Flaming June

Well, definitely not so flaming at the moment although there may perhaps be an improvement on the horizon in a few days.  Because of the weather, for the last three nights I've run only the actinic trap in the garden as a token effort but even so the results have been poor.  Wednesday night brought in 17 species:  Scoparia ambigualis (1), Myelois circumvoluta (1), Common Swift (2), Lackey (1), Swallow Prominent (1), Common Footman (1), White Ermine (1), Turnip Moth (1), Heart & Club (1), Heart & Dart (9), Setaceous Hebrew Character (1), Common Wainscot (2), Poplar Grey (1), Brown Rustic (1), Marbled Minor agg. (1), Treble Lines (2) & Vine's Rustic (2).  New for the year were Common Footman and Heart & Club.  The Common Footman was my earliest ever although only by four days.  Heart & Club can occasionally be difficult to separate from Turnip but reference to the hind-wings should sort any problems (pearly white for males and pearly light grey for females in Turnip, brownish in Heart & Club and this difference can usually be seen simply by putting them in a pot and looking at the underside).

Common Footman, Westcott 3rd June

Heart & Club, Westcott 3rd June

Thursday night produced eleven species (no micros), comprising Grey Pine Carpet (1), Common Wave (1), Poplar Hawk-moth (1), Buff-tip (1), White Ermine (1), Heart & Dart (5), Common Wainscot (1), Marbled Minor agg. (2), Large Nutmeg (2), Treble Lines (1) & Mottled Rustic (2), of which Grey Pine Carpet was new for the year-list.

Grey Pine Carpet, Westcott 4th June

Last night (Friday) the trap brought in even fewer moths, just eight species:  Cochylis atricapitana (1), Chrysoteuchia culmella (1), Least Carpet (1), Lesser Treble-bar (2), Light Emerald (1), White Ermine (1), Heart & Dart (4) & Brown Rustic (1), of which Least Carpet was the first of many I can expect this year.  It was an irregular visitor to the garden between 2005 and 2013 but from 2014 onwards its numbers have increased substantially with 77 recorded last year.

Least Carpet, Westcott 5th June

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks