Westcott, by Royal Appointment

A very pleasant surprise on returning home in the early hours of this morning was to find the moth below resting on the cone of the Robinson trap here at Westcott, Bucks.  Martin Albertini, Peter Hall and I had trapped at Grangelands on Sunday night in prime Royal Mantle territory yet got none at all, then two nights later this female turns up in my garden which is a good 15 kilometres from the nearest chalk down-land.  I'm not complaining, though!  Last night's garden catch comprised more than 300 moths in a fairly reasonable spread of 45 species, although needless to say more than half the number of individuals (168) were Square-spot Rustic. 

Royal Mantle, Westcott 2nd September

 

The catch at Grangelands near Cadsden, Bucks on Sunday night was rather mediocre with about 60 species between six MV lights, the only noteworthy ones being Argyresthia semitestacella and Hedge Rustic.  Last night I ran two MV lights and a 15w actinic for three hours in the VC24 portion of Salcey Forest, on the border between Bucks and Northants, and got a pitiful collection of just over 100 moths of 35 species, the most numerous being Apotomis betuletana (28 caught).  Apart from the fact that there were no hornets (an unexpected pleasure in woodland at this time of year!), the saving grace there was the appearance of Oak Lutestring.  Six came to the MV lights, this being a species which is not at all easy to find in the northern half of Bucks these days.  The only other noteworthy item was a rather late example of Olive which came to the actinic.  Dave Wilton

 

Oak Lutestring, Salcey Forest 2nd September

Olive, Salcey Forest 2nd September