There was quite a mediocre selection of moths to the garden trap here at
Westcott, Bucks last night despite reasonable temperatures and decent cloud cover to obscure that bright moon. 56 macro and 34 micro species turned up, quite a decent total in itself but they came mostly in ones and twos and there were only two moths new for the year, one of which was
Acleris holmiana. However, the other was a Tissue which is only the second I've ever seen and is a splendid newcomer to the all-time garden list (planting some alder buckthorn for Brimstone butterflies several years ago may have had an unexpected side effect!). The image in the field guide certainly doesn't do justice to newly-emerged examples of this species with their stunning pink flush:
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| Tissue, Westcott 4th August |
Other newcomers for the year here over the past week have included
Udea lutealis (29th),
Coleophora hemerobiella (31st),
Opostega salaciella (1st),
Ypsolopha horridella,
Acleris laterana,
Epinotia nisella,
Cydia fagiglandana,
Catoptria pinella, Latticed Heath & Magpie Moth (all 2nd) and
Limnaecia phragmitella,
Cochylis roseana,
Cataclysta lemnata & Copper Underwing (all 3rd).
Coleophora hemerobiella with its spotted grey appearance and a darkish patch at three-quarters is one of the few from that family which can be ID'd easily on sight. The Latticed Heath was another very welcome first-timer in the garden trap.
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| Coleophora hemerobiella, Westcott 31st July |
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| Ypsolopha horridella, Westcott 2nd August |
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| Latticed Heath, Westcott 2nd August |
Migrant activity has been restricted to a single Diamondback
Plutella xylostella on the 2nd and Rush Veneer
Nomophila noctuella over each of the last three nights. No exotic species here, I'm afraid!
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| Nomophila noctuella, Westcott 4th August |
Dave Wilton
You don't need exotics with moths like Tissue and Latticed Heath, Dave! The Tissue is certainly a beauty, and I'm a little pink with jealousy!
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