Nine species

I took advantage of a milder evening by taking a couple of MV traps to nearby Finemere Wood, Bucks at dusk yesterday for my first away trapping session of the year but the results weren't all that exciting.  A grand total of 45 moths turned up in just over three hours, drawn from the following species:  Acleris cristana (1), Acleris ferrugana/notana (1), Tortricodes alternella (1), Small Brindled Beauty (3), Pale Brindled Beauty (16), Spring Usher (11), Dotted Border (1), Satellite (3) & Chestnut (8).  I was expecting Tortricodes alternella, Pale Brindled Beauty and Spring Usher to be around in rather larger numbers than that by now, but I suppose there's plenty of time yet for them to get going.

Small Brindled Beauty, Finemere Wood 3rd February

Dotted Border, Finemere Wood 3rd February

Co-incidentally, back home in the garden at Westcott the actinic light also brought in nine species, comprising Agonopterix heracliana (6), Acleris cristana (1), Acleris schalleriana (1), Acleris ferrugana/notana (1), Emmelina monodactyla (1), March Moth (1), Pale Brindled Beauty (3), Spring Usher (1) & Early Moth (1), along with the first ichneumon wasp here of the year (Ophion obscuratus agg.).  

March Moth, Westcott 3rd February

It looks as though tonight might bring in a few more moths, during the hours before midnight at any rate, but then we should be heading back to colder conditions again for at least a week. 

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks