Merveille du Jour

A common moth but for many of us probably the most anticipated species of autumn thanks to its striking colours, I got into double figures last night with one for the garden at Westcott (below) and nine more in Finemere Wood.

Merveille du Jour, Westcott 8th October

I wasn't expecting all that much in the garden actinic trap because at this time of year I find that half the catch is spread across the lawn - when closing it up at 6.30am this morning I found fewer than a dozen moths on the grass.  However, when completed just now the final count proved to be 74 moths of 26 species:  Acleris rhombana (1), Epiphyas postvittana (1), Emmelina monodactyla (1), Red-green Carpet (3), November Moth sp (8), Lesser Treble-bar (1), Willow Beauty (1), Light Emerald (1), Large Yellow Underwing (1), Setaceous Hebrew Character (3), Square-spot Rustic (3), Common Wainscot (2), Merveille du Jour (1), Green-brindled Crescent (7), Blair's Shoulder-knot (2), Deep-brown Dart (1), Black Rustic (5), Chestnut (1), Dark Chestnut (1), Brick (2), Beaded Chestnut (12), Lunar Underwing (17), Barred Sallow (1), Pink-barred Sallow (1), Pale Mottled Willow (1) & Straw Dot (1).  The Square-spot Rustics were all very worn but one of them was trying its best to look like some kind of Dart so I'll get that one checked.

Probable Square-spot Rustic, Westcott 8th October

Different species the previous night had been Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Marbled Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Feathered Thorn, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Tawny Pinion (a particularly dark but perfectly formed individual this time!), Brindled Green, Red-line Quaker, Dusky-lemon Sallow, Angle Shades & Snout so there's still quite a variety of moths out there.

Tawny Pinion, Westcott 7th October

This isn't really a very productive time of year to be trapping in woodland unless you like Hornets and last night's three-hour session in Finemere Wood was much as expected with 25 species from the  two MV lights.  Most numerous was Figure of Eight (28 seen) but apart from Acleris rhombana, Merveille du Jour and Green-brindled Crescent all others appeared in just ones and twos and there was nothing unexpected.  Amongst the micros it was nice to see Epinotia maculana as well as rather late examples of Rhopobota naevana and Scoparia ambigualis.  

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks