Is this Taleporia tubulosa?

I had this small moth come to actinic light in the garden last night. I think it is a male Taleporia tubulosa, a moth I have not seen before.

When inspecting some herbs in the garden yesterday, I found 2 of these caterpillars on salad burnet. Is this the Knot Grass larva?

Steve Trigg, Cookham

More wild guesses?

I'm thinking the first image is Anthophila fabriciana, and the second seems to have characteristics of both Nemophora degeerella and Adela croesella. It's antennae are VERY long - am I anywhere near?

Thanks, David

Too worn, too late, or...

...could this be Ochreous Pug? 

Phil T 

New for Bucks

Today a small group of us spent several hours searching the Bucks part of a private MoD site at Arncott for early stages of some of the rarer micro-moths associated with Dyer's Greenweed which is locally abundant in grassland there.  We found quite a few small larvae on the plant but almost all of them were either noctuids (Orthosia species) or those of the butterfly Green Hairstreak.  There was no sign of Mirificarma lentiginosella or Agonopterix atomella which were the caterpillars we'd hoped to track down after they'd both been found at nearby Otmoor last year.

Dyer's Greenweed, Arncott 11th June

However, the disappointment of not finding our target species was offset by making an unexpected discovery on a different uncommon plant.  We had Will Langdon with us who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of micro larval food-plants so when he saw a large stand of Viper's Bugloss (difficult to miss this ostentatious blue flower at the moment!) the sweep net went into action and, sure enough, three or four examples of Tinagma ocnerostomella were captured.  It is a moth which prior to this date had failed to trouble the scorers in Bucks so was a very good find indeed for the county.  I have to say, though, that this tiny species isn't the most exciting to look at - barely 4mm in length, it is a speckled grey colour with no distinguishing features!

Tinagma ocnerostomella, Arncott 11th June

Viper's Bugloss, Arncott 11th June

Other species found during the course of the day included larvae of Psyche casta, Yponomeuta padella, Helcystogramma rufescens, Emperor Moth & Knot Grass while adult moths included Glyphipterix simpliciella, Glyphipterix thrasonella, Tortrix viridana, Commophila aeneana, Celypha lacunana, Grapholita compositella, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Forester, Six-spot Burnet, Blood-vein, Common Heath, Cinnabar, Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion, Silver Y & Straw Dot.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

Currant Clearwing

These three Currant Clearwing to TIP lure here today sometime between 11.15 and 16.15, a new species for my garden site:

 Richard Ellis

Chorleywood

Leafmine?

I think this may be a mine of Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, although it seems a bit early, so maybe something else entirely. However, if it is, I wonder whether anyone could advise on how best to rear it through? If I understand correctly this is a bivoltine species, with some mines over-wintering, and some having a shorter summer cycle, so this should produce an adult in August/September.
Should I just remove the leaf and stalk and keep it hydrated or...?
Thanks
Phil T

Also today Pammene aurana found in my VES lure trap, (but the intended target species didn't show!)

 

Red-tipped Clearwing in the Chalfonts

I had one of these very smart beasties come to the FOR lure this afternoon . It must have arrived between 1 and 1.30pm.  A nice new species for my parents garden in Chalfont St Peter. 

More Wheatley ID’s please

 A few other moths caught in my Robinson trap on Wednesday night that have defeated me.  Is the second simply a Common Wainscot that has lost all its colour - it seemed almost white ?

Richard Harding

Parapoynx stratiotata?

 Never had this one before - have I got it right?

Thanks, David

Hedya pruniana?

 Rare for me to stick my novice neck out with a new micro for my area! Am I right??

Thanks, David

Ephestia elutella?

This moth was in my actinic trap in Aston yesterday morning. It looks like Ephestia elutella to me. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks,

David

More Clearwings

My first result to one of the clearwing pheromones was achieved at about 2pm yesterday afternoon when the FOR lure brought in Red-tipped Clearwing (two individuals).  That lure was then replaced outside by VES which by 5pm had attracted Nemapogon koenigi, a known by-catch of that particular pheromone.

Red-tipped Clearwing, Westcott 7th June

Nemapogon koenigi, Westcott 7th June

There are getting on for 20 records of Nemapogon koenigi in Bucks (the species was formerly known as N.wolfiella), but they are from only half a dozen sites so it is probably under-recorded.

In a brief sunny interlude between thundery showers late this afternoon I tried the TIP lure and it brought in a Currant Clearwing at 5.30pm.

Currant Clearwing, Westcott 8th June

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Argyresthia cupressella

I'm assuming this is Argyresthia cupressella. As there have been no Buck records of this adventive North American species in iRecord, I thought I would give it a mention. Only about 4mm long, and easily overlooked, I am quite pleased with the way the photo turned out. It would be nice to know its current status in Bucks/Oxon. There are quite a few iRecord records in Berks, but that may be an artefact of the recording rather than the true distribution.

The micro, below, also caused me some confusion at first, but then I realised it is probably just one of the many guises of E. postvitana.

Late Waved Umber, Orange Tipped Clearwing and Green Oak Tortrix "invasion"

 I was surprised to catch this Waved Umber last night - I usually see these much earlier - this must be at the tail end of the main generation.

First clearwing of the year, Orange tipped, to VES lure this afternoon.

There have been a number of reports of a large influx of Green Oak Tortrix to Norfolk and on the south coast. I don't think anyone knew it did that. I get one every few years, I had 2 this morning. I think there may have been a couple of others that flew off. Maybe these were part of a local dispersal or maybe they are from this influx that arrived a few days ago.

Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford.

A pollinator in action

Amongst last night's 138 moths of 40 species in the garden here (rather more than expected with all that rain after midnight) was a Small Elephant Hawk-moth with orchid pollinia attached to its face.

Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Westcott 4th June

I first noticed this on the same species back in 2015 (see report on the blog here) but it has taken seven years to see it again!

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

A Choreutid and a Noctuid

I know that Nettle-tap is around at the moment, but I wondered if this moth below is more likely to be Choreutis pariana (Apple Leaf Skeletonizer). There are both nettles and apple trees in the garden.

Like David Hastings, I also have a noctuid I am not sure about, but it may be too worn for a positive id.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

TIP lure and Yponomeuta larvae

 Having put the TIP lure out on Friday it attracted its target species (Currant Clearwing) as well as 2 Psychoides one of which I think is verhuella which would be a new garden record. The other (not photographed) was filicivora which is fairly common here.

Also down a local lane there are about a dozen Spindle bushes that are covered in occupied larval webs.

The bushes have been stripped almost completely bare. Given the foodplant is it appropriate to record these as Yponomeuta cagnagella?

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Noctuid ID please

 I had these two in my actinic trap in Aston a couple of nights ago. I'm still having difficulty identifying them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

David

Bucks rarities

Two very good records were obtained yesterday evening during another trip to the far north of the county.  North of Olney I saw a larval web on roadside blackthorn so stopped to investigate and it proved to be that of Small Eggar with most of the larvae (or at least those that didn't scurry off to hide inside the web!) in their final instar.  This is the second such larval web I've found in this area over the last few years and there have been occasional adult sightings too, so it is well worth keeping an eye open if you happen to be driving in the area around Olney or Lavendon at the moment - the webs are quite obvious but do need to be checked in case they are those made by Lackey or the Yponomeuta micros.  This is the western extent of a population of Small Eggar which lies mainly in Bedfordshire where the moth, or at least its webs, are still seen quite regularly.  The adults are likely to be under-recorded due to their very early flight period in March and April.

Larvae of Small Eggar, nr Olney 3rd June

I was en route to trapping in one of the woods in Yardley Chase and there the star attraction proved to be Concolorous.  I've long thought that we ought to be able to get more records of this very rare species in the far north of the county and in the past I've tried for it in Salcey Forest but without any luck.  Having finally obtained permission from the Forestry Commission to search those woods in Yardley Chase which lie in Bucks (like Salcey, most of the site is in Northamptonshire), last night I got lucky and six came to light - five to a 15w synergetic Heath trap and the other to a 125w MV Robinson.  It was very pleasing to confirm that the moth is indeed resident in the county!

Concolorous, Yardley Chase 3rd June

The picture above shows a male Concolorous (left) and the slightly longer-winged female (right).    

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Westcott, Bucks

Things have finally started to pick in the garden over the past two nights, with 150 moths of 57 species on Thursday and 185 of 60 species last night.  Last night could have been so much better, though, if there had been a few more micros.  Only eight micro species turned up so they must have been put off by the ever-increasing north-easterly breeze.  New arrivals for the year-list on Thursday included Argyresthia glaucinella, Lyonetia clerkella, Elachista apicipunctella, Anania perlucidalis, Eudonia pallida, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Mottled Rustic, Clouded-bordered Brindle & Ingrailed Clay, while last night's additions were Tortrix viridana, Rhodophaea formosa, Peach Blossom, Privet Hawk-moth, Grey Pug, Beautiful Hook-tip, Miller, Coronet, Small Dotted Buff & Clouded Brindle.

Anania perlucidalis, Westcott 2nd June

Privet Hawk-moth, Westcott 3rd June

Hornet, Westcott 3rd June

Privet Hawk-moth is always a pleasure to see in the trap.  I'm not quite so sure about the Hornet which accompanied it, though!  It is a little early in the season to be troubled by them in woodland, let alone in the garden where it is actually quite a rare beast.  This one was the first here for four years.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Peacock or Sharp-angled Peacock?

Rather a tatty specimen but it does have a grey band running through the paw-print marks so I'm tending towards Sharp-angled which would a new species for this site.  Comments please or does it need to have its bits examined?

Richard Ellis

Chorleywood

buttercup micro?

 Wondering what this is on a buttercup in the garden please? Perhaps a little ragged ...

I'm defeated too!

 These arrived a couple of weeks ago - May 20th. Can someone sort out my confusion, please?

Many thanks,

David

ID’s please for Wheatley Moths

 Amongst a surprisingly strong haul with my Robinson trap last night (including a record number of Light Emerald) were several macro moths that defeated me.  The first two photos are of the same moth (a worn Large Nutmeg ?).  The other two I feel I should know, but can’t quite figure out - apologies for poor photos.

Richard Harding

Things can only get better

The cream of last night's garden catch (N. Bucks). 2 traps, 10 individuals of 5 species - and this is the first of June! Mind you, I measured a temperature of 3C at 4:45 am, so most moths probably stayed tucked up in bed!