Westonzoyland 28/04/2007 A very early Cream bordered green pea and Heart and Dart very little else. Doug Miller.

29 April - Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

Best night of the year so far for quantity with 29 species including the following firsts for the year here.

Scalloped Hazel (3), Square Spot (3), Silver Ground Carpet, Small White Wave, Knot Grass, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Lime speck Pug.

Langport 29 April 2007

My first Lime hawks (2) and a Cream-spot Tiger - the latter rather early!

28th April 2007 Blue Anchor

My first Clouded Silver, Flame Carpet, Silver Y and Oak tree Pugs of the year. Also very fresh Pyrausta Purpuralis. Saw first Common Heath moths of the year at Haddon Hill in the afternoon. Silver Y was also flying there.

28 April - Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

New for 2007 - Lobster and Grey Birch

27 April - Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

Another early arrival - Clouded Bordered Brindle

Langport, night of 27 April

Cinnabar, Light Brocade, Mocha and the first Common Swift and Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis) of the year in the trap last night along with the expected species.

John Bebbington

Well the SMG has had its first outing of the year clear night partial moon not cold. We were at Worley Hill with Robin Clatworthy and Mike Ridge and I went into New Hill to put up two traps. As usual as is my way I left the best sites to my chums. But New Hill is so under recorded it all helps.

• New Hill 14 species
• 986 Syndemis musculana 1
• 1747 Anticlea derivata Streamer 1
• 1759 Ecliptopera silaceata Small Phoenix 2
• 1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 1
• 1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 3
• 1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 23
• 1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 1
• 1852 Eupithecia abbreviata Brindled Pug 3
• 1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 1
• 1875 Asthena albulata Small White Wave 3
• 1888 Ligdia adustata Scorched Carpet 4
• 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 17
• 1936 Menophra abruptaria Waved Umber 2
• 2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 2
• 2425 Colocasia coryli Nut-tree Tussock 1

• Worley Hill 34 species
• 663 Diurnea fagella 1
• 986 Syndemis musculana 1
• 998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 2
• 1676 Cyclophora annularia Mocha 13
• 1693 Scopula floslactata Cream Wave 1
• 1724 Xanthorhoe spadicearia Red Twin-spot Carpet 2
• 1727 Xanthorhoe montanata Silver-ground Carpet 2
• 1746 Anticlea badiata Shoulder Stripe 1
• 1747 Anticlea derivata Streamer 2
• 1759 Ecliptopera silaceata Small Phoenix 2
• 1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 1
• 1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 2
• 1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 15
• 1784 Melanthia procellata Pretty Chalk Carpet 1
• 1852 Eupithecia abbreviata Brindled Pug 7
• 1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 1
• 1867 Aplocera plagiata Treble Bar 3
• 1875 Asthena albulata Small White Wave 15
• 1888 Ligdia adustata Scorched Carpet 7
• 1890 Macaria alternata Sharp-angled Peacock 1
• 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 7
• 1917 Selenia dentaria Early Thorn 1
• 1920 Odontopera bidentata Scalloped Hazel 3
• 1927 Lycia hirtaria Brindled Beauty 1
• 1936 Menophra abruptaria Waved Umber 3
• 1957 Lomographa bimaculata White-pinion Spotted 1
• 2028 Calliteara pudibunda Pale Tussock 4
• 2043 Eilema sororcula Orange Footman 2
• 2078 Nola confusalis Least Black Arches 3
• 2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1
• 2092 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 4
• 2157 Lacanobia w-latinum Light Brocade 2
• 2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 1
• 2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 4
• 2425 Colocasia coryli Nut-tree Tussock 5
• Two fine light brocades a few weeks early plus the other stuff also very early.
• Best wishes to all you lucky folk catching all this rare stuff.
• David Evans

26 April Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

New arrivals - Lychnis and Poplar Hawk (2)

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris tityus was recorded at two new sites in Dorset on 21st and 22nd April. This highlights how worthwhile it is to search potential sites for this moth on sunny days. If you see this agile bee-mimic or think you may have seen it please do let me know as soon as you can. A factsheet on this moth is available from www.butterfly-conservation.org/conservation/defrafactsheets

Kelly Thomas, Moth Conservation Officer, Butterfly Conservation Email: kthomas@butterfly-conservation.org, Telephone: 01929 400209 or Post: Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP.

Langport, 25 April 2007

The first Cinnabar of the year and a pristine Light Brocade in the trap last night. A much better catch overall.

22 April Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

More early arrivals here - Lime Hawkmoth, Coronet, Green Carpet and Spectacle

Saturday 21st April 2007, Blue Anchor

Back in my garden last night:

Marbled Brown, Lunar Marbled Brown, Engrailed, The Tissue and Acleris Literana

Thursday 19th April 2007, Porlock

First visit of the year to Porlock, 23 species up until midnight, including: Frosted Green, Great Prominent, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Hook-tip, Scorched Carpet, Spruce Carpet, Water Carpet, The Tissue.

Langport 21 April 2007

Another Mullein, a Shuttle-shaped Dart and a White Ermine in the trap overnight.

20 April, Langport

A Spectacle and a Pale Tussock in the trap this morning. Since I have been traping in this area for less than a year I have no comparisons from previous years - but in 26 years' trapping in Surrey I didn't have either species until late May/early June.

19 April Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

On a fence near my Robinson Trap a beautiful fresh Puss Moth.  Also, flying in the garden during the day, a female Muslin Moth.  Although I get many males in the trap this is the first of the day-flying white females I have seen.

18 April - Whitefield, Wiveliscombe.

A single Buff Tip - another early arrival !

15 April Whitefield, Wiveliscombe.

Common moths continue to arrive early. Mapmate invited me to look again at the ID of four newcomers, Tawny-barred Angle, Peppered Moth, Marbled Brown and Pale Tussock. Other 2007 firsts for me included Scorched Carpet, V-Pug, Least Black Arches, Orange Footman, Small Phoenix, Sallow Kitten and a Mullein - only my fourth in ten years.

I agree with Peter that there seem to be strange happenings this year. I have had two Frosted Greens in the last week, not a common moth in my garden usually. Last night Marbled Brown, Brimstone and Mullein among the more usual fare. I am also getting several out of the ordinary Clouded Drab, many of them very pale. I wonder if their colouration is a temperature dependent thing like pink Vestals. Well done with the Silver Cloud Dave. This is not a common moth in Somerset but seems to like that north coast area.

RECORD BREAKING TOADFLAX PUG.  This pug was found by our daughter in the bathroom on the morning of 14th April.  According to Mark, the earliest record for this area was June 2nd (1976). Looks like Friday 13th was a success not a disaster for us. We have also had a large group of streamers, twenty plumes and shoulder stripes of late. Last night (14th) produced our first red twin spot carpet, green carpet and water carpet for the season.

11 to 14 April Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

After ten years trapping here I find a number of common moths are appearing earlier here this year including Common Marbled Carpet, Chocolate Tip, Chinese Character, Grey/Dark Dagger, Waved Umber, V-Pug. Brimstone Moth and Bright Line Brown Eye. It is also proving a good year for Frosted Green.

Blue Anchor 13th April 2007

Silver Cloud, Waved Umber

Langport, 11 April 2007

First Silver Y of the year in the trap, plus a really fresh Chocolate-tip (first for my garden), a Herald and another Mullein. 41 moths of 17 species - a big improvement.

Also a Noctuid larva on one of my wife's Foxglove plants - I think that it is Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. I would be grateful for confirmation or correct ID!

John Bebbington

Another One That Almost Got Away

On Easter Sunday my wife and I went up to Stourhead. On the way, we called in at a small patch of woodland in Dorset. I have seen Light Orange Underwing there in past years and hoped to get another glimpse of the moth which usually flies high in the tops of its foodplant the Aspen tree. Though we watched various Aspens for about an hour in total, nothing stirred but the odd dropping catkin. As we were climbing the incline out of the wood my wife suddenly asked, "What's that on the path behind you?" There alighting on the damp mud only a few feet from us was a superb Light Orange Underwing. It fluttered up several times, always finding a new patch of damp earth to land on. The woodland it is in is not far from the Somerset border and it would be great to discover this species in our county so if you aren't doing much this weekend get out into some damp woodlands with Aspen on our side of the border. Don't forget to look down as well as up.

The One That Almost Got Away

Trapping last night brought a couple of new moths in the form of Dotted Chestnut and Flame Shoulder. As I went out late this afternoon I noticed a largeish moth hanging onto the spout of the outside tap. I couldn't see it all at first and was happily surprised on moving for a closer look to find a first for the garden trap in the form of Red Swordgrass. This really shows the importance of checking not just in the trap but all around the trap.

10 April 2007 Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

On my return after the Easter Holiday the first "Prominents" appeared - Swallow, Pale, and Pebble. Also Marbled Brown, Lunar Marbled Brown, Muslin Moth and Flame Shoulder.

Another female Small Eggar in the trap last night. Nothing else out of the ordinary.

Langport 9 April - MV trap

The first Nut-tree Tussock of the year.

10 April in the garden

The first Hummingbird Hawk of the year plus a mature Cream-spot Tiger larva crossing the lawn.

Langport, 6 April 2007

First brimstone moth of the season, plus another female Small Eggar, in the trap at 2100 this evening. Found a Dotted Chestnut by the trap in the morning (Sat 07 April). Nothing else out of the ordinary.

Seen on 5th April - one Early Moth in good condition at Brompton Ralph

(Lee and Amanda Barton)

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

Our first warm spring day here marked by an Orange Tip in the garden.

Blue Anchor Sunday 1st April

Brindled Pug & Brimstone Moth

Langport, 1 April 2007

A really fresh Mullein next to the trap. Although the larvae are common everywhere around here (and were even more abundant in Surrey) this is the first adult I have trapped since 1979.

1 April 2007

Clouded Silver on a fence near my Robinson Trap. Another early record as this moth usually appears in May.