The Tipping Point

Four weeks to go in my current garden, and I hope it can go out on a high, and I'm hoping I can get to a macro year list of 200.  Last nights trapping brought the 2012 total to 190.  Nothing surprising amongst the macros, but a decent showing from the migrants, including a White Point (even though these are now resident in Surrey).  In with the micros were two specimens of the very pretty Caloptilia syringella, which is a lifer for me.  Wasps were again a problem, with at least 10 in and around the trap.

3rd September:
Macros:
25 Large Yellow Underwing
9 Brimstone
7 Lesser Yellow Underwing
4 LBBYU
4 Flounced Rustic
3 Green Carpet
3 Silver Y
3 Square-spot Rustic
2 Snout
2 Willow Beauty
1 Riband Wave
1 Light Emerald
1 Common Marbled Carpet
1 Flame Carpet
1 Angle Shades
1 Setaceous Hebrew Character NFY
1 Small Phoenix
1 Dark Sword-grass NFY
1 Flame Shoulder
1 Dark Arches
1 Maiden's Blush
1 Marbled Beauty
1 White Point
1 Common Rustic sp.
1 Feathered Gothic NFY

Micros:
5 Light Brown Apple Moth
3 Agriphila geniculea
3 Blastobasis adustella
3 Mother of Pearl
2 Cydia splendana
2 Caloptilia syringella*
1 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix
1 Ypsolopha parenthesella
1 Holly Tortrix
1 Eudonia mercurella
1 Garden Rose Tortrix
1 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner

Caloptilia syringella

Feathered Gothic

White Point

A Fine Figure of Beauty

Still an absence of cloud in the sky at the moment (looks like that will be rectified in the next few days), but the warm temps continue to bring my fantastic new trap into its own.  Last night, I got the most species in the trap this year (30), which included another new moth to me, and yet another garden tick in addition.  Poplar feeders are quite a scarcity in my garden, so it was nice to get my first ever Figure of 80, alongside my first Pine Beauty for the garden, just a few days after seeing my first adult at Hagthorne. 

28th May:
6 Shuttle-shaped Dart
5 Common Marbled Carpet
5 Brimstone
3 Buff-tip
2 Scalloped Hazel
2 Orange Footman
2 Poplar Grey
2 Common Carpet NFY
1 Lobster Moth NFY
1 Treble Lines NFY
1 Pine Beauty NFG
1 Peppered Moth
1 Pale Prominent NFY
1 Grey Pine Carpet
1 Silver-ground Carpet
1 White Point NFY
1 Red Twin-spot Carpet
1 Pebble Hook-tip
1 Marbled White-spot NFY
1 Flame Shoulder
1 Small Seraphim
1 Vine's Rustic NFY
1 Common Pug
1 Figure of 80 NFM
1 Pebble Prominent
1 Red-green Carpet
1 White-pinion Spotted
1 Green Carpet
1 Angle Shades
1 Silver Y

Common Carpet

 Pebble Hook-tip

Figure of 80 (the mark which gives the moth its name is upside down)

Silver Y

Vine's Rustic

White Point

Pale Prominent

Treble Lines

Lobster Moth

Pine Beauty

Marbled White-spot

I'm sure some of you guys are trapping (Billy, Angela, and Ken!), lets hear how you're doing!

Home grown Spinach

Dark Spinach is a species I've never caught before, but on the 6th August, 3 decided to make an appearance in the garden. Unfortunatly, it hasn't managed to change my views about the green stuff...

White-point is another species I've never seen before, so it was nice to get this one in the garden trap on the 10th August. Despite its official migratory status, the moth is believed to now be resident in the South.

A second Hoary Footman visited on the 7th August, and I couldn't resist getting another shot of this scarcity...

And the micros...

Phyllocnistis unipunctella...

Ectoedernia decentella- just about the only leaf-miner moth that can actually be easily identified as an adult...

Caryocolum fraternella...

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!