Festive lamp conversion

Merry Christmas all!  I am hoping to attract three Wise Moths although it looks as though they will have to have travelled from very afar, being a type of Ghost Moth endemic to New Zealand.  All warmest and here's hoping for more everyday but still interesting arrivals in the New Year!  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Moth Dissection website

 It is that time of year again. We are still a little short of funds to keep the website up and running into 2025, so this is an appeal to anyone that sends me moths to dissect and hasn't done so, or anyone else who uses the fantastic website at all, to consider making a donation to help its upkeep.  https://mothdissection.co.uk/donate.php

Thanks

Peter

Wingless Females

I took a couple of MV traps to Finemere Wood yesterday evening because it was so mild, hoping to find the uncommon tortrix Exapate congelatella which flies at this time of year.  This is the fourth year I've looked for it there since getting a couple to light in mid-December 2020, but once again it failed to show.  There were quite a few other moths around with about 130 individuals brought to the lights, of which most were Mottled Umber (94 counted).  A quick look at the oak trunk to which I chained one of my generators produced a female Mottled Umber as well as two mated pairs of Winter Moth.

Mottled Umber female, Finemere Wood 15th December 2024

Winter Moth female, Finemere Wood 15th December 2024

The only other moths of passing interest were a couple of Pale Brindled Beauties, two early examples of "next year's moths".

Pale Brindled Beauty, Finemere Wood 15th December 2024

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Westcott, Bucks

Much as you might expect, the first half of December proved to be very quiet in the garden.  Ten different adult moth species were recorded (Plutella xylostella, Mompha jurassicella, Acleris schalleriana, Udea ferrugalis, December Moth, Winter Moth, Feathered Thorn, Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber & Red-line Quaker) but Storm Darragh mid-way through this period seemed to finish off many species as well as providing me with three blank nights.  Apart from the appearance of another December Moth last night (15th), the past week has seen only two of those ten species making continued visits and, unsurprisingly, they were Winter Moth and Mottled Umber.  

Mottled Umbers, Westcott 10th December

A Scarce Umber on 4th December was the latest I've had that species in the garden (until now they've always been confined to November here).  It also proved to be the 40th individual this year which is a site record, the previous high being 29 in 2023 - a rare good news story amongst this year's moths.

Merry Christmas one and all.  Not long now before the counter is reset to zero and we start all over again in 2025, which surely has to be a better year than 2024?!

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

Mystery pupa/cocoon

 Hello there,

I spotted this on cherry plum today and wondered what on earth it is! It was about 5-7mm long and had lengthwise ridges. Moth, sawfly, something else. Any ideas? Thanks.

E-moth

The latest edition of the E-moth newsletter from Butterfly Conservation is now available and can be downloaded here.

Spiny Hook-tip confirmed (and a thorny problem)

David Carter caught a male hook-tip in Windsor (Berkshire) on 8 November 2024. From the appearance and the late date Dave thought this was a candidate for Spiny Hook-tip, and it has now been confirmed following Peter Hall's dissection.

Congratulations to Dave on a new macro-moth species for the county (and the first confirmed record for Upper Thames as a whole as far as I'm aware). Elsewhere Spiny Hook-tip seems to be established in an fairly large area around Bristol and nearby parts of South Wales, since 2023 and maybe earlier, based on gen. det. records; confirmed or suspected records are now accumulating in a number of other English counties. The caterpillars feed on Holm Oak, but may also use other oaks and possibly birches.

The thorny problem is that Spiny Hook-tip is very similar to Oak Hook-tip, and as yet it is not clear to what extent the markings and colours overlap between the two species. Clues for Spiny Hook-tip seem to be focused mostly on the wing apex, where the black markings and contrasting pale patches often have a slightly different shape in the two species. Some individuals of Spiny also have a darker greyish tint over the wing as a whole. But the markings seem to vary between individuals, and it is not clear to me whether the distinguishing features are consistent throughout the year. And of course worn specimens will pose further problems. Further work is needed to clarify the extent to which the two species can be distinguished by sight.

The dissection for Dave's moth can be seen on the Moth Dissection website. See also a discussion on BirdForum about the records from other counties and some of the potential distinguishing features.

Spiny Hook-tip, Windsor, 8 November 2024, recorded and photographed by Dave Carter

Eupithecia satyrata?

A pug larva was found looping away on a beech leaf during our work party yesterday at Dancersend Nature Reserve. I think it may be Satyr Pug Eupithecia satyrata. Can a satisfactory identification be made from these photos?

 Mick Jones

Blogger problems?

I would be interested to know how many people are still having difficulty using Blogger.  One or two of you have mentioned to me problems which range between being unable to comment through to being unable to access the website at all.  If you are not able to add a comment below, I'd appreciate an email to the administration address [burnhamlodge (at) gmail.com] explaining what problem(s) you currently have and what version of Windows you are using.  I should say that I've never had trouble myself but I don't use Windows 11.  I can access the site on computers here using both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 as well as via Safari on my iPhone and, so long as I'm signed in correctly to Google with the address which Blogger recognizes, there's been no difficulty adding comments using any of them.  It is important to stress that Blogger will only recognize you if you are still using the email address provided when you originally signed up to the blog.  If it has changed since then, you'll need to ask me for another invitation to join.     

Agonopterix umbellana?

In the garden trap this weekend was this moth. It looks like Agonopterix umbellana - is this correct? If so, it would be a new addition to the garden list.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Westcott, Bucks

Things have quietened down considerably in the garden so on 17th November I reverted to "winter operations", running a twin-30wt actinic light inside the conservatory and then potting up before dawn whatever turns up at the windows.  In this period there were four occasions (19th to 22nd) when the temperature hovered around freezing at dusk and then fell further very quickly so no moths at all were seen, but otherwise I did get something for my trouble each night even though numbers fell significantly after that cold snap.

Active species here between 16th November and the end of the month were Mompha subbistrigella, Acleris schalleriana, December Moth, Red-green Carpet, Cypress Carpet, Winter Moth, Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber, Feathered Thorn, Satellite, Chestnut, Angle Shades & Silver Y, while singletons of Tineola bisselliella were found indoors on a couple of occasions.  This is far fewer species than the count for the same period last year (see here) but you can't have everything!  Last night (30th) brought in Acleris schalleriana (1), December Moth (6, including two females), Cypress Carpet (1), Winter Moth (6), Scarce Umber (1), Mottled Umber (1) & Angle Shades (1).  The Angle Shades on 28th and 30th were the only possible signs of migration.

Cypress Carpet, Westcott 30th November

Cypress Carpet has done really well here during October and November with 31 different individuals recorded, so it is definitely established now locally.  That's not bad considering the first to be seen here was in November 2021.  Three more followed in October/November 2023 and then ten appeared during May/June this year before the influx this autumn.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks   

Buttoned up

 

I have more or less given up on the light trap for the winter, though it may go into service with a large template as a Christmas star to dazzle our neighbours for a few nights next month.  So it was nice to find two Buttoned Snouts accompanying me today in our cobwebby attic where I'm organising, or trying to, vast piles of family papers.  I only saw the species for the first time in April this year, but it's clearly taken a liking to Thrupp.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon.

Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella

Although it is brown rather than green, I'm pretty sure this is a pupal cocoon of Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella in a mine on a Snowberry leaf. I will see what emerges in due course...

Effect of bulb type on moth trap catch and composition in UK gardens

Interesting article at https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/8079/

Westcott, Bucks

Much of the first half of November was better than expected in the garden thanks to the stationary anticyclone which kept us in relatively warm conditions even though it remained very gloomy.  47 different adult moth species put in appearances here over the period (13 micros, 34 macros) and species numbers for each catch remained in the mid-20s which is quite good for the time of year.  With that warmer weather now just a memory and much colder conditions in store, at least for the next week or so, catches here each night have dropped to single digits already both for species and individual moths.  There were a small number of new arrivals for the 2024 garden list during the warmer part of this period and everything which can reasonably be expected for the year has now turned up:

     (1st)  Scarce Umber

     (5th)  Caloptilia rufipennella (retained), December Moth

     (6th)  Caloptilia betulicola/elongella (retained)

     (9th)  Diurnea lipsiella

The two Caloptilia species have been kept for checking (rufipennella is quite common here, but I have very few garden records of either betulicola or elongella).  A nice fresh example of Diurnea lipsiella on the 9th was, surprisingly, a first for Westcott and takes the site lepidoptera list to at least 1,115 species (further possible additions await dissection).  On that note, I had a very good candidate for Spiny Hook-tip on 1st November which has joined a handful of others from back in September that await critical examination, although I think the earlier ones will all turn out to be Oak Hook-tip which seems to have had a better than usual autumn brood locally. 

