Westcott, Bucks

The garden trap here is continuing to perform really well with around 120 species per night even though the night-time temperatures have cooled down a little.  The smart red micro Zelleria hepariella was added to the year list on 27th July followed by Ypsolopha horridella, Acleris emargana, Bordered Beauty & Small Rufous on 28th July and Eulamprotes atrella, Aproaerema anthyllidella, Cochylis dubitana, Agapeta zoegana, Udea lutealis, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla & Bordered Pug on 30th July.  The Bordered Pug is the first I've seen in the garden since 2006 (if only all worn pugs were as easy to identify!).

Zelleria hepariella, Westcott 27th July

Small Rufous, Westcott 28th July 

 

Bordered Pug, Westcott 30th July

In contrast to the garden, trapping sessions in local woodland over the past week or so have been very poor and the "late-Summer lull" is definitely under way there.  For example, a three-hour session with a single MV trap in Bernwood Forest last night (30th July) produced only 31 macro species.  There was far more micro activity, with Carcina quercana, Pandemis corylana, Agriphila straminella and Phycita roborella around in some numbers, but again little of any great interest amongst the 40 or more species recorded.  Just about the most exciting thing in the trap (apart from the 10 hornets...) was the aberrant example of Pandemis corylana illustrated below which had no markings at all!

Aberrant Pandemis corylana, Bernwood Forest 30th July

Dave Wilton