VC First Macro....

... but it's not mine. I've added quite a good number of moths to the VC55 list over the years, but all have been micros. I've never had the pleasure of finding and adding a macro. This morning a photo was posted onto a local facebook group, and I immediately recognised the species having seen it a few times before. The poster is a complete novice and was oblivious to the potential importance of the species. I managed to contact her, and thankfully the moth was still in situ and she was able to secure it in a washed out yoghurt pot. Most incredibly of all, the moth was noticed having been attracted to a porch light left on all night. Anyway, I collected the moth and grabbed some shots for posterity in lieu of the county recorder who is away on holiday. I don't keep a VC55 list as such, but this wouldn't be on mine anyway: not my record, not present when taken, not recorded as part of a group effort. I am the determiner though! I am sure this is a first for VC55, unless there is another lurking in someone's records from earlier this year (doubtful).

Cypress Pug, Kirby Muxloe (recorder Lyn Bull) - presumed first for VC55

No idea on the status in neighbouring counties at present, other than I know it has been recorded at least once in Northants in the last few years. Quite likely a recent colonist that's has moved in rather than a wanderer from afar, given the circumstance of the record.

Nothing quite so exciting in my garden traps, all standard fare including the now obligatory Scarce Bordered Straw ......

Scarce Bordered Straw

Subtly different to both of yesterday's in terms of markings .... and the complete lack of any wear on thorax! Two in the preceding 17 years, now five in a week.

Otherwise there is a subtle shift, still a lot of brown but some yellow coming in.

Centre-barred Sallow

Dusky Thorn

Rosy Rustic

Light Brown Apple Moth

 Garden Rose Tortrix

Chiffys & Garden Mothing

A major migrant fall in and around my garden today - with at least two Chiffchaffs .......  Okay, not exactly a classic fall. Maybe not even migrants. Who knows! There were definitely two together, but I strongly suspect that there were actually three knocking about.

Despite patience, stealth and oodles of fieldcraft, the blighters were constantly zipping about 'sweeo'ing to each other and this blurry 'about to vacate the dogwood' shot is the best I managed.

Yesterday morning I potted up a Phyllonorycter that I thought was another kleemannella, and then promptly forgot to check until today when I realised it wasn't. I managed a very poor shot, but everything fits for a worn Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella - a first for me and the garden. Not sure what other VC55 records there are, but it must be common as it is on birch.

The garden traps were uninspiring last night, with a first for the year Sallow conclusively closing the door on summer, and the only other moth of note being a second Mompha propinquella for the garden.

Total catch 168 of 31sp.
(125W MV 59 of 19, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 109 of 22)

0455 Ypsolopha scabrella 1
0462 Ypsolopha sequella 1
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1
0888 Mompha propinquella 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 2
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 1
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 3
1076 Celypha lacunana 1
1138 Epinotia nisella 1
1219 Lathronympha strigana 1
1260 Cydia splendana 1
1309 Agriphila geniculea 16
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 8
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 3
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 3
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 6
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 48
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 40
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 3
2133 Six-striped Rustic (Xestia sexstrigata) 1
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 9
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1 (NFY)
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 1
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 1
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 1
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 7

Sallow

Common Marbled Carpet

Garden Rose Tortrix

Mompha propinquella

Garden Mothing Update

Thought I ought to get the August records up to date and post a summary.

29/08/2011 : Total catch 161 of 36sp.
(125W MV 63 of 23, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 98 of 29)

0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 6
0332a Firethorn Leaf Miner (Phyllonorycter leucographella) 2
03xx Phyllonorycter sp. 1
0462 Ypsolopha sequella 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0658 Carcina quercana 1
0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
0706 Agonopterix nervosa 1
0969 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis corylana) 1
0972 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis heparana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 4
1138 Epinotia nisella 7
1139 Nut Bud Moth (Epinotia tenerana) 1 (NFY)
1309 Agriphila geniculea 32
1342 Eudonia angustea 1 (NFY)
1398 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1 (NFY)
1439 Trachycera advenella 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 8
1742 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata) 2
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 3
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 3
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 3
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 4
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 27
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 18
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 12
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 2
2299 Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) 1
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 3
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 1
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 5
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis) 1
2452 Red Underwing (Catocala nupta) 1

Red Underwing

Rush Veneer

Pale Mottled Willow

28/08/2011 : Total catch 157 of 25sp.
(125W MV 68 of 16, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 89 of 21)

0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 4
0125 Emmetia marginea 1
0422 Argyresthia albistria 2
0462 Ypsolopha sequella 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
0706 Agonopterix nervosa 1 (NFY)
0789 Bryotropha domestica 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 3
1138 Epinotia nisella 3
1309 Agriphila geniculea 36
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 3
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 3
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 4
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 2
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 36
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 25
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 14
2299 Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) 1
2300 Old Lady (Mormo maura) 2 (NFY)
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 7
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

Agonopterix nervosa

And for completeness, here's an overview of four trap dates I never got around to posting:

16/08/2011 : Total catch 88 of 30sp.
(125W MV 36 of 17, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 52 of 21)

First for year:
2299 Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) 1


17/08/2011 : Total catch 62 of 25sp.
(125W MV 26 of 12, 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo 36 of 19)

First for year:
1632 Pale Eggar (Trichiura crataegi) 2


20/08/2011 : Total catch 314 of 54sp.
(125W MV 106 of 33, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 208 of 43)

First for year:
1207 Pine Leaf-mining Moth (Clavigesta purdeyi) 1
1336 Eudonia pallida 1
1914 Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria) 1
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 2
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 1

Flounced Rustic

22/08/2011 : Total catch 340 of 53sp.
(125W MV 132 of 33, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 208 of 47)

FIRST FOR GARDEN:
0264 Bedellia somnulentella 1

Full listing for these four trap dates (sorted by total individuals): 804 of 75sp.

1309 Agriphila geniculea 180
1138 Epinotia nisella 84
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 56
0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 44
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 37
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 33
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 33
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 31
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 22
1439 Trachycera advenella 20
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 20
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 19
1305 Agriphila tristella 15
1304 Agriphila straminella 14
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 14
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 13
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 11
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 11
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 11
0873 Blastobasis adustella 7
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 7
0455 Ypsolopha scabrella 6
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 6
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 6
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 5
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 5
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 5
1632 Pale Eggar (Trichiura crataegi) 5
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 4
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 4
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 4
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 4
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 4
0422 Argyresthia albistria 3
0462 Ypsolopha sequella 3
0658 Carcina quercana 3
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 3
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 3
2474 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 3
0441 Paraswammerdamia nebulella 2
1076 Celypha lacunana 2
1732 Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) 2
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 2
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1883 Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata) 2
1884 Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata) 2
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 2
2133 Six-striped Rustic (Xestia sexstrigata) 2
2299 Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) 2
0264 Bedellia somnulentella 1
0411 Argyresthia goedartella 1
0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
0787 Bryotropha terrella 1
0868 Helcystogramma rufescens 1
0870 Oegoconia quadripuncta 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella 1
0969 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis corylana) 1
0972 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis heparana) 1
1207 Pine Leaf-mining Moth (Clavigesta purdeyi) 1
1336 Eudonia pallida 1
1344 Eudonia mercurella 1
1415 Orthopygia glaucinalis 1
1424 Endotricha flammealis 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 1
1742 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata) 1
1811 Slender Pug (Eupithecia tenuiata) 1
1838 Tawny Speckled Pug (Eupithecia icterata subfulvata) 1
1914 Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 1
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 1
2450 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 1

Garden Rose Tortrix - a nicely pied individual