Westcott, Bucks

Further additions to the garden year-list since the Brown-spot Pinion on the 15th have included Dusky-lemon Sallow (16th), Brindled Green (17th) and Beaded Chestnut & Barred Sallow (both 18th), so I'm now just about up-to-date with the regulars.

Dusky-lemon Sallow, Westcott 16th September

Brindled Green, Westcott 17th September



Barred Sallow, Westcott 18th September

 

Last night was surprisingly good thanks to cloud cover until about 11pm, the single actinic trap bringing in 196 moths of 32 species.  They included a Heart and Dart (the third example this month after singletons on the 2nd & 3rd) and a bit of an Agonopterix-fest with six arenella and one alstromeriana.  Another Cypress Pug which turned up on the 17th was the fifth this season so the moth must now be well established in the local area.  Until last year I'd had only sporadic singletons since the first in 2009 but half a dozen appeared during 2018.

Cypress Pug, Westcott 17th September

Our single alder bush has come up trumps at last.  Since it was planted about ten years ago it has been home annually to mines of the sawfly Fenusa dohrnii.  Eventually, in 2017, I found a couple of Lepidoptera mines which proved to be Phyllonorycter rajella, a sighting which has yet to be repeated although I did have an adult to light back in 2013.  However, a check of the leaves on Tuesday produced an active mine of Phyllonorycter klemannella and a vacated Stigmella mine which will be either alnetella or glutinosae.  Unfortunately these two nepticulid species can't be separated without the presence of a larva (which ideally should be reared through to the adult), but either would be new to the garden list so I'll have to pay more attention next year!


Vacated Stigmella sp. mine on alder, Westcott 16th September

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks