Sunday 1 July 2018

That's just plain greedy!

Pride of place in last night's rather nice collection of 122 moth species in the garden at Westcott goes to these two splendid beasts!

Lappets, Westcott 30th June

Lappet, Westcott 30th June

Only an occasional visitor here, Lappet was last seen in 2015 and I've never before had more than one in a night's catch.

Additions to this year's garden list on the 29th comprised Argyresthia goedartella, Epagoge grotiana (a second record here after one in 2017), Dichrorampha alpinana (awaiting dissection), Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Bordered Sallow (the first here for eleven years!), while others alongside the Lappets last night included Argyresthia albistria, Brachmia blandella, Epinotia signatana, Small Rivulet, Scarce Footman, Buff Footman and Brown-tail.

Epinotia signatana, Westcott 30th June

Brown-tail, Westcott 30th June

That takes me to a provisional 387 species in the garden by the year's half-way mark, fewer than the 410 achieved in 2017 but better than any other year here.

Every now and again you notice a moth that surprises you with the number of times it appears and Large Emerald is one such species here at the moment.  Always a pleasure to see, prior to 2012 it was an irregular visitor but since then I've had it annually although never more than two in a season.  Another one last night takes this year's count to eight already since the first on 19th June.  

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks

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