Shade of Pale

 

Just to add my Pale Eggar - last night - to Tom's at Benson. I had my first here on 7 September 2015 and then another on 28 August 2020. This one is the first since then. A cautious guest.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Webb's Wainscot, plus?

Last night's catch in my garden in Wolvercote, Oxfordshire, was pretty uninspiring - I've been away for a few days, and will be off again for a week from tomorrow, so the year-list is languishing. However, I had an NFG lifer on 21st August in the form of a Webb's Wainscot which, judging by the Atlas, isn't terribly common hereabouts, though it seems to be increasing.

Webb's Wainscot, 21/8/23

On the same night, I had the moth below which I haven't pinned down to my satisfaction; any suggestions would be very welcome. I strongly suspect it'll prove to be something perfectly familiar which I should know very well, but I can't seem to spot anything terribly similar in the book.

Unknown macro, 21/8/23

Steve Goddard

Sitochroa palealis?

Very worn, but is this Sitochroa palealis? Trapped in the garden here at Stowe last night. Shape looks right, plus there is a hint of dark veins, but FL of 11-12 mm is below the quoted range of 13-16 mm, and we are on clay not chalk, so I suspect I am missing something obvious... 

Pale Eggar in Benson

Thought it worth reporting as there don't seem to be many in South Oxon, at least in the atlas
 

Orthotaenia undulant?

 ..as opposed to Celypha lacunana,given absence of horizontal pale feature in central dark band?

Unfamiliar Pyralid in Stoke Goldington, North Bucks

Could this be a dark Cryptoblabes bistriga?

Is this Agriphila latistria?

 Can't quite decide if this is just a bit of an odd tristella or it is Agriphila latistria. As a note it seems numbers of the grass moths are plummetting here. I only got my first geniculea this morning.

 

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford.

New species for Berkshire (and for Upper Thames?)

Paul Black got in touch yesterday with exciting news of a new arrival in Berkshire: Portland Ribbon Wave (Idaea degeneraria). This is from near Leckhampstead on the Berkshire downs, and Paul found it on 22 August.

This species is resident in Dorset and increasingly frequent as a migrant on the south coast, but inland records are still unusual I think.

Portland Ribbon Wave (Paul Black)

Another Clifden Nonpareil

I went out to the trap this morning and groaned at the sight of these wings on the patio. The bats had had a feast again - they usually concentrate on yellow underwings.

However, in the trap was another docile individual. As I thought, until it took off like a rocket. Wonderful to see the bird-sized moth fly around and escape into the trees.

Janice, Milton Keynes

Celypha lacunana?

 I had quite a few of these at my Actinic trap last night.

I am focussing on the pale “H”

Lyonetia prunifoliella adult to mv in Denham

 At last a good specimen for Denham! The very long antennae are characteristic. There is plenty of Sloe a few hundred yards from here to the North, and we do have some plum trees.

I must say striking, but fairly inconspicuous on egg cartons!

Robin

Clifden Nonpareil

Only the second time I have had one of these beautiful moths!

Caloptilia species

I have got as far as Caloptilia!

Is anyone able to get to species on basis of this pic from Saturday?

Flounced Rustic?

This in MV trap Saturday night with a number of Common Rustic. Could the lower moth be a Flounced Rustic?

Migrant activity

The merest hint of migrant activity here at Westcott over the past two nights, with Dark Sword-grass on the 18th and a very plain-looking Vestal on the 19th.

Vestal, Westcott 19th August

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Unidentified noctuid

I had well over 400 moths to the MV garden trap on Thursday night. This included 87 White-point, 58 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 37 Common Wainscot and 30 Vine's Rustic. There was nothing of great interest, although 13 Oak Processionary is probably the most I have seen. I did though have this noctuid that I have failed to identify. Any suggestions most welcome. It has pale underwings, and I have indicated the size in the picture.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Oblique Striped

 I think this is an Oblique Striped, trapped here at Stowe last night. There is no short dark diagonal at the tip, but it is somewhat worn, and otherwise the features seem to fit. FL is 10 mm. However, based on the distribution and habitat preferences of Oblique Striped, this seems a pretty unlikely record, so I suspect I am missing something... 

Beautiful Marbled, Worminghall, Bucks

One high on the wish list appeared this morning on the side of the MV. Tried to get an out of the pot shot but it flew off strongly before I got a chance. 

The 625th moth species (mostly verified) for the garden. 

 Dear All

This seems a good time to remind everyone about something. I had a big haul this morning, but nothing exciting. There were > 100 Vines Rustics and no Uncertains or Rustics. This is what I would expect at this time of year. In spite of this, each year I continue to receive records of Rustic that continue right into September or even later. Therefore, henceforward please look very carefully before recording anything as a Rustic or an Uncertain, because they are pretty much over (there can be the odd late straggler). Consider hard any you have recorded recently for that matter. Vines Rustic 2nd brood is clearly now building and, here at least, becomes one of the dominant species in the second half of August and early September. These days Uncertain has virtually gone here by the end of July. 

Martin T

Gypsy 2

 

Hot on the heels of Mark's post, I had this Gypsy last night, my first since a couple came on the same night in August 2020. Fascinating moth. Black Arches has visited too but I live in hope of seeing a female Gypsy Moth.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Gypsy Moths - they're everywhere

 I've been having Gyspsy moth coming to lures more frequently now in my Garsington garden. I washed the traps and left them immersed for 40 mins in hot soapy water, bagged them and then put them in a propagator in the garage and still I've seen moths trying to get between the window crack that lets the trap electric cable out.

This afternoon at about 1.30pm I was amazed to see one in Wheatley in the concrete alley / steps between the Merry Bells & Post Office. It looked as if it was attracted to the metal hand rail. 

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford.

Westcott, Bucks

Time for one more fortnightly garden update, although from now on I'll probably go back to posting as and when something interesting happens here.  This has been two weeks of highs and lows, but mostly lows thanks to the weather.  The worst night was the 8th when, between them, the two traps brought in just 62 moths of 34 species, unprecedented for early August.  Contrast that with the 10th, just two nights later, which was another 100+ species night with 556 individual moths.  Thankfully, new arrivals for the year-list have continued to trickle in, but with a distinctly autumnal feel to some of the species now turning up.  They included the following (adult moths only, I've left out the leaf-mines):   

     (1st)  Platyptilia gonodactyla, Epiblema foenella, Six-striped Rustic

     (2nd)  Galleria mellonella, Dusky Thorn

     (3rd)  Udea lutealis, Yellow-legged Clearwing (daytime, to VES lure)

     (4th)  Phyllocnistis saligna, Gypsy Moth

     (5th)  Flounced Rustic

     (6th)  Anthophila fabriciana (daytime), Yellow-barred Brindle

     (7th)  Agonopterix subpropinquella

     (8th)   - nil -

     (9th)  Argyresthia semifusca, Square-spot Rustic

     (10th)  Orthotelia sparganella, Bryotropha domestica, Pandemis corylana, Acleris aspersana, Rosy Rustic, Bulrush Wainscot

     (11th)  Orange Swift, Treble-bar, Buff Footman, Southern Wainscot

     (12th)  Red Underwing

     (13th)  Parectopa ononidis, Catoptria pinella, Small Yellow Wave, Square-spotted Clay

     (14th)  Nomophila noctuella, Svensson's Copper Underwing

     (15th)  Lyonetia prunifoliella, Peacock Moth, Gold Spot  

Galleria mellonella, Westcott 2nd August

Yellow-legged Clearwing, Westcott 3rd August (to VES lure)

Flounced Rustic, Westcott 5th August

Agonopterix subpropinquella, Westcott 7th August

Rosy Rustic, Westcott 10th August

Small Yellow Wave, Westcott 13th August

Square-spotted Clay, Westcott 13th August

The last two illustrated above prove that moths don't always arrive here in pristine condition!  The Small Yellow Wave was on its last legs and is a very uncommon visitor, the last one in the garden having been seen in 2017.  Even rarer and presumably a wanderer from the Chilterns, the very worn Square-spotted Clay is only the second to visit the garden after one here in August 2013. 

Southern Wainscot, Westcott 11th August

Southern Wainscot, Westcott 11th August

Treble-bar, Westcott 11th August

Treble-bar, Westcott 11th August

The two species above require more than just a cursory glance.  Southern Wainscot has slightly hooked wing-tips but the most important feature to see is the banding across the front of the thorax.  This was only the third example to visit the garden, the last being in 2020.  Lesser Treble-bar is very common here but its close relative the Treble-bar only turns up every few years.  As the forewing markings are unreliable when it comes to separating the two species, here (on males at least, which they usually are) it is necessary to check the claspers at the end of the abdomen, long in Treble-bar but short in Lesser Treble-bar.  Easy enough to do with the moth in a pot! 

As would be expected at this time of year, Large Yellow Underwing numbers are on the increase with 30 or more to the actinic on a reasonable night (they do come to the MV as well but it always seems to attract fewer of them).  The new generation of Brimstone Moth is doing well with 44 counted on the 10th, an exceptional number for one night here.  Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Straw Underwing and the Common/Lesser Common Rustic pair are making nightly double-digit counts, but the Footman moths are very much on the wane now.  It is mainly the "grass moths" which are keeping micro numbers ticking over, although on warmer nights the unidentifiable Yponomeutids are still around en masse (79 counted on the 10th, with a further six rorrella but no sign of evonymella which doesn't seem to be having a particularly good year here).     

Jersey Tiger, Westcott 14th August

The splendid Jersey Tiger is obviously resident hereabouts now, with one daytime visitor (14th) and 24 more having graced the garden traps since this year's first example on 19th July - although nearly all came to the actinic.  As numbers are currently still manageable I check each arrival's colours and nine have been of the form lutescens with yellow hind-wings, so roughly a third of them.  The moth's relentless spread north-westwards certainly covers all of the southern half of Bucks up to and including Aylesbury and there have now been quite a few records from further north than that, including Stowe and Olney on the border with Northamptonshire, so if you still haven't seen it you shouldn't have too long to wait!

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks        

Possible White-line Dart?

Catches this summer in Wolvercote, Oxfordshire, have been significantly down on last year, for obvious reasons, although a number of interesting species have shown up. This individual was in the trap on 12th August, and immediately struck me as looking unfamiliar.

A possible match seems to me to be White-line Dart: I'm encouraged by the mention of variability of the species in appearance and in size (this one would be on the large side: 17-18mm), and I think I see what might be described as arrowheads, as mentioned in the mothing Bible. Is that a reasonable identification, or is there something else obvious that I'm missing?

Steve Goddard

Agonopterix alstromeriana query

 Sorry about the ghastly lid colour, which has probably knocked registration of any red on body. I think it is this species; the other identification details fit. The blob on the lid is 5mm diameter. We are one mile from the river Thames and no Hemlock in the immediate vicinity. A casual encounter as it came to light at the window.

Isobel Huggins, Goring on Thames

Slender Pug, or too worn to tell?

Based on the large dark spot, rounded wing, and observation date (10/08), I am thinking that this is probably a worn Slender Pug. I think Maple Pug would not show such an obvious dark spot and would also show a dashed black margin to the wings. Despite Slender Pug being common, I have not recorded one before, so I have no personal experience to draw on.

Query Brindled Beauty

 

Photogrpahed yesterday in Reading. I think this a male Lycia hirtaria, however the flight season information would indicate not. So is it a Brindled Beauty or something different? 

Isobel Huggins, Goring on Thames

Snake/frog

No moths but I just wanted to demonstrate value of having a small garden pond dug to attract wildlife. I found this grass snake, somewhat ambitiously, trying to eat a frog in my pond last Friday.

Alan Diver

Tackley
 

Yponomeutidae

Copulating Yponomeutidae Tackley Heath (SP 465202).

Can they be narrowed down at all from these images?

Alan Diver

Tackley

 

Coleophora mayrella? and others

 Am I safe in identifying this as Coleophora mayrella, based on the extensive area of scales at the base of the antennae?

This I believe is Yponomeuta plumbella, rather than a heavily marked malinellus/cagnagella; new for me if so.

Also new were these two. The first I am sure is Lyonetia clerkella-quite a challenge to spot it in the trap! The second appears to be Zelleria heparella, but the pale streak seems a bit extensive, and I'm not sure about the black spot, so maybe a worn specimen of something else?