Latest Sightings

By day at Rodwell, 2 Silver Ys and a Epermenia chaerophyllella

A cool night with fewer Orthosia's. New for the year was a Lunar Marbled Brown. Others included Pale Pinion and Brindled Beauty.

Temperature down to 1C. 29 moths of 9 species. Highlights: 1 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Red Chestnut, 2 Small Quaker.

Temperature at 5C by dawn. Just 29 moths of 8 species with no special highlights just routine fare comprising: 1 Red Chestnut, 2 Small Quaker, 1 Powdered Quaker, 6 Common Quaker, 2 Clouded Drab, 1 Twin-spotted Quaker, 10 Hebrew Character and 6 Early Grey.

28-Apr 125W MV (highlights):

East Lulworth

• Anticlea derivata Streamer (1st for year)
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Orthosia gracilis Powdered Quaker

A cold night at Higher Hyde Heath, with ice forming on the traps, producing 15 moths of 8 species, with Early Tooth-striped and 4 Red Chestnut being new for recorder. New for year were Small Quaker, 3 Clouded Drab, and a Silver Y.

27-Apr 125W MV:

East Lulworth

Orthosia gracilis Powdered Quaker new for the year in an Orthosia spp. only overnight trap.

Amongst the usual Orthosia species was a Horse Chestnut and the second Dotted Chestnut of the year.

26-Apr 125W MV:

East Lulworth

• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass (1)
• Orthosia cruda Small Quaker
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey
• Conistra vaccinii Chestnut
• Autographa gamma Silver Y (1)

25-Apr Netted:

East Lulworth

• Lampropteryx suffumata Water Carpet
• Autographa gamma Silver Y (1)

25-Apr 125W MV:

East Lulworth

• Diurnea fagella
• Lampropteryx suffumata Water Carpet
• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Selenia tetralunaria Purple Thorn
• Orthosia cruda Small Quaker
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Lithophane hepatica Pale Pinion
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey
• Conistra vaccinii Chestnut
• Autographa gamma Silver Y (4)

Shaggs

• Diurnea fagella
• Agonopterix heracliana
• Acleris hastiana
• Eupithecia abbreviata Brindled Pug
• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Ectropis bistortata Engrailed
• Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass (1)
• Cerastis rubricosa Red Chestnut
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey
• Colocasia coryli Nut-tree Tussock

24-Apr 125W MV:

East Lulworth

• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Orthosia cruda Small Quaker
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Conistra vaccinii Chestnut

Shaggs

• Caloptilia stigmatella
• Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet
• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Pachycnemia hippocastanaria Horse Chestnut
• Ectropis bistortata Engrailed
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey

23-Apr 125W MV:

East Lulworth

• Diurnea fagella
• Agonopterix heracliana
• Agonopterix ocellana
• Acleris cristana
• Alucita hexadactyla Twenty-plume Moth
• Eupithecia abbreviata Brindled Pug
• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Lycia hirtaria Brindled Beauty
• Biston strataria Oak Beauty
• Ectropis bistortata Engrailed
• Cerastis rubricosa Red Chestnut
• Orthosia cruda Small Quaker
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Lithophane hepatica Pale Pinion
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey
• Conistra vaccinii Chestnut

Shaggs

• Caloptilia stigmatella
• Agonopterix yeatiana
• Eupithecia abbreviata Brindled Pug
• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Selenia tetralunaria Purple Thorn
• Biston strataria Oak Beauty
• Ectropis bistortata Engrailed
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey

21-Apr 125W MV:

East Lulworth

• Anticlea badiata Shoulder Stripe
• Lampropteryx suffumata Water Carpet
• Trichopteryx carpinata Early Tooth-striped
• Selenia dentaria Early Thorn
• Biston strataria Oak Beauty
• Agriopis marginaria Dotted Border
• Ectropis bistortata Engrailed
• Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass (1)
• Cerastis rubricosa Red Chestnut
• Orthosia cruda Small Quaker
• Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker
• Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab
• Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker
• Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character
• Xylocampa areola Early Grey

Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass

A colder night, which reached 0C by dawn, produced 47 of just 7 species comprising: Early Grey, Oak Beauty, Small Quaker, Common Quaker, Clouded Drab, Twin-spotted Quaker and Hebrew Character.

Caloptilia stigmatella, Diurnea fagella, Agonopterix rotundella, Brindled Pug, Early Thorn, Purple Thorn, Engrailed, Small Quaker, Common Quaker, Twin-spotted Quaker, Hebrew Character, Pale Pinion, Early Grey, Satellite and Chestnut.

Oak Nycteoline amongst the usual Orthosia spp.

After light rain in the first part of the night, the temperature reached zero by dawn.  Highlights were: Agonopterix heracliana, Early Thorn, Oak Beauty and Small Quaker (W. Bown)

The temperature was slightly higher at 2C last night, and this morning's tally comprised: singles of March Moth, Oak Beauty, Powdered Quaker, Common Quaker and Twin-spotted Quaker, plus eight Hebrew Character and two Early Grey. (W. Bown)

A cold night with the temperature down to -5C. On the wing were: two March Moth, a single Oak Beauty, four Common Quaker, a Clouded Drab, two Hebrew Character, and a Chestnut. (W. Bown)

1st March 2013
An Agonopterix heracliana and a Dotted Border found on lit window in the morning (G Balciikornis).  A single Chestnut at Tincleton (R Cottle).

2nd March 2013
By day, a Fox Moth larva at Tyneham (L Hill).
A Pale Brindled Beauty at East Lulworth (L Hill).

3rd March 2013
A Chestnut at East Lulworth (L Hill).

5th March 2013
At Shaggs a Pale Brindled Beauty and Chestnut (L Hill).  Nearby at East Lulworth four Tortricodes alternella, three Acleris ferrugana/notana, an Acleris cristana, two March Moth, four Pale Brindled Beauty, an Oak Beauty, Common Quaker, two Hebrew Character, five Satellite and four Chestnut (L Hill).  Nine species recorded at Walditch the highlight being an Acleris cristana (M Parsons).  Almost tropical at Winterbourne Stickland overnight at 5c and singles of Chestnut, Common Quaker and Hebrew Character (W Bown).  At Alderholt two Acleris ferrugana/notana and singles of March Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty and two Chestnut (T Morris).  Two each of Early Moth and Hebrew Character at Plumber (W Franklin).

6th March 2013
A Hebrew Character found on the house wall at Beaminster after checking last night's empty trap (M Raper).
At Shaggs an Agonopterix heracliana, three Acleris ferrugana/notana, two Oak Beauty and Horse Chestnut (L Hill).  Nine species at Walditch again, including singles of Acleris cristana, Dotted Chestnut and Grey Shoulder-knot (M Parsons).  At Affpuddle a male Pale Brindled Beauty on a window ledge near the empty trap (A Middleton).  A damp and overcast night at Winterborne Stickland and numbers have just shot up - from three to five!: an Acleris ferrugana/notana, three Hebrew Character, and a Chestnut (W Bown).  In Poole, a Caloptilia populetorum, an Acleris ferrugana/notana, Common Quaker and three Hebrew Character (M Lawson).  New visitors to Alderholt were Diurnea fagella, Tortricodes alternella, Yellow Horned, Double-striped Pug, Dotted Border, Small Quaker and Common Quaker (T Morris).

  8th March 2013
A Chickerell singles of Acleris cristana, Common Quaker and Hebrew Character (C Pinder).  The first outing of the reserve's moth trap at Durlston CP with a Red-green Carpet and two Dotted Border (S Breeze).  At Tincleton 28 of 15 species, the highlights were a single Diurnea fagella, four Double-striped Pug, a Horse Chestnut, six Dotted Border, a Small Quaker and five Hebrew Character (R Cottle).  It was 9C at Winterbourne Stickland with a single Spring Usher, two Dotted Border and five Hebrew Character (W Bown). At Yetminster the first trapping of 2013 with a March Moth, two Early Thorn, a Common Quaker, four Hebrew Character and a Satellite (C Burningham).

15th March 2013
At Tincleton, Diurnea fagella, March Moth and Chestnut (R Cottle).

19th March 2013
At East Lulworth a March Moth, Oak Beauty, three Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and Grey Shoulder-knot (L Hill).  At Yetminster, following a recent burglary and using the moth-trap as a security light, a few intruders were March Moth, Common Quaker and two Hebrew Character (C Burningham).

20th March 2013
At East Lulworth Yellow Horned, March Moth, Dotted Border and eight Oak Beauty (L Hill).  Singles of Diurnea fagella, March Moth, three Oak Beauty and a single Satellite at Tincleton (R Cottle).  At Yetminster singles of Early Moth and Oak Beauty, two Small Quaker, three Hebrew Character and an Early Grey (C Burningham).

22nd March 2013
At Yetminster three Oak Beauty, two Small Quaker and five Hebrew Character (C Burningham).

23rd March 2013
Two Hebrew Character at Durlston, Swanage (P England).

30th March 2013
Just one Hebrew Character braved the sub-zero temperature at Durlston, Swanage (P England).

31st March 2013
By day a Double-striped Pug at Arne (J Oughton).

1st February 2013
An Acleris notana/ferrugana and a Winter Moth at Tincleton (R Cottle).  A Dark Chestnut at Winterborne Stickland (L de Whalley).

2-7th February 2013
No records received.

8th February 2013
A Pale Brindled Beauty and a Satellite at Tincleton (R Cottle).

9th February 2013
At Chickerell, a Hebrew Character and a Dark Chestnut (C Pinder).  A soggy Chestnut the only moth at Punckowle (M Hetherington).

10th February 2013
An Oak Beauty at Chickerell (C Pinder).

11th February 2013
An Early Moth under an exterior lamp at 0600 at Yellowham Farm (G Balcikonis).

12th February 2013
A Mottled Umber at Shaggs (L Hill).

14th February 2013
A Pale Brindled Beauty at Shaggs (L Hill).

15th February 2013
At Tincleton, an Acleris ferrugana/notana, Spring Usher, three Oak Beauty, five Pale Brindled Beauty and a Satellite (R Cottle).  An Early Moth at Plumber (W Franklin).

16th February 2013
By day at Broadwey, a Dotted Border disturbed while cutting the hedge (P Harris).

18th February 2013
A Pale Brindled Beauty at Shaggs (L Hill).

19th February 2013
A single Oak Beauty at Shaggs (L Hill).

20-28th February 2013
No records.

1st January 2013
Early morning, a Red-green Carpet by the lights of the Dorset Way (A3409) underpass (M Lawson). The first migrant of the year at Portland Obs, a Dark Sword-grass (per PBO).

2nd January 2013
Two Rush Veneer at the Obs on Portland (per PBO).  An early, Early Grey at Chickerell, although they have occurred rarely as early as November (C Pinder).  No macros at Broadwey, but two presumed Agonopterix subpropinquella, an Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and an Emmelina monodactyla (P Harris).  At Tincleton, three Acleris notana/ferrugana, an Acleris umbrana, three Red-green Carpet, a single Double-striped Pug, an early Pale Brindled Beauty, two Mottled Umber, and a migrant Small Mottled Willow (R Cottle).  A Small Mottled WIllow at Puddletown (H Wood Homer per P Harris).  At Poole, two Ypsolopha ustella, an Acleris sp. (awaiting confirmation) and an Emmelina monodactyla (M Lawson).

3rd January 2013
Migrants at Portland were a Rusty-dot Pearl and a Dark Sword-grass (per PBO).  In addition to plenty of flies at Rodwell, just the one moth, an Eudonia angustea (J Oughton).  At Chickerell a Double-striped Pug (C Pinder).  A Rush Veneer at Broadwey (P Harris).  Nearby, a Silver Y at Preston (R Lambert per P Harris).  A single Hebrew Character at Walditch (M Parsons). At Tolpuddle Manor, a Light Brown Apple Moth and a Dark Chestnut (J Francis).  At Poole, three Light Brown Apple Moth, a Double-striped Pug and a Dark Chestnut (M Lawson).

4th January 2013
By day, a Silver Y found at Fortuneswell, Portland (per PBO).
At Portland overnight, small numbers of Winter Moth, the first Mottled Grey of the year there, and a migrant Small Mottled Willow (per PBO).  At Broadwey, an Acleris notana/ferrugana and two Rush Veneer (P Harris).  At Durlston, Swanage, a Light Brown Apple Moth, two Rush Veneer and a pristine Silver Y (P England).  At Tincleton singles of Acleris notana/ferrugana, Acleris hastiana and a Winter Moth (R Cottle).  A Light Brown Apple Moth at Tolpuddle Manor (J Francis).  Three Winter Moth and two Spring Usher attracted to window at Arne (S Smith).

5th January 2013
No migrants recorded from seven traps on Portland (per PBO).  At Broadwey, two Acleris hastiana and two Rush Veneer (P Harris).  Nearby at Preston, a Silver Y (R Lambert per P Harris).  A Light Brown Apple Moth, an Acleris hastiana and a Mottled Grey at Tolpuddle Manor (J Francis).

6th January 2013
A Hebrew Character and a Dark Chestnut at Walditch (M Parsons).  A Satellite at Tolpuddle (J Francis).

7th January 2013
By day, a Silver Y at Chickerell (J Oughton).
At East Lulworth, Acleris notana/ferrugana, Mottled Umber, Pale Brindled Beauty and Yellow-line Quaker (L Hill).  Nearby at Shaggs, Winter Moth, Hebrew Character and a late Black Rustic (L Hill).  At Tincleton, eight Acleris ferrugana/notana, two each of Rush Veneer, Winter Moth and Mottled Umber (R Cottle).  No moths in the trap at Beaminster but a Winter Moth came in through the kitchen door (M Raper).  At Plumber, a lone Cypress Carpet attracted to the porch light (W Franklin).

8th January 2013
At East Lulworth, a 'suite' of Acleris sp. and a Rush Veneer (L Hill).  Nearby, an Acleris umbrana at Shaggs (L Hill).  Single Winter Moth and Spring Usher attracted to window at Arne (S Smith).

9th January 2013
A Fox Moth caterpillar basking on Winfrith Heath, soaking up the sun in ambient temperature of 9° C (A Middleton).
At Shaggs, another probable Acleris umbrana and a Spruce Carpet at Shaggs (L Hill).  Another Hebrew Character, if rather worn, at Walditch (M Parsons).  A Spring Usher attracted to exterior light, Yellowham Farm, Dorchester (G Balcikonis).

13th January 2013
An Emmelina monodactyla found outside the trap at Leigh, near Sherborne (G Nash).

16th January 2013
By day at Wyke, a first instar Oak Eggar larva (J Oughton).

19th January 2013
At Rodwell, the first Luffia ferchaultella larva (J Oughton).

20-26th January 2013
No records received, hardly surprising considering the weather of recent days.

27th January 2013
By day, a Double-striped Pug seen indoors at Parkstone (J Seawright).

30th January 2013
During daylight a Pale Brindled Beauty found under an exterior lamp at Yellowham Farm (G Balcikonis).

31st January 2013
The first Early Thorn of the year attracted to the lit front door (per PBO).