The Least of expectations

Back to the old trap last night, and in initially clear, but then cloudy conditions, a good illustration of what I was getting at yesterday was achieved. 75 moths of 27 species is a pretty good haul for the whole night, but remember, the MV got that in two hours! Amongst this lot was new for the year Least Yellow Underwing, but the best was my second garden record of Oak Nycteoline.

31st July:

14 Dark Arches

8 Uncertain

8 Common Rustic sp.

7 Dunbar

4 Willow Beauty

3 Shuttle-shaped Dart

3 Rustic

3 Large Yellow Underwing

3 LBBYU

2 Clay

2 Scalloped Oak

2 Double Square-spot

1 Single-dotted Wave

1 Rosy Footman

1 Rosy Minor

1 Yellow-barred Brindle

1 Riband Wave

1 Red Twin-spot Carpet

1 Small Fan-footed Wave

1 Smoky Wainscot

1 Heart and Dart

1 Least Yellow Underwing NFY

1 Poplar Hawk

1 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

1 Ear Moth

1 Yellow-tail

1 Oak Nycteoline NFY

Dunbar

Least Yellow Underwing

Oak Nycteoline

All's Rosy, as underwings Herald new era

Although conditions were almost perfect last night with full cloud cover, I did not get my best haul of the year, but I shouldn't complain, as 87 moths of 32 species is still excellent.

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There was a garden tick amongst them, as well as four year ticks. However, the new garden species was not 'pure', as last year I did find the wing of a Herald in a spiders web in the garden, so they have certainly visited me before. Still, it was a stunner. Nice to get four species of yellow underwing too, autumns coming!

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25th July:

10 Riband Wave

9 Dunbar

9 Double Square-spot

8 Copper Underwing

6 Flame

6 V Pug

4 Svennson's Copper Underwing

3 Rosy Minor NFY

3 Dark Arches

3 Common Rustic sp.

2 Scalloped Oak

2 Ruby Tiger

2 Minor sp.

2 Oak Hook-tip

2 Large Yellow Underwing

2 Willow Beauty

1 White-spotted Pug

1 Purple Thorn

1 Tawny-barred Angle NFY

1 Common Footman

1 Rustic

1 July Highflyer

1 Small Fan-footed Wave

1 Herald NFG

1 Beautiful Hook-tip

1 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing NFY

1 Slender Brindle

1 Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 Peppered Moth

1 Least Yellow Underwing NFY

1 Lesser Yellow Underwing

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A couple of interesting insects from around the trap:

Speckled Bush-cricket

A wonderfully wierd Weevil

Tawny-barred Angle

Least Yellow Underwing

Rosy Minor

Herald

underwings arrive

I had a short session trapping in my garden on 24th where I was again hampered by hornets buzzing round the trap. In the end, I decided that I would just cover the trap and deal with it in the morning. So, not surprisingly, I didn't have a large catch. However there were some 'new for year's.
*broad-bordered yellow underwing
*least yellow underwing
*copper underwing (agg)
*pine carpet.
Photos in no particular order:

pine carpet

least yellow underwing

broad-bordered yellow underwing

copper underwing agg

large emerald

gold spot