Overall I did not feel that 2018 was
significantly different from 2017 the only other year for which I have got
comparable results in terms of trapping effort.
In 2018 I
trapped on 135 nights, using a Robinson trap with a 125w MV bulb on 75 nights
and a 20w eco bulb on 60 nights.
Mine is a fairly small rural garden surrounded by other gardens and
lightly grazed pasture. There are mature oak, beech, ash, birch and Scots Pine
in the area as well as other hedgerow species. The garden is surrounded by a
leylandii hedge and old lichen covered stone walls. The latter probably
accounting for Muslin Footman and Marbled Green being caught here regularly in good
numbers. There are few, if any poplar,
sallow, willow or aspen in the area and wet areas with reeds are lacking.
A total of 12,103 moths were recorded of 402 species. (10,904 of 401
species in 2017)
The largest catch was on 26th July with 550 individuals of 102
species.
The top ten were Large Yellow Underwing (559), Common Footman (510),
Setaceous Hebrew Character (483), Heart & Dart (437), Flame Shoulder (411),
Agriphila straminella (397), Straw Dot (351), Lunar Underwing (317), Hebrew
Character (284) and Common Rustic agg. (269).
Large Yellow Underwing numbers were
only about half that recorded in 2017 and 2016.
I did add 18 macros and 34
micros to my garden list bringing the total to date to just over 500. The ones
I was most pleased to get were Barred Hook-tip, Dark Spectacle, Frosted Green,
Lobster, Mallow and September Thorn for the macros. Ypsolopha horridella was
probably the best of the micros although it is not going to win any beauty contest.
Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.
Barred Hook-tip hasn't found its way here yet. Beech doesn't thrive on heavy clay soils, apparently, and when I was looking to plant a hedge of it in our front garden I was advised to use hornbeam instead (which also retains its leaves in winter in much the same way as beech). However, I have trapped the moth at Waddesdon Manor which is sat on the hill just a mile or so to the east of us and there are one or two specimen beech trees there. One day, perhaps...!
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