Away trapping

I have permission to trap regularly at ten "away" sites in Bucks this year but have only managed visits to six of them during May because the nights haven't really been good enough.  Sitting in cold, wet meadows or woodland for hours on end with little to show for it isn't that much fun, especially when this is supposed to be a hobby!  Hopefully we'll get some much warmer nights in June.  I've been prioritizing visits to sites in our under-recorded 10km square SP82 and last night (29th) I did manage to fit in a trip to a location near Soulbury in what turned out to be reasonable conditions (breezy but only a bit of drizzle and temperature still 14C at 2am).  Fifty species between two MV traps in the usual three hours was actually quite an acceptable return.  There was nothing particularly unexpected but the fresh Green Arches shown below was a very welcome sight:

Green Arches, Soulbury 29th May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Early Footman - but which one?

 Only Footman which has this early a date is Orange but it doesn't look right.  Help please.

Steve Lockey (Garsington)

 

Forester search

We had dull and overcast weather conditions for much of this afternoon - perfect for a Forester search!  I visited a couple of private fields near Grendon Underwood, Bucks and the moth was out in both of them although numbers were still fairly low.  They tend not to fly unless the sun is out and I find they're far easier to track down when sitting around on their favourite flowers (mainly Ragged Robin, Red Clover and thistles, although today I also found a couple on Ox-eye Daisies and one on a buttercup stem).  One field, where I recorded 97 individuals on the same date in 2020, produced seven today, while in the other one I found eleven.

Forester on Red Clover, nr Grendon Underwood 29th May

Forester on Ox-eye Daisy, nr Grendon Underwood 29th May

Foresters on thistle, nr Grendon Underwood 29th May

Other species seen included Cauchas rufimitrella, Crambus lathoniellus, Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion and Silver Y, plus this rather splendid Adela croesella:

Adela croesella, nr Grendon Underwood 29th May

While driving around it was very obvious that Yponomeuta cagnagella is having a good season because almost without exception all hedgerow spindle is currently covered in their larval webs.  The plant illustrated below has got off lightly because it still has some greenery present - most have nothing left at all and are thus far more obvious!

Spindle covered in webs of Yponomeuta cagnagella

Larval cluster of Yponomeuta cagnagella almost ready to pupate

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

A nice garden first (Great Tortrix)

 In Stoke Goldington, North Bucks, last night. Choristoneura hebenstreitella, a first garden record.

Prays conundrum

I am tending towards Prays ruficeps for this specimen, but there does appear to be a slightly darker ghosting on the wing, which may push it towards the dark form of P. fraxinella?

A second Upper Thames record of Light Knot Grass

It was quite a surprise when Richard Ellis found Light Knot Grass in Bucks in 2019. There has now been a further surprise: Simon Van Toller has reported another specimen, from Windsor Great Park in Berkshire on 7 May this year. Not a species I would have predicted as an addition to the Berkshire county list! Light Knot Grass is resident in the north and west of Britain, and as far as I'm aware it is not normally known to show migratory behaviour, which makes the two Upper Thames records something of a mystery.

Light Knot Grass from Windsor Great Park -
photo by Simon Van Toller (shared with permission)

Nutmeg?

 Is this the Nutmeg?  First I think it is then I don't.   Help!

Steve Lockey (Garsington)

Dusky Clearwing luring in VC23

 Dear VC23 Recorders

Two questions - first question is anyone trapping for Dusky Clearwing in VC23 this year?  Second question would anyone like a trap and lure in order to do so? I'm looking for people who live near near significant amounts of Black Poplar and/or Aspen (or other non-public place) and could check the trap daily until about mid July?

I'm simply unlikely to have time. We're in the flight period now. Let me know by email. 

Thanks

Martin Townsend

Nemapogon koenigi

 Three Nemapogon koenigi to a VES lure late afternoon---the third year in succession that I have had this species to VES here. The atlas seems to have very few records for Bucks, but I wonder whether more widespread deployment of the lure would reveal it to be more common? I have not had it to light.

                                             Nemapogon koenigi, Stowe, 05 May 2025
 

Pale micro (Ocnerostoma piniariella?)

 Is this micro identifiable please?

Steve Lockey (Garsington)

Banded Pine Carpet in Denham

 Pungeleria capreolaria, male, came to Mv 23-24 May in Denham - a surprise as probably new to Bucks. Not a 'migrant' night, and not accompanied by a Silver Y, although have had 8 of them since 13th May.

Checking my brindles

Both these moths were in last night's garden trap, and I just wanted to double-check their ids. I think this first one is Clouded Brindle.

And the second smaller one I think is Small Clouded Brindle.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Red Twin-spot Carpet?

I trapped this moth in west Oxon on 19th May. It looks like a poorly-marked Red Twin-spot Carpet to me. Does anybody have a different opinion?

Thanks,

David Hastings

Adventive Earias sp. to Denham

A female Earias species (related to the Cream-bordered Green Pea) and the second for the UK came to mv 20-21 May in Denham, Bucks.

The two possible species are from the Asian/Australasian region, and Earias roseifera is now known in Northern Italy where the larvae damage Azalea buds. Earias roseoviridis is almost identical but has not yet occurred in Europe. Genetic studies will determine which of the two the Denham specimen belongs to.

A couple of caterpillars

 Not my observation, but I was asked to comment on the ID of these two. The first from Stowe NT, looks rather like Gypsy Moth and the second from Boarstall Decoy might be Brindled Green. If the first is indeed Gypsy Moth, it will be new for this part of Bucks

Thanks

Phil T

Three micros new to the garden

 Micros have been a bit few and far between so far this year but these 3 would all be new site records.

Semioscopis steinkellneriana 14th May

Pammene rhediella 14th May

Platyptilia gonodactyla 21st May

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Caterpillar ID query

 

Any thoughts on the identity of this little chap, on a blade of field grass on top of a gate support pillar, would be much appreciated.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

 And one more. I was not sure, as unfamiliar with either, whether this was a poplar kitten or a sallow - from forewing measurement of 19 mm and pattern I think a poplar though on 7 May a little early? Oxford garden.

Andrew

 Not sure whether possible to tell but is the first Argyresthia cupressella? And the second one Acrobasis consociella? Oxford garden on 17 May.

Andrew Lack

Can you help with this moth-trapping questionnaire?

We circulated details recently of some research work being done by Iona Cunningham-Eurich, relating to parasitoid wasps. Iona has also requested help with a short questionnaire that asks you more generally about your moth-trapping interests and perceptions. Only takes about ten minutes and was thought-provoking to do!

Click here for the questionnaire.

Looking for confirmation - Bryotropha affinis?

 Looking for confirmation, is this Bryotropha affinis? Garsington, Oxford.

While I'm here, a couple of other micros that I'm more sure of, Platyedra subcinerea and from this morning,Assara terebrella.

 

Cryptoblabes bistriga

 After most nights this month with counts of species in the mid-twenties, suddenly Friday night went mad in the garden with 180 moths of 49 species, including this micro below which I am fairly confident is Cryptoblabes bistriga. If so, per the atlas, it seems to be not very often recorded in NW Bucks--up to 2022 at least--with just one record from 2010.

Scoparia pyralella?

 Photographed at Sands Bank Nature Reserve High Wycombe.  Would be grateful to know whether this is an early Scoparia pyralella or one of the other Scopariinae please?  Want to ensure the record on the transect sheet is correct.  Sorry that the colour is poor on the photo as taken in strong sun under the bush.

Red-Twin-spot Carpet?

 This moth caught night of 16th in my MV trap.

Very upright stance and general pattern suggest above but no spots!

Please confirm/advise.

Recording Clover Case-bearer types

I understand that even with very good photos of antennal features, that the similar greeny-bronze case bearer moths still need to be genitally determined to ascertain species. Are such specimens, with good photo but no gen det. simply to be recorded as Coleophora in iRecord, or is there a way of further narrowing down, as we do with Marbled Minor agg?

Pug ID ?

These two pugs were trapped on May 10th at Otmoor. Not sure if they both Mottled or possibly Brindled or neither of the above?? Apologies for quality of one of the pictures. 

Westcott, Bucks

As might be expected in the first half of May, there were a significant number of new arrivals here, with the following amongst those added to the garden year-list:

      (1st)  Monopis weaverella, Mompha epilobiella, Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Dichrorampha acuminatana, Pebble Hook-tip, Common Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Ochreous Pug, Currant Pug, Seraphim, Yellow-barred Brindle, Purple Thorn, Pale Prominent, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger,

Silver Y.

      (2nd)  Coxcomb Prominent.

      (3rd)  Common Pug.

      (4th)  Esperia sulphurella, Scrobipalpa acuminatella, Iron Prominent.

      (5th)  Argyresthia trifasciata, Syndemis musculana, Cnephasia communana (retained for checking), Poplar Grey.

      (6th)  White Ermine, Orange Footman, Spectacle.

      (7th)  Sandy Carpet, V-Pug, Mottled Pug.

      (8th)  Maiden's Blush, Tawny-barred Angle, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Sallow Kitten, Poplar Kitten, Rustic Shoulder-knot.

      (9th)  Monopis laevigella, Notocelia cynosbatella, Anania hortulata, Figure of Eighty, Puss Moth, Treble Lines.

      (10th)  Celypha lacunana, Common Marbled Carpet.

      (11th)  Tinea trinotella, Bucculatrix thoracella, Phtheochroa rugosana, Epinotia immundana, Lesser Treble-bar.

      (12th)  Bryotropha affinis, Aethes smeathmanniana, Aphomia sociella, Grass Rivulet, Common Wave, Small Square-spot.

      (13th)  Caloptilia robustella (retained for checking), Argyresthia spinosella, Prays ruficeps, Common Swift, Light Emerald, Pale Tussock, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Marbled Minor (retained for checking), Light Brocade, Common Wainscot.

      (14th)  Crassa tinctella, Glyphipterix thrasonella, Clouded Border, Clouded Silver, Buff-tip, Snout.  

      (15th)  Knot Grass.

Pebble Hook-tip, Westcott 1st May

Grass Rivulet, Westcott 12th May

Sandy Carpet, Westcott 7th May

Ochreous Pug, Westcott 1st May

Puss Moth, Westcott 9th May

Marbled Minor agg, Westcott 13th May

Best of the bunch from this period, though, were the two micros on the 14th.  Crassa tinctella is a completely new moth for the garden and its larvae are thought to feed on lichens.  Glyphipterix thrasonella has only visited once previously and that was back in 2013.  This one is associated with rushes and is fairly common locally in the damp meadows along the River Ray catchment. 

Crassa tinctella, Westcott 14th May

Glyphipterix thrasonella, Westcott 14th May

Two female Emperor Moths visited over this period (one on the 1st, the other on the 5th) and both left some eggs in the trap which will be released in due course after they've hatched.

The Orthosia species have all but finished now.  Hebrew Character continued to appear nightly over this period until the 11th, by which time this year's total had reached 631 individuals, then another singleton appeared on the 14th.  The last Powdered Quaker was seen on the 8th while a single Clouded Drab visited on the 11th (the first since 30th April).  Of the other early species, Brindled Beauty has had its best ever year here with 41 individuals seen in the garden so far, beating 26 recorded two years ago.  Prior to 2019 it wasn't even an annual visitor and I'd be lucky to see two or three here in a season. 

Non-moths in the traps over this period have included a queen Hornet (9th, unusual here) and two of the large may-fly species Ephemera vulgata and Ephemera danica (both 12th, danica again on the 15th).  The very smelly sexton beetle Nicrophorus humator turns up most nights now and the first Cockchafer of the season appeared on the 12th.  

Ephemera danica, Westcott 15th May

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

id help please with 2 micros

 I've been failing to identify these two so would appreciate help please