-bar
Cloaked Minor
Common Rustic
Lace Border
Ruby Tiger
Dark Umber
Yellow Shell
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Six-spot Burnet
Large Yellow Underwing
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Nut-tree Tussock
Rosy Footman
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Heart and Dart
Dingy Footman
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Lime-speck Pug
Smoky Wainscot
Knot Grass
Scorched Carpet
Pebble Prominent
Buff Footman
Dark Arches
Least Yellow Underwing
Dunbar
Rustic
Small Emerald
Barred Rivulet*
Currant Pug
Turnip
Dusky Sallow
Small Fan-footed Wave
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (including one very bizarre individual, that was the same size and proportions as LBBYU!)
Scarce Footman
Single-dotted Wave
July Highflyer
Dagger sp.
Flame Shoulder
Flame
Double-striped Pug
Yellow-tail
Wormwood Pug
Ear Moth
Brown-line Bright-eye
Haworth's Pug
Willow Beauty
True Lover's Knot (two - an acid loving species on chalk!)
Common Carpet
Copper Underwing
Svennson's Copper Underwing
Small Rufous (another odd one, a wetland species)
Small Rivulet
Purple Bar
Campion
Lesser Yellow Underwing (thats all five common Yellow Underwings)
Total up to 0:00: 56
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A pug ID'd by Paul as Wormwood

Barred Rivulet

Lace Border