On Thursday night I trapped at our Holtspur Bottom reserve near
Beaconsfield, Bucks. As at Salcey the previous evening, there were plenty of moths flying and I found it difficult to extract myself from the place after the usual three-hour session because more and more species kept arriving while I was trying to pack up. One of the two traps managed 140 species and there was a good selection of different ones in the second trap. Although the majority of the moths were 'common or garden' varieties, there were a few highlights which included
Thiotricha subocellea,
Myelois circumvoluta,
Pempeliella dilutella, Dark Umber, Kent Black Arches (probably the nicest looking specimen I've seen), Obscure Wainscot, Waved Black and Dotted Fan-foot (a female, in rather better condition than the male I got in the garden a few days previously). A pair of Essex Skippers had a very disturbed night's sleep. Not only had they and a Marbled White chosen to roost right next to my Robinson, but they had to endure some in-your-face flash photography too!
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| Essex Skipper, Holtspur Bottom 3rd July |
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| Pempeliella dilutella, Holtspur Bottom 3rd July |
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| Kent Black Arches, Holtspur Bottom 3rd July |
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| Dotted Fan-foot, Holtspur Bottom 3rd July |
Dave Wilton
Is Essex Skipper classified as a moth now?
ReplyDeleteAs you well know, butterflies are only aberrant day-flying moths. However, I seem to remember reading somewhere that some taxonomists reckon the Skippers are so different from other butterflies that they could be classed as honorary moths anyway!
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