Westcott, Bucks

Following a few good nights I'm now well past 200 confirmed species in the garden this year and things are once again slightly ahead of where they were at this time in 2018.  The following have been added to the list over the past week:

19th May Aproaerema anthyllidella, Cochylis atricapitana, Figure of Eighty, Broken-barred Carpet, Mottled Pug, Cinnabar, Shoulder-striped Wainscot.
20th May Clouded Border, Iron Prominent, Marbled Minor sp.
21st May Blastobasis lacticolella, Hedya pruniana, Common Wave, Brown Rustic, Large Nutmeg, Vine's Rustic.
22nd May Aethes smeathmanniana, Garden Carpet, Lime-speck Pug, Scorched Wing, Light Emerald, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Wainscot, Poplar Grey, Clouded-bordered Brindle.
23rd May  Caloptilia stigmatella, Celypha lacunana, Notocelia cynosbatella, Rhyacionia pinivorana, Phycitodes sp (probably maritima), Udea olivalis, Small Dusty Wave, White-spotted Pug, Poplar Hawk-moth, Mullein, Pale Mottled Willow.
24th May  Cochylis molliculana, Notocelia trimaculana, Fox Moth, Oak Hook-tip, Pebble Hook-tip, Green Carpet, Purple Bar, Scalloped Hazel, Common White Wave, Lime Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Buff Ermine, Orange Footman, White-point, Dagger sp, Middle-barred Minor.
25th May  Argyresthia trifasciata, Tachystola acroxantha, Elachista argentella, Bryotropha affinis, Cochylimorpha straminea, Agapeta hamana, Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Isotrias rectifasciana, Syndemis musculana, Scoparia pyralella, Anania hortulata, Nephopterix angustella, Grey Pine Carpet, Dwarf Pug, Grass Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, Brown Silver-line, Peppered Moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Light Brocade, Knot Grass, Uncertain, Mottled Rustic.

There are also quite a few additions that will have to await dissection in the autumn, Coleophorids in particular having appeared in some numbers over the past week.  I was pleased to get Lime Hawk-moth (24th) which I didn't see here in 2018.  It isn't a regular despite the presence of our garden lime and all the other limes in our local area.  The White-point (also 24th) was a particularly reddish individual and will be locally-bred these days.

 

White-point, Westcott 24th May

Fox Moth appeared here for the third year running although this was the first female.  Unfortunately her urge to escape and get on with egg-laying meant that between the time the trap was secured (4am, when she was definitely in one piece) and when the contents were eventually inspected (12pm) she self-harmed almost terminally.  No longer able to fly but obviously having more eggs to lay than those she left on one of the egg trays, she was placed on a local bramble patch.

Fox Moth, Westcott 24th May

Fox Moth eggs, Westcott 24th May

Last night's garden collection amounted to 288 moths of 84 species.  Treble Lines is currently way out ahead in terms of abundance (59 last night, up from 55 on the 24th) although I know that's fewer than some people have been getting! 

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks