Westcott, Bucks

I think you'll all agree that the third week of July was pretty good for moths, whatever your particular garden situation or trapping regime.  Six nightly counts in a row of 100+ species here was very pleasing. The number of new species was certainly greater than anticipated and the garden total for the year is now less than a week behind 2020.  The list currently stands at 496 species so will comfortably pass 500 well before the end of this month, meaning that the usual 600 or more by the year's end should now be achievable very easily.  However, we must not forget how dire the weather was earlier in the season and that is certainly still having an effect on overall numbers.  The Footman moths seem to have been unaffected (Common Footman and Scarce Footman are currently the most abundant species here with the former producing getting on for 100 per night and the latter not far behind), but next in line are the Uncertain/Rustic pair and Chrysoteuchia culmella (both 20-30 night) with very few others regularly achieving double digit counts.  It will be interesting to see what happens with Heart & Dart and Large Yellow Underwing next month.     

To recap, I run two traps nightly in the back garden, one 125wt MV and one twin-30wt actinic.  The MV is run underneath a gazebo because the base (a "Really Useful Box") isn't waterproof, while the actinic Robinson is run on top of a patio table.  Each night the traps are closed up just before dawn.  That task currently starts at 4am and usually takes less than half an hour, but during the last few really busy nights it has taken more than an hour to check for and make a note of moths outside each trap and pot up any that need to be looked at more closely.  The actinic in particular needs careful attention because there could easily be as many micro-moths sitting on the vanes as there will be actually inside the trap.

While the overall numbers of moths in the counts below will be accurate, the species totals are on the conservative side.  On the 18th, for example, I retained seven Coleophorids and four Phyllonorycters for later determination, probably all different, but each batch was counted as just one species.

     (15th)  262 moths of 73 species; Lozotaeniodes formosana & Agriphila tristella both new for the garden year-list.

     (16th)  480 moths of 111 species; Argyresthia goedartella, Pammene aurita, Acrobasis advenella, Acrobasis suavella, Agriphila straminella, Small Scallop, Maple Pug, Buff Footman & Least Yellow Underwing all new for the year. 

     (17th)  556 moths of 102 species; Oegoconia sp (retained), Gelechia senticetella, Carpatolechia fugitivella, Grapholita janthinana, Black Arches, Marbled Beauty & Broad-barred White all new for the year.

     (18th)  866 moths of 157 species; Parectopa ononidis, Ypsolopha dentella, Athrips mouffetella, Epinotia tedella, Pyrausta purpuralis, Nomophila noctuella, Agriphila selasella, Dingy Footman, Blackneck & Small Rufous all new for the year.

     (19th)  689 moths of 142 species; Acleris variegana, Eudemis profundana, Epiblema costipunctana, Galleria mellonella, Sitochroa palealis, Scoparia basistrigalis, Crambus pascuella, Dusky Sallow & Suspected all new for the year.

     (20th)  584 moths of 136 species; Cameraria ohridella, Ypsolopha scabrella, Anacampsis populella (retained), Gillmeria pallidactyla, Endothenia ustulana, Epiblema foenella, Catoptria pinella, Maiden's Blush & Plain Pug all new for the year.

     (21st)  632 moths of 138 species; Borkhausenia fuscescens, Epermenia chaerophyllella, Clavigesta purdeyi, Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Bordered Beauty, Purple Thorn, Magpie Moth, Tree-lichen Beauty & Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing all new for the year (actually the Magpie wasn't counted because I saw a larva of that species in the garden back in May). 

Epiblema foenella, Westcott 20th July

Magpie Moth, Westcott 21st July

Black Arches, Westcott 17th July

I always find that photos of Epiblema foenella never do justice to this really smart moth.  This particular example was an enormous female with a wing-length of 14mm, quite a bit larger than the size range given in the field guide.

Attempts to identify other orders caught in the traps have rather fallen by the wayside this week as it has taken me long enough just to get the moths sorted.  However, the star attraction last night has to be this rare crane-fly to which I'll now give honorary moth status!

Ctenophora ornata, Westcott 21st July

I've seen it three or four times in the Chilterns but this is the first definite record for the garden.  Back in 2018 I did have one in the trap the night after one of those other sightings but decided not to count it because it might have been the same individual I'd brought home to photograph (it had managed to escape).  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks