Westcott, Bucks

This was definitely a much better week, with two nights when the garden species count reached 100 or more and just the one night (Saturday 10th) when the catch was well below average.  Numbers of a few of the regulars are at respectable levels now too, with the Uncertain/Rustic combo and both Common and Scarce Footman achieving good counts (no sign of Dingy or Buff here yet though).

     (8th)  397 moths of 100 species; Ethmia dodecea, Limnaecia phragmitella, Endothenia marginana (awaiting dissection), Eucosma campoliliana, Pyralis farinalis, Eudonia mercurella, Yarrow Pug, Vapourer & Cabbage Moth all new for the garden year-list.

     (9th)  249 moths of 77 species;  Recurvaria nanella, Acleris forsskaleana, Rhopobota naevana, Elegia similella, Donacaula forficella (awaiting dissection) & Small Blood-vein all new for the year-list. 

     (10th)  109 moths of 42 species; Acleris holmiana, Aglossa pinguinalis, Anania coronata, Small Rivulet & Ruby Tiger all new for the year list.

     (11th)  262 moths of 77 species; Argyresthia bonnetella, Recurvaria leucatella, Patania ruralis, Lesser Cream Wave, V-Pug, Small Emerald, Brown-tail & Olive all new for the year-list.

     (12th)  360 moths of 86 species; Argyresthia pruniella, Argyresthia albistria, Crassa unitella, Helcystogramma rufescens, Zeiraphera isertana, Dark Umber, Sycamore, Small Wainscot & Minor Shoulder-knot all new for the year-list.

     (13th)  485 moths of 140 species; Ypsolopha sequella, Brachmia blandella, Phalonidia manniana (awaiting dissection), Aethes rubigana, Lobesia abscisana, Rhyacionia pinicolana, Slender Pug, Wormwood Pug, Dotted Fan-foot, Waved Black, Beautiful Golden Y, Cloaked Minor & Kent Black Arches all new for the year-list.

     (14th)  293 moths of 93 species; Batia lunaris, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Epinotia nanana, Acrobasis consociella, Catoptria falsella, Least Carpet & Muslin Footman all new for the year list.  Also Lunar Hornet Moth to the LUN lure during the daytime. 

Yarrow Pug, Westcott 8th July

Small Emerald, Westcott 11th July

Sycamore, Westcott 12th July

Olive, Westcott 11th July

Yarrow Pug (a Nationally Scarce species) has been an occasional garden visitor here since 2006.  One of the larger pugs, it is fairly nondescript in appearance but often has a thin whitish streak at the wing-tip, clearer on the right wing in the picture above because the left wing is slightly rubbed in that area.    

A very special welcome went out to two of this week's micro-moths, Phalonidia manniana (13th) and Elegia similella (9th), neither of which have been recorded in the garden before.

Phalonidia manniana, Westcott 13th July

Elegia similella, Westcott 9th July

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks