Westcott, Bucks

The garden list for 2019 keeps going from strength to strength.  On the 19th I added Currant Pug, on the 20th Frosted Green, Brimstone Moth, Waved Umber & Least Black Arches, while on the 21st Pseudoswammerdamia combinella, Mompha subbistrigella, Purple Thorn & Chocolate-tip.  Last night was the best of the year to date with 9 micro and 29 macro species altogether, of which 14 were new for the year:  Elachista apicipunctella, Phtheochroa rugosana, Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Epinotia immundana, Cnephasia sp, Pyrausta aurata, Alucita hexadactyla, Spruce Carpet, Brindled Pug (at last!), Seraphim, Sallow Kitten, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pebble Prominent & Pale Prominent.

Phtheochroa rugosana, Westcott 22nd April

Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Westcott 22nd April

Seraphim, Westcott 22nd April

Sallow Kitten, Westcott 22nd April

The Cnephasia will almost certainly be communana which is usually the first to appear here but, continuing the trend of ever earlier emergences, I've not previously had an April record for any Cnephasia.  The garden list is currently 33 species ahead of what I'd seen by 22nd April 2018.  It is now only a handful short of 100 for the year, which wasn't achieved until 7th May last year, so most things seem to be a good two weeks earlier than usual at the moment.

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks