Tyger, tyger, burning bright...

Garden Tiger is supposed to be rare in Bucks these days and until this year I hadn't had one in the garden trap since 2009.  As already reported, I was very pleasantly surprised when one turned up on 12th July and I haven't yet mentioned that a second followed on the 21st.  Then on the 26th I had two more, the less flighty one of them being illustrated in the quick happy-snap below.  Last night (27th) I had a fifth!  Very nice to see, but what's going on with this species?!

Garden Tiger and friends, Westcott 26th July

Moths new for the year over the past few nights have included the following:

(23rd) Metzneria metzneriella, Black Arches.
(24th) Dusky Brocade.
(25th) Marbled Beauty.
(26th) Ypsolopha dentella, August Thorn, Sycamore.
(27th) Prochoreutis myllerana, Eana osseana, Ancylis badiana, Catoptria pinella, Pyralis farinalis,
          Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Pebble Hook-tip, Phoenix, Wormwood Pug, September Thorn, Mouse Moth,
          Copper Underwing.

Last night's garden catch was the best of the week so far, with 148 species appearing.  If confirmed (and they'll get critical examination to be sure), then Prochoreutis myllerana and Eana osseana will each be only the second records for Bucks as well as being new additions to the site list (I'm now only about a dozen short of reaching 900 species at Westcott).  I might have had another if I hadn't messed up trying to pot a Bactra species which looked good for furfurana and it flew off!


Probable Prochoreutis myllerana, Westcott 27th July

Probable Eana osseana, Westcott 27th July

On the migrant front I've not had anything as exciting as Martin Wainwright's Four-spotted Footman but Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella), Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) and Silver Y have put in appearances over the past few nights along with, of course, the inevitable Diamond-back Moths (Plutella xylostella).

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks