Waved Black

A nice find in the trap this morning!

Waved Black

I believe I had one last week too but it got away as I was trying to pot it.  But not that many moths look like this so will assume it was even though I won't record it.

Notables from the Garden

A big improvement in night temperatures over the last few days has resulted in some real quality moths turning up in the garden trap.

It took all morning to identify this very worn little moth as the rare immigrant, Oak Processionary.  Males of the species have occasionally made the hop from mainland Europe, and more recently, larvae of the species is appearing in stretches of Oak woodland in the South, much to the disapproval of many wildlife authorities. The larvae, if present in numbers, can seriously damage Oak trees, and also release hairs that are highly irritable to the skin.

Small Ranunculus has been increasing its range in the South-east ever since it was re-discovered in Britain in 1997, so I guess it was only a matter of time before one turned up in the garden, but it was still a great surprise to walk out to check the trap and find one staring back!

Hoary Footman is another scarce species which is slowly spreading up from the coast, where it has until recently been confined to sea cliffs in the South-west. It is now established in various localities in Surrey, and I caught this individual in the garden on 31st July, a day before Jim Porter caught one just up the road in his Chessington garden.

And a comparison with the much commoner Scarce Footman (foreground)...

This well marked Tree-lichen Beauty on the 1st August represented the 3rd individual I've caught in the garden this year, of this recently established immigrant.

Waved Black, caught on 3rd August...

I thought Plain Pug was chiefly coastal, so it was a bit of a surprise when I caught this moth the other night. It turns out that the species is quite common in the suburbs of south London...



20st-21nd July- NE Surrey

Last night (21st) was poor weather wise, with a clear sky, cold temperatures and a bright moon looming over the garden for most of the night. So it didn't come as a surprise that there were few moths in the trap when I turned the light off at 2am.

Luckily though, this Waved Black made up for the poor tally, my first nationally notable moth for the garden...

And this Agriphila tristella made a new addition to the slowly increasing micro list...

The night before was somewhat better, with 34 species, including 7 totally new for the garden, and not 1 but 2 Tree-lichen Beauties! New for the garden were...

Dot Moth

Ruby Tiger

Cloaked Minor

Dusky Sallow

Lesser-spotted Pinion

Bright-line Brown-eye

Swallow-tailed Moth

Dusky Sallow...

Lesser-spotted Pinion...

The Beautiful Rough comes up trumps

Last evening, I went to a place called Fames Rough near Banstead, in the hope of seeing some nice chalk scrub species. David Gardner was determined to look for a group of micros which feed on Thyme. We did not find those, but we had a fantastic night in near-perfect conditions. Three lifers for me, and even a few micro lifers for the expert!

Up to 1:10 we managed the most macros I have ever experienced, with 82 species. The three new ones were a fantastic Beautiful Carpet, a worn Green Arches, and two Small Emerald. Some other notables were Phoenix, Olive, Waved Black, and three Kent Black Arches.

Fames Rough, 19th July:
Dunbar
Small Fan-footed Wave
Clay Triple-lines
Buff Footman
Buff Arches
Ruby Tiger
July Highflyer
Beautiful Carpet*
Marbled White Spot
Silver Y
Scorched Carpet
Clouded Silver
Smoky Wainscot
Rustic
Double-striped Pug
Common White Wave
Light Emerald
Double Square-spot
Green Pug
Dark Arches
Riband Wave
Brimstone
Clay
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Flame
Brown Scallop
V-pug
Mottled Beauty
Brown-line Bright-eye
Coronet
Single-dotted Wave
Phoenix
Large Yellow Underwing
Scarce Footman
Large Emerald
Common Footman
Garden Carpet
Small Purple-barred
Common Rustic
Oak Nycteoline
Waved Black
Flame Shoulder
Iron Prominent
Small Emerald*
Engrailed
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Small Rivulet
Copper Underwing
Snout
Black Arches
Small Angle Shades
Heart and Dart
Kent Black Arches
Orange Footman
Straw Dot
Ear Moth
Fan-foot
Dusky Sallow
Olive
Common Emerald
Elephant Hawk-moth
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Dark Sword-grass
Least Carpet
Miller
Peppered Moth
Spruce Carpet
Herald
Green Arches*
Poplar Hawk-moth
Dark Umber
Common Lutestring
Bright-line Brown-eye
Blood Vein
Grey Dagger
Common Carpet
Beautiful Hook-tip
Willow Beauty
Small Yellow Wave
Uncertain
Scalloped Hook-tip
Swallow-tail moth

Waved Black

Snout

Small Emerald

Catoptria pinella

Orange Footman, Dunbar, and Kent Black Arches

Herald

Dark Sword-grass

Blood Vein

Dusky Sallow

Beautiful Carpet