Late, wet and migrant moths

I kept a close eye on last night's weather forecast. Early versions had a risk of showers in the late afternoon or early evening, but this had gone in later versions, so I put the traps out at dusk. The first time I went out to check them - at 7pm - it was raining moderately, and it continued to rain non-stop until nearly 1am. When I closed the traps shortly before sunrise, it was either raining again, or enough of the thick fog was condensing on the trees around and above the traps as to be equivalent to rain. I had left out a tray of glass tubes in which to pot any moths, and there was nearly 1cm of water in it. Consequently, I had very soggy egg-trays and soaked sheets and equipment to contend with this morning.

Rather to my surprise, the catch was very good for the season: 29 moths of 18 species. Moreover, the warm winds from the south seem to have brought many migrants. Amongst these were three Silver Y and a plutella xylostella. There was also a Nomophila noctuella - a common moth, but new for my garden list - and what I think is a White-point, which could be a resident as I occasionally get them in the summer.

Nomophila noctuella
Newton Longville 8th November

White-point
Newton Longville 8th November

If I'm right about the White-point, then it's a little after the end of its normal season. There were several other species that were near the end of their flight periods, including a Shuttle-shaped Dart and three Beaded Chestnuts. A Setaceous Hebrew Character was lucky to be alive: I found it "glued" upside-down by rainwater to the table on which I had placed the trap. Consequently, it was not in the finest of conditions and was barely identifiable.

Shuttle-shaped Dart
Newton Longville 8 November

Setaceous Hebrew Character
Newton Longville 8 November

Tim Arnold

Newton Longville, Bucks