Even though the Met Office was rather optimistic with its forecast overnight minimum temperatures, especially on the 4th and 5th, the garden year-list here at Westcott has continued to grow with the following additions over the past few days/nights: Seraphim, White-spotted Pug, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent (all 4th),
Adela reaumurella, Garden Carpet, Small Phoenix, Currant Pug, Muslin Moth, Flame Shoulder (all 5th) and
Monopis weaverella,
Depressaria radiella,
Epinotia immundana,
Pyrausta aurata, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Yellow-barred Brindle, Spectacle (all 6th). It is always nice to see
Adela reaumurella dancing around in the garden during the daytime although I'm surprised not to have recorded
Incurvaria masculella yet which is usually a regular around our hawthorn.
Pyrausta aurata has started to emerge from our small patch of cat-mint. Last night's catch (7th) added Common Pug, Scorched Carpet, Poplar Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Dotted Chestnut and, saving the best until the end, a fantastic Pinion-spotted Pug. In Bucks there seem to be only six post-millennium records of this Nationally Scarce species and none that I'm aware of since 2010. Needless to say it was new to me and a new addition to the all-time garden list (the 34th pug species to have been recorded here).
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| Epinotia immundana, Westcott 6th May |
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| Pyrausta aurata and friend, Westcott 6th May |
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| Garden Carpet, Westcott 5th May |
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| Currant Pug, Westcott 5th May |
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| Pinion-spotted Pug, Westcott 7th May |
Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks
Hi Dave, well done on the Pinion-spotted Pug. What a fabulous moth.
ReplyDeleteNigel
Thanks, Nigel - pity it was a bit damaged but a smart moth, isn't it?! Of the "blindingly obvious to identify" pugs I'm now waiting for garden records of Marbled Pug (last VC24 record in 1988 but that was from only just up the road here in Finemere Wood) and Netted Pug (widespread in the Chilterns). You seem to get a surfeit of Netted Pugs each year - send one my way, please!
ReplyDeleteHi Dave, I've got a very small patch of Bladder Campion along one of our hedges, started off with one plant and now up to the dizzy heights of six. Most of the Netted I see are on this (obviously) and settle so need to catch, just count, but some also come to the trusty outside light.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started mothing the adjacent field had large areas of the plant but the new owners have destroyed the habitat. Also gone is the scrub and nesting warblers. Marbled Whites, Large and Small Skippers are now also scarce.
Best,
Nigel