Holtspur again

Like my local woodland, chalk downland is producing equally poor results if another survey visit to our Holtspur Bottom reserve near Beaconsfield, Bucks last night is anything to go by.  Even though the moon was hidden behind clouds for almost all of the three hours that I was there, the combined effort of two MV lights brought in only 36 macro species and 30 micro species.  A couple of Plutella xylostella in each trap was the only suggestion of migrant activity (it is the same in the garden here at Westcott although I'm getting Udea ferrugalis instead of xylostella each night at the moment).  The only other moths worthy of mention at Holtspur were washed-out examples of Mocha and Tree-lichen Beauty although both have already been recorded at the site this year.  Dave Wilton

Mocha, Holtspur Bottom 13th August

Tree-lichen Beauty, Holtspur Bottom 13th August