Acleris hastiana?

 I am assuming this is one of the many forms of Acleris hastiana attracted to the light in the window last night. 

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Newton Longville moths in 2022

Rather belatedly, I have finished entering moth records for 2022 into my database and analysing them.  They'll go on to Martin tomorrow.

The mothing year at home can be summed up in the table below.  I have continued running two traps simultaneously in the garden: one using a self-built 15W LED light with a range of wavelengths (heavy in ultraviolet) and the other with a 15W actinic light.  From mid-March 2022 onwards, the actinic striplight was replaced by its Synergetic equivalent which emits in the green wavelengths as well as in the blue and UV colours typical of actinic lights.  I'm not sure it has made much of a difference.

The "Site Total" column also includes moths found in the house and garden by means other than light-trapping.

By comparison with 2021, the number of moths caught was up by about 5% and the number of species caught was also slightly higher.  This is despite the lower level of trapping effort (57 nights vs 70 in 2021).  In 2022 I missed a lot of the peak season largely by being overseas: although I managed to trap on nine nights in May, I missed three weeks in June and I only managed to run the traps at home once each in July and August.

There were ups and downs amongst the species: some grass moths did markedly better than the year before, for example Agriphila tristella went from 13 to 168 individuals.  Shuttle-shaped Dart and Large Nutmeg did well and the abundant Large Yellow Underwing and Lunar Underwing both more than doubled their numbers.  On the other hand, Common Wainscot did particularly poorly (74 individuals in 2022, down from 300 in 2021), as did Setaceous Hebrew Character.  Compared to the cold, wet spring of 2021, many spring and early summer species emerged two to four weeks earlier in my garden in 2022.

2022 was my fourth full year of trapping and I added 42 species (evenly divided between micros and macros) to the garden list which now stands at 442: 260 macros and 182 micros not counting aggregates or records at genus level.  A few of the new micros were thanks to Peter and would otherwise have remained as aggregates as in previous years.  Most new species were unexceptional but (subject to verification in some cases) I was pleased to get Tachystola acroxantha, Elachista luticomella, Cydia fagiglandana, Small Marbled, Dewick's Plusia, Toadflax Brocade, Scarce Bordered Straw and Mere Wainscot.  I also caught a dozen Scrobipalpa ocellatella which would have been very noteworthy in previous years but they seemed to be everywhere last year.

I also increased my recording of by-catch of other taxa.  I've made progress with Caddisflies, I managed some Dor Beetles, a couple of easier Diptera and even two ichneumons.

Tim Arnold
Newton Longville, Bucks

Moths Return

With blank nights here since the 15th due to that cold snap, it was nice to see some moths in the garden again last night.  The four below had arrived by 10pm but there were no subsequent additions.

Winter Moth, Mottled Umber x 2, Pale Brindled Beauty
Westcott 26th January

Winter Moth can sometimes go on into early February but I haven't seen one that late since 2017.  The trend actually seems to be in the other direction with fewer being seen in the New Year, especially in the garden here.  Pale Brindled Beauty and Mottled Umber should be around for a while yet.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

  

Request for photographs

Dear All

Martin Corley has written the chapter on moths for a proposed book on the biodiversity of High Park Wood in Blenheim Park.  For this he needs high resolution photographs.  Five of the photos he had used were too low-resolution and the provider of those photos had not retained the high resolution versions.

Martin is looking for replacements for these five photos, on natural backgrounds, and they need to be on the right background.  They are as follows:

Leopard Moth

September Thorn

Satellite (with white reniform stigma, not orange)

Sallow, on more or less yellow autumn leaves.  The photo he had previously included both forms, but one will do.

Merveille du Jour.  Must be on a lichen background.

Any help with these would be much appreciated.  Please send them to Martin as low resolution versions (to avoid clogging emails) at martin.corley@btinternet.com

He will need the high resolution version when the photos have been chosen.

Martin Townsend

Westcott, Bucks

Since the trio of species on 1st January (see here) I've had several more Mottled Umbers to the garden actinic light, while more of the usual suspects which fly during the first few weeks of the year have also begun to appear with Winter Moth (3rd), Spring Usher (13th) and Early Moth (15th) seen to date, although the only micro recorded so far has been an Acleris species (8th).  There has been no sign of any noctuids as yet but I imagine species such as Chestnut, Dark Chestnut and Satellite will join the party when and if we get some slightly warmer nights with rather less wind than we've had so far.

Acleris sp., Westcott 8th January

Spring Usher, Westcott 13th January

Early Moths, Westcott 15th January

The average number of adult macro-moth species seen here during January over the past 20 years is five and the maximum ever is ten (in 2019), drawn from 13 different species altogether, so I'm already very slightly ahead of the game. Dotted Border is likely to be the only one still left to emerge before the end of the month, with any other visitors being hibernators tempted out on suitable nights.

