Latest Sightings

Forty two species, including: Mocha, Purple Bar, Lychnis, Lime-speck Pug, Rosy Rustic, 7 Silver Y, Blastobasis adustella, Gillmeria pallidactyla, Bryotropha terrrella, (3) Nomophila noctuella, ffy Jersey Tiger, Small Wainscot

Female Ringed China-mark (Parapoynx stratiotata) worth a mention here.

31 species including 1 Angle Shades, 1 Lesser Swallow Prominent, 2 Pale Prominent.

28 species including 1 Garden Pebble, 1 Barred Rivulet, 1 Pale Prominent.

Put the light on last night to see how it would perform in the bad weather, blustery winds and rain. 1 Four-spotted Footman and 3 Common Rustic aggs only

37 species including 1 Four-spotted Footman, 1 Dun-bar, 1 Pale Prominent, 1 Dusky Thorn, 1 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Pebble Prominent.

Sliver Y x5, Rustic agg x3, a Straw Dot and a Udea fulvalis (the Udea fulvalis was ID by @UKMoths from a photo I put on Twitter) thats two new ones for me

Although nothing of special note, a nice summer selection included several Grey Dagger agg., a beautiful Black Arches, plus Smoky Wainscot, Small Phoenix, and a Mompha propinquella among the few micros, while Rosy Minor continues to turn up only rarely in the traps here.  A solitary Silver Y the only immigrant.

Some rain in the early hours.  46 species including 2 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Rush Veneer and 3 Silver Y.  Highlights were Large Emerald and Small Blood-vein.

Acleris umbrana , Wax Moth , Garden Tiger , 2 Dark Sword-grass.

A wet day followed by a cool night.  47 species including 1 Dark Sword-grass and 3 Silver Y.  NFG E. falciformis.  Highlights were Phoenix, Mouse Moth and an Ear sp.

Maple Pug , Currant Pug , Buff Footman , Pale Prominent , Jersey Tiger , Least Yellow Underwing , Marbled Green , Mouse Moth , Twin-spotted Wainscot , Brown-veined Wainscot.

A warmish dark night before the rain started about 5.30am.  65 species including 2 Rush Veneer, 1 P. vitrealis, 1 Small Mottled Willow and 5 Silver Y.  Also 1 Clay Triple-lines.

Male Gem.

92 species. Highlights were Bucculatrix nigricomella, Argyresthia goedartella, Plutella xylostella (3), Crocidosema plebejana, Phycita roborella, Acrobasis sauvella, Scoparia subfusca, Udea ferrugalis (2), Ostrinia nubilalis (2), Nomophila noctuella (3), Four-spotted Footman (6), Jersey Tiger (2), Pinion-streaked Snout, Dark Spectacle, Silver Y (8), Marbled Green, Small Rufous & Dark Sword-grass (5).

A much better night after the sun yesterday.  76 species including 5 Rush Veneer and 2 Silver Y.  Highlights were 1 July Highflyer and my second ever Dog's Tooth.

Only two moths caught last night at my Wimborne garden. A Bright-line Brown-eye and my first Dark Sword-grass

Just thirty four individuals of fifteen species, with nothing of note - but including: Red Twin-spot Carpet, Ruby Tiger, Scalloped Oak, E.postvittana, T.sauvella, two N.noctuella (min 10.5 degC / cloudy)

Not much after the heavy rain but 1 Oak Eggar was nice to get.

9 Common Rustic aggregate,1 Uncertain/Rustic aggregate, and two new ones for my small wimborne garden a Clay and a Flame Shoulder.

Jersey Mocha (confirmed by Phil Sterling) on the night of 18th July (the one with the torrential rain!). Also recorded Marbled Green, a first for the garden and assume that this was transported with the storms northwards from the coast.

Best of last nights catch was an almost pristine Dewick's Plusia. Also Limnaecia phragmitella was new for me and Athrips mouffetella best of rest. Small Mottled Willow yesterday (18/7).

Charmouth 18th July. Singles of Bordered Beauty, Gold Spot, and Kent Black Arches.

From MV in farmyard, 350+ moths of 84 species...but with many escapee micros!! Of note Birch Mocha (1), Channel Island's Pug (1), Dark Sword-grass (3), Ear Moth (6), Fen Wainscot (1), Four-spotted Footman (39) - populations of this moth in the ascendancy right now -, Least Yellow Underwing (2), Sharp-angled Peacock (2), Shore Wainscot (1) and a White Satin Moth. Micro migrants Cydia amplana, Rusty-dot Pearl and Rush Veneer as singles. Heath trapping on the island heathland revealed Beautiful Yellow Underwing, Narrow-winged Pug and a Plain Wave among the usual suspects. At the DWT overnight trap, a Double Kidney and a Phoenix were probably to pick.

Huge storms last night and I finally had to get the traps in about 1.30am. Pine Hawkmoth was the best of a small catch.

Best here were Small Marbled, Small Purple-barred and Dioryctria sylvestrella.

A great night with at least 80 species including 2 July High-flyer, 2 Dun-bar, 2 Phoenix, 2 Marbled Green, 1 Dusky Sallow, 1 Pale Prominent, 1 Mocha, 1 Rosy Rustic, 1 Sharp-angled Peacock, 2 Beautiful Hook-tip.

96 species including 1 Rush Veneer and 2 Silver Y.  37 Four-spotted Footman in two traps - the biggest number I've ever had I think.

2nd largest catch for us with 73 spp. NFG were Mocha and Ypsolopha dentella. Also liked Black Arches, Bordered Beauty, Four-spotted footman, 4 Yellow Underwing spp, Chinese Char, Herald and Oak Eggar (female who donated a dozen eggs)

Charmouth 16th July. Singles of Black Arches, Chalk Carpet, Four-spotted Footman, Scallop Shell, Slender Brindle and Triple-spotted Pug.

326 individuals of 80 species (so far). Highlights: new for garden Wax Moth (below) and Large Emerald.  FFY included Carcina quercana, Blastobasis adustella, Acrobasis suavella, Phycitoides binaevella, Hypospygia glaucinalis, Yellow Shell, White Satin and Mouse Moth.  Also Four-spotted Footman (male & female) and a single Silver Y.

ffg scallop shell and pinion-streak snout. Also Calamotropha paludella. Otherwise highlights were male and female four-spotted footman, Brussels lace, knot grass, marbled green, tawny-barred angle, dark sword grass, poplar grey, red twin spot carpet, black arches and lime-speck pug.

Around fifty species, including: Phoenix, Purple Thorn, Knot Grass, September Thorn, Spectacle, Peppered Moth, Plutella xylostella (min 13.2 degC)

New for the last night were Brown-tail, Pebble Hook-tip, Coronet and Common Footman. Also had Buff Ermine, Riband Wave, Double Square-spot and a Dwarf Cream Wave.

Sixty five species, including: Ancylis badiana, Agriphila tristella, Crambus perlella, Parapoynx stratiotata, Agapeta hamana, Kent Blk Arches (ffy), Lg Emerald, Gdn Tiger, Scorched Carpet, H & Club, Mocha, Clay, Pebble Hook-tip, Blk Arches, BB Yellow U/wing (min 13.9 degC )

Charmouth 14th July.  A Slender Brindle and an Endotricha flammealis.

Buff Ermine x2, Riband Wave x2, Elephant Hawk-Moth, Scalloped Oak, Yellow Shell, Dark Arches, Clouded Boarder, Double Square-spot and a Dwarf Cream Wave.

2 MVs at Abbotsbury Swannery last night produced 117 species. New for me were Caryocolum viscariella & Bactra robustrana. Also a Scrobipalpa which looks to be nitentella, but as it wasn't retained shan't be recorded. Also of note were Borkhausenia fuscescens (4), Adaina microdactyla, Brachmia blandella (7), Lozotaeniodes formosana, Acleris forsskaleana, Epinotia cruciana, Bactra furfurana, Anania crocealis (2), Nomophila noctuella, Plain Pug, Wood Carpet, Bordered Beauty (2), Canary-shouldered Thorn (is it that time of year already!!!), Large Emerald, Four-spotted Footman, Pinion-streaked Snout, Black Arches, Brown-tail (8), Fen Wainscot (12), Brown-veined Wainscot (4), Small Dotted Buff (2), Southern Wainscot (17), Rosy Rustic (again, is it that time of year!), Gothic, Dark Sword-grass, Short-cloaked Moth (2), Kent Black Arches (2) and Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Now I'm off to the Lake District for a week, not a mothing holiday, but I am bringing a small trap with me, so hopefully will catch a couple of things which are new or rare for me!

54 species including 1 Small Phoenix, 2 Gold Triangle, 1 Dot Moth, 1 Mocha, 1 Marbled White Spot, 2 Rosy Footman, 1 Ruby Tiger, 1 Acrobasis suavella.

What a difference when living on the coast. Inland here, only 50 species. All the usual species including 2 Swallow-tailed Moth,1 Anania coronata plus 2 attractive micros, Red-barred Tortrix and 1 Large Fruit-tree Tortrix.

111 species. Highlights/migrants were Plutella xylostella (2), Prays ruficeps (2), Elachista argentella (NFG), Mompha epilobiella (2), Acleris schalleriana, Lobesia abscisana (NFY), Grapholita funebrana (NFY), Homoeosoma sinuella (NFY), Anania crocealis, Udea ferrugalis (3), Nomophila noctuella, Pebble Hook-tip, Haworth's Pug (3), Engrailed, Small Emerald, Rosy Footman (6), Muslin Footman (3), Four-spotted Footman (10), Beautiful Hook-tip, Dark Spectacle, Silver Y (3), Double Lobed (NFG), Grey Arches, Dark Sword-grass, Square-spot Rustic (NFY), Kent Black Arches (NFG) and Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Charmouth 11th July. A Blackneck, a Kent Black Arches and a Morris's Wainscot.

44 species including 1 Mocha, 1 Ghost Moth, 2 Gold Triangle, 1 Ruby Tiger and 1 female Ringed China-mark.

Scalloped Oak, Common Emerald and a Nut-tree Tussock were the best moths

Only 46 species including 77 Common Footman plus singles of Pebble Prominent, Privet Hawkmoth and the first this year of a Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.

53 species here, including 2 Mocha, 1 Beautiful China-mark, 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 1 Small Dusty Wave, 1 Ringed China-mark, 1 Garden Rose Tortrix, 2 Brussels Lace. particularly good to see the 2 China-marks.

97 species, with highlights being Plutella xylostella (3), Brachmia blandella, Helcystogramma rufescens (NFG), Acrobasis advenella, Ostrinia nubilalis, Udea prunalis, Nomophila noctuella, Eudonia delunella, Bordered Beauty, Small Emerald, Rosy Footman (4), Muslin Footman (4), Four-spotted Footman (6), Dark Spectacle, Marbled White Spot & Dark Sword-grass (2).

Charmouth 9th July. A second Mere Wainscot.

Fifty macro, thirty + micro species, including: Plutella porrectella, Aphomia sociella, Crassa unitella, Aethes rubigana, Gillmeria pallidactyla, Oegoconia sp, Coleophora mayrella, Carcina quercus.  Macros included: Scarce Silver-lines, Oak Nycteoline, Sallow Kitten, Dun Bar, Gdn Tiger, Set H Character, Dot Moth, Chinese Character, 20+ Rosy Footman, Dingy Footman (min 16.4 degC)

When setting up the traps tonight saw a new for garden Bloxworth Snout.

A good night with 74 species including singles of Lunar-spotted Pinion, Small Waved Umber, Phoenix, Sharp-angled Carpet, Pebble Hook-tip, Engrailed, Brussels Lace, Red-barred Tortrix, July High-flyer, Oak Nycteoline plus 2 Mocha, a surprise because the second emergence of Mocha is not normally seen at this site in early July. In recent years, it has been later in August. A very welcome sight, nevertheless.

48 species including singles of Coronet, Small Dotted Buff, Euzophera pinguis, Acleris forsskaleana.

48 species including singles of Herald, Phoenix, Small Dotted Buff, Dot Moth, Dark Umber, Sycamore.

7/7: 124 species. New for garden were Ypsolopha dentella, Ethmia dodecea, Endothenia quadrimaculana, Merrifieldia baliodactylus, Purple Thorn and Oak Nycteoline. Other notables/migrant were Plutella xylostella (8), Borkhausenia fuscescens, Carcina quercana, Brachmia blandella, Acleris schalleriana, Phtheochora inopiana (2), Cydia fagiglandana, Pammene regiana, Galleria melloniella, Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Udea ferrugalis, Parapoynx stratiotata, Acentria ephemerella, Drinker (5), Blue-bordered Carpet, Scallop Shell, Fern, Scalloped Oak, Rosy Footman (12), Muslin Footman (6), Four-spotted Footman, Buff Footman, Beautiful Hook-tip, Silver Y (5), Small Rufous, L-album Wainscot (2) & Cream-bordered Green Pea (2).

8/7: 132 species. New for garden was Lathyronympha strigana & Aglossa pinguinalis. Other notables/migrants were Plutella xylostella (7), Argyresthia spinosella, Anarsia spartiella, Acleris schalleriana, Grapholita janthinana, Galleria melloniella, Calamotropha paludella, Catoptria falsella, Parapoynx stratiotata, Drinker, Small Blood-vein (3), Barred Yellow, Small Rivulet (3), Fern, Small Emerald, Yellow-tail (4), Rosy Footman (7), Muslin Footman (9), Four-spotted Footman (6), Buff Footman (2), Beautiful Hook-tip, Silver Y (2), Marbled White Spot, Sycamore, Small Mottled Willow & Double Square-spot.

Charmouth, 24th June. A Plain Pug has now been identified. 7th July, 1 Morris's Wainscot. 2 Four-spotted Footman, 64 Common Footman. 8th July, i Crescent Dart, 1 Double Lobed, 1 Morris's Wainscot. still a plague of Common Footman.

54 macro / 24 micro species, including: Acleris kochiella, Ypsolopha dentella, Calamotropha paludella, Euzophora pinguis, Parapoynx stratiotata, Elophila nymphaeata, Alucita hexadactyla, Acrobasis sauvella, Clepsis consimilana.  Macros included: Bordered Pug, Nut-tree Tussock, Mocha(3), Dingy Footman, Heart & Club, Small Fan-foot, Ruby Tiger, Sm Rivulet, Clay (min 16.5 degC)

Today 8th July. p.m.

FFY Hummingbird hawk (2) 0n buddlehia. Small purple barred (2) on heath. Also Treble lines, Silver y, Six spot burnet (3 on verge), Common heath and Double striped pug.

Bronze and white Argyresthia brockeella earlier this week on the dog walk. Plus a Beautiful snout this morning for the 2nd year without a camera (the battery was charging after trap).

A night that was dominated by micros. The easy ones that are ffg are Epiblema foenella and Ypsolopha sequella. The ffy macros were July highflyer, rosy footman, dingy footman and drinker.

Riband Wave x 3, Willow Beauty, Large Yellow Underwing x 3, Dark Arches, Swallow-tailed Moth and Uncertain and 2 Common Rustic agg. Is all I caught on this night.

Thirty five macro / seventeen micro species, including: Phycita roborella, Cryptoblades bistriga, Mompha ochraceella, Nomophila noctuella, Brachmia blandella, Bryotropha terrella, Helcystogramma rufescens, Clepsis consimilana, Acleris variegana.  Macros included: Purple Thorn, Silver Y, Coronet, Garden Tiger, Blue-bordered Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Double Square-spot

Overnight trap. Scarce silver lines (2), Elephant hawk (3), Riband wave (7), Diamond back moth (22), Flame (3), Mother of Pearl (4), Uncertain, Large yellow underwing (11), Dot moth, Small fan footed wave (3), Blood vein, Poplar hawkmoth, Bright line brown eye (3), Scalloped oak (2), Common footman (3), Heart & Dart, Common emerald, Apple moth, Tachystola acroxantha, Browntail, Common rustic, Whitepoint, Small blood vein, Oak nycteoline, Fen wainscoat (First for me), Kent black arches (FFY), Buff ermine, Dark arches (4), Anania coronata (3), Single dotted wave (3), iron prominent (FFY), True lovers knot (3), Dunbar (2), Buff arches, Endotricha flammealis, Pyrausta purpuralis, Marbled white spot, Oegoconia quadripuncta, Argyresthia brockeela, Snout, Lychnis, Udea fulvalis , Rosy minor.

Preliminary sampling of regenerating heathland at centre of the island with basic Heath trap yielded 23 Horse Chestnut, 17 True Lover's Knot, 7 Scarce Footman and micros Pempelia genistella (gorse specialist) and Ypsolopha nemorella which, on a night with a bright moon suggests good recovery/diversity.

An DWT MV on a track near the Villa generated useful records of Cream-bordered Green Pea, Dingy Shell (alder feeder), Fen Wainscot, Festoon, Four-spotted Footman (5), Kent Black Arches (3) and Pinion-streaked Snout, with micros Aroga velocella, Chilo phragmitella, Cryptoblabes bistringa and Lobesia abscisana.

Thirty nine macro + sixteen micro species, including: Hypsopygia costalis, Evergestis forficalis, Carcina quercana, Bryoptropha terrella, Cnephasia sp, Agapeta hamana, Lozotaenia forsterana, Eudonia mercurella.  Macros included: Oak Nycteoline, Marbled Beauty, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Brussels Lace, Pebble Prominent, Coronet, Scalloped Oak (min 15.4degC /dry)

58 species including singles of Cinnabar, Small Scallop, Short-cloaked Moth, Phoenix, Cloaked Minor, Small Dotted Buff.

Kent Black Arches , Sycamore , Small Purple-barred.

49 species including singles of Poplar Grey, Muslin Footman, Rosy Footman, Dot Moth, Engrailed, Small Angle Shades, Aethes cnicana.

Blastobasis lacticolella , Gypsonoma dealbana , Calamotropha paludella , Cataclysta lemnata , Hypsopygia costalis , Leopard , Drinker , Chinese Character , Small Blood-vein , Yellow Shell , Scallop Shell , V-Pug , Small Yellow Wave , Clouded Silver , White Satin , Brown-tail , Ruby Tiger , Rosy Footman , Dark Sword-grass , Dog's Tooth , Obscure Wainscot , Dusky Brocade , Green Silver-lines.

Charmouth 3rd July. A Fen Wainscot and a Crescent Dart plus one yesterday.

Lacklustre supply of pulse-quickening macro-moths on the Purbeck limestone today. Nevertheless, good totals continue to feature but to my dismay not one single pug!! At best Festoon, Chinese Character, Single-dotted Wave, Galium Carpet, Barred Straw (out in force), Small Phoenix, 2nd gen Early Thorn, Muslin Footman, Garden Tiger, L-album Wainscot and a posse of Clays. These only bettered by a delicious Lappet Moth, a Kent Black Arches - beautifully ornamented with a thin twisted flourish of black calligraphy across the wings, and yet more Reddish Light Arches which is having a good year.

With Jenny Seawright, John Winterbottom and Dave Brown (NT).

61 species including 1 White Point, 1 Shark, 1 Small Dusky Wave, 1 Engrailed, 1 Gold Triangle and 1 Pretty Chalk Carpet.

Overwhelmed by Sat night catch. Our sub-urban garden PB rose from 51 to 82 spp. Full count & ID took all day ! (JO - how do you do 114 before 7:35am ?)
Excitement caused by Privet Hawkmoth, 2 Leopards, Lilac Beauty, Beautiful Hook-tip, Blue-bordered Carpet, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, & Anania crocealis, Rhodophaea formosa.

Oddly no FFG macros :(

Pammene regiana , Cydia splendana , Pleuroptya ruralis , Lackey , Dwarf Cream Wave, Galium Carpet , Wormwood Pug , Vapourer , Yellow-tail , White Satin.  Dark Sword-grass.  Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing , Obscure Wainscot , Shark , Coronet , Small Angle Shades , Common Rustic , Rustic , 3 Silver Y , Herald.

114 species, with Obscure Wainscot being new for me. Other highlights were Blastodacna hellerella, Brachmia blandella (2), Oidaematophorus lithodactyla (my second ever), Hypsopygia glaucinalis (3), Rhodophae formosa (2), Delplanqueia dilutella, Ostrinia nubilalis, Drinker, Haworth's Pug (2), Brown-tail (5), Beautiful Hook-tip, Dark Spectacle, Silver Y (2), Dark Sword-grass & Cream-bordered Green Pea (4).

Fifty + macro / 30 + micro species, including: Anania coronata, Blastodacna hellerella, Nomophila noctuella, Archips podana, Nephopterix angustella, Clepsis consimilana, Ditula angustiorana, Batrachedra praeangusta (tbc), Cydia pomonella, Notocelia uddmanniana.  Amongst the macros: Dingy Shears, Clay, Dk Specracle, Pebble Prominent, Sandy Carpet, Brussels Lace, Short-cloaked Moth, Sycamore, Poplar Grey, ffy Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (min 14.4 degC)

c300 individuals of 95 species. Highlights were FFG Double Lobed (below) and FFY Cypress Carpet, Lilac Beauty, Sallow Kitten, Rosy Footman and Clay. Migrants: singles of Udea ferrugalis, Nomophila noctuella and Silver Y.

106 species, with highlights being Plutella xylostella (3), Blastodacna hellerella (2), Phtheochroa inopiana, Aethes rubigana, Rhodophae formosa (4), Acrobasis tumidana (NFY, and my second ever in the UK), Udea ferrugalis, Ostrinia nubilalis, Galium Carpet, Haworth's Pug (2), White Satin Moth, Brown-tail, Silver Y (2), Marbled White Spot, Light Brocade, Shark, Dark Sword-grass (2) & Short-cloaked Moth.

Around Fifty macro + 16 micro species, including: Aglossa pinguinalis (Lg Tabby), Ditula angustiorana, Acleris variegana, Pandemis cerasana, Pleuroptya ruralis (MoP), Nomophila noctuella, Notocelia uddmanniana (Bramble Shoot).  Small Emerald, Clay Triple-lines, Dk.Sword-grass, Chinese Character, Sm Dotted Buff, Clouded Bordered Brindle, Silver Y, Sycamore, Drinker, Peach Blossom (min 14.1 degC /no rain)

A green theme in the trap this morning: Green silver lines, lime hawkmoth, green pug, large emerald, light emerald. Also new for the year were scalloped oak, marbled white spot, common footman, small blood vein and ghost moth.

Not the best of recent nights with 37 species including 1 White Point and 1 Spinach amongst 8 Barred Straw.

Agapeta hamana , Eucosma Cana , 3 Ostrinia nubilalis , 2 Udea ferrugalis , Dark Sword-grass , Small Mottled Willow , 11 Silver Y.