Westcott, Bucks

Following the monotony of the previous few weeks, the 24th onwards has been quite interesting in the garden.  The hot spell over the bank holiday weekend certainly increased the number of moths in the nightly catch with, for example, 616 individuals of 84 species appearing on Sunday 25th which is certainly a good result for this time of year.  That night produced large counts from Large Yellow Underwing (76), Common Wainscot (49), Setaceous Hebrew Character (47), Vine's Rustic (46) & Square-spot Rustic (32), but Agriphila tristella (92) was still out in the lead.  Two large moths that same night were singletons of Old Lady and Red Underwing, while last night I had another Old Lady and a late Pine Hawk-moth which was still in relatively good condition.  Yesterday morning I found a Red Underwing active in the daytime, feeding on our buddleia alongside all the Painted Ladies and Red Admirals, while yesterday afternoon two were seen chasing each other about under our massive willow.  This morning's buddleia inspection produced a Jersey Tiger, the first I've had here in the daytime.  Two further butterflies have also appeared in the trap, a Red Admiral on the 24th and a Painted Lady again on the 25th.

All this extra activity has also given a small boost to the garden year-list, and not just from the expected moths of autumn.  There was nothing last night apart from a small Tineid which will need dissection, but the previous two sessions brought in the following:

(24th)  Cypress Pug, Centre-barred Sallow
(25th)  Ectoedemia sp., Caloptilia semifascia, Anacampsis sp., Acleris sparsana, Cydia amplana, Oblique
            Carpet, Feathered Gothic, Orange Sallow

Ectoedemia sericopeza/louisella, Westcott 25th August

Cydia amplana, Westcott 25th August

With its yellow head the miniscule but well-marked Ectoedemia will be either sericopeza or louisella, both of which I've found as mines either in the garden or just outside it.  It will have to await dissection, as will the Anacampsis which is the first of either possible species which I've seen in the garden this year.  Cydia amplana is a completely new species for the garden and this specimen was in rather better condition than the one seen at Littleworth Common a few nights ago.

Oblique Carpet, Westcott 25th August

Feathered Gothic, Westcott 25th August

Oblique Carpet is also completely new to the garden.  Indeed, it is the first I've seen anywhere since 2010 when three came to light over the summer during night-time survey visits to BBOWT's River Ray Reserves a few miles to the west of here.  The garden Lepidoptera total has now reached 1017, comprising 986 moth species (441 macros) and 31 butterflies. 

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks