Worn Orthosia for advice

Things still seem a bit slow here. Despite the warmer nights I think the breeze is probably keeping catches down in number. However, last night's catch included my first Purple Thorn and Caloptilia stigmatella of the year. Also this worn Orthosia. I was hoping it might be a Powdered Quaker but from the overall shape I think Twin-spotted is more likely or just another Clouded Drab.

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

2 micros in the garden trap

It can sometimes be quite a challenge just to spot the smaller micros hiding in my skinner garden trap, let alone identify them. So I am quite pleased to have noticed these two.
The first is actually a springtime regular to my garden - Dyseriocrania subpurpurella.

The other micro is a new addition to my garden list - Caloptilia semifascia.

On a different topic, I had my Emperor Moth pheromone lure out in the garden this afternoon. No luck so far, but I'll continue trying.
Steve Trigg, Cookham

Lead-coloured Drab

Over the years I have inspected large numbers of Clouded Drabs in the hope that one would turn out to be a Lead-coloured Drab.  At long last I had one this morning which has visibly feathered antennae, so I'm sure it must be a male LCD, but would appreciate confirmation (or otherwise), as this species seems to be  rather uncommon in these parts.

Richard Ellis
Chorleywood

Museum Moths

Usual thing, light at the museum overnight. Not millions of moths but I did get NFY Oak-tree Pug, Lunar Marbled Brown, Frosted Green and Agonopterix alstromeriana.

 Dave Morris, Chalfont St Giles

Dotted Chestnut, nr Banbury

A disappointing catch of just 7 moths of 4 species last night in four hours at a local nature reserve near Banbury. However I did catch two new species, my first Powdered Quaker and a Dotted Chestnut.

Frosted Green

I put my trap out on the night of Saturday 14th and was pleased to catch 112 moths of 16 species. New for me were Frosted Green x3 and Streamer x1.

Frosted Green

Streamer

Lorna Woolhouse, Checkendon, South Oxon

Oak Nycteoline

I had an Oak Nycteoline to my Radnage garden MV on April 10th then a second on April 14th, the latter being a known form which I have not seen previously.

Oak Nycteoline, Radnage 14th April

Ched George
Radnage, Bucks

Pretty Powdered

Having made the reckless statement a week or two back that we only ever seem to get the sandy grey form of Powdered Quaker locally (illustrated left below), it stood to reason that one of the other forms would soon turn up!  The one on the right with a more brownish background colour and very smart orange markings came to the garden trap last night, the first I've seen looking like this.

Powdered Quaker, Westcott 15th April

Powdered Quaker, Westcott 15th April

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks

Acleris cristana?

Two nights ago, along with Twin-spotted and Common Quakers, Hebrew Characters, Early Greys and Diurnea flagella, was this Acleris species.  It has the curved costa (top photo) and large central scale tufts (next photo) which I understand characterize A. cristana, but A. hastiana is also said to have multiple forms and rather similar characteristics.  Advice please?

John Thacker
Harwell, Oxon

Male Brindled beauty

Male Brindled beauty showing some hind wing and antennae detail. This was one of eight coming to light in last 3 nights.

Alan Diver
Tackley

Scarlet tiger pupa

Scarlet tiger pupa and last moulted skin. Grown on from caterpillar which was in light trap 15th March. Caterpillar fed on Comfrey.

Alan Diver
Tackley

A couple of troublesome Pugs and Drab

At last a reasonable catch last night in the garden trap at Tilehurst.. Total = 28 . Species = 11 or 12.
Bit rusty on the Pugs and Drabs!
Top one FW = 11mm maybe Double-striped Pug?
2nd one FW = 9mm maybe also Double -striped Pug?
Bottom one = maybe Clouded Drab?

Some garden daytime sightings

While gardening this afternoon, this small micro was spotted landing on a leaf. I managed to catch it and take it's portrait - Epermenia chaerophyllella.

Also found earlier in the day was a small caterpillar. It was not in the easiest of places to get a photo, so the shot below is rubbish. However, hopefully there is sufficient detail to enable identification - I thought it might be a Drinker.

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Drab stuff.

After a very poor attempt at trapping at the museum on Wednesday night, I had much better results in my garden last night with NFY Emmelina monodactyla, Pine Beauty and Streamer and a rare garden visitor Brindled Beauty. Also found a NFY Alucita hexadactyla later whilst gardening.

Finally, am I right in calling this as a Lead-coloured Drab?

Dave Morris, Seer Green

Possible Migrants

With another singleton last night, I've now had six Blossom Underwings in the garden over the past week, including a pair on the 12th.  From what I've seen at two of its local oak woodland sites (Finemere Wood and Bernwood Forest) the species is having a reasonable year, but to find this many in the garden trap where the closest oak woodland is over a mile away and hedgerow oaks are few and far between is quite un-precedented (I average a singleton here every other year).  The species is known to migrate and as we've had easterly winds for quite a few days I wonder if some of them might be visitors from continental Europe.

Blossom Underwings, Westcott 12th April

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks

Streamer, brindled pug? Quaker/drabs

Streamer

Brindled pug

Don't know if I need to go to specsavers but I can't get my head round Quakers/drabs.

Alan Diver

11/12

Tackley

Acleris cristana?

Would I be correct in thinking that the micro below is one of the many forms of Acleris cristana? I nearly missed it, as it made an escape bid from my garden trap, but luckily it landed on a window where I could recapture it.

In addition, I cannot make up my mind about the moth below. Can someone help me out?

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Angle shades, Brindled beauty etc Tackley

Angle shades

Brindled beauty

Pine beauty

Twin-spotted Quaker

Shoulder stripe

Light brown apple moth

Moth 1 ID help appreciated

Alan Diver

Tackley

All came to light 9/10 April

Brindled Pugs?

Am I correct in recording the 2 pugs below as Brindled Pugs, or could they be Oak-tree Pugs?

Steve Trigg, Cookham

Tawny Pinion

Just to continue the pinion theme, is this a Tawny Pinion? It was caught on the 8th in Beaconsfield.

Dave Ferguson