06/07/2010 Garden Trap

It's been a busy week at work, badly timed to match the superb developing conditions. It means that the garden traps have been doing well but I've not been able to keep up with reporting. I ran the traps on 06/07, off on 07/07 as I was out, back on last night which was mega, and they are on tonight with more traps left at a local site. It's going to be a very busy early start I think! I'll summarise 6th and catch up over the weekend.

06/07/2010 : Total catch 292 of 80sp
(125W MV 150 of 69sp; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 142 of 46sp)

First for year in garden:
0440 Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 1
0866 Brachmia blandella 1
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 3
1439 Trachycera advenella 2
1726 Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata) 1
1754 Phoenix (Eulithis prunata) 1
2031 White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 1

Phoenix - first since 2006

White Satin

Highest counts:
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 55
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 32
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 12
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 12
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 11
2322 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) 10

Best of the rest:
1378 Phlyctaenia coronata 1
1669 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria) 1
1690 Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria) 1
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 3
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1

Common / Lesser Common Rustic - one of the nicer variants

From the garden trap - 25/07/2008

A very good night, with two garden-first macros and a good county scarcity to boot.

Total catch 305 of 82sp.

125W MV 142 of 57sp., 80W actinic 163 of 56sp.)
First for garden:
White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1
Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 1
First for year in garden:
Emmetia marginea 2
Batia lunaris 2
Acleris laterana/comariana 1
Pammene fasciana 1
Grapholita janthinana 1
Pyrausta purpuralis 1
Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) 1
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1
Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua) 1
Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 2
Highest counts:
Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 32
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 31
Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 27


Dingy Footman - an expected garden first considering the recent upturn in footmen fortunes and especially considering the burgeoning local population at Narborough Bog.


White Satin, another garden first - photo for the record but it's not pretty!


Knackered female Oak Eggar - first garden record since 2003. This is a scarce species in VC55, though my garden has probably more records in the last 8 years than any other site in the county!


Gold Triangle


Bi-laterally asymmetric Marbled Beauty photographed in fully even light - the markings are symmetric but the colouration is completely washed out on the left forewing; it is not any more worn or rubbed than the right.

Narborough Bog 22/07/2008

Although the days were warming up nicely, it was still cooling off fairly quickly overnight so not the best night for out of garden trapping, but with the next couple of nights scuppered I decided to leave traps running at Narborough Bog in the hope of at least picking up a couple of the reserve specialities for the year. Turned out to be a bloody good night overall!

3 x 125W MV traps operated dusk - dawn
Total catch 715 of 124sp.

Main highlights were the two targets:


Fen Wainscot (2) - Narborough Bog was the only site for this species in VC55 up until recently, has spread a little and has turned up in a few gardens (including mine) as it tends to wander like most reedbed species.


Round-winged Muslin (9) - ditto the above except the garden and wandering bit!

Other highlights:
Elachista apicipunctella 1
Mompha ochraceella 1
Limnaecia phragmitella 2
Aethes rubigana 14
Cochylis dubitana 1
Phlyctaenia perlucidalis 1
Blue-bordered Carpet (Plemyria rubiginata rubiginata) 2
Bordered Beauty (Epione repandaria) 1
Lilac Beauty (Apeira syringaria) 1
Double Lobed (Apamea ophiogramma) 1
Pinion-streaked Snout (Schrankia costaestrigalis) 2
Highest counts:
Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 98
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 81
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 51
Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 31

Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 27

Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) 24

Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) 24

Celypha lacunana 21


Bordered Beauty - aptly named


Dingy Footman - also aptly named!


Large Emerald, White Satin


Aethes rubigana, Limnaecia phragmitella


Double Lobed