First Micro query of the year

Attracted to a lighted window tonight and then flew off. Any ideas please. Maybe some sort of Acleris ? 

Atlas query

 For some reason the Atlas is giving a large number of Recorder Unavailable results, see below for a random example for Agonopterix heracliana, but the problem affects many species.   

Westcott, Bucks

The first half of February turned out to be a fairly dismal fortnight.  Not only was the weather dull, grey and cold but few moths ventured forth even when the temperature was above freezing.  The lights here were run every night, even if only for a few hours after dark, but I've very little to show for it.  The 4th provided the best result, when Pale Brindled Beauty (2), Spring Usher (1) & Early Moth (2) turned up, but other than that it has just been further occasional appearances by Pale Brindled Beauty.  Not even a Dotted Border yet.  It does look as though we might be due a slightly warmer spell from next week onwards so hopefully that will prompt a bit more activity.  There have been only two adult species to add to the year list since the beginning of the month and they were both found indoors:

     (4th)    Tineola bisselliella 

     (14th)  Mompha jurassicella

Tineola bisselliella, Westcott 4th February

There have been two or three more examples of bisselliella found resting on interior walls since that date so our carpets are obviously being put to good use...  The only other thing worth a mention from this period was a 15mm larva of what I think is Scarce Footman which was found crawling up the exterior conservatory wall towards the light: 

 

Scarce Footman larva, Westcott 5th February

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

 

Westcott, Bucks

I've run the light every night since mid-month because even on the frostier ones the temperature remained above freezing for a few hours after dusk which meant there was potential for moth activity.  There were blanks on the 17th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 27th & 30th but otherwise something did turn up each time, although there was very little diversity and Pale Brindled Beauty accounted for the majority of the visitors seen.  Early Moth first appeared on the 18th and three more turned up prior to Storm Eowyn but then there were no more until last night when the catch comprised Acleris schalleriana (1), Early Moth (2) & Spring Usher (3).  Newcomers during this two-week period are listed below, taking the adult moth count to nine species for the year to date:  

     (18th)  Early Moth

     (24th)  Acleris hastiana

     (29th)  Acleris schalleriana

     (31st)  Spring Usher

Acleris hastiana, Westcott 24th January

Spring Usher, Westcott 31st January

Early Moth, Westcott 18th January

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

2024 Winners and losers

 Having got my 2024 records sorted and feeling that it was a good year for the number of species recorded (especially micros) overall numbers were down. I decided to look more closely at what had happened with the more common species.

I looked at the 52 commonest species in the garden. These are ones that I have recorded more than 400 individuals of since I started trapping regularly in 2016. I compared the numbers caught in 2024 with the average caught in 2016-2023.

In 2024 14 species did better than expected. The best 5 were Dingy Footman, Riband Wave, Green Carpet, Straw Dot and Buff Footman. 

8 species were much the same as in previous years.

30 species appeared in much lower number with the poorest being Large Nutmeg, Flame, Middle-barred Minor, Lunar Underwing and Heart and Dart.

Generally it was the heavier, more robust moths that performed badly and the lighter ones that did well.

Other less common moths that did well in 2024 were Pine Hawk-moth, Early Moth, Delicate, Cypress Carpet and Magpie moth. Two species showing a notable decline here in the last few years are Small Angle Shades and Satellite.

Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

Mine ID

 I found this vacated mine yesterday on a bramble leaf. It doesn't seem to match any of the moth mines listed for Rubus sp. in British Leafminers, so I suspect it is either a fly mine (vaguely similar to Agromyza filipendulae?), or perhaps a polyphagous moth species not listed under rubus. Or something else!
Thanks

PhilT

Westcott, Bucks

The garden at Westcott finally got off the mark for 2025 on 5th January.  This has been a very quiet period thanks to the lengthy cold snap and the lights remained off for the majority of it.  An attempt on the 1st (more out of tradition than expecting anything to arrive!) produced nothing at all, the next attempt on the 5th brought in two moths, while a slight improvement in the weather from the 13th onwards did attract a bit more activity on that and the following two nights with the following new for the year list:

     (5th)  Agonopterix heracliana, Winter Moth

     (13th)  Pale Brindled Beauty

     (14th)  Ypsolopha ustella, Mottled Umber

Hopefully Early Moth, whose flight period is limited mainly to January and February, will put in an appearance very soon now.  It is a regular here and its first record is usually during the first two weeks of the new year, so I'm surprised not to have seen one already.  

Ypsolopha ustella, Westcott 14th January

At the moment Peter Hall is kindly working his way through a number of dissections for me from 2024 and there have been a couple of 'newsworthy' items already.  Perhaps the most significant is Phyllocnistis asiatica which was discovered as new to the UK in 2018 (more info can be found on the Atlas page for this species).  It is identical in appearance to Phyllonorycter saligna and, like Spiny Hook-tip, is another moth which seems to have been "hiding in plain sight".  To date it appears that only females of asiatica and saligna can safely be determined to species via dissection and four examples of asiatica have been confirmed from Westcott so far (23rd June, 29th July, 30th July x 2) with more still to be checked.  That saligna hasn't (yet) been found is perhaps equally as interesting!  

Phyllocnistis asiatica, Westcott 23rd June 2024

The other notable discovery was confirmation that I had an example of Saltern Ear to light at Westcott on 24th July 2024.  I thought at the time that it might be that species and the picture can be seen here on the blog.  This was a first record for Bucks.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

Latest moth reports from Les Finch and Martin Finch

Three new reports from Les Finch and Martin Finch are now available from the Berkshire Moth Group website, adding to the long-running and absolutely fascinating series that they have been producing since 2005. The overall summary for their home trapping is that there were fewer individuals in 2024 compared to 2023, but more species, and both individual and species totals in 2024 were higher than the longer-term average for 2014-2023:

The trend for early emergences of some of the spring species has continued:

Les and Martin provide lots more additional information and analysis in their full reports, and I recommend exploring them in detail!

Stowe 2024

 

Having finished my analysis of last year, I find that the total trap count for 2024 was similar to 2022, but down by around 25% compared with 2023. The number of species recorded though was only down by 5%, with the macro species count being the highest ever, offset by a lot fewer micros. Despite this, of the 36 new species recorded in the year, 26 were micros and only 10 macros.

	2022	2023	2024
Nights	174	162	174
Total count	11725	14867	11053
Species count	435	481	457
Macros	256	270	295
Micros	179	211	155

 

Of the new macro species, Reddish Light Arches seems a long way from any chalk, and there appear to be no other records in this part of Bucks. Clouded Magpie too was a long way from its regular sites. This year I tried a pheromone lure for Gypsy Moth, (which proved very effective at attracting Black Arches), but I needn’t have bothered as several turned up in the light trap, filling a distribution gap in NW Bucks.
Among the micros were Caloptilia honoratella, Elachista luticomella, and Cnephasia pasiuana, IDs thanks to Peter, plus Lyonetia prunifoliella, all of which appear to have very few records in the region.

                                                             

                                                                Caloptilia honoratella

                                        

                                                                    Lyonetia prunifoliella

Phil T
                                                               

Westcott, Bucks

Happy New Year one and all.  May there be plenty of moths in all of our traps this coming season, although the current weather forecast suggests that those of us who keep recording throughout the winter may have to wait a few days before getting off the mark for 2025!

The lights were on each night throughout the second half of December here in the garden at Westcott but on four occasions they produced a nil return (18th, 19th & 31st thanks to very strong winds but, unexpectedly, also on 30th when conditions were actually quite benign).  Otherwise something turned up each time and species seen over this period comprised Ypsolopha ustella, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Emmelina monodactyla, Acleris schalleriana, Cypress Carpet, Winter Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty, Mottled Umber & Dark Chestnut, while found indoors were Tineola bisselliella & Mompha epilobiella.  

Ypsolopha ustella, Westcott 29th December

This two-week period also saw a handful of other insects brought to the overnight lights, including water beetles Colymbetes fuscus (24th) & Dytiscus marginalis (23rd & 24th), predatory shield-bug Troilus luridus (25th) and a seemingly rather early example of ichneumon wasp Ophion variegatus (30th).  I get lots of that particular Ophion here, but usually not until mid-January onwards.

That brings activity in the garden to a close for 2024.  I don't yet know exactly how many moth species appeared here during the year but the macro count will be somewhere just above 330 and I believe the overall total will be in the high 600s.  It is possible that I may just reach the 700+ level achieved in each of the previous three seasons but somehow I doubt it.  I do know how many individual moths turned up though, and as expected that total shows a marked reduction over previous years.  26,270 was the total for 2024, which is the lowest count for twelve years and didn't reach half of the number seen here in 2019 for a roughly similar amount of trapping effort.  The steady increase in the number of trapping nights which can be seen in the table below is certainly not accounted for by me being absent from the garden any less often (we've been away for three or four weeks altogether in most of the years listed).  It appears to be down to our ever-warmer winters providing suitable conditions more and more frequently in January, February and December when moths could be flying, which probably isn't a good thing at all.     

Year	Nights trap was run	Micro species	Macro species	Overall moth count
2015	298	309	324	33,941
2016	289	316	315	26,697
2017	279	326	336	28,189
2018	286	346	338	42,063
2019	323	344	355	54,400
2020	320	345	330	36,784
2021	335	380	332	29,330
2022	326	383	360	38,146
2023	320	362	350	34,986
2024	340			26,270

Macro-moth additions to the site list comprised Chamomile Shark & Plumed Fan-foot as well as Spiny Hook-tip (genitalia now checked thanks to Peter Hall).  A definitive count for new micros is still awaited but certainly includes Stigmella catharticella, Crassa tinctella & Diurnea lipsiella.  The final number of additions is expected to be the lowest here in 20 years of trapping this site but realistically I should be pleased still to be getting any at all after that length of time. 

Chamomile Shark, Westcott 14th April

Plumed Fan-foot, Westcott 10th August

Spiny Hook-tip, Westcott 1st November (gen det)

How was your experience of 2024?  Did you also find that there was a marked reduction in numbers compared to earlier years?

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Agonopterix umbellana confirmed

I posted a picture of this moth back on 2nd December.

It has now been checked by Peter and confirmed as Agonopterix umbellana. Not a county first, but still quite rare for our region. Steve Trigg, Cookham

Festive lamp conversion

Merry Christmas all!  I am hoping to attract three Wise Moths although it looks as though they will have to have travelled from very afar, being a type of Ghost Moth endemic to New Zealand.  All warmest and here's hoping for more everyday but still interesting arrivals in the New Year!  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon

Update on Boxing Day: Well, Three Wise Moths duly appeared on Christmas Night; not Wiseana but a nice trio: Winter moth, Mottled Umber and the ever-increasing Cypress Carpet. Encouraged, I put out the trap again last night. Nobody came.  MW

Moth Dissection website

 It is that time of year again. We are still a little short of funds to keep the website up and running into 2025, so this is an appeal to anyone that sends me moths to dissect and hasn't done so, or anyone else who uses the fantastic website at all, to consider making a donation to help its upkeep.  https://mothdissection.co.uk/donate.php

Thanks

Peter

Wingless Females

I took a couple of MV traps to Finemere Wood yesterday evening because it was so mild, hoping to find the uncommon tortrix Exapate congelatella which flies at this time of year.  This is the fourth year I've looked for it there since getting a couple to light in mid-December 2020, but once again it failed to show.  There were quite a few other moths around with about 130 individuals brought to the lights, of which most were Mottled Umber (94 counted).  A quick look at the oak trunk to which I chained one of my generators produced a female Mottled Umber as well as two mated pairs of Winter Moth.

Mottled Umber female, Finemere Wood 15th December 2024

Winter Moth female, Finemere Wood 15th December 2024

The only other moths of passing interest were a couple of Pale Brindled Beauties, two early examples of "next year's moths".

Pale Brindled Beauty, Finemere Wood 15th December 2024

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks

Westcott, Bucks

Much as you might expect, the first half of December proved to be very quiet in the garden.  Ten different adult moth species were recorded (Plutella xylostella, Mompha jurassicella, Acleris schalleriana, Udea ferrugalis, December Moth, Winter Moth, Feathered Thorn, Scarce Umber, Mottled Umber & Red-line Quaker) but Storm Darragh mid-way through this period seemed to finish off many species as well as providing me with three blank nights.  Apart from the appearance of another December Moth last night (15th), the past week has seen only two of those ten species making continued visits and, unsurprisingly, they were Winter Moth and Mottled Umber.  

Mottled Umbers, Westcott 10th December

A Scarce Umber on 4th December was the latest I've had that species in the garden (until now they've always been confined to November here).  It also proved to be the 40th individual this year which is a site record, the previous high being 29 in 2023 - a rare good news story amongst this year's moths.

Merry Christmas one and all.  Not long now before the counter is reset to zero and we start all over again in 2025, which surely has to be a better year than 2024?!

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks  

Mystery pupa/cocoon

 Hello there,

I spotted this on cherry plum today and wondered what on earth it is! It was about 5-7mm long and had lengthwise ridges. Moth, sawfly, something else. Any ideas? Thanks.

E-moth

The latest edition of the E-moth newsletter from Butterfly Conservation is now available and can be downloaded here.

Spiny Hook-tip confirmed (and a thorny problem)

David Carter caught a male hook-tip in Windsor (Berkshire) on 8 November 2024. From the appearance and the late date Dave thought this was a candidate for Spiny Hook-tip, and it has now been confirmed following Peter Hall's dissection.

Congratulations to Dave on a new macro-moth species for the county (and the first confirmed record for Upper Thames as a whole as far as I'm aware). Elsewhere Spiny Hook-tip seems to be established in an fairly large area around Bristol and nearby parts of South Wales, since 2023 and maybe earlier, based on gen. det. records; confirmed or suspected records are now accumulating in a number of other English counties. The caterpillars feed on Holm Oak, but may also use other oaks and possibly birches.

The thorny problem is that Spiny Hook-tip is very similar to Oak Hook-tip, and as yet it is not clear to what extent the markings and colours overlap between the two species. Clues for Spiny Hook-tip seem to be focused mostly on the wing apex, where the black markings and contrasting pale patches often have a slightly different shape in the two species. Some individuals of Spiny also have a darker greyish tint over the wing as a whole. But the markings seem to vary between individuals, and it is not clear to me whether the distinguishing features are consistent throughout the year. And of course worn specimens will pose further problems. Further work is needed to clarify the extent to which the two species can be distinguished by sight.

The dissection for Dave's moth can be seen on the Moth Dissection website. See also a discussion on BirdForum about the records from other counties and some of the potential distinguishing features.

Spiny Hook-tip, Windsor, 8 November 2024, recorded and photographed by Dave Carter

Eupithecia satyrata?

A pug larva was found looping away on a beech leaf during our work party yesterday at Dancersend Nature Reserve. I think it may be Satyr Pug Eupithecia satyrata. Can a satisfactory identification be made from these photos?

 Mick Jones

Blogger problems?

I would be interested to know how many people are still having difficulty using Blogger.  One or two of you have mentioned to me problems which range between being unable to comment through to being unable to access the website at all.  If you are not able to add a comment below, I'd appreciate an email to the administration address [burnhamlodge (at) gmail.com] explaining what problem(s) you currently have and what version of Windows you are using.  I should say that I've never had trouble myself but I don't use Windows 11.  I can access the site on computers here using both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 as well as via Safari on my iPhone and, so long as I'm signed in correctly to Google with the address which Blogger recognizes, there's been no difficulty adding comments using any of them.  It is important to stress that Blogger will only recognize you if you are still using the email address provided when you originally signed up to the blog.  If it has changed since then, you'll need to ask me for another invitation to join.