Caloptilia species, Westcott 6th November

Diurnea lipsiella, Westcott 9th November

December Moths, Westcott 5th November

Scarce Umber, Westcott 1st November

Scarce Umber is doing rather well at the moment (26 individuals to date, meaning that last year's record total of 29 is likely to be surpassed).  Feathered Thorn has also been appearing in good numbers with 123 so far this autumn which makes it the second highest count ever here, although I suspect it will struggle to beat the 149 seen in the garden last year because the moth is now well past its peak.  

Possible migrants over this period included Udea ferrugalis (3rd, 7th, 8th), Palpita vitrealis (1st, 10th), Turnip Moth (2nd), Dark Sword-grass (1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 15th), Angle Shades (2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th), Pale Mottled Willow (1st, 10th) and Silver Y (1st, 2nd, 3rd).  Another example of Musotima nitidalis appeared on the 1st.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

UK Moth Recorders' Meeting, 25th Jan 2025 (via Zoom)

Details of the above are now available.  Advanced booking (free) is essential at the link here. 

Common Marbled Carpet?

This carpet was attracted to my actinic garden light on Friday night. I think it must be one of the many forms of Common Marbled Carpet, but a second opinion would be welcome.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Problem with irecord

 I had a frustrating experience yesterday.I had uploaded 40 odd species from a summer MV trap but when I completed the “where was it” tab it wouldn’t save.I went through the process several times.I had to leave and record not saved as of this morning.

I had a go with a recent catch (2 moths!) and it worked but I am nervous about risking big summer catches!

Have others had this problem?

I am I missing something?

Best

Will

Scarce Bordered Straw

 Not one but two Scarce Bordered Straw to Penn garden on 28/10/2024

Scarce Bordered Straw?

 Rather worn, but is this Scarce Bordered Straw? There's a hint of a broad dark outer band, but not much else to go on, and it's not a species I have had before. 

Jersey Mocha

 The 05/09/24 was one of my highest catches of the year to my Penn garden

with 129 Large Yellow Underwing. It also produced this individual which i think is a Jersey Mocha

A boat-load of immigrants in Stoke Goldington (N. Bucks)?

On the night of 3rd November, this interesting Flame Shoulder dropped in, accompanied by a nice female Gem and beaten up Udea ferrugalis. I think it could be a candidate for Radford's, going by the elongated shape, smallness of the stigmata, and extension of the black line beyond.

Another Scarce Bordered Straw?

Following on from a post last week, I think this moth attracted to my garden actinic trap last night is also a Scarce Bordered Straw.

I have not seen this moth before, so it would be a new addition to my garden list. Steve Trigg, Cookham

Hook-tips

Hi All

I just wanted to mention that any Watsonalla hook-tips, especially in autumn, should be retained in case of W. uncinula. For some technical reason I can't see comments, so I don't know what has been said about the very recent one. Obviously, if anyone wants to reply please do so directly to my email or I won't be able to see it. 

I was previously only able to access the site by deleting all site-related cookies but this time it tells me there aren't any, even though I had just been looking at it. I know others have had issues and something is clearly still awry. 

I had another vitrealis last night along with gamma and xylostella. 

Martin

Late Oak Hook-tip

Amongst the usual autumn moths in the garden trap last night was an Oak Hook-tip.

This is the latest I have recorded this moth, but I see from the Upper Thames Atlas that there have been other records even later in November. The only immigrant in the trap was a single Palpita vitrealis. Steve Trigg, Cookham

Dioryctria species?

 

Steve Lockey (Garsington)

Westcott, Bucks

Time for another fortnightly update from mid-Bucks.  Catches by the two garden actinic traps have continued to tick over nicely because there have been few really cold nights yet this autumn.  A quick check just now showed that I'd recorded 62 different adult species here since 16th October, although catches each night have generally been somewhere in the 20s, so there is still quite a variety of moths out there.  For those of you who put your traps away in the winter (shame on you!) it certainly isn't time to do so just yet.

New for the season on 29th October was Winter Moth, while newcomers for the garden year-list over this period have been:

     (16th)  Sprawler

     (28th)  Phyllonorycter messaniella

     (29th)  Pearly Underwing

Winter Moth, Westcott 29th October

Sprawler, Westcott 16th October

This has been a reasonably good period for migrant activity at Westcott although most of the rarer species which people have been recording elsewhere seem to have avoided this area!  The following were seen in the garden:  Plutella xylostella (18th, 26th), Udea ferrugalis (22nd, 29th, 30th), Nomophila noctuella (29th), Palpita vitrealis (21st, 22nd, two on 29th), Silver Y (28th, two on 29th), Delicate (many nights, ten over the period), Pearly Underwing (29th) & Dark Sword-grass (21st, 22nd).   

Delicate, Dark Sword-grass & Palpita vitrealis,
Westcott 21st October

Pearly Underwing, Westcott 29th October

Of the other species recorded, Musotima nitidalis (24th) was the third one to be trapped here after a visitor in the previous two-week period and another last autumn which was the first for the site.   This adventive is certainly a smart-looking moth when fresh.  A Dewick's Plusia on the 28th was the latest example I've had here, but otherwise there has been nothing of particular note in the traps.

Musotima nitidalis, Westcott 24th October

Dewick's Plusia, Westcott 28th October

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Lunar underwing?

Thought this was lunar underwing but GMS spreadsheet tells me its outside the flight time so please may I have id help for this one too.
 

Tortrix id help please

Still being stumped by tortrix id this late in the year so your help would be much appreciated.  Thanks
 

Marvellous as ever

 

I've been too superstitious to mention my wait for the Merveille du Jour to friends and I was beginning to wonder whether it would arrive this year before I pack things up. Last night, it did. Or rather they did, two fresh and beautiful specimens. Perhaps they were also attracted by our pumpkin.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Another new species for our region

Yesterday Andy & Melissa Banthorpe discovered mines of Ectoedemia hannoverella on black poplar by the River Ouse near Olney, Bucks which is a first for our three counties.  The moth has been spreading very slowly westwards from East Anglia since its discovery in Suffolk in 2002.  A page for the species (and some photos of the mine) have now been added to our on-line Atlas.

Scarce bordered straw?

Hi there,

After a few nights of catching nothing, this turned up in my trap this morning. I'm thinking it's a scarce bordered straw. As it's got the word "scarce" in the name and I've never seen one before, I thought I better ask the experts. Is this another of those immigrant species that now also breeds here? Sorry the pictures are poor, it wasn't very co-operative. The dark photo was taken inside, and the colour was much lighter, really a light olive. I added the other picture to show that it had a dark band on the underwing.

Important News from MapMate

 

MAPMATE ALERTS! ISSUE 169

Welcome

Very Important Notice

As some of you may know, I have designed, run and supported MapMate since its creation 25 years ago. It is now time for me to start to think about retirement! This is a very difficult thing for me to do, both logistically and personally.

The first step is to close down the business side, for which I have the following timetable: From today, 28 October 2024, to 30 November 2024 inclusive, will be the last chance to renew licences and to obtain any new licences (CUKs) you may require for the near future. From 1st December inclusive no new business transactions will be accepted and no more CUKs will be issued or renewed. If your licence runs out in December, or first quarter 2025, or anytime next year, then you may wish to renew now. Licences are renewed from their expiry date, even if this is in the future. "MapMate Ltd" will then close for business on 31st December 2024.

Moving forward...Users will be supported, updated, and the infrastructure maintained (funded privately) until the last licence has expired. During 2025, important aspects of the program (like making taxon update patches) will be passed on to any interested parties. Hopefully over this time you can decide what's next for your recording or continue using MapMate for as long as our recording community (and Windows!) supports it.

If you have any questions please direct them to me at support@mapmate.co.uk.

Mark Yeates
For MapMate Ltd
28 October 2024

Ectoedemia quinquella

David Lees carried out some searching for leaf-mines at Burnham Beeches today and was lucky enough to find active mines of Ectoedemia quinquella within "green islands" on a decaying oak leaf.  This was a first for Bucks and is a species well worth keeping an eye out for at the moment (there are quite often several mines to a leaf, as in this case).  David also found a leaf-edge fold of Parornix carpinella on hornbeam, a rare moth in the county. 

Ectoedemia quinquella mines on oak,
Burnham Beeches 27th October

Ectoedemia quinquella mine, Burnham Beeches 27th October

A couple of late (ish) records.

 Both P. ruralis and Buff Arches last night to MV; and A. ipsilon (2) and Box moth (2, both forms) to MV. Of these is the Buff Arches latest for Bucks?

24 October.

Harris Tweed

 

Good to have a couple of tweed-coated Sprawlers in the very lightly-populated trap, one of the few remaining regulars which had not yet showed. Also my first Mottled Umber of the year, a Barred Sallow and a Black Rustic. My iPhone's bug-spotter got them all right - and for those intrigued by such technological novelties, it also newly allows me to isolate, copy and paste the images - minus a leg, antenna or two - into emails to the grandchildren.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Micro from MV trap 24th

 Possibly Cnephasia sp?

Looks distinctive but can’t pin it down.Thoughts?

Best

Will