These are two of the caddisflies that are attracted most frequently to my moth trap. They both have a long flying season, from spring right through to autumn and are readily attracted to light. There’s not really any suitable water for them nearby, so they must travel quite far afield during the night.
A huge haul of moths on Saturday morning, with a selection of exotic & beautiful examples. 138 individuals of 55 species took me half the weekend to go through the photos. Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria) was the only new macro species, but there were some new micros too - more on those when I get time.
Another warm and fine night for moths on Friday night, with 33 different spoecies caught, including five new ones for the list. Star of the show, for rarity value perhaps rather than looks, was a Waved Black (Parascotia fuliginaria), whose larvae live on rotten wood & fungi, and which is not often recording in Gliucestershire. Pale Prominent, looking much like a bunch of dead leaves was also a good catch.
On Saturday morning I had a bumper haul of 90 moths of 35 different types in and around the moth trap, thanks to a still, warm and cloudy night. This included no fewer than nine Elephant Hawk-moths and three new species: Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata), Large Tabby (Aglossa pinguinalis) and Clay (Mythimna ferrago). Seems the good weather is here to stay for a while, so it looks good for more mothing this week. A few moths below including the Tabby, Clay and three types of Ermine moth.
As well as the hawk-moths I posted earlier, there was a good selection of other moths including Brown Rustic and Hook-streak Grass Veneer, both of which were new ones for my garden. In total 52 moths of 25 different species. Some of the highlights below…
The moth trap was quite well filled the other morning; moth numbers starting to build. The only new moth was a Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion), a single-generation moth that flies between May-July, and apparently does not come to light that frequently. Aside from this there was quite a nice selection of other moths, plus a shiny Whirligig Beetle (presumed Gyrinus substriatus). These beetles are usually found spinning around on the surface of ponds, but they do fly between water sources and can be attracted to light.
It looks like it might be a bit wet for the rest of the weekend, but last night was dry and there were a few moths in the trap this morning. Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria) was a new species, while this Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) was a well marked individual. Nothing red, white & blue though!
It was a pretty meagre catch of moths last night, despite the warm weather; never seem to do that well when there’s a clear sky and full moon. But out of only 6 moths, 3 of them were 2 new species. Two rather handsome purple-tinged Streamers and a Water Carpet all on the wall by the trap. Both are species only present in April-May.
As it was a warmer evening, I put out the moth trap. There wasn’t many moths in it this morning - maybe it was too clear overnight - but there were two new species: Shoulder Stripe and March Moth. All Spring moths during a period last year where whether prevented me doing much much trapping.
A first excursion of the year for my moth trap, resulted in a small catch of four different species. It might have been more if I hadn’t forgotten to put egg boxes in the trap - too much of a rush to get back to the rugby. Anyhow as well as three species I first caught last Match, there was this Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria, #835) - yes, there are still plenty of new moths to see in 2022!
Nearly missed this one, which would have been a bit of a tragedy; but happily I went for another check around the area where I set up my moth trap last night and found this beautiful Merveille du Jour perched in plain sight on the wall. This species has a shortish flight period in Sept-Oct, when it feeds on ivy flowers.
#830 Merveille du Jour (Griposia aprilina)
There was not a lot in the moth trap this morning, so it was a pleasant surprise to get 4 new garden species. The Box Tree Moth is a recent immigrant from South-East Asia that only arrived (presumably from imported plants) in UK in 2007 and is spreading pretty fast across the country - it is bad news if you have a box hedge as its caterpillars will eat all the leaves. Green-brindled Crescent and Canary-shouldered Thorn are both rather attractive native species with a single generation in the Autumn. The large and delicately marked caddisfly Halesus radiatus was also a welcome addition to the list.
A nice collection of moths on Saturday morning, including two new species: Gold Spot (Plusia festucae) and Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea). The gold-coloured marks on the Gold Spot do look distinctly metallic.
After a break, here are some August moths caught this week. A trio of new species included Orange Swift (Triodia sylvina), Rosy Tabby (Endotricha flammealis) and Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata).
A fine selection of moths captured on Monday morning included a spectacular Poplar Hawk Moth, Sallow Kitten, four new types of “carpet” and many ermine moths including Thistle Ermine. All this brings my count of moth species to over 200.
Some moth trapping this weekend brought my 800 species for the garden. Some of the highlights are shown below. Of the two new macros, the Dusky Sallow is a species from the Cotswolds liking drier calcareous habitats where its caterpillars live on grasses, whereas the Dun-bar is a woodland species needing deciduous trees. Apparently the caterpillars of the Dun-bar are partly carnivorous, augmenting their plant-based diet with caterpillars of other (and even sometimes their own) species.
There are hardly any butterflies around during the day, but at night I seem to be doing pretty well catching moths. Last night I struck gold with a flashy Burnished Brass, a striking Shaded Broad-bar and a Scarce Footman, among seven new species. It’s not certain if the metallic marks on some moths are to deter or confuse predators, or if it’s just to look good.
These are some of the micro moths I caught recently. A couple of new species of tortrix moths, most of which seem to be found around orchards and fruit trees, of which there are many round here. Also it is the season for grass moths, so several of these appear in the catch.
I caught a bumper haul of moths on Friday morning, following a still, warm & overcast night. This included four elephant hawk moths, and a several Heart & Date, Large Yellow Underwing, Uncertain, Flame, Buff Ermine and other commoner moths. Among these here are some of my favourites, including four new species of macro moths for my garden list.
More moths caught at the weekend, including Small and Large elephant Hawk Moths and Cloaked Minor, another new species.
Passionate about nature, based in Gloucestershire UK; this site is about creating a wildlife friendly family garden and exploring the diversity of animal & plant species that share it with us.
As a nature lover and wildlife gardener I started wondering about the biodiversity in my backyard and just how many species from plants to insects to birds to mammals might live in or visit it.
Much of the wildlife in my small, village garden has been present right under my nose for years without my really appreciating it, so on the way I am learning a lot about different species and how to make a wildlife-friendly environment for them; also getting engaged more in conservation activities around Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.
My garden species tally started from zero on June 1st 2018, the target was 1000 species, which I eventually hit in June 2024. But there’s still plenty to see and learn about.
I'm very interested in your comments & advice: whether it's about the blog, some help with identification or just how to make my own little Eden better for wildlife. So please leave a comment or drop me a line if you feel like it!
Graham Tompsett
microedenproject@gmail.com
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