Westcott, Bucks

Like others I've been guilty of uploading few posts here recently, mainly due to lack of time thanks to how long it takes to get through each night's catch at the moment, especially if I'm also trapping away from home which I've been doing a lot of recently.  However, there hasn't been a great deal out of the ordinary (until last night) and I've taken very few photographs.

The "mini heat-wave" nights of the 16th and 17th certainly kick-started emergences locally and this year's garden list has been growing quite healthily ever since.  It is somewhere just past the 400 species mark now, about where it should be for this time of year (that total was achieved on 4th July in 2021, 23rd June in 2020, 28th June in 2019, 29th June in 2018).  There are obviously quite a few dissections needed to achieve an accurate total so that won't be known until later in the year.  The following have been added since the 16th:  

     (16th)  Swammerdamia pyrella, Argyresthia curvella, Prays fraxinella, Borkhausenia fuscescens, Crassa unitella, Carcina quercana, Parachronistis albiceps, Mompha ochraceella, Archips xylosteana, Clepsis consimilana, Aleimma loeflingiana, Gynnidomorpha alismana, Lobster Moth, Scarce Footman, Scarlet Tiger, Double Square-spot, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Dingy Shears & Small Ranunculus.

     (17th)  Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Batia lunaris, Anarsia innoxiella, Teleiodes vulgella, Carpatolechia fugitivella, Blastodacna hellerella, Ptycholoma lecheana, Lozotaenia forsterana, Enarmonia formosana, Ancylis achatana, Eucosma campoliliana, Cydia pomonella, Grapholita janthinana, Pammene regiana, Ephestia woodiella, Lilac Beauty, Swallow-tailed Moth, Sallow Kitten & Scarce Silver-lines.

     (18th)  Four-dotted Footman & Smoky Wainscot.

     (19th)  Rustic.

     (20th)  Hedya salicella, Epinotia signatana, Endotricha flammealis, Large Emerald, Yellow Shell & Humming-bird Hawk-moth (by day, nectaring from flowers of philadelphus).

     (21st)  Triaxomasia caprimulgella (to LUN lure by day, a first for the garden), Phtheochroa rugosana, Buff Arches, July Highflyer & Clay.

     (22nd) Tinea trinotella, Yponomeuta evonymella, Scythropia crataegella, Aethes beatricella, Apotomis capreana, Lobesia abscisana, Euzophera pinguis, Eudonia mercurella, Least Carpet, Dwarf Cream Wave & Large Twin-spot Carpet.

     (23rd)  Ethmia dodecea, Agapeta zoegana, Hedya ochroleucana, Udea prunalis, Calamotropha paludella, Ghost Moth, Haworth's Pug, Engrailed, Rosy Footman, Buff Footman, Sycamore, Light Arches &  Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.

     (24th)  Pandemis heparana, Bordered Straw, Old Lady (wings only, a bat casualty), Olive & Delicate.

Triaxomasia caprimulgella, Westcott 21st June

Rosy Footman, Westcott 23rd June

Delicate & Bordered Straw, Westcott 24th June

Rosy Footman (the first here since 2017) and Small Ranunculus (only the third ever garden record) were very nice to see.  Despite favourable conditions, apart from Silver Y there was no sign at all of migrant activity over this period until Delicate and Bordered Straw turned up together last night.  They have been recorded here several times in the past, the last occasion for both being in 2019.  Amongst the various Coleophorids, etc waiting to be checked are an Aproaerema (was Syncopacma) from the 23rd and a washed-out Apotomis from the 22nd which might be lineana (a potential garden first).

The regular Footman moths have started here in earnest now, with only Dingy still to be recorded.  However, I'm still seeing larvae grazing the lichens on our boundary fence so there will presumably be quite a protracted emergence.  Numbers of Heart & Dart, Large Yellow Underwing and Dark Arches are increasing so maybe they'll have a better year than they did in 2021.

Scarlet Tiger seems to be well established in the local area now because I've had half a dozen records in the garden already, including the one below trying unsuccessfully to hide in our patch of bird's-foot trefoil this morning.  I also trapped one on the nearby Waddesdon Estate on the 16th and noticed another flying along Waddesdon High Street this morning.  It is always a pleasure to see such a pretty moth flying in daylight.     

Scarlet Tiger, Westcott 25th June

White Ermine has had a record year in the garden with 125 recorded between 28th April and 23rd June, more than double the previous highest annual tally.  It looks as though Elephant Hawk-moth is also heading for its best ever year with regular double-digit counts since the "mini heat-wave", the highest nightly total so far being 21 on 22nd June. 

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks