New Year's Eve trio

My long torpor in posting has been ended by my irrepressibly entomological granddaughter who demanded that I light the lamp last night. She was rewarded with these three moths, three more than her aged grandpa was expecting.

They conformed nicely to the three types of Mottled Umber shown in the Moth Bible, although she was outraged by the flightless, unimpressive role allocated to the female. I tried to console her with suggestions that the latter led a safer and more comfortable life than her menfolk but in vain. At nine, you want to fly.

Happy New Year all!  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Stowe moths 2022

At the end of 2022, my third year of moth recording, the garden total now stands at 517. The total for the year was 436, of which 102 were new, (38 macro, 64 micro). Light trapping was done on 174 nights with a 20W actinic and a 120W MV—some nights with both, but on a number of nights just the MV, whilst the actinic was deployed off-site in local woodland. Best night was 17 July with 350 moths of 100 species across the two traps.
Lunar Underwing returned to being the most numerous species, having dropped to #6 in the ranking last year. Square-spot Rustic has rapidly climbed the ranks from 12^th place in 2020, to 7^th last year, to second most numerous in 2022. Most numerous micro was Chrysoteuchia culmella as it has been every year.
Highlights included: Evergestis limbata, a first for Bucks, and based on iRecord data this seems to be the furthest NW UK sighting, apart from a couple of sites in Leicestershire, one of which seems to have recorded the species almost annually for the past five years. 

Clifden Nonpareil, (finally!); Dusky-lemon Sallow, with only one prior (1963) record in the whole of northwest Bucks up to the end of 2020; and three new clearwing species—Sallow Clearwing, Currant Clearwing and Hornet Moth, (with exit holes of the latter found in the base of a mature poplar), bringing the garden clearwing total to eight species.

As to migrants, several Rusty-dot Pearls and Vestals put in an appearance, both new to the garden, with the latter apparently being the first records for the hectad according to the Atlas. It was also good to add some more identified cnephasia and coleophora species to the list, thanks to Peter, as well as a few expected species that had not so far put in an appearance, such as Twenty-plume Moth, Blossom Underwing, Peach Blossom, Bright-line Brown-eye, and Ear Moth. Still plenty to go at though!

A moth!

Even though it became very windy, the significant increase in temperature last night meant that it was worth trying the actinic light again for the first time in nearly a fortnight and, as luck would have it, a single moth appeared:

Acleris ferrugana/notana, Westcott 18th December

This will undoubtedly be ferrugana which is a regular at Westcott and is far more widespread than notana (I've never had the latter in the garden and in Bucks at least it is restricted to sites with a lot of birch, so Bernwood is probably my closest known colony).  However, rather than recording it as the aggregate this one will be checked because I've not seen it here this year.  When its identity is known for sure it will become species number 743 for the 2022 garden list.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

E-moth Newsletter

The latest issue of Butterfly Conservation's E-moth newsletter can be read here.  Amongst other things, it contains information about the annual Moth Recorders' Meeting which will be held at the end of January (via Zoom).

2022 in numbers: Worminghall, Bucks

The garden year list stands at 491 at the moment (partly verified on Irecord) but I'm still hoping for Winter Moth by the end of the year. That was over approx 121 nights mainly with one MV Robinson's trap but also running an extra twin-actinic during favourable conditions. The all time garden list is now 594 (since 2016 occasionally and more regularly since 2021). 

Highlight was a Vagrant China-mark, Diasemiopsis ramburialis on 11th November, a first for Bucks, which I was delighted about. Supporting cast included Diamond-spot Pearl, Loxostege sticticalis on 3rd September,  Bordered Straw, Convolvulus Hawkmoth, L-album Wainscot, Raspberry Clearwing, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Small Black Arches.

Vagrant China-mark

Diamond-spot Pearl

Bordered Straw

Raspberry Clearwing

Westcott, Bucks

There has been very little activity out in the garden over the past ten or so nights but, until last night, I have members of the trio below to thank for the continued absence of any blanks:    

Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber & Winter Moth
Westcott 3rd December

Scarce Umber must be all but over by now and I've not had a December Moth yet this month so, as Tim Arnold commented to an early post, that species may also be well past its peak this year.

With forecast temperatures barely above freezing during the daytime for the next week or so and frosts each night, the first hour or two after dark might perhaps bring in the odd Winter Moth (just as likely to a lit window as to the moth light) but I'm not really expecting anything else.  Roll on 2023 when it starts all over again!  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Winter or Northern Winter?

 These specimens (amongst others) turned up on Monday night. Does No 4 have pale enough hind wings to make in Northern? I imagine the others are Winter moth. Thanks, David

Acleris sparsana

Back on 29th October, I posted this picture of what I thought was Acleris schalleriana.

It has now been checked by Peter, and it is infact Acleris sparsana. They are definitely tricky to tell apart sometimes. Steve Trigg, Cookham

Moth Dissection website

This is a request for those that use the Moth Dissection website either directly or indirectly, to consider sponsoring the site . I make this plea every year so that we can cover the running costs and keep it going. There's been an astonishing number of new dissection images as well as adult, larval and other stages posted. Every day new images appear. So please consider helping to keep it going. Thank you. Peter Hall

2022 in Numbers: Westcott

As I've mentioned on here before, finding out what people think about their own mothing year is a fascinating exercise (to me, anyway!).  Each December I usually try to present some information about how things have been in the garden here in the hope that others might be tempted to do something similar.  That's not seeking comparisons between Westcott and other sites (all will be different, due not least to effort and local habitat), but looking at how each one's results compare to previous years at that same site.  With dissections for 2022 completed earlier than usual (many thanks, Peter), I have an excellent idea already as to what kind of year it has been for moths at Westcott so here are a few statistics to compare with previous years:

Number of nights the lights were run (1st Jan to 30th Nov):  310, of which 121 were with a single twin-30w actinic and the remainder with two traps (37 nights using two twin-30w traps and the remainder with one 125w MV & one twin-30w actinic).  That amount of effort is broadly similar to the previous four years, although running two actinics in the garden is not something I've tried before. 

Number of species caught:  742, comprising 382 micros and 360 macros.  That is the highest annual species count ever for the garden, exceeding last year's record total of 712 by a significant margin. 

Nights with 100+ species:  18, spread between 16th June and 1st August and all using both traps (125w MV and twin-30w actinic).  A further 13 nights came quite close with more than 90 species recorded and the results from one of those (19th July, 96 species) came from the actinic alone because the MV failed not long after it was switched on and contained zero moths when inspected at dawn.  The night with the highest species total was 11th July with 167, while 17th & 18th July shared second place with 154 each.  The year's results are certainly an improvement over both 2020 and 2021, being broadly similar to 2019 but still not as good as 2018 when there were 26 nights with 100+ species.

Best night for moth numbers:  2nd August when the total came to 782 individual moths (of 91 species).  The best night for species (11th July) had produced only 660 moths.  The second highest moth count occurred on 21st July (706 moths of 138 species) and that was the only other date on which the total surpassed 700.  Those figures are not at all exceptional here and, for example, have a way to go to catch up with the regular 1,000+ nightly totals achieved during 2019 using the same two traps.  

Highest overall counts for a single species:  Common Footman (1,575), Large Yellow Underwing (1,439) & Lunar Underwing (1,248) for macros and Acentria ephemerella (2,195), Agriphila tristella (547) & Patania ruralis (491) for micros.  In all, seven specific species passed the 1,000 barrier, the other three being Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character & Common Wainscot.  Heart & Dart (674) showed an improvement over its dismal performance in 2021 but still has a way to go to get back to its normal position amongst the highest counts.  Small Square-spot (512) was also working its way back up towards another peak after a trough of just 17 individuals in 2019.  It seems to undergo regular cycles like this lasting seven or eight years.

New for the site in 2022:  Seven macro and 16 micro species which, incredibly, is almost identical to the results for 2020 & 2021 and takes the garden lepidoptera count to 1,096 (606 micro, 458 macro & 32 butterfly species).  The new macros comprised Raspberry Clearwing & Sallow Clearwing both to pheromone lures during the daytime, while the overnight traps brought in Yellow Horned (common locally, long awaited), Jersey Mocha (migrant), Rest Harrow (migrant), Wormwood (widespread but seldom comes to light) & L-album Wainscot (spreading).  Of the micros, two were added as leaf-mines (Eriocrania sangii on birch, Phyllonorycter tenerella on hornbeam) and two as by-catch to pheromone lures (Triaxomasia caprimulgella to LUN, Pammene giganteana to MOL) while the remainder came to light:  Tineola bisselliella, Caloptilia populetorum, Caloptilia alchimiella, Povolnya leucapennella, Acrocercops brongniardella, Scrobipalpa ocellatella, Coleophora discordella, Elachista rufocinerea, Merrifieldia baliodactylus, Cnephasia pasiuana, Epinotia trigonella & Pempelia palumbella.   

Total number of moths caught in the garden (1st Jan to 30th Nov):  38,069 which is a marked improvement over 2021 (29,330 for the year) but nowhere near the total achieved in 2019 (54,400).

So to summarize, moth diversity at Westcott was above normal levels while moth abundance showed a recovery from the low of 2021 but was still significantly down on what was achieved in 2019.

2022 will be remembered as a particularly good year for migrants although Ancylosis oblitella was probably the only interesting one here not already mentioned.  Most of those seen at Westcott were the more common species - there were just more of them than usual.  They included Vestal, Four-spotted Footman, Small Marbled, Bordered Straw, Scarce Bordered Straw, Small Mottled Willow, Delicate & Pearly Underwing as well as Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Silver Y & Dark Sword-grass which are annual visitors.     

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Conistra rubiginosa returns

 Very little in trap, but the first Conistra rubiginosa for the year in Denham - as usual undeterred by a cold night (Nov. 28-29). So keep those traps working from time to time, and ignore the temperature!

Absent Mottled Umbers

 I have had neither Mottled, nor Scarce ditto this year; and none in local woods either. Is this a common experience elsewhere?

Plutella xylostella?

I think this is Plutella xylostella, as there is just a hint of the dorsal pattern, and the overall "jizz" looks right, but would appreciate comments!

Thanks

Phil T

Westcott, Bucks

Things keep ticking over in the garden here.  On the 21st there was just a single Red-green Carpet to the overnight actinic light, the closest I've come yet to having a blank night this winter, but otherwise there has always been a selection of the few species which are still around locally at this time of year (for example, seven moths of five species last night, all macros).  Recorded over the past week have been Zelleria hepariella, Emmelina monodactyla, December Moth, Red-green Carpet, Winter Moth, Feathered Thorn, Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber, Sprawler, Brick & Silver Y.

Zelleria hepariella, Westcott 23rd November

Sprawler, Westcott 24th November

Silver Y, Westcott 25th November

Zelleria hepariella is one of the handful of lepidoptera species which use ash as their sole larval food-plant.  It still seems to be doing reasonably well despite the fungal disease Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (Ash Die-back) which is causing the demise of many trees locally.  Although never common, it is a moth that can usually be relied upon to put in a single garden appearance here each year.  This example was actually the third for 2022 and I've had it to light at four other sites in the county too.

Brick (one here on the 25th) seems to be the longest-lived of the autumnal species and records of very faded examples in mid-December are nothing unusual nowadays.  However, it is getting a bit late now for Sprawler, of which there were two in the garden on the 24th.  In past years it has occasionally lingered on until the end of this month but I have never yet had a December record.  The December Moth count is now up to 24 for the year, even though we haven't got to December yet, and amongst them have been five females so far.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

Just when I think . . . . .

 . . . . .that I'm getting the hang of some basic micros, this turns up. Came to light on Sept 3rd near Chesham- can't find anything that looks like it in the books. Someone please put me out of my misery?

Thanks, David

Earlier in the year

On the 4th August, this smart micro turned up in Stoke Goldington. Looks (to me at least) a candidate for Bryotropha basaltinella, but would need the chop to be sure?

 

Westcott, Bucks

Three or four days ago, with the weather having turned much colder and wetter, I wasn't surprised that catches dropped away considerably and just three moths came to the twin-30wt actinic light on each of Wednesday and Thursday nights (December Moth, Red-green Carpet & Mottled Umber on Wed 16th and Red-green Carpet, Winter Moth & Scarce Umber on Thurs 17th).  I was beginning to think that was it for the year, but last night there was an upturn thanks to it being calm, dry and overcast.  The temperature still fell away to 4 or 5 degrees here but those moths which fly at this time of year are used to the cold (Winter Moths in particular seem to have glycol in their veins!).  The light brought in Agonopterix heracliana (1), Epiphyas postvittana (1), Eudonia angustea (1), December Moth (2), Red-green Carpet (1), Winter Moth (2), Feathered Thorn (4), Scarce Umber (5), Mottled Umber (1) & Brick (1).

Scarce Umber, Westcott 18th November

Prior to the cold snap we had another period with southerly winds when a number of good migrants were seen in the country (including Diasemiopsis ramburialis and Nigel's Diplopseustis perieresalis in our area), but nothing significant turned up here.  A Dark Sword-grass on the 12th and Silver Ys on the 12th and 14th were all that visited Westcott, that's apart from further appearances by Plutella xylostella, Udea ferrugalis & Nomophila noctuella as well as several examples of Turnip Moth, White-point and Angle Shades which may or may not have been migrants.  Some of the Turnips were very fresh and quite nicely marked, like the male below. 

Turnip Moth, Westcott 14th November

Since the 13th the twin-30wt light has been run on the window-sill inside our conservatory, something I've been doing during the winter months for several years now and it has made no noticeable difference to the number of moths recorded.  I check the windows once or twice in the evening and again before dawn, potting up any arrivals, but it saves having to mess around with a trap which at this time of year few of the moths actually enter anyway.  I probably won't put a trap out in the garden again until the end of March.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

Diplopseustis perieresalis

 A  Diplopseustis perieresalis was attracted to our house lights (Loosley Row) last night. I see, going back through the blog that Dave caught one in 2016.

Nigel

Zelleria oleastrella

 Zelleria oleastrella to mv in Denham last night. Robin. Photo can follow. Retained.

Two 'plume' species

 Hi there,

These two turned up on Thursday night near Chesham - outside the Robinson on an adjacent white-painted door. From Page 92 in the Berkshire book, I make the first one Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla, but it looks nothing like the illustration of the same species in Sterling and Parsons.

And is the second one just a dark form of Emmelina monodactyla? The first insect was quite a bit bigger than the second.

If I'm right, then are both flying later in the year than usual - maybe due to the mild weather??

Thanks, David

Vagrant China-mark, Diasemiopsis ramburialis, Worminghall. A first for Bucks.

Very pleased to finally catch a decent autumn migrant this morning. Was even more pleased (and surprised) to find out it's a county first too.

Thanks very much to Dave and Martin for confirming. 

Vagrant China-mark,  Diasemiopsis ramburialis

Plumed Prominent

I trapped at Warburg last night with 3x 125w Robinson MV and an 8w actinic, from 17.15 to 20.45 when the moon pretty much killed it. There were 17 Plumed Prominents, all males. 19 species, including a late Metalampra italica and 2 migrants, Plutella xylostella and Nomophila noctuella. 

Plumed Prominent

My annual pilgrimage to the Marlow area to check whether or not Plumed Prominent is flying yet wasn't actually needed this year as we'd already had the welcome report from Turville on 5th November (see the blog entry from a few days ago below).  Bonfire Night was traditionally the time to start looking for this nationally scarce species but it seems to have been appearing anything up to a week later than that locally over the last decade or more and in some years I've had to make several repeat trips.  However, last night I couldn't resist the urge to take another look myself and ran traps in two woods in adjacent kilometre squares to the north-west of Marlow.  Five came to light in Homefield Wood (Forestry Commission/BBOWT) and another pair in Pullingshill Wood (Woodland Trust), those totals suggesting to me that next week should bring even better numbers if anyone cares to go out looking for it.  The first appearances last night were at around 6.30pm and the last at 8.30pm while I was packing up.  As can be seen from the on-line Atlas, for reasons unknown the moth is confined in our region to that area of the Chilterns where our three counties meet.

Plumed Prominent, Homefield Wood 10th November

Other species seen in Homefield Wood last night comprised Ypsolopha ustella, Plutella xylostella, Scrobipalpa costella, Blastobasis lacticolella, Epiphyas postvittana, December Moth, Oak Hook-tip, Red-green Carpet, Spruce Carpet, November Moth agg., Feathered Thorn, Lesser Yellow Underwing, White-point, Satellite, Chestnut, Brick & Vine's Rustic, along with a Dark Bush-cricket and two very late Hornets.  The only additional species in Pullingshill Wood was Acleris sparsana.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Which Agriphila?

 

This has waited since 23rd August - well, I've been busy. I'm thinking probably tristella, but could it be straminella?

Many thanks, David

Scarce Umber

This rather poorly-marked Scarce Umber came to the actinic light at Westcott last night, accompanied only by Winter Moth (2), Sprawler (4) and a single example of the Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella.

Scarce Umber, Westcott 8th November

The 2022 garden year-list has already passed 700 species and when dissections are complete is certain to overtake last year's final total of 712, meaning that this will have been a record year here for species numbers if not for overall moth numbers (although they were much improved over 2021).  Scarce Umber is the last of those moths I can reasonably expect to add to the current year-list.  However, in November 2021 I was lucky enough to get two completely new species for the site after Scarce Umber had put in its appearance (Cypress Carpet & Red Sword-grass) so there's still the faint hope that something unexpected might turn up, especially as we still have several more nights of southerly winds before the cold weather sets in!

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Crimson Speckled & Plumed Prominent in Bucks

On 5th November Luke Harman recorded a single Crimson Speckled and 3 Plumed Prominent. Both species new to the site at Turville in South Bucks. Thanks to Luke for supplying the information

A Berkshire Migrant

Three moths of three species last night. Eudonia angustea and Red-green Carpet were not unexpected but this one was a surprise.

Ben Dale on the Berkshire Moth Group Facebook page has kindly confirmed it as Diasemiopsis ramburialis

Another garden newcomer

Last night (5th November) it did at least remain overcast to keep the temperature into double figures, even though there was also plenty of rain.  30 moths of 13 species came to the trap including four micros, two of which provided all of the interest because they were new for the year-list:  Povolnya leucapennella and Bedellia somnulentella.  

Povolnya leucapennella, Westcott 5th November

Bedellia somnulentella, Westcott 5th November

Povolnya leucapennella, instantly recognisable with that "beak" of a scale tuft beneath its palps, seems to be a genuinely uncommon moth in Bucks despite the larval food-plant being oak.  There are only six previous records, all from the far south of the county and four of those are from the Rothamsted Insect Survey trap at Burnham Beeches.  Needless to say, this was a completely new moth for the garden.  Bedellia somnulentella has been recorded here previously both as the adult and at the larval stage (active mines on bindweed) but is another uncommon moth in the county although in this case it must be through under-recording. There are only 16 previous records and, again, half of those come from the RIS trap at Burnham Beeches.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks 

Could this be a Delicate?

I had a single moth to my garden trap last night - the individual shown below. It is rather worn, and the picture is taken in fairly poor light. I wondered if it could be a Delicate?

Steve Trigg, Cookham

The End is Nigh

It got quite chilly here last night and I wondered if that might tempt out the first Winter Moth of the season.  Sure enough, one did appear at the twin-30wt actinic trap, accompanied only by December Moth (3), Sprawler (1) & Red-line Quaker (1).

Winter Moth, Westcott 3rd November

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Tortrix for ID

This is my first season recording micros although in the past I did extensively record macros when living in Cambridgeshire and Cheshire.

I am working through a few outstanding records from earlier in the year and would appreciate comments on these three. On the 31st of July I caught this one and posted the picture on the Berkshire Moth Group Facebook page but no one suggested an ID. I then posted it on the UK Micro Moth page and Ben Sale suggested Rhopobota stagnana which appears to be a fairly rare moth in the County.

Then on the 3rd August I caught this one and didn't recognise it as the same thing - there were a lot of moths in the trap late July and early August although looking now it certainly looks like the same thing.

I posted the image on the Berkshire Moth Group page and Ben Dale kindly id'ed it for me as a second R. stagnana.

I've been sorting through my photos over the last few weeks and have found this one from the 1st August

which looks like a third record.

Worminghall, Bucks

Unfortunately no mega migrant here during the recent influx (although I did desert my post for a few days and headed to the coast to find some). Highlight was an Oak Rustic (the first for the garden) and a few nice migrants including 2 Delicates, up to 17 Rush Veneer in one night (30th October), a Vestal, a Diamond-back and a couple of Rusty-dot Pearls.  Also a late Clifden Nonpariel on 25th October and a few new for years including Sprawler and December moth and another potential new for garden in the form of an Acleris kochiella/logiana (awaiting dissection) which takes the 2022 garden year list to 492 (unverified). 

Oak Rustic

Acleris kochiella/logiana 

Delicate

Clifden Nonpariel