  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

One more query

 Hi there,

I'm really not sure at all about this one from August 31st. Can anyone help? Slightly strangely angled photos, I'm afraid.

Thanks, David

Which Agriphila?

 Going through the 'too difficult for me' folders of photos from earlier this year (31st August)!

I think I've narrowed this one down to geniculea or inquinatella. Am I right, and, if so, is it possible from these photos to decide which?

Thanks, David

Submitting your records

Here is the annual plea for your records!  If you haven't already submitted your records for 2022 to your County Moth Recorder, please do so as soon as possible now.

Grateful thanks go to the many of you who already use iRecord and either input your data there as the year progresses or are doing so now during the quieter winter period.  This is the ideal way of getting your records to your CMR and it involves you in no further effort as well as providing you with a safe and secure method of storing your own sightings.  When the moth records for the year have been verified and any queries answered, your CMR downloads the dataset from iRecord and either adds it to the relevant county moth database or simply creates an upload for the National Moth Recording Scheme.  Once the data has been accepted by the NMRS we will be able to update our own local area Moth Atlas so, if you want to see your dot on the map, time is of the essence.

For those of you who currently use other methods of data storage, why not try iRecord in 2023 and see how you get on with it?  The input of nightly trap lists is very straightforward and it is simple enough to download your own data from the site and add it to your own database system if that's what you still prefer to use.      

For those of you who do still use other methods of data storage, be it via MapMate, Excel, a bespoke database or simply paper records, please do ensure that your records for 2022 are submitted as quickly as possible now so that they can be put to good use.  All attempts at trying to conserve our native moth species, many of which are in serious decline, rely on us knowing where they are in the first place.

Contact details for our three County Moth Recorders are given under the "Your Records" tab at the top of the page.

The Hill, Garsington 2022

 Overall number of records up (6900 moths vs 5719 2021), 381 species in total which is also my best year. Part of that would have been increased usage of pheromone lures.

Personal highlights were Metalampra italica,Triaxomasia caprimulgella, Palpita vitrealis, Lobster Moth, Lunar Hornet Clearwing, Barred Hook-tip, Hedge Rustic and Hoary Footman.

Not such a great year for unusual migrants apart from the Palpita vitrealis and Beet Moth. Only 6 Silver Y compared to over 50 last year.

Although the numbers remain low it seems that Clifden Nonpareil, Box-tree Moth and Tree-lichen Beauty have established. Jersey Tiger which showed up once last year failed to put in an appearance this year.

Most moths I get in fairly low numbers so the ups and downs aren’t particularly statistically significant. For those that were in larger numbers the winners were

Shuttle-shaped Dart  up about 300% of the average since 2014 at 213

Scarce Footman & Common Footman seem to have increased over the last few years.

Small Square Spot disappeared completely in 2018, it was back in 2021 and it was also around in 2022 (phew).

Flounced Rustic was double last year’s tally.

Large Yellow Underwing took an approximate 50% dive in numbers 2018 to 2021, this year it recovered a bit to 921.

 

Those that seem to have declined

Heart & Dart, average from 2014 was 130, 2021 it was only 31, 2022 39.

Buff Arches and Dot Moth seem to have largely disappeared since 2018.

Sibford 2022

 206 nights trapping (58 with 20w Wemlite (mostly in the winter months) and 148 with 125w MV)

538 species recorded (19381 individuals) 305 macros (14 new for the garden) and 233 micros (25 new)

Dewick's Plusia and 9 Clearwing species were to pheromone lures along with a number of the micros.

Notable new macros included Autumnal Rustic, Cypress Pug, Delicate, Dewick's Plusia, Hornet Moth, Oak Rustic and Sallow Clearwing. It was also pleasing to record 3 Silver Cloud and another Raspberry Clearwing. 

The pick of the micros were Caloptilia honoratella and Cochylis flaviciliana.

In terms of numbers of the "common" macros Heart and Dart and Large Yellow Underwing were lower than previous years. On the other hand Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing with 689 individuals was the third most common species. Small Square-spot with 170 continued to improve from its low of 4 in 2019. 

Nothing special in terms of migrants but 152 Rush Veneer Nomophilia noctuella was remarkable. I also recorded 8 Ostrinia nubialis mostly in September and I wonder if they are breeding in the fields of Maize which is being grown in increasing amounts locally for the nearby biodigester.

Early stages

In case anyone needs reminding, there are still quite a few moths active as larvae at this time of year and a quick look around the garden here at lunchtime today produced evidence of four of the easiest ones to find.  

Stigmella aurella appears to be continuously-brooded on bramble and I found more than 30 mines on the softer recent growth but unfortunately they were all freshly vacated (there were also quite a few mines on the older more brittle leaves but they'll be leftovers from last summer/autumn).  I usually manage to find an active mine or two in early January but the warmer weather must have spurred them on more quickly towards pupation.  Finding one with a larva inside at this time of year is useful and I shall continue looking because it means there's no chance of confusion with the rather similar Stigmella splendidissimella which only feeds in the summer and autumn.  Coptotriche marginea, another bramble feeder, is also active at the larval stage at the moment and two of its mines were found in the garden.

Active mine of Coptotriche marginea on bramble
Westcott 4th January

Phyllonorycter leucographella feeds on the evergreen leaves of pyracantha throughout the year and at least five active mines were found on our bush today in a very cursory search.  The moth does use other plants too (I've found it on apple, hawthorn & rowan in the garden) but, fairly obviously, only when they are in leaf.

Active mine of Phyllonorycter leucographella on pyracantha
Westcott 4th January

I opened up five teasel heads and the largest one contained a larva of Endothenia gentianaeana, which is separated from Endothenia marginana (another user of teasel) by the lack of an anal comb - this can be confirmed quite easily using a x10 hand lens.  After the photo session the teasel head was resealed using an elastic band and placed back out in the garden where the caterpillar will hopefully be able to continue its development.

Larva of Endothenia gentianaeana in teasel head
Westcott 4th January

Another easy-to-find leaf-miner at the moment is Ectoedemia heringella on holm oak Quercus ilex.  I've had the adult moth in the garden on a few occasions but we don't have the tree which isn't really a native of our local area although it is often planted on country estates and in churchyards.  Holm oak is fairly easy to spot at the moment because it is an evergreen.  My nearest known trees are a couple of miles away in Waddesdon and I went there this afternoon to have a quick look at them.  They are a small group of about five relatively young holm oaks on the Rothschild Estate and, as expected, they were absolutely covered in mines.  The fairly typical leaf shown below has more than 60 on it so you can easily imagine that each of those trees is currently home to thousands of the caterpillars although they don't seem to have much of an adverse effect on their host.  I doubt if there is a holm oak left in our three counties which isn't infested with heringella now.  It has spread rapidly across the region much like the Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella.  

Mines of Ectoedemia heringella on holm oak
Waddesdon 4th January

Finally, those of you still running garden traps at the moment might well come across larvae of Angle Shades or Large Yellow Underwing which occasionally wander towards the light on warmer winter nights.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks    

2022 - First season trapping after a long break

I was very active in moth trapping in the late 90' and early 00's but then, with work, marriage and a child I gradually gave up. This spring my 11 year old expressed an interest so I dug out a Robinson and ran it in the garden for him. This rekindled my interest and I've been actively trapping in the garden since late March. The result? 5329 records of 448 moths identified to species level. 

Highlights for me were the new macros. Clifden Nonpareil and Gypsy Moth were both rare migrants when I was last trapping so I was delighted to add them both from the garden. They took my UK macro list to 707.

I've also been trying to do micros this year with the highlight being a single Cydia Illutana but really there have been too many highlights amongst the micros to list them all here. At the end of the season my UK micro list stands at 310 for a combined macro/micro list of 1017. Hopefully I'll add many more micros over the coming season as there is lots more room for new discoveries.

Off the mark

Happy New Year everyone!  Eight individuals of three species came to the actinic light last night and if my memory is correct that is the highest number of moths I've ever had in the garden on the first night of the year - I'm usually pleased to get just a single Winter Moth to open the new account:

Westcott 1st January 2023

The Red-green Carpet and Pale Brindled Beauty arrived as singletons while it was still raining quite heavily during the first few hours after dark, but the balance of Mottled Umber (6) turned up much later after the rain had stopped.

Looking back at the final couple of weeks of December, there was little of interest in the garden over that period and the species count for the entire month came to just nine:  Mompha subbistrigella, Agonopterix heracliana, Acleris ferrugana/notana, Acleris hastiana, December Moth, Winter Moth, Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber & Satellite.  We were away for a few days on the Wirral between Christmas and New Year where I did manage to find a Herald hibernating indoors.  The final moth of the year was, needless to say, a Mottled Umber back at Westcott on the night of the 31st.  

Acleris hastiana, Westcott 20th December 2022

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks 

Devon Moth Group recording spreadsheet updated.

Happy New Year all. 

For those of you that use the Devon Moth Group's excellent recording / look up table spreadsheet, if you were not aware it was updated in April 2022. I'll be using the new version for my 2023 records. 

Devon Moth Group Spreadsheet 

I'm about to start preparing my 2022 records, hopefully will publish an analysis for those that are interested shortly.