Westcott, Bucks

Nightly catches in the garden here have continued to be unimpressive although a small number of moths amongst those new to the year-list have managed to lift the mood of doom and gloom - the Silver-striped Hawk-moth in particular!  This year's species total has now clawed its way up to exactly 500 which is just over 100 behind the number achieved by 4th August 2019.  The week's newcomers are listed below:

(29th)  Phyllocnistis saligna, Acleris kochiella
(30th)  Phyllonorycter schreberella, Agriphila selasella, Dioryctria abietella, Silver-striped Hawk-moth,
            Ear Moth (awaiting dissection)
(31st)  Yponomeuta plumbella, Epiblema costipunctana, Oak Processionary, Flounced Rustic
(1st)     Small Ranunculus
(2nd)   Agonopterix subpropinquella, Pandemis corylana, Jersey Tiger, Cabbage Moth, Six-striped Rustic
(3rd)    Orange Swift, Gypsy Moth
(4th)    Cydia splendana

Gypsy Moth, Westcott 3rd August

Jersey Tiger, Westcott 2nd August

Small Ranunculus, Westcott 1st August

The Small Ranunculus was one of the best of this week's bunch, its only previous visit here being nine years ago.  More of an urban dweller, its appearance gives me hope that I might one day get Toadflax Brocade which also seems to prefer that kind of habitat.  It was the third year in a row here for Oak Processionary and Jersey Tiger, both of which must be fairly well established locally now.  Gypsy Moth first appeared here in 2005 and the reaction to its appearance at that time was rather different to what we've grown used to now.  Then it had to be reported as an invasive species and "The Man from D.E.F.R.A." (looking nothing like David McCallum or Robert Vaughn) duly came round to our house to collect it.  It was dissected in a Government laboratory somewhere and they confirmed ... that it was a male Gypsy Moth (could have told them that!).  Nowadays they've given up worrying about it, having diverted their attention to Oak Processionary with which they seem to be having the same amount of bad luck in controlling.  

Unusual amongst last night's catch was a Small Elephant Hawk-moth in good condition, my last sighting anywhere this year having been on 4th July.  This is the fourth occasion that I've had an August record for the species (the others were 21st & 24th August 2010 and 21st August in 2017, each after a similar gap of several weeks), suggesting the possibility of a second brood.  It is bivoltine in mainland Europe.

Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Westcott 4th August

Flounced Rustic is the new "confusion species" on the block for August.  It is very variable in ground colour and some forms can look superficially similar to Common Rustic.  However, Flounced Rustic has a straighter leading edge to the forewing and lacks any white scales around the kidney mark.  The main clue is usually the obvious black dumb-bell shaped bar in the centre of the wing, connecting the inner and outer cross-lines.  It varies in intensity and is quite weak in the one shown below (...and just to be awkward can sometimes be absent altogether!).

Flounced Rustic, Westcott 31st July

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks