One for the Treble

The garden traps were, relatively, bulging this morning after a humid and overcast night. Luckily the cat woke me up at around 4:30 so I managed to go through them before the pair of Robins that have been knocking around. For the first time this year (I think) I ran both the synergetic combo and a 125W MV, with the former knocking the spots off of the latter. To be honest I don't think I'll bother running two traps much this year; the usual spot for my MV is now too sheltered with an overhanging sallow from next door. We're likely to get the garden sorted this year so I'll try and factor in a new trap spot during that.

Thought I had a garden tick with Treble Lines in the synergetic trap, but on checking I found I'd had one before in May 2009. Other highlights were an Alder Moth (a garden tick last year) and the 6th garden records and individuals for both Treble-bar and Maiden's Blush.

I'm quite possibly the only moth recorder in Leics. that is glad the conditions haven't held today. It's still warm and overcast but it's also very windy and wet. I've got an early start for work so no trap tonight.

Here's a selection of rushed shots.

Treble Lines - one of two

Alder Moth

Treble-bar (note protruding claspers helpfully confirming male of this species)

Peppered Moth

Scorched Wing

Cherry Bark Moth

Ne ne nana new new ....

A garden tick from Thursday night .......

Cochylis nana - the 668th moth, 356th micro and 105th tortrix for the garden

And here's a few from last night. I've found it quite therapeutic getting back into moth photography, especially now I've got an indoor set-up I'm getting more comfortable with.

Sandy Carpet

Clouded Border

Eudonia mercurella

Figure of 80

Scorched Wing

Cherry Bark Moth - now annual after the first in 2013

Seraphim

These are the 4th and 5th individuals for the garden, and the first time I've had more than one in a night/year. I had one last year whilst on a blogging and photography, and mentioned the first two here.

The Next Tort?

I like torts. My current garden list features 6032 records of 15380 individuals of 99 species of tortricidae (although Light Brown Apple Moth alone accounts for 1072 recs of 5868 inds). I had four new torts in 2013; Cydia ulicetana was the 96th species and a knackered Agapeta zoegana was the 99th, the other two were .....

Cherry Bark Moth (No. 97)

Gypsonoma oppressana (No. 98)

I am very hopeful that the 100th will grace my garden in 2014 - but which species will it be? I've had a bit of a look at the gaps and think that the following ten species are contenders, though some are more likely than others.

925	Phtheochroa rugosana
965	Cochylis hybridella
974	Argyrotaenia ljungiana
1024	Cnephasia incertana
1051	Acleris logiana
1061	Acleris literana
1144	Epinotia signatana
1177	Epiblema rosaecolana
1207a	Gravitarmata margarotana
1234	Pammene regiana

Acleris logiana and Epinotia signatana are very recent colonists that have popped up close by, the latter being one I added to the VC55 list in 2010. Gravitarmata margarotana is even more recent - both to Britain in 2011 and VC55 in 2013 (from not too far away, one I indentified) - but has all the marks of a fast coloniser and is a good outside possibility. Cnephasia incertana probably does occur, I just need to make the effort to pick a good pale one out for gen det, and Pammene regiana is perhaps the most likely on paper as there is plenty of Sycamore close by. Of the others, Argyrotaenia ljungiana is one that I expect will turn up in VC55 soon and it would be good if it was my garden first.

Predicting species that may turn up in your garden is almost impossible really, and I would not be at all surprised if the 100th tort was a complete unexpected outsider.