Still quiet

A Bucks Invertebrate Group field meeting at the Field Studies Council site at Mop End near Amersham, Bucks on 2nd May produced very few moths before the session was rained off but new species for the year did include Scalloped Hook-tip and Brown Silver-line.  Arguably the most interesting sighting of the evening wasn't even a moth!

Minotaur beetle Typhaeus typhoeus, Mop End 2nd May

I ran a couple of MV traps in Bernwood Forest, Bucks last night (3rd May) for the usual three hours and, despite the temperature remaining in double digits only 15 macro species were caught, none of them new for the year.  The only moth which appeared in any numbers was Great Prominent (42), the remainder being mostly singletons.  However, there were at least a few micros this time, with Eriocrania subpurpurella, Adela reaumurella, Incurvaria masculella, Elachista canapennella, Syndemis musculana & Epinotia immundana attending the traps.  A male and female of Elachista canapennella came to one light and for the first time ever the female looked something like the field guide illustration - I get loads of them at home and the females are usually much more weakly marked than the one shown below!

Elachista canapennella, Shabbington Wood 3rd May

The actinic trap at Westcott, Bucks has yet to show any real signs of improvement.  Last night's magnificent collection of 12 moths was well above the average for the previous week but Epinotia immundana and Flame Shoulder were the only new garden records for the year.  Today's sunshine prompted me to have a look around for day-flyers but the only things seen were my first Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana of the year and a newly-emerged Dagger sp. waiting to get drawn into tonight's trap!
Dave Wilton

Dagger species, Westcott 4th May