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

Sweet success at Chobham

The event on the 6th August brought me to a place I have never been to before, the famous Chobham Common. Accompanied by the calling of Nightjars, we set up the trap near a wet boggy area, and it came up trumps. I managed two new species, and they were both hum dingers! First, a Small Scallop arrived, and shortly after, a Small Chocolate-tip. A very scarce species, with only a few known colonies in Surrey (only one seen at Chobham before). Loads of Straw Underwing were a surprise too.
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Chobham Common, 6th August:
Straw Underwing
Currant Pug
True Lovers Knot
Small Fan-footed Wave
Turnip
Straw Dot
Small Chocolate-tip*
Rosy Footman
Small Scallop*
Ruby Tiger
Small Rufous
Yellow Shell
Scarce Footman
Scalloped Hook-tip
Double-striped Pug
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Drinker
Copper Underwing
Large Yellow Underwing
Flame Shoulder
Pale Prominent
Iron Prominent
Smoky Wainscot
Dusky Thorn
Pebble Hook-tip
Dark Arches
Peppered Moth
Horse Chestnut
Dagger sp.
LBBYU
White Point
Canary-shouldered Thorn
Pebble Prominent
Poplar Grey
Willow Beauty
Brimstone
Maiden's Blush
Vine's Rustic
Common Carpet
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Straw Underwing

Small Scallop

Small Chocolate-tip

On the horn(et)s of a dilemma

Sorry about that ;-)
I put the trap on fairly early in the hope of making the most of a short session. Perhaps that's why I had two or three hornets buzzing around. When I went to switch off at 10.30 ish, I had a nerve-wracking moment as I moved the trap back to my shed. As it turned out there was only one hornet inside - and it only became active after I had processed most of the moths.
A few photos:
small scallop

pebble hook-tip

Cork moth (Nemapogon cloacella)

lesser-spotted pinion


lesser yellow underwing

gold triangle (Hypsopygia costalis)

The villain of the piece!