Beech-green Carpet

Trapped at Warburg on Friday evening and had a fantastic night. Still going through records (in one MV trap alone I had over 150 species) as the bulk of moths were micros and while there was not much interesting there were a few species I rarely see including a pristine Beech-green Carpet - I'm not even sure I've seen this in southern England, and usually the green has worn and they're much less distinguished. Being in an area with lots of Field Maple I had lots of Maple feeders including Maple Prominent and lots of Maple Pugs and Mochas. Other highlights included Eudonia truncicolella, Schreckensteinia festaliella (which I haven't personally seen before) and Euspilapterix aurogutella (which despite being listed as common I have rarely seen). Somewhere in the pots/photos I think I also recorded Acompsia schmidtiellus (reminded by a recent post on this blog) but need to double-check this evening. All in all a very welcome upturn in numbers and diversity.

Beech-green Carpet, Warburg 29/07/16

Schreckensteinia festaliella, Warburg 29/07/16

Saturday night I trapped at my regular site in Sutton Courtenay, at BBOWT's Environemntal Education Centre. Temperatures dropped significantly and moth numbers with it. I sat with a trap until 1am and barely managed 50 species before packing up, but the traps left out overnight were busier and included a nice Webb's Wainscot which as far as I am aware is new for the site, along with a couple more Euspilapterix in another micro dominated catch. Marc Botham, Didcot

Euspilapterix aurogutella, Sutton Courtenay, 30/07/16

Webb's Wainscot, Sutton Courtenay, 30/07/16