Westcott, Bucks

The second full week of June has seen reasonably good catches each night and a further 50 species added to the garden year-list.  As is usual at this time of year, two lights (one MV, one actinic) were deployed each night, although I was away overnight on the 13th so the MV was run on its own on that occasion.  It is always placed under a gazebo which meant that the catch would remain well shaded until I could process it at lunchtime on the 14th.  The actinic is normally run in a much more exposed position and any moths inside that trap would have cooked in the sunshine by then.

     (8th)  75 moths of 36 species; Bryotropha terrella the only one new for the garden year-list.  Red-tipped Clearwing added during the daytime.

     (9th)  112 moths of 52 species; Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Bactra lancealana, Epinotia bilunana, Notocelia trimaculana, Scoparia pyralella, Acentria ephemerella, Parapoynx stratiotata, Burnished Brass, Dark Spectacle & Ingrailed Clay new for the year.

     (10th)  96 moths of 46 species; Argyresthia spinosella, Prays fraxinella, Hedya nubiferana, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Udea olivalis, Green Pug, Straw Dot, Pale Mottled Willow & Clouded-bordered Brindle new for the year.

     (11th)  95 moths of 50 species; Nemophora degeerella, Nematopogon metaxella, Lyonetia clerkella, Elachista argentella, May Highflyer, Brown Silver-line, Snout & Common Wainscot new for the year.

     (12th)  125 moths of 49 species; Anania perlucidalis, Cataclysta lemnata, Marbled White Spot & Shoulder-striped Wainscot new for the year.

     (13th)  146 moths of 65 species; Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Cochylis nana, Isotrias rectifasciana, Celypha striana, Homoeosoma sinuella, Eudonia pallida, Grey Pug & Four-dotted Footman new for the year.

     (14th)  232 moths of 76 species; Cochylimorpha straminea, Lappet, Treble Brown Spot, Barred Straw, Yellow-barred Brindle, Mottled Beauty, Miller, Mottled Rustic & Uncertain new for the year.

The species total for the year now stands at 251 which is still about 90 behind the same date in 2020 so things are just about holding their own but there seems little sign of any catching-up happening.  Of interest amongst the new species mentioned above were Dark Spectacle (9th) which seems to be appearing more and more regularly now so could well be established locally, May Highflyer (11th) which is an uncommon garden visitor here and Lappet (14th) which it is always great to see snuggled up inside an egg-box!      

Dark Spectacle, Westcott 9th June

May Highflyer, Westcott 11th June

Lappet, Westcott 14th June

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks