A Beautiful Range of moths

An impromptu trapping session on the edge of the Pirbright Ranges near West End last night gave me an early oppurtunity to run my new trap. In what was probably the best night of the year in terms of conditions, we ran four traps, and managed a string of quality moths, and great numbers too. The only thing missing was a lifer! Several species were my second ever sightings, but the best was probably several Ling Pugs. This is not a true lifer, as it is considered just a form of Wormwood Pug. We also got several Beautiful Yellow Underwings, which is my first proper sighting (I got a glimpse of one in a trap last year at Dawney's Hill, but it presumably escaped).

26th July, Pirbright Ranges:

Yellow Shell

Dunbar

Small Fan-footed Wave

Pine Hawk

Beautiful Yellow Underwing

Ling Pug

Flame Shoulder

Scarce Footman

True Lover's Knot

Single-dotted Wave

Narrow-winged Pug

Ruby Tiger

Least Yellow Underwing

Slender Brindle

Clouded Border

Rustic

Common Emerald

Common White Wave

Drinker

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Common Carpet

Willow Beauty

Striped Wainscot

Sharp-angled Carpet

Scalloped Hook-tip

Uncertain

Plain Wave

Snout

Antler Moth

Black Arches

Smoky Wainscot

Riband Wave

Kent Black Arches

Light Emerald

Common Footman

Buff Footman

Cloaked Minor

Small Scallop

Large Yellow Underwing

Rosy Footman

Dark Arches

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Common Rustic

July Highflyer

Peppered Moth

Mottled Beauty

Least Carpet

Lesser Cream Wave

Clay

Dotted Border Wave

Large Emerald

September Thorn

Maiden's Blush

Engrailed

Small Purple-barred

Iron Prominent

Double Kidney

Sharp-angled Peacock

Total: 59

My trap in action

Small Scallop

Small Purple-barred

Sharp-angled Peacock

Sharp-angled Carpet

Ling Pug

Least Carpet

Horse Chestnut (with Clouded Border)

Double Kidney

Beautiful Yellow Underwing (certainly lives up to its name!)

Antler Moth

Up on the Downs again

Another attempt at Pewley Downs last evening with Paul Wheeler gave limited success, despite the warm start. Don't get me wrong, plenty of nice moths were seen, but nothing new. Best was probably my second Clouded Brindle, Festoon, and Triple-spotted Clay (I still can't 'do' the latter!).

CORRECTION: In the blog entry for the Pewley Downs session on June 3rd, the Coronet I have labelled as Varied, is in fact a Marbled, which is a lifer!

Pewley Down, July 3rd:

Dark Umber

Brown Scallop

Brown-line Bright-eye

Cloaked Minor

Dunbar

Light Arches

Reddish Light Arches

Scarce Footman

Silver Y

Clay

Fan-foot

Riband Wave

Dusky Sallow

Heart and Dart

Heart and Club

Dingy Shears

Brimstone

Large Yellow Underwing

Clouded Silver

Swallow-tail

White Point

Pine Hawk

Buff Arches

Dark Arches

Double-striped Pug

Small Purple-barred

Coronet

Pretty Chalk Carpet

Common Carpet

Dark Sword-grass

Flame

July Highflyer

Elephant Hawk

Smoky Wainscot

Triple-spotted Clay

Mottled Beauty

Scalloped Oak

Festoon

Clouded Brindle

Clouded Brindle

Pine Hawk

Pretty Chalk Carpet

Small Purple-barred

Triple-spotted Clay

The Shade at Box Hill brings Triple lifers

Last night I ventured onto one of the best examples of chalk downland in the country, Box Hill. Trapping at the Zig Zag Road with David Gardner until 0:00 (I had to leave early), we got 51 macros in warm, but clear, conditions. These did include some real quality though, with two, perhaps three, new species. The best was an unconfimed Surrey Rarity - two Triple-spotted Pug.

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9th July, Box Hill (lifer=*):

Kent Black Arches

Barred Yellow

Brown Scallop

Clouded Silver

Light Emerald

Riband Wave

Dark Umber

Beautiful Hook-tip

Common White Wave

Clay

Reddish Light Arches

Brimstone

July Highflyer

Brown-line Bright-eye

Rosy Footman

V-Pug

Heart and Club

Smoky Wainscot

Treble Brown Spot

Short-cloaked Moth

Small Purple-barred*

Flame

Dunbar

Marbled White Spot

Burnished Brass

Willow Beauty

Scarce Footman

Small Fan-footed Wave

Double-striped Pug

Swallow-tailed Moth

Fern

Common Marbled Carpet

Flame Shoulder

Small Waved Umber

Privet Hawk-moth

Haworth's Pug

Shaded Pug*

Common Footman

Buff Footman

Snout

Small Fan-foot

Coronet

Double Square-spot

Beautiful Golden Y

Common Carpet

White-point

Dark Arches

Clay Triple-lines

Bordered White

Common Lutestring

Triple-spotted Pug* (very rare in Surrey - these two will need to be gen. deted before they are confirmed)

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Brown-line Bright-eye

Privet Hawk-moth (I just love these!)

Kent Black Arches

Shaded Pug

Small Purple-barred