Tuesday 8 January 2019

Westcott, Bucks

Well, that's the first week of the year out of the way.  Despite not running the trap on two of the nights due to frost, the garden list has already crept up to five macro species with the addition last night of an unexpected Silver Y (my first January record).  The others seen so far are Pale Brindled Beauty, Spring Usher, Mottled Umber and Early Moth.  Two more Spring Ushers last night means that I've now had seven since 1st January.  This is very good going for a moth which usually just one or two of turn up here per year (there is only one fairly juvenile oak anywhere near the garden).  Maybe it is following in the steps of Mottled Umber in having an excellent season.

Silver Y, Westcott 7th January

Last night's actinic also brought in the first 2019 example of the wasp Ophion obscuratus, a parasitoid of noctuid moths which I often get substantial numbers of here, particularly in February and March.

Ophion obscuratus, Westcott 7th January

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks

1 comment:

  1. No trapping for me yet in 2019, but I have had a couple of micros in the house during the first week of the year: Agonopterix arenella and Alucita hexadactyla, the latter has been appearing on and off for several weeks now.

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