Westcott, Bucks

New arrivals for the year-list have continued to trickle in to the garden over the last few nights and last night it was the turn of Recurvaria leucatella, Enarmonia formosana, Epinotia nisella, Tree-lichen Beauty and Bulrush Wainscot.  It is always a pleasure to see the intricately-marked Cherry Bark Tortrix E.formosana.

Enarmonia formosana, Westcott 16th July

Epinotia nisella, Westcott 16th July

Tree-lichen Beauty, Westcott 16th July

Bulrush Wainscot, Westcott 16th July

The previous three nights each brought in a similar number of new species:

(13th)  Argyresthia bonnetella, Blastobasis adustella, Cydia splendana, Maple Pug, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Magpie Moth, Mere Wainscot.
(14th)  Gynnidomorpha alismana, Acleris holmiana, Apotomis turbidana, Black Arches, Four-spotted Footman.
(15th)  Acleris laterana, Acleris variegana, Clavigesta purdeyi, Least Yellow Underwing.

Last night produced yet another rather battered Elephant Hawk-moth which takes this year's count to 120, a site record (and I was away for a couple of weeks early in its flight period).  The previous highest total was 111 in 2017 which was itself almost twice the total of any previous year here. 

Amongst the macros it is the Footman species, Dark Arches, Smoky Wainscot and the "Rustics" (the Mesapamea and Hoplodrina pairs) which are providing the highest nightly counts at the moment, while for the micros it is Bird-cherry Ermine Ypsolopha evonymella and Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis.  The "Grass Moths" seem to be in a bit of a lull with Chrysoteuchia culmella fading away, Agriphila straminella just getting going and Agriphila tristella barely started yet with only a handful of examples seen here so far.

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks