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