Westcott, Bucks

Only a few adult species were added to the garden year-list during the first two weeks of September.  Co-inciding with ivy coming into flower locally, it was good to see Lunar Underwing arriving in force last night (15th) with seven individuals which at least means that overall moth numbers should improve rapidly now for a while even if the variety changes little.

     (1st)  Scrobipalpa ocellatella, likely Pammene spiniana (both retained)

     (4th)  Black Rustic

     (5th)  Palpita vitrealis, Small Mottled Willow, Old Lady

     (6th)  Nomophila noctuella, Brown-spot Pinion

     (7th)  Elachista maculicerusella, Cacoecimorpha pronubana

     (8th)  Sallow, Deep-brown Dart  
     (14th)  Acleris emargana

     (15th)  Lunar Underwing

Elachista maculicerusella, Westcott 7th September

Possible Pammene spiniana, Westcott 1st September

Old Lady, Westcott 5th September

Sallow, Westcott 8th September

Pammene spiniana would be a very good record for Bucks although I have had it once before in the garden.  It seems reluctant to come to light.  This somewhat worn specimen will be checked (as was the first one in 2020) because its condition makes it difficult to separate from some of the other Pammene species.

This was a busy period for migrant moth activity across the UK.  Single examples in the traps here of Delicate (4th September) and then Palpita vitrealis, Small Mottled Willow & Red Admiral (all 5th, the Small Mottled Willow a very battered and worn specimen), Nomophila noctuella (6th) and Dark Sword-grass (7th & 10th) were the only species of any interest although on the 5th the totals in the garden of Large Yellow Underwing (45), Setaceous Hebrew Character (61) & White-point (40) may also have included a percentage of long-distance travellers.  I also ran a couple of traps at BBOWT's Leaches Farm reserve for three hours from dusk on the 6th and possible migrants there included Nomophila noctuella (1), Delicate (5) and Scarce Bordered Straw (1).  Unfortunately there were no sightings for me anywhere of Porter's Rustic (quite a few records across much of the southern UK) or Convolvulus Hawk-moth (many records, especially in the north-east).  However, the "migrant season" will be with us for a while yet so there is still hope, even here in land-locked Buckinghamshire!            

Palpita vitrealis, Westcott 5th September

Delicate, Westcott 4th September

Small Mottled Willow, Westcott 5th September

Scarce Bordered Straw, Leaches Farm 6th September

In order to keep the garden year-list ticking over in early-Autumn I usually have to resort to hunting for leaf-mines and 2024 has been no exception.  We are at the peak time now for this activity and there are currently many different mines out there, especially of those difficult-to-identify Stigmella and Phyllonorycter species, most of which are specific to a particular food-plant.  Yesterday I added Stigmella oxyacanthella (found on hawthorn, but also uses apple and pear) and Phyllonorycter spinicolella (on blackthorn) to those already seen here recently.  The image below is a back-lit view of the oxyacanthella mine showing the distinctive bright green larva and its reddish frass.  As a word of caution it is worth pointing out that mines of Stigmella crataegella (specific to hawthorn) are identical but the latter is active as a larva between late-June and early August while oxyacanthella is active at the same stage during September and October.  Vacated mines can be impossible to separate. 

Stigmella oxyacanthella mine on hawthorn, Westcott 15th Sept

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks