Unusual Second Broods

This isn't exactly the most exciting time of year at any of the "away" sites I'm visiting regularly in 2018 but I got sessions at three of them out of the way over the past three nights.  On Monday a couple of MV lights were run in Finemere Wood, Bucks for the usual three hours and just over 70 species appeared, which was actually rather more than I expected (and exactly half of them were micros which was nice), but the only moth of note was a fresh male Scorched Wing.  The species isn't known to have a second brood in the UK but it can do in continental Europe so this appearance is presumably a direct result of our long hot summer.

Scorched Wing, Finemere Wood 13th August

On Tuesday night I ran the two MV lights for the same amount of time in Hog & Hollowhill Woods at Medmenham, Bucks.  This time the combined catch was again about 70 species although it was quite a different cast of characters being on the chalk rather than the clay.  However, once again there was little that was unexpected.  Mocha is always good to see (seven of them shared between the two lights), Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis and a male Gypsy Moth both appeared, while Ostrinia nubilalis was a welcome visitor (a female - my previous sightings have been of males).  A couple of Maple Prominents also turned up and, like the Scorched Wing at Finemere, I assume these were second brood examples of a species which the books suggest is single-brooded.  However, in Bucks we have several records into September - almost all the other Prominents have two generations so why not this one? 


Maple Prominent, Hog & Hollowhill Woods 14th August

Ostrinia nubilalis, Hog & Hollowhill Woods 14th August

Finally, last night I ran a couple of MV lights in different areas of Bernwood Forest, Bucks.  Both of them brought in Hornets, an occupational hazard in woodland especially at this time of year, but they didn't cause any real problems.  The moth species total was yet again around 70 with the count this time slightly in favour of the micros and it was particularly good to see Epinotia trigonella at each of the traps.  This species is supposedly common but there are only 20 previous records for Bucks and I've only ever seen it at Bernwood and Finemere.  Amongst the macros a Red Underwing was a nice visitor, while I would have commented on a Gold Spot too but they're turning up everywhere this year!  The most interesting sighting was my first ever August record for Green Silver-lines, another species attempting a second brood which this one seems to do more and more regularly now.

Green Silver-lines, Shabbington Wood 15th August

Epinotia trigonella, Oakley Wood 15th August

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks