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