Marvellous

I have just two records of Merveille du Jour from the garden - singles c9 days apart in 2009, none before that and none since. The lack of mature oaks within sight of the garden will not help. So, when I potted one up from the trap last night I was well chuffed. Even more so when I found another in the trap this morning - albeit that one was missing antennae for some reason.

What a marvellous start to the day ....

Most of the rest of the autumnal stuff that has turned up over the last few days is brown or grey.

Beaded Chestnut

Juniper Carpet

Red-line Quaker

Satellite

Acleris sparsana

Feathered Thorn

Dark Chestnut

Green-brindled Crescent

I did get out today looking for more leaf mines, and found a good selection along with a few mildews, rusts and galls. A lot of it sorted and ready to add to records but still plenty to go at.

Summer is here ...

... Swallow-tailed Moth last night!

Actually, a second brood is not unprecedented but this is my latest ever (after a few September individuals in 2006). Right on with the summaries for 1st & 2nd.

01/10/2011 : Total catch 81 of 32sp.
(125W MV 27 of 16, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 54 of 25)

0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0870 Oegoconia quadripuncta 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 3
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 9
1041 Acleris sparsana 4
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 6
1054 Acleris cristana 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 11
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 5
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 2
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 2
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 3
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 1
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 2
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 1
2266 Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura) 1
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 6
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 5
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis) 1
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1

I'm convinced this is Oegoconia deauratella (albeit late!). I added this species to the VC55 list in 2003, based on an individual that looked different and turned out right after gen. det. This one has a witness of the markings on the costa just beyond the basal markings, which should make it deauratella.

Oegoconia quadripuncta - gen. det. by Jon Clifton Jan 2012

Barred Sallow - a nice richly marked one

Beaded Chestnut - this is the best year for this species in the garden, the previous best being 2001.

02/10/2011 : Total catch 85 of 34sp.
(125W MV 27 of 19, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 58 of 26)

0246 Tinea semifulvella 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2
0994 Clepsis consimilana 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 2
1041 Acleris sparsana 4
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 5
1062 Acleris emargana 1 (NFY)
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 1 (NFY)
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 5
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 6
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 7
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1
2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 3
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 8
2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) 2
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 2
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 3
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 1
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 2
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 9
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 2
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 4
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1

Acleris emargana - only the second for the garden (first 2003)

Acleris sparsana

Light Brown Apple Moth - the massive decline continues, only 77 individuals so far this year (versus 219 in 2010, a peak of 902 in 2002, and an average of 545 2003 - 2009)

Dark Chestnut