Finemere surprises

Another three-hour session at the turning circle in Finemere Wood, Bucks last night produced 120 species, divided equally between macros and micros, which I thought was quite a reasonable result for a single light.  The biggest surprise was finding a female Chalk Carpet, the second time I've had this UK BAP species to light in the centre of the wood (the last occasion was in 2012).  I'm convinced that the nearby landfill site at Calvert harbours a colony because in the past I've also had singletons at Greatmoor (where an incinerator plant is currently being built) and at the Calvert Jubilee nature reserve which are respectively immediately south and north of the landfill. 

Chalk Carpet, Finemere Wood 14th July

The other surprises were two species new for the wood's already extensive list, Batrachedra pinicolella and Muslin Footman, which take the number known from the site to 706 (or 707 if Dave Maunder's Chamomile Shark larva, found along the track leading to the wood, is included).  The Muslin Footman below (right) is shown alongside a Round-winged Muslin (left) which came to my garden trap at Westcott last night.  The Muslin Footman's see-through wings are fairly obvious in this shot.   

Round-winged Muslin & Muslin Footman, 14th July

Dave Wilton