Westcott, Bucks

The "August lull" has arrived at Westcott.  While there have still been a few new species appearing, they are becoming fewer and further between now and overall counts have dropped off considerably.  

     (1st)  196 moths of 61 species; Pine Carpet the only moth new for the garden year-list.

     (2nd)  247 moths of 72 species; Gypsy Moth & Jersey Tiger new for the year along with Red Underwing & Old Lady (the latter pair both to a wine rope). 

     (3rd)  252 moths of 79 species; Bactra furfurana & Hummingbird Hawk-moth new for the year.

     (4th)  224 moths of 65 species; Pandemis corylana, Four-spotted Footman & Svensson's Copper Underwing all new for the year.

     (5th)  154 moths of 66 species; nothing new for the year.

     (6th)  104 moths of 50 species; Aproaerema anthyllidella the only moth new for the year.

     (7th)  103 moths of 47 species; nothing new for the year.

Pandemis corylana, Westcott 4th August

Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Westcott 3rd August

Jersey Tiger f. lutescens, Westcott 2nd August

Four-spotted Footman, Westcott 4th August

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth (3rd, shown micro-seconds before it flew off) is only the third example I've ever had in a light-trap out of 400 or more records, the remainder being daytime sightings.  Although hardly a representative sample yet, the Jersey Tiger (2nd) was the eleventh individual for the garden of which more than half have been form lutescens with yellow rather than red hind-wings.  The male Four-spotted Footman (4th) will have been a migrant but this is another species which is very slowly spreading northwards from its footholds in the south-west of the UK.  I'm sure we can expect to see it more regularly in years to come.

Other moths worthy of mention during the week were Privet Hawk-moth (1st August, quite a late individual and the twentieth garden example this year, a site record), Dewick's Plusia (4th, the second here this year after one on 26th June), Miller (6th, again this seemed to be rather late but I see I had one on 10th August last year), Bulrush Wainscot (7th, the season's third for the garden already) and Dark Sword-grass (7th, the second of this migrant species to appear after one at the end of July).  No sign yet of Oak Processionary, which I thought might have appeared by now as it has for the last three years, nor of Toadflax Brocade although on the 5th I saw a fully-grown caterpillar on Purple Toadflax growing out of the pavement further down our road.  The Footman moths are at last winding down and Square-spot Rustic should soon be putting in an appearance, while in a week or two there could potentially be an explosion of Large Yellow Underwings to look forward to as well (deep joy!).  Then it'll be the various Sallows... 

Even though autumn is the traditional time to look for them, leaf mines aren't being forgotten here in my attempts to keep this year's garden species list ticking over.  A quick check of our hazel on 5th August produced active mines of Stigmella microtheriella, Phyllonorycter nicellii and Parornix devoniella.

Mine of Stigmella microtheriella on hazel, Westcott 5th August

Back on 26th July a Peacock came to the garden MV trap, the first butterfly I've had to light anywhere this year.  On 5th August I had a male Holly Blue to the MV and a female Meadow Brown to the actinic, the Holly Blue becoming my 21st butterfly species attracted to light traps at night.  I tried to get a posed shot of them side-by-side but the Meadow Brown refused to co-operate so the image below was the best I could manage.

Holly Blue & Meadow Brown, Westcott 5th August

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks