Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 5 degrees

What a change in 24 hours! Only 27 moths of 10 species but they did include Vine's Rustic and Brown Rustic both new for the year.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 11 degrees and wet.

Our best catch of the year to date here with 150 moths of 48 species including new for the year - Dark Arches, Lime-speck Pug, Pale Shouldered Brocade, Garden Pebble, Double Square-spot, Peacock Moth, Bright-line Brown Eye, Clouded Border, Mottled Rustic, Small Angle-shades and the earliest Dot Moth on the Somerset Moth Group database.

I was kindly given permission by Natural England to moth trap at Shapwick Heath this year and finally made my first visit on 25th May after a rise in diurnal temperatures giving hope for a good catch. I ran a 40W actinic and a 125W MV until 1am. I had pleasing results with 82 species recorded in total:

• 141 Nematopogon metaxella
• 148 Nemophora degeerella
• 276 Bucculatrix demaryella (gen det)
• 414 Argyresthia curvella
• 584 Coleophora alticolella (gen det)
• 587 Coleophora caespititiella (gen det)
• 648 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella
• 770 Carpatolechia proximella
• 968 Cochylis nana
• 972 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana
• 986 Syndemis musculana (gen det)
• 1034 Spatalistis bifasciana
• 1076 Celypha lacunana
• 1092 Apotomis turbidana
• 1111 Bactra lancealana (gen det)
• 1133 Epinotia bilunana
• 1176 Epiblema trimaculana
• 1334 Scoparia ambigualis
• 1345 Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata
• 1348 Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata
• 1350 Beautiful China-mark Nymphula stagnata
• 1376 Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata
• 1392 Udea olivalis
• 1503 Platyptilia isodactylus
• 1513 White Plume Moth Pterophorus pentadactyla
• 1648 Pebble Hook-tip Drepana falcataria
• 1677 Birch Mocha Cyclophora albipunctata
• 1722 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata
• 1725 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata
• 1727 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
• 1738 Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata
• 1748 Beautiful Carpet Mesoleuca albicillata
• 1764 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata
• 1776 Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria
• 1778 May Highflyer Hydriomena impluviata
• 1789 Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata
• 1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata
• 1876 Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria
• 1882 Small Seraphim Pterapherapteryx sexalata
• 1887 Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata
• 1890 Sharp-angled Peacock Macaria alternata
• 1894 Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata
• 1902 Brown Silver-line Petrophora chlorosata
• 1904 Scorched Wing Plagodis dolabraria
• 1920 Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata
• 1941 Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata
• 1951 Grey Birch Aethalura punctulata
• 1955 Common White Wave Cabera pusaria
• 1956 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata
• 1958 Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata
• 1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata
• 1994 Buff-tip Phalera bucephala
• 1999 Lobster Moth Stauropus fagi
• 2008 Coxcomb Prominent Ptilodon capucina
• 2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda
• 2040 Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella
• 2043 Orange Footman Eilema sororcula
• 2058 Cream-spot Tiger Arctia villica
• 2060 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda
• 2061 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum
• 2089 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis
• 2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta
• 2098 The Flame Axylia putris
• 2102 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta
• 2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba
• 2120 Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica
• 2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum
• 2204 Obscure Wainscot Mythimna obsoleta
• 2281 Alder Moth Acronicta alni
• 2289 Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis
• 2321 Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha
• 2326 Clouded-bordered Brindle Apamea crenata
• 2331 Small Clouded Brindle Apamea unanimis
• 2337 Marbled Minor Oligia strigilis (gen det)
• 2339 Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia latruncula (gen det)
• 2340 Middle-barred Minor Oligia fasciuncula
• 2380 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica
• 2384 Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua
• 2434 Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis
• 2450 The Spectacle Abrostola tripartita
• 2474 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
• 2477 The Snout Hypena proboscidalis

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 12 degrees but still windy.

115 moths of 24 species including new for the year Large Yellow Underwing, Straw Dot and a lovely bright white Ghost moth.

Trapped last night and got 51 moths of 13 species (highest total so far this year). 27 Heart and Dart plus five new species for the year - Willow Beauty, Buff Ermine, Blood Vein, Garden Carpet and Treble Brown Spot.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 7 degrees

Only 87 moths of 23 species but they included new for the year Heart & Club, Light Emerald, Beautiful Golden Y, Cream Wave and Small Magpie.

The overnight weather most of this year has been relatively poor for mothing but on the occasional good night I am still catching many more moths than I have in the past. Two nights ago it was overcast but very windy. Normally at this time of year in those conditions I would expect to catch less than 100 moths. That night I had over 200. Should we get a really mild, overcast and still night soon I believe that there will be truly impressive numbers caught and hopefully something exciting amongst them.
Already this year I have caught more Hebrew Character(517), Common Quaker(328), Clouded Drab(109), Powdered Quaker(21), Brindled Beauty(30) than I have ever caught before whilst Treble Lines and Rustic Shoulder Knot amongst a host of others are all going to be record years.

Robin Clatworthy trapped at Great Breach Wood on 4th May. 2 x 125W Mv, 1 x 40W actinic. Cloudy then clear, mild. Dusk until 0100.

1674 Jodis lactearia Little Emerald 4
1676 Cyclophora annularia Mocha 5
1680 Cyclophora punctaria Maiden's Blush 8
1681 Cyclophora linearia Clay Triple-lines 4
1693 Scopula floslactata Cream Wave 14
1724 Xanthorhoe spadicearia Red Twin-spot Carpet 1
1759 Ecliptopera silaceata Small Phoenix 8
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 1
1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 3
1769 Thera britannica Spruce Carpet 7
1773 Electrophaes corylata Broken-barred Carpet 2
1819 Eupithecia exiguata Mottled Pug 8
1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 10
1844 Eupithecia indigata Ochreous Pug 1
1852 Eupithecia abbreviata Brindled Pug 1
1853 Eupithecia dodoneata Oak-tree Pug 2
1856 Eupithecia lariciata Larch Pug 1
1857 Eupithecia tantillaria Dwarf Pug 5
1875 Asthena albulata Small White Wave 6
1883 Acasis viretata Yellow-barred Brindle 3
1888 Ligdia adustata Scorched Carpet 1
1904 Plagodis dolabraria Scorched Wing 1
1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 6
1920 Odontopera bidentata Scalloped Hazel 14
1927 Lycia hirtaria Brindled Beauty 2
1936 Menophra abruptaria Waved Umber 4
1947 Ectropis bistortata Engrailed 1
1981 Laothoe populi Poplar Hawk-moth 2
2003 Notodonta ziczac Pebble Prominent 2
2008 Ptilodon capucina Coxcomb Prominent 8
2014 Drymonia dodonaea Marbled Brown 4
2015 Drymonia ruficornis Lunar Marbled Brown 1
2028 Calliteara pudibunda Pale Tussock 8
2043 Eilema sororcula Orange Footman 14
2060 Spilosoma lubricipeda White Ermine 1
2063 Diaphora mendica Muslin Moth 1
2084 Agrotis cinerea Light Feathered Rustic 2
2092 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 3
2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 2
2157 Lacanobia w-latinum Light Brocade 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 7
2281 Acronicta alni Alder Moth 1
2380 Charanyca trigrammica Treble Lines 4
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1
2450 Abrostola tripartita Spectacle 1

Finally got more than 35 moths in one night - 82 from 28 species to be precise, although to be fair 31 were either Heart & Darts or Setaceous Hebrew Characters !! Firsts for the year were Buff-tip, Elephant Hawk White & Buff Ermine and Lychnis. Also found a group of Mullein larvae on (guess what) Mullein in the garden. Lots of early Common Blue butterflies out and about on Friday & Saturday as well. There seem to be more Spindle Ermines than ever in the hedges this year too.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 7 degrees

After a week of cold nights with little of interest in the trap we had firsts for the year with Ingrailed Clay, Small Square-spot, Udea olivalis and a Cloaked Carpet which Mapmate queries as being early indeed I cannot see any record earlier than June 20.

Just crossed the 200 species (130 macro's) mark last night for the Weston year list. The gap is closing as it was 31st May when this target was reached last year. Latest sightings have all been typically expected with perhaps the more unusual being Yellow Belle (6th May) from the garden plus from Sand Point; Orthotaenia undulana (10th May) and Epiblema cirsiana (7th May).

Whilst walking today around Horner Woods we found a Little Thorn in the woods near Webber's Post. None of us had seen one before so the attached picture was taken to ascertain it's identification.

Although moth numbers have been very good this year the overnight weather has not always been as good. Last night however looked very promising and didn't disappoint. 180 individuals from 38 different species with firsts for 2011 including Rivulet, Lime Hawk Moth, Buff Tip and Shears. It also produced a first ever for my garden with a Great Prominent.

Late last Summer I was tidying my garage and when I tried to move a carton of oil I found that it was stuck to the wall. After prising it free I discovered that it had been held on by a large number of silk tubes all with grubs of some sort in them. I had no idea what had made this and took the larval mass off the oil carton and put it in a jam jar before promptly forgetting about it until the other day. When I checked I found 6 Bee Moths had hatched and were still alive in the jar. I estimate there are at least 100 more left to hatch. I have since read that they do pupate communally but to my knowledge there was no bee nest nearby for them to feed on last summer.

Trapping in my Langport garden has been generally poor with the exception of one Privet Hawk and one Cream-spot Tiger. However I found a newly-emerged male 'bagworm' - 196 Psyche casta - on a sheet of corrugated iron on the Heale Lane allotments in Curry Rivel on 13th May; I have often seen the cases but never the adult. The next day (14th) there was a specimen of 332a Phyllonoricter leucopgraphella, the Firethorn Leaf Miner, in my kitchen - a new species for me.

186 'Bagworm' Psyche casta male

332a Firethorn Leaf Miner Phyllonorycter leucographella

Where are you trapping, William. In 15 years of garden trapping here in South Somerset and 360 different macro species I have never had either Lunar Thorn or Lesser Treble Bar ( or any Treble Bar). What a varied County we live in.
Highlight from last night was Small Elephant Hawk Moth and Brown Silver-Lines as firsts for the year.

I haven't put out my moth Trap for a while, however i decided to chance it tonight having grown tired of waiting for the inevitably rainy weekend. I had my best Night of the year so far with 26 species. Firsts for the year were: 2x Lunar Thorn, 5x Cinnabar, 2x Treble Lines, 1x Marbled Minor, 3x Setaceous hebrew Character, 3x Silver ground Carpet, 1x Shoulder Striped Wainscot, 1x Lesser treble bar, 1x Buff ermine and 3x Heart and Dart.

My wife and I visited the Centre this morning and I saw a few moths - my first Silver Y of the year, a couple of Cinnabar, some Mullein larvae and several Cocksfoot Moths nectaring on Buttercups and Ox-eye Daisy.

391 Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella nectaring on Buttercup flower

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 11 degrees

After a windy dull night with only ten species we had 32 species including new for the year Scorched Wing, Broom Moth, Small Rivulet and Sandy Carpet.

A very good night last night with 44 Macro species in my garden. 12 new for the years took me past the 100 species at least two weeks earlier than normal. Ghost Moth, Common Swift and especially Small Fan-foot all seemed early for their first sighting of the year. 27 Treble Lines is the most I've ever caught in one night but the best moth was a Chamomile Shark. This was only my third garden record and the first since 2004. Considering that most moths are early it was a bit suprising to see that this one appeared a month later than the other 2.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 12 degrees

Despite a very windy night we had 27 species including six firsts for the year, Elephant and Eyed Hawk-moth, Lunar Thorn, Broken-barred Carpet and a Flame.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 12 degrees

Warmer but very wet with thunder and lightning. Only 17 species including new for year Buff Ermine and Foxglove Pug.

Very wet and very windy here too but still a good number of moths. 110 moths of 35 different species with firsts for 2011 of Grey Dagger, Clouded Bordered Brindle, Flame, Common Marbled Carpet, Mottlede Pug, Sallow Kitten and Flame carpet.
It is 2 years since I last saw a Figure of Eighty here with it being relatively common prior to this time. Is anybody else catching it?

Manor Road, Taunton. Friday 6/5/11

Very wet last night for my GMS with lightning flashing off to the SE. Just 12 moths - 8 Shuttle Shaped Dart, 1 Tachystola acroxantha and firsts for the year of Silver Ground Carpet, Green Carpet and Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 10 degrees

25 species in our garden trap including firsts for 2011 - Clouded-bordered Brindle, Riband Wave, Silver Y, Lobster, and two we will rapidly tire of, Heart and Dart and Setaceous Hebrew Character !

Pammene obscurana

I was invited to join P.Chapman and B.Fleetwood on a trapping session at Walton Moor on 22nd April. Conditions were good with very little wind and warm temperatures for the first half of the night. In all 106 species were recorded including new for the region Pammene obscurana.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 8 degrees

Firsts for 2011 - Cinnebar, Silver Ground Carpet, Green Carpet, Treble Lines and also a very early Scarce Bordered Straw. Odd that the only other May record of this migrant on the Somerset Moth Group data base was taken by Amanda Barton on May 8 2008 within four miles of us. (I have just seen that one was reported on the Portland Bill Observatory website yesterday)

Robin Clatworthy trapped at Great Breach Wood on 26th April; 2 x 125W RobinsonMV, 1 40W actinic; dusk to 0100 hrs. Cloudy, calm, mild.

1361 Pyrausta aurata 1
1676 Mocha Cyclophora annularia
1680 Maiden's Blush (Cyclophora punctaria) 22
1693 Cream Wave (Scopula floslactata) 7
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 1
1747 Streamer (Anticlea derivata) 1
1750 Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata) 5
1759 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 4
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1769 Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica) 1
1773 Broken-barred Carpet (Electrophaes corylata) 1
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 2
1784 Pretty Chalk Carpet (Melanthia procellata) 2
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 10
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 5
1837 Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 17
1853 Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata) 3
1856 Larch Pug (Eupithecia lariciata) 1
1857 Dwarf Pug (Eupithecia tantillaria) 1
1858 V-Pug (Chloroclystis v-ata) 1
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
1875 Small White Wave (Asthena albulata) 10
1883 Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata) 4
1888 Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata) 4
1904 Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria) 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 8
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 5
1936 Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria) 5
1947 Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata) 5
1956 Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata) 4
1957 White-pinion Spotted (Lomographa bimaculata) 1
2003 Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac) 1
2008 Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina) 2
2015 Lunar Marbled Brown (Drymonia ruficornis) 8
2028 Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 1
2043 Orange Footman (Eilema sororcula) 21
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 1
2078 Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) 2
2084 Light Feathered Rustic (Agrotis cinerea) 1
2179 Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 1
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 2
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 3
2423 Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana) 1
2425 Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) 3