Nepticulid?

 I got a photo of this micro (or nano!) by accident, as an interloper in another shot. By comparison with its companion, which I believe is Gypsonoma minutana, the FL must be ~ 2.5 mm. Having trawled through all the images I could find on Moth Dissection, I found it looked closest to Ectoedemia heringi or E. subbimaculella, but lacks the white spot on the costa.
So I wonder whether there are any other candidates, or whether Ectoedemia sp. is as close as I can get?

Dewick's Plusia

 Having had nothing at all to the NI lure for a couple of weeks I was surprised this morning to have 3 Silver Y, 2 Small Fan-footed Wave and 4 Dewick's Plusia (New to the garden).

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Shiny arrival

 

Moths like this one are nearly always Silver Ys here, so I noticed something different this morning straight away. It's probably Plain Golden Y but I thought it might be worth posting here in case it could be Gold Twin-spot which I gather is on the march.  I've kept the moth for the time being but would like to release it if not worth examining. Many thanks in advance for customary wisdom.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Office moths - redux

Hi All,

After three days of trying with the Sal lure in my Harrow garden without luck, I thought I would try putting it  out on the fire escape at my office in Langley (positioned so that it did not impede safe exit!) At some point this afternoon this fellow turned up. 

Rob Payne

Langley

Westcott, Bucks

Here at Westcott the garden year-list is now well past 500 species, even without taking into account the additions expected from eventual dissections.  That total was passed on 16th July in 2020 & 2021 and on 11th July in 2019 so I'm perhaps slightly ahead of the game for this point in the season.  We're either in for a bumper crop in 2022 or (more likely!) a very quiet rest of the year.  Remember that locally only around 100 species remain to be seen from the beginning of August onwards.  New arrivals since the start of this month have included the following:

     (1st)  Common/Lesser Common Rustic agg., Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.
     (2nd)  Bryotropha terrella, Spilonota ocellana, Drinker, Ear Moth agg.

     (3rd)  Acleris variegana, Crambus pascuella, Lunar Hornet Moth (to LUN lure), Shark

     (4th)  Sallow Clearwing (to SAL lure)

     (5th)  Aethes rubigana, Yarrow Pug

     (6th)  Yponomeuta rorrella, Argyresthia brockeella, Limnaecia phragmitella, Gelechia senticetella, Gelechia sororculella, Blastobasis adustella, Gypsonoma dealbana, Agriphila tristella, Brown Scallop, Wormwood Pug, August Thorn, Dusky Sallow

     (7th)  Acrobasis advenella, Acrobasis suavella, Dotted Fan-foot

     (8th)  Argyresthia albistria, Athrips mouffetella, Zelotherses paleana, Epiblema foenella, Small Scallop, Vestal, Double Lobed

     (9th)  Metalampra italica, Acleris forsskaleana, Acrobasis consociella, Shaded Broad-bar, Maple Pug, Magpie Moth

     (10th)  Chionodes fumatella, Gillmeria pallidactyla, Rhopobota naevana, Phycitodes binaevella, Hypsopygia costalis, Anania crocealis, Udea ferrugalis, Catoptria falsella, Bordered Sallow, Slender Brindle, Double Dart

     (11th)  Acrocercops brongniardella, Argyresthia goedartella, Anacampsis populella, Phtheochroa inopiana, Eucosma conterminana, Rhyacionia pinicolana, Oncocera semirubella, Acrobasis repandana, Nomophila noctuella, Scoparia basistrigalis, Catoptria pinella, Lesser Cream Wave, Dark Umber, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Vapourer

     (12th)  Monochroa lutulentella, Eudemis profundana, Dioryctria abietella, Agriphila straminella, Small Blood-vein, Tree-lichen Beauty, Small Wainscot

Yarrow Pug, Westcott 5th July

August Thorn Westcott 6th July

Vestal, Westcott 8th July

Epiblema foenella, Westcott 8th July

Acrocercops brongniardella, Westcott 11th July

Oncocera semirubella, Westcott 11th July

The well-marked August Thorn shows clearly both its resting position (with wings held almost flat) as well as the almost parallel cross-lines which help to distinguish it from September Thorn.  Of those two species, September Thorn is by far the most frequent garden visitor here.  The migrant Vestal was probably the most washed-out example I've ever recorded.  It was nice to see, though, being the first to visit the garden for three years (other recent migrants have been limited to Rusty-dot Pearl on the 10th, Rush Veneer on the 11th and Diamond-back Moth on the 12th).  Sallow Clearwing (4th) and the almost unpronounceable Acrocercops brongniardella (11th) with its beady red eyes were completely new for the garden and take the moth list here to 1,050 species. 

Common Footman is currently the most frequent moth coming to the two traps.  There were 110 altogether last night, three-quarters of them to the actinic where they are mostly found around the outside and on the vanes.  There has been a ground beetle invasion over the past few nights which means that the bottom of each trap (but again mostly the actinic) is an uncomfortable place to be for any moth.  Luckily the only ones which tend to end up there are Acentria ephemerella and, being such flimsy things, they rarely survive the night anyway.  The various Yponomeuta species are accounting for 50 or more individuals each session but nothing else is appearing in any significant numbers, with even the Uncertain/Rustic combo starting to wind down a bit in the hot weather.  However, Elephant Hawk-moth continues to have its best year ever here, with another four last night taking the current total to 219.  The previous high in the garden was 130 in 2018.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Three come at once

 Newcomers are rare in my tenth year of running a light trap here but I think that today is one of those London bus occasions. I certainly have one new arrival in the distinctive shape of the Brown-tail above which made a change from the many Yellow-tails here at the moment.

 Am I right in thinking that the composite below includes a Kent Black Arches, which I gather has been increasingly disloyal to Kent? And is the lovely pale-coloured Plume a Yarrow? It is certainly unfamiliar to me. 

Lots and lots of more familiar arrivals, too. Happy times!  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Evergestis limbata

 Nice to find a micro that is easy to identify! It seems to be somewhat out of range here, but perhaps it has spread north since the Field Guide was published, or perhaps a migrant?

Strange results last night

Last night I ran a couple of MV traps in some woodland on the Waddesdon Estate, adjacent to home.  Regular visits there this year have already proved quite interesting for the species they have turned up but last night took the biscuit - why would I get no less than 28 Four-spotted Footman moths in a wood in the middle of Bucks, well away from their coastal haunts?  I can't have been that lucky with migrants!  Seven of them were female too and it is nearly always the spot-free males that seem to turn up as migrants.  I assume that the species now has a previously unknown toe-hold here as part of its continuing range expansion.

Four-spotted Footman female, Waddesdon Estate 11th July

Four-spotted Footman male, Waddesdon Estate 11th July

The other unexpected sighting at this hill-top location was of four Balsam Carpets.  This is perhaps more easily understood because the River Thame is only two kilometres away and it flows through Rothschild land at Eythrope where the Estate has done quite a lot of work in establishing wetland habitats.  For four individuals to have found their way uphill to this particular wood suggests that there must be quite a significant population along the river itself.

Balsam Carpet, Waddesdon Estate 11th July

Otherwise the catch was much as expected with more than 150 species, most of which you'd get in any woodland in this area, although it was good also to see Fern, Pretty Chalk Carpet and Haworth's Pug once again well away from their usual Chilterns haunts.  Amongst the highest counts were Large Twin-spot Carpet (26), Buff Footman (56), Double Square-spot (83) & Coronet (31).  A count of nine Box-tree Moths Cydalima perspectalis was a sign of the times and suggests that any box hedges in the formal gardens around Waddesdon Manor may now be under threat. 

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks      

Pugs, I'm afraid

The quoted differences between Currant and Wormwood Pugs don't seem all that obvious, and it is easy to find examples which seem to show characteristics of the other, or either! It isn't clear ro me at least, whether the "more rounded wing shape" refers to the apex or to a more curved costa, but I think it must mean the latter. Perhaps size is the most reliable feature, even though there appears to be some overlap in quoted measurements? 

I am puzzling over this because I have had two individuals recently which I now think are both Currant Pugs, the first based on FL of 10 mm, and a curved costa; the second (for which I don't have a FL measurement), based on strength of tornal spot and wing-shape. 

I appreciate it may not be possible to determine either of these to species, but any additional pointers for the future would be welcome!

Thanks

Phil T

1. 

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2. 

Sallow Clearwing and a couple for confirmation/help

 Having returned from a week away I put the SAL lure back out and within a couple of hours got what I think are Sallow Clearwings. Confirmation would be welcome.

While away a ran a mothing session on the northern edge of the New Forest. I think the 4th image is of a Poplar Lutestring. The 2nd and 3rd  images are of a very small yellow moth that I am not familiar with. Being a public event I didn't really bother with micros but got quite a few what I think are Eudonia delunella (final image).

I hope it is OK to ask a few questions about moths from out of the area.

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Dark Marbled Tabby, Duponchelia fovealis and Italian Tubic, Metalampra italica

 The warmer weather has certainly increased the number of moths in the garden traps.  

Last night I had a couple of unusual micros.

The first was the adventive Dark Marbled Tabby, Duponchelia fovealis.  I have recorded this here five times before, but all the previous records have been indoors, presumed to have come from recently purchased house-plants, my last record was in 2007.  I've no idea where this might have come from.  I've not bought any plants recently, but I presume it will have come from a plant in one of the houses locally.  Unless anyone is aware of it being established locally?  

Dark Marbled Tabby, Duponchelia fovealis (Note: this species is not in Sterling, Parsons & Lewington)

A couple of days ago I had a small orangey micro in the garden trap, this turned out to be the Italian Tubic, Metalampra italica.  I had another last night.  It is the first time I've recorded it here in over 20 years of trapping.  

Italian Tubic, Metalampra italica

Good mothing

Neil Fletcher
Walter's Ash, VC24

Clifden Nonpareil?

I was showing a group of friends round a nature reserve in south Oxfordshire, yesterday afternoon when one of them spotted this 5cm-long larva crawling across the path. I was a bit stumped as the only species I could think of was Catocala fraxini (Clifden nonpareil) - but I am going from internet pictures, having never reared it. It was incredibly lively, flexing wildly as it was held. I know the adults turn up each year (I've caught several myself), but I haven't heard of confirmed breeding in our area. Is there anything else it could be? Am I missing something obvious? There is no aspen at the site, but there is poplar and willow. I have it in a netting cage and it started to putate last night.

Going around in circles...

 ...with these two. The first seems closest to Endothenia oblongana, but it isn't quite right, so I am stumped.

The second looks so distinctive it should be obvious ( and it probably is!), but I have come up with nothing that seems to fit.

I have the first for dissection if required, but the second departed before I could pot it.

Any suggestions appreciated as always!

Thanks

Phil T

 

Just to celebrate the sunshine

 

Makes you feel good! Now looking out for the Narrow-banded Bee Hawk which made its debut here last year. Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Recording moths in the countryside for the DECIDE project

With more people than ever before out monitoring moths, the DECIDE project wants to encourage moth recorders (and butterfly recorders) to not only visit new places, but to visit places where new records will be of most value in improving Species Distribution Models.  To do this we have designed a map-based web Tool (see here) that highlights local areas with greatest priority for more records.

Using the DECIDE tool, recorders can search in their local area to find areas where there are few records, but where distribution models suggest there is highest priority for surveying, and so where recorders can make the greatest impact on our current knowledge of species’ distributions. Surveying these areas will then provide records to help improve the distribution models. For more detailed information on the project please visit our website (see here).  We’d love to receive your comments, so please follow the links on the Tool to give feedback and let us know what you think.

As part of the project a small number of portable LED moth traps have been made available to loan out to interested recorders who would like to help target areas identified by the DECIDE tool. These traps are lightweight, running off a power bank. Recorders can use the DECIDE tool to select the best places to survey, based not only on the DECIDE score, but also on accessibility, proximity to habitation etc., and critically, subject to recorders acquiring permission from the relevant landowners to leave a trap out overnight. We may be able to provide some help with selecting appropriate locations and gaining landowners’ permission but ultimately this is the recorder’s responsibility.

If you are interested in getting involved and borrowing one of these traps, or would like more information please contact Marc Botham at UKCEH: math2@ceh.ac.uk

The DECIDE project is run by a multidisciplinary team including The UK Centre for Ecology (UKCEH) and Butterfly Conservation to support recording of moths and butterflies.  Much more about the DECIDE project can be found on the information pages and blog posts on the Tool (see here).  For those that record butterflies, there is also an exciting trial called MyDECIDE running this summer that will be exploring ways to improve automated personalised feedback on your recent recording.  Sign up on the Tool and get involved if you can!

Puzzling Macro

 I have searched in vain for the attached medium-sized macro that came to my Robinson trap in Wheatley  on 10 July.  It is so clearly marked that I can’t think why I can’t ID it !  Can anyone help ?

Also attached is a photo of another macro I’m not sure about.

Richard Harding

Mostly micros

A few more waifs and strays from recent days in my garden in Wolvercote, Oxfordshire; they're mainly micros - indeed, they might all be. This is the one about which I'm in doubt; I really should recognise it, but I don't even know which angle it'll be illustrated from, and I'm not sure whether it's a micro or a macro. It was 8mm long.

Unknown, 6th July 2022

This, around 6-7mm long, looks to me a little like Grapholita lobazewskii, but the photo may be too poor to tell.

Possible Grapholita lobarzewskii, 6th July 2022

I wonder whether this is Cydia fagiglanda, around 9mm long.

Possible Cydia fagiglanda, 22nd June 2022

And a couple which look identifiable, but which I can't make anything of. The first might be a Eucosma of some sort; the second I'm not sure about at all.

Possible Eucosma, 4th July 2022

Unknown micro, 23rd June 2022

As ever, all suggestions very welcome indeed.

Steve Goddard

Ni Moth? plus two others for confirmation...or otherwise!

 I think this is a Ni Moth, but it seems a bit dark in the centre of the wing compared with online images, so may just be an odd Silver Y.

This I think is Twin-spot Carpet,

and this I think is Wormwood Pug, rather than Currant Pug.

Thanks

Phil T

Sallow Clearwing

Just the one here to SAL lure but a first for this species in my garden.  Arrived sometime between 15.00 and 18.00.

 Richard Ellis

Chorleywood

Lucky 13

I spent a couple of hours at Finemere Wood, Bucks this afternoon with the API, LUN and SAL pheromone lures.  Nothing came to the LUN lure wherever it was hung out, but the other two both produced the expected species.  A lone Six-belted Clearwing came to API just outside the wood entry gate where there is a fair amount of bird's-foot trefoil in the fields on either side and along the track itself.  Singles of Sallow Clearwing came to the SAL lure at the first ride cross-roads (within 30 minutes, while I was away doing a butterfly count in Finemere Meadows) and at the turning circle (within five minutes), so giving records from two different tetrads in the wood which is nice.  

Six-belted Clearwing, Finemere Wood 8th July

When I got back home I put the SAL lure out in the garden at 4.50pm in the hope of getting another Sallow Clearwing, just to prove to myself that there is a local population after getting a pair here four days ago.  Dispelling any thoughts otherwise, the trap had attracted seven of them within five minutes and then a total of 13 after half an hour, so at that point I decided to bring the lure in.  All were checked to make sure they really were Sallow Clearwings and that was indeed the case - no interlopers!  Assuming I've managed to upload it correctly, the short 15-second video below was taken while they were still arriving...

In case anyone wonders, I store my lures in the freezer inside the small clear re-sealable plastic envelope in which they arrive, kept within an airtight plastic container along with any old lures I have of that particular compound.  The envelope, container and old lures are all placed in the bottom of the trap to provide an inducement for the moths to actually enter it rather than just flying around the lure at the top before departing, something I've seen happen all too often! 

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks