Toadflax Brocade

 New for me and it looks as if it's new for Garsington too.

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford

Light Crimson Underwing breeding in Berkshire

Very pleasing news: David Pinniger has found a caterpillar of Light Crimson Underwing in Berkshire (Maidenhead Thicket, 28 May 2023, first identified by Andrew Padmore). As far as I'm aware this is the first proof of Light Crimson Underwing breeding in the county since 1948.

Photo by David Pinniger

Photo by David Pinniger

The adult moth has been recorded much more frequently in the last few years. There are old Berkshire records dating back to the 19th century, and then a sighting at Windsor Forest in 1995 after a long gap. No more were then seen until 2020 (4 records), 2021 (3 records) and then an extraordinary year in 2022 with 14 records. So for the moment at least this is a moth that is doing well, although it is too early to judge whether it will become a long-term resident in the county.

Platyedra subcinerea and Notocelia cynosbatella?

 A couple of moths from a few days back. Poor pictures as they were gone before I could get the egg boxes out of the trap. I think I have Platyedra subcinerea and Notocelia cynosbatella.

 

 

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford

Micro ID

I would be grateful for help with this micro.

Alan Diver

Tackley

 

Slim pickings

I ran my actinic trap in oak/ash woodland last night, and was a bit disappointed to find only three moths of three species (Common Swift, Ingrailed Clay and Brindled White-spot), when I checked it this morning. Perhaps the cold wind was to blame?

Forester

On my way home from Otmoor this afternoon I called briefly at BBOWT's Asham Meads grassland reserve near Whitecross Green Wood, Bucks and found Forester to be on the wing, with four fresh individuals seen.

Forester, Asham Meads 29th May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks 

Agonopterix atomella

A small group of us were given access to part of the MoD rifle range at Otmoor, Oxon today in order to search specifically for caterpillars of the priority micro-moth Agonopterix atomella.  It feeds within spun leaves of Dyer's Greenweed Genista tinctoria, a plant in decline but which is abundant on this particular site.  About 20 small larvae of atomella were tracked down in one particular meadow, with a handful more found in an adjacent one.  Young larvae of Mirificarma lentiginosella were also found on the Dyer's Greenweed, as were those of a couple of other micros which are assumed to have been Cnephasia species (they would have needed rearing to identify).

Adult moths disturbed within the meadows, even though it was quite dull with a chilly easterly breeze for much of the time, included Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Aethes piercei, Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Shell, Light Emerald, Burnet Companion & Silver Y.

Agonopterix atomella was discovered at Otmoor during a larval survey in 2021 (see here) and it is good to know that this rare moth continues to thrive at the site.

7mm larva of Agonopterix atomella, Otmoor 29th May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks   

ID underside of wings

I would be grateful for help with ID of this moth. Beautifully marked underside and striped body. Flew off before I could capture upper wing markings.

Alan Diver

Tackley

 

Seraphim wings

Seraphims are quite regular in my trap as I live near a wood with aspens. I only read recently that they were named Seraphim (meaning angels with 6 wings) because the males have an extra pair of "wings". Actually there is a small fold on the hind wing that gives the appearance of an extra wing. This photo today seems to show it quite well.

Seraphim with "third set of wings"

Janice Robertson, Milton Keynes

Light emerald aberration?

 This is the same size as a Light Emerald but looks different. Is it an aberration?

Light Emerald aberration?

Janice Robertson, Milton Keynes

Scoparia pyralella

 I came across several of these when doing a butterfly survey on Sands Bank.  Before I add them to the records for Sands I'd be grateful for confirmation of id please - Scoparia pyralella?

Cauchas fibulella

This Cauchas fibulella was seen in the garden yesterday, just above a large patch of germander speedwell.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Gold triangle ambush

 A gold triangle moth ambushed by unidentified spider this morning.

Alan Diver - Tackley

24/5/23

Grangelands, Bucks

A three-hour session with a couple of Robinson MV traps and a 15w synergetic Heath trap at BBOWT's Grangelands nature reserve near Princes Risborough last night brought in 35 species in three hours, not a brilliant total but exposed chalk grassland always seems to lag behind woodland as a habitat at this time of year.  Treble Lines (56) was the most abundant moth, followed by Light Brocade (37), while Small Elephant Hawk-moth and Shears, both of which should also soon be around in some numbers at the site, were just starting out.  The best sighting was Light Feathered Rustic, two individuals proving that the small colony here is still hanging on, but even better was to get only two Cockchafers!  The only other moth species in the traps which I hadn't yet seen anywhere this year were Argyresthia trifasciata, Ancylis unculana, Anania fuscalis, Common Carpet, Treble-bar, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Lobster Moth, Nutmeg & Lychnis.  

Ancylis unculana, Grangelands 22nd May

Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Grangelands 22nd May

Light Feathered Rustic, Grangelands 22nd May

Nutmeg, Grangelands 22nd May

However, the main reason for going to Grangelands was to look yet again at the Junipers there for some of the tiny and rare Argyresthia micros which feed on them.  Over the past couple of years I've found Argyresthia arceuthina, Argyresthia abdominalis and Argyresthia dilectella but there are two others, Argyresthia praecocella (flies in April/May) and Argyresthia aurulentella (flies in July) which might be present but haven't yet been recorded at the site.  James Hammond and Will Langdon have had success finding praecocella in recent weeks at sites in Oxon which have Juniper by using techniques other than light-trapping (as I've already found out, these species seem to be quite sedentary and none of them is keen on coming to a light trap).  Based on their advice, after dark last night I tried tapping branches of Junipers bearing fruit - praecocella larvae feed within the berries - and then trying to net whatever might fly out.  My netting skills aren't up to much and after a few failures it soon became clear that these tiny moths would launch themselves in completely the opposite direction to the glare of my head-torch and often deep into the dark vegetation.  However, perseverance resulted in eight Argyresthia specimens being potted up within an hour.  Five were clearly freshly-emerged examples of Argyresthia arceuthina, but the other three were different, being quite worn but seemingly lacking a white thorax, so may yet prove to be the hoped-for Argyresthia praecocella.  Time, along with Peter Hall's skill with the scalpel, will hopefully tell...

Argyresthia arceuthina, Grangelands 22nd May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

               

Micro for ID

 Caught this on 18 May in my Oxford garden and stuck on identifying it. Any thoughts please. It is small, about 1 cm long. Not a brilliant photo I am afraid: on my dining table.

Andrew

Anania fuscalis?

 Is this Anania fuscalis? or Udea prunalis.

I notice that several county websites class fuscalis as rare and a grade 3 moth although the Berkshire micro-moth book classes it as common. 

Although quite late appearing this year I have recorded Silver Cloud here again on the last two nights.

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Another Pale Tussock f. concolor

 First Pale Tussock of the year. First time I've seen f concolor, if I hadn't seen Dave's post I would have probably wondered but it has those distinct furry legs so hopefully I wouldn't have been confused for long.

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford.

Noctuidae?

 Help with ID please.

Alan Diver

Tackley

Syndemis musculana

 ID help. Syndemis musculana?

Alan Diver

Tackley

Red twin-spot carpet

 I would be grateful for confirmation or correction of ID as Red twin-spot carpet. Both images of same specimen. 

Alan Diver

Tackley

Finemere Wood, Bucks

68 moths of 35 species between two MV lights at Finemere for the usual three hours from dusk last night certainly didn't break any records, but surprisingly there were two moths completely new for the already very extensive site list (circa 800 species) as well as one that I personally haven't recorded there previously.  The two site additions are shown below:

Spuleria flavicaput, Finemere Wood 21st May

Fox Moth female, Finemere Wood 21st May

As a hawthorn-feeder you'd expect Spuleria flavicaput to be quite widespread and the dozen or so Bucks sightings are certainly from right across the county (all to light at night), but the moth seems to be rarely recorded perhaps because it is active more during the daytime.  Fox Moth seems to be fairly widespread across the Vale of Aylesbury (it is seen regularly in Bernwood Forest and has turned up annually in my garden since 2017), but it is a moth associated more with heathland and chalk downland.

Amongst the other moths noted were a Light Brocade (a species I've never seen at Finemere although there is at least one previous site record) and a melanic Pale Tussock.

Pale Tussock f. concolor, Finemere Wood 21st May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks       

That last flushed micro . . .

 '. . . .as Dave Wilton suggested, I looked around gorse on our local Commons. Several micros were flying around the bushes - here's one of them. I'm hoping this is a good enough photo to confirm Cydia ulicetana, or that its location on gorse puts it beyond doubt.

Best wishes, David

A Macro that I really not sure about.

Could this be a Dusky Brocade?

 I am stumped on this boldly coloured Micro

Closest I got was Agapeta zoegana but seems too much orange ?

Fern and Oblique Striped

I had two new species today: what I think was a Fern in the moth trap in West Oxon, and an Oblique Striped at Hackpen Hill. Confirmation (or otherwise) would be appreciated.

David Hastings

Oblique Striped

Fern

Mullein

This year a couple of plants of Common Mullein Verbascum thapsus have appeared from nowhere in a disturbed area of our front lawn and I've managed to avoid cutting them with the mower.  They're still quite small but a quick look at them in this afternoon's sunshine produced at least 24 very early instar larvae (each less than 10mm) of the moth Mullein Cucullia verbasci munching away on their leaves.  The moth itself appears in the garden trap most years but any larvae that I've seen here previously have always been on Buddleia.

Common Mullein Verbascum thapsus, Westcott 21st May

Mullein larva, Westcott 21st May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Another flushed micro

 Hi there,

Found this on Cholesbury Common yesterday (day-flying) - I still have the specimen. The short prominent longditudinal streaks near the tornus don't quite look like anything in the guide, but I'm thinking either Cydia fagiglandana or Notocelia trimaculana - which probably means that it's something completely different!!

HELP!!! David

Beautiful carpet?

 I think Beautiful carpet with dark marking on forewing extending more than usual.

Alan Diver

Tackley

 One of the smaller black arches but which one please?

Alan Diver

Tackley

Pheromone success

I tried three of the tortrix pheromone lures out in the garden yesterday afternoon from about 4pm onwards.  I'd barely hung up the trap containing the MOL lure (for Grapholita molesta) when it brought in the moth below, which must have been waiting somewhere very close by!  It appears to be either Pammene albuginana or Pammene suspectana but I'm not clever enough to tell them apart visually so it'll need dissection to be sure of the ID.  Either one would be new for the garden (suspectana has yet to be recorded in Bucks).

Pammene sp., Westcott 18th May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks    

Flushed micro

 I disturbed this small (c7mm) micro in the chalk grassland at the top of Lodge Hill, Bucks yesterday (18th). Help appreciated in the ID.

Dave Ferguson

 Clouded drab?

Alan Diver

Tackley

Depressaria ultimella?

 In Stoke Goldington last night, 8mm wing length, I think Depressaria ultimella? The food-plant, Fool's Water-cress grows abundantly in my garden stream. It would be my first garden record, but unfortunately it escaped whilst I was measuring the wing length, so can't be chopped!

Dark Chestnut?

 Dark Chestnut or Red Chestnut please? Recorded 20th March.

Alan Diver

19/5/23

Possible Ancylis achatana??

 Hi there,

Guidance on this one too, please from last night's Robinson trap?

Many thanks, David