One Humming-bird Hawk-moth feeding on Valerian this afternoon.

Not quite as exciting as the trapping on 26th., probably due to the rather strong wind, but almost 100 moths, of 34 species so far. FFY were Nut-tree Tussock, Shears, Mottled Rustic, Agapeta hamana, and my second-ever Plain Golden Y (last seen 2009). There will be a few more this evening, no doubt.

p.s.  The evening round-up produced another 13, taking the total just over the 100, and to 38 species in all. Nothing of note, except a Diamond-back as a probable migrant. I did find another 2 White-shouldered Housemoths, plus a Ringed China-mark all alive in the rainwater this morning on my rounds - they're still trying to commit suicide it seems, this time unsuccessfully !

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 17 degrees

Sue, we have plenty of dust from the Sahara on cars here but alas no migrant moths but the warmer nights have brought many FFY to our garden trap including Buff Arches, Lilac Beauty, Riband Wave (both varities), Ear Moth agg. and Barred Straw. Trapping one night in a local wood produced over 50 species including Red-necked Footman, July Belle, both Grey and Green Arches, Pebble Hook-tip, Scorched Wing, Phoenix, Common Lutestring and the melanic Tawny-barred Angle var nigrofulvata.

Picked up a Delicate in my trap on IOW, must have come with the Saharan sand.

had a Bordered white which I see hasn't been seen much recently.  have got photo but haven't discovered how to submit yet

At Last, moths are coming in, in numbers, the last few (4) nights have seen a real rise in numbers, firsts for the year have been Buff Ermine, Straw Dot, Pale Tussock, Peppered Moth, Udea Olivealis, Mottled Beauty, Common Swift, Small rivulet, Plain Golden Y, Angle Shades, Willow Beauty, Small Magpie, Pale Prominent, Dark Arches, Turnip Moth, Common Wainscot, Uncertain, Garden Pebble, Buff Tip, Triple Spotted Clay, Beautiful Golden Y, Vine's Rustic, Barred fruit tree Tortrix, Udea Prunalis, Argyresthia Brockeela, Double Line, Foxglove Pug, Small Square Spot, Phoenix and Beautiful Hook Tip. Best Night was 27/06, with 49 Species.

1994 Buff Tip and 2443 Plain Golden Y

In Other News, the Mullein caterpillars in the garden have mostly dissapeared (presumably to pupate), but I found another group, of around 20, feeding on several other plants. They show a huge amount of variation in the colouring of the late instars, from pale, sparsely coloured specimens to dark heavily coloured ones, I think the larvae feeding on Buddleia are the paler ones.

2221 Larvae of the Mullein - notice the difference in colouration between the bottom two photos.

Robin Clatworthy, Peter Austin, Agni Amporoglou (SERC staff) and I trapped at Barrington Court as part of the Bioblitz on 22-23 June. We had 8 traps out but it was a relatively poor evening.

NB Blair's Mocha and Four-spotted were inadvertently included in my first list - my fault - list done after midnight!
143 Nematoopgon metaxella 1
440 Pseudoswammerdamia albicapitella 1
518 Coleophora mayrella 1
658 Carcina quercana 1
970 Pandemis cerasana 3
1011 Pseudargyrozota conwagana 3
1076 Celypha lacunana 1
1334 Scoparia ambigualis 1
1338 Eudonia lacustrata 1
1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1345 Elophila nymphaeata 3
1654 Tethea ocularis octogesimea Figure of Eighty 2
1682 Timandra comae Blood-vein 1
1711 Idaea trigeminata Treble Brown Spot 2
1713 Idaea aversata Riband Wave 2
1727 Xanthorhoe montanata Silver-ground Carpet 1
1728 Xanthorhoe fluctuata Garden Carpet 1
1742 Camptogramma bilineata Yellow Shell 1
1758 Eulithis pyraliata Barred Straw 2
1773 Electrophaes corylata Broken-barred Carpet 1
1802 Perizoma affinitata Rivulet 1
1808 Perizoma flavofasciata Sandy Carpet 1
1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 2
1837 Eupithecia subfuscata Grey Pug 1
1860 Pasiphila rectangulata Green Pug 2
1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 4
1931 Biston betularia Peppered Moth 1
1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 2
1945 Cleorodes lichenaria Brussels Lace 1
1955 Cabera pusaria Common White Wave 1
1957 Lomographa bimaculata White-pinion Spotted 1
1961 Campaea margaritata Light Emerald 1
1981 Laothoe populi Poplar Hawk-moth 2
1994 Phalera bucephala Buff-tip 1
2007 Pheosia tremula Swallow Prominent 7
2028 Calliteara pudibunda Pale Tussock 2
2043 Eilema sororcula Orange Footman 1
2060 Spilosoma lubricipeda White Ermine 5
2061 Spilosoma luteum Buff Ermine 10
2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 21
2098 Axylia putris Flame 2
2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 2
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 11
2120 Diarsia mendica Ingrailed Clay 3
2126 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 17
2147 Hada plebeja Shears 1
2160 Lacanobia oleracea Bright-line Brown-eye 1
2199 Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 1
2278 Acronicta megacephala Poplar Grey 1
2291 Craniophora ligustri Coronet 1
2306 Phlogophora meticulosa Angle Shades 2
2321 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 6
2337 Oligia strigilis Marbled Minor 2
2338 Oligia versicolor Rufous Minor 6
2384 Hoplodrina ambigua Vine's Rustic 2
2434 Diachrysia chrysitis Burnished Brass 3
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 2
2474 Rivula sericealis Straw Dot 19
2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 2

Be still my beating heart !!  Loadsa moths at last - in fact nearly 180 altogether, with more to come after the round-up this evening, and so far 53 species.  New for this site were Fern and Lozotaeniodes formosana (kindly confirmed by John B) and 16 other FFY - Large Yellow Underwing, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Garden Tiger, Beautiful Hook-tip (2), Small Dusty Wave, Ghost, Bramble-shoot Moth, Light Arches, Riband Wave, Fan-foot, Common White Wave, Crambus perlella, Muslin Footman, Brussels Lace (2), Green Pug, and Clepsis consimilana. A couple of micros still to be confirmed as well.  Not a bad night's haul for a change. Phew !

p.s.  after the evening round-up - another 29 moths , making 207 in total, of 58 species overall.  More FFY were Eudonia pallida, Archips podana, Udea prunalis, and Common Footman

p.p.s.  hot off the press (28th), micros now identified, thanks to John B - Eudonia mercurella (first one here for 5 years) and Brown House-moth (fooled me with pale dashes/streaks in centre of wings !) so total now 209, 60 species.

It seems that at last some moths have decided to visit my garden in WSM.  I had 41 moths of 13 different species.  Beautiful Hook Tip, Poplar Hawkmoth, Green Pug, Buff Arches and a Bee Moth to name a few.  I know its not as much as other people seem to have been getting but I was pleased to be getting some!  Anythings better than nothing. Having checked last years diary I had 192 on the same night in 2011 so the numbers are well down but its a start at least.

Hopefully last night was the first of 3 decent nights in a row according to the forecast. I had my largest catch of the year (so far, hopefully) with 286 Macros of 60 species. Year firsts were Barred Yellow, Clouded Border, Beautiful Hook Tip, Buff Arches, Double Square-spot, Rustic, Riband Wave, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Rivulet, Spruce Carpet, Reddish Light Arches and Scarce Bordered Straw.  The last two were particularly pleasing. The Scarce Bordered Straw was my first genuine migrant whilst Reddish Light Arches is not a regular. I presume it comes down from nearby Ham Hill and I only seem to catch it in years which end up having a good summer!
I also caught 36 Common Wainscot. This was a huge improvement of last years maximum count of only 12.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 13 degrees but warmer towards dawn.

At last a proper June catch with 104 moths of 44 species. FFY - Riband Wave, Sandy Carpet, Green Pug, Peacock Moth, Sharp Angled Peacock, Double Square Spot, A.hamana and T.semifulvella

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp still only 10 degrees

24 moths of 13 species with one FFY - a Double Line. This used to be a West Somerset special but I see from the SMG map that it has been spreading eastwards in the last few years.

Still only a few - just 33 moths, 18 species. Still, there were 3 FFY - 2 Large Nutmegs, 1 Bee Moth & 1 magnificent Privet Hawk.  Also of interest, one of the Heart & Clubs was very fresh & beautifully marked, and so dark that the "Heart & Club" marks were almost completely invisible against the background - virtually melanistic - very pretty.

Paul, it's only relative.You are simply having an even more wretched year than me. Despite doubling my MV traps to two this year as compared to only one last year I am still way behind the numbers. This June for example I have recorded 777 individuals yet by the same day in June last year I had recorded 2477 moths. As I have already said that was with half the number of traps out.

It's a nice theory Ian, but the numbers don't stack up - you get vastly more in your garden than I rescue from my butts I'm convinced you have some fiendish scheme to attract the moths across Somerset !!

A small upturn in moth numbers during the warm spell up to mid-week giving two garden ticks of Lobster and Cream-bordered Green Pea. The garden list is now on 448 since starting trapping in 2006 some 50 species short of Johns total for the same period (see earlier post on 12th June).

Cream-bordered Green Pea

A posible reason that I am getting more moths than you at the moment, Paul, is because I have lids on my water butts!

I think all my local moths have migrated to Ian's garden !!  only 31 moths last night, of 16 species. Nothing of note, but there were two FFY - Crambus lathoniellus & Chrysoteuchia culmella - there will no doubt be more of these tiddlers in due course.  The only casualty of the rainwater butts was a Vine's Rustic.  Makes a change.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 12 degrees

On June 20th we had 94 moths of 24 species including FFY - Blood Vein (2) and Cinnabar and I hoped things were getting better but alas last night with min.temp. only 10 degrees and a lot of rain we only had 27 moths of 19 species and no new arrivals.

Trapping has continued to be unproductive but whie i was wandering round the garden before breakfast on Wednesday I found this specimen of Nematopogon metaxella - thanks to David Agassiz for confirming the ID. The antennae are incredibly long - one has to ask how this has evolved and why!

Nematopogon metaxella, Langport. Forewing length about 7mm.

Tuesday night- not bad 19 species and actually made 10 Heart & Darts! FFY Bright-line Brown-eye, Spectacle, Barred Straw, Large Tabby, Garden Grass-veneer, Small Magpie and Scoparia ambigualis. A walk in the field produced Nettle-taps and a pristine Purple Bar, Small Tortoiseshells, Large Skippers and Meadow Browns. Pond emergences- Southern Hawkers, Large Red and Blue Damselflies and a very large Grass Snake- which has been decimating the residents. Humanely carried to another pond a field away. What a foul stink when handled! Was nice to have 2 days of summer.

I heard the rain coming down at around 9.00 last night and decided not to do any trapping - seeing Ian's comments, maybe the wrong decision !! 

However I saw the first of this year's Meadow Brown butterflies in the orchard this morning, and a Small Tortoiseshell in the garden yesterday, nectaring on Escallonia flowers. These shrubs are an absolute magnet for bees & butterflies, and I have in past years had Hummingbird Hawks on them as well . Also this morning saw a female Emperor dragonfly resting on a Yarrow flowerhead - a very good disguise - almost (but not quite) invisible. It's good to see dragonflies around again, after last year's slaughter by sparrows picking them off in their dozens as they emerged from the pond.

Very few butterflies around this year (not very surprising) and like Ian, I have seen no sign yet of caterpillars.

Despite heavy rain there were a few moths about last night. 171 macros from 46 different species with firsts for the year in Heart and Club, Peach Blossom, Small Fan-foot, Uncertain, Light Arches, Dot Moth and Sharp-angled Peacock. I also had a full hand of the more common Hawk moths with Elephant and Small Elephant, Privet, Lime, Eyed and Poplar. I can't remember having all six together before.
By this time last year I had 170 different species whilst this year I have had 157 so far. The problem with this year is not the variety but the numbers. By this time last year I had recorded over 1800 Heart and Darts. This year I have seen less than 200. This lack of numbers must be having a serious effect somewhere in the food chain. I fear there may be worse to come. Has anyone yet seen a Small Tortoiseshell nest. Despite searching assiduously I am yet to find a single caterpillar.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 7 degrees

The miserable season continues. Last night we only had 19 moths of ten species with one FFY a Heart and Club. This time last year we were getting 40+ species a night.

The trapping results continue to be dreary - very few individuals of not many species. Apart from the odd Silver Y, nothing nectaring on our Red Valerian or Honeysuckles. However, while enjoying lunch by the greenhouse I saw this specimen of Pyrausta aurata nectaring on a cultivated Speedwell.

1361 Pyrausta aurata nectaring on Speedwell cultivar, Langport

Yeovil: Green Arches.  First record of this species in my town garden.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp down to 8 degrees

36 moths of 19 species including FFY Brussels Lace, Mottled Beauty and Purple Clay.

Still not getting very many moths, in spite of the wind dropping, and no moon.  40 moths of 20 species, including FFY Barred Straw (4), Snout (3), Angle Shades, Dark Arches, Reddish Light Arches, and Small Magpie.  There are a couple of escapees to be rounded up this evening, so the total will be slightly bigger eventually. Nothing in the rainwater butts for several days now - they've either learned their lesson, or Darwin's theories are coming to fruition.

p.s.  4.30 pm First Common Blue (male) in the field this afternoon - dazzling.

p.p.s.  A further 9 moths rounded up this evening including FFY Scalloped Oak and Uncertain

Temperatures down to 9.4C last night and only eight moths of five species in the trap this morning including FFY Dark Arches.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 10 degrees

It was far too windy to be sensible to put the trap out on our hillside on Friday for GMS. Saturday was only a little better with 16 moths of 13 species and FFY Small Fanfoot.  Last night was less windy although it was no warmer, and we had 24 species including FFY Barred Yellow and Rusty-dot pearl.

Last night not bad considering- 26 moths of 15 species, FFY- Flame, Snout, Large Yellow Underwing, Dark Arches, Peppered, Willow Beauty, Bee Moth, Udea Olivalis.

My other trap on IOW produced something special on Tuesday 12th- a Channel Islands Pug.

Trapped last night for the GMS but not a very good night. Strong breeze with some light rain during the night. Min. temp. 11.5°C. 18 moths of 12 species with Celypha lacunana, Epinotia bilunana, Small Dusty Wave and Mottled Rustic being firsts for this year.

Again have been lucky here by the sea.  Have had 124/34species (with several small escapees) on 11th and similar the following night including 48 H&Ds and 24 treble lines.  Both nights included large yellow underwings and some FFY cabbage, yellow-barred brindle, clouded brindle, dark arches, ingrailed clay, shoulder-striped wainscot, scoparia ancipitella and crambus lathoniellus those 2 made easier with Richard Lewington's excellent illustrations.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 10 degrees

54 moths fof 28 species including FFY - Ghost, Snout, Scorched Wing and a first site record 436 P.combinella.

Min. temp. 10.5C 22 moths of 14 species including FFY: Buff Ermine, White Ermine, Common Wainscot, Dark Sword-grass and Marbled Minor agg.

This time last year (14th.June) I caught 471 moths of 55 species, including 267 Heart & Darts. This year 12 moths of 7 species, including just 2 H & D.  How times change. Mind you, it takes a lot less of my time and effort to deal with them !! The only bright spot was a FFY (and first for this site) Cnephasia incertana.

p.s.Two Yellow Shells in the field this morning (14th) - another FFY

Large yellow-underwing here at Mount Farm in amongst 27 moths of 17 species still small numbers unfortunetly

I haven't noticed anyone record Large Yellow Underwing yet - I disturbed one (probably the first of many) whilst mowing the lawn today, along with a Garden Pebble and dozens of micros, which I will have to go looking for another day.

One advantage of moving house is that everything is new again - it is pleasing that one of the first new things has been a Poplar Hawk-moth, in the trap last Friday night.

The sun came out for a few wonderful hours this afternoon and I was tempted out into the garden with the camera. This little micro (about 5mm wing length) was sitting on a Rose petal - it is 0310 Callisto denticulella which is described as common in Sterling & Parsons but as 'occasional and very local' on the website map. Probably overlooked - it was pure chance that I saw it at all.

0310 Callisto denticulella - the 497th species I have recorded in my garden since 2006. This is a better image than the original. It was very twitchy but when I put a tiny drop of dilute honey solution on the leaf it settled down for 10 minutes,.

House sitting in a drowned W.Sussex. Trapping hopeless but a walk in the garden between deluges- very fresh Snout crawling round some nettles and these attractive larvae of 0670 Depressaria daucella on Water Dropwort.

In spite of the rain, 37 moths, 15 of which were Common Swifts, (including 4 females), of 16 species. The only FFY was a Straw Dot - no doubt the forerunner of many to come.  Nobody in the rainwater butts this time - they were all getting wet enough without going for a swim !!

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 10 degrees and rain from 7 am.

55 moths of 25 species including one FFY - a Light Emerald.  Paul - I rescued from a water-but, not a White-shouldered House moth but a Poplar Hawkmoth!

Calm & overcast, min temp 11.9C. 27 moths of 19 species including Cream-spot Tiger, Pale Tussock, Spectacle, Willow Beauty, male & female Common Swift, Silver Y, Common Pug, Pale Mottled Willow and Spruce, Common, Garden and Common Marbled Carpets.

Although the night started out very windy - I tied the trap down! - things calmed a bit and at 0500 it was very still. Min temp. 9˚C. 24 of 17 species.

Hedya pruniana 1
Celypha lacunana 1
Light Brown Apple Moth 1
Common Swift 7
Peppered (normal) 1
Willow Beauty 1
Small Elephant Hawkmoth 1
Pale Prominent 1
Cream-spot Tiger 1
White Ermine 1
Buff Ermine 1
Heart & Dart 1
Shears 1
Marbled Minor agg 1
Treble Lines 2
Silver Y 1
Burnished Brass 1

As it's clouding over now with heavy rain forecast later in the night, no trapping but I'll have a look at the Honeysuckle and Red Valerian around dusk.

Chimney Sweeper and Grass Rivulet on the wing at this hay meadow reserve which is just developing its carpeting of spotted orchids at present.

I felt the weather forecast wasn't up to much, and the wind was a bit fierce, so I didn't even try to do any trapping last night - from the other comments, that was a wise move !! 

I did however get FFY Silver Y and a Marbled Minor (agg) inside two different windows yesterday, most likely leftovers from the last trap-opening session on Thursday morning, and a Brimstone Moth came to my torch last evening when I was out with the dogs.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 11 degrees and very windy.

Only 23 moths of 15 species with one FFY - Ingrailed Clay.

A very poor night, all in all, with 6 moths of 5 species. However, away from the trap, mothing hasn't been too bad recently, and by day I have disturbed Treble Bar, Yellow Shell and Brown Silver Lines when walking from home. As well as this, around an hour of careful environmental manipulation from last year has been met with success, and my planting together of Mullein and Buddleia has given me 16 caterpillars, 13 on the former and 3 on the latter, the younger larvae (first and second instar) feed lower down on the mullein, on the underside of the lower leaves, whilst the later ones feed amongst the crown - magnificent creatures! Whilst doing some DIY I was also fortunate to come upon a pair of Mating Cabbage moths - shows what a little hard work does for you!

2154 Cabbage Moths in Cop.

Other odds and ends included some lovely fresh Mother Shiptons at a local site - a handsome moth, and a cloudy afternoon visit to haddon Moor near Upton rewarded me with several Micros, whilst Olinda Schumacherana was a nice first for the Garden by day.

Trapped last night for the garden moth scheme (GMS) otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. The rain had stopped but it was still blowing when I put the trap out. This morning the wind had eased somewhat but unsurprisingly not a lot of moths in the trap. 1 Common Marbled carpet, 1 Common Pug, 2 Brimstone FFY, 6 Heart & Dart, 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character and 1 Vine's Rustic.

Last night Robin Clatworthy, Peter Austen and myself trapped at a private nature reserve about 800m away from my garden in Norton-sub-Hamdon. I had some interesting results with an actinic here back in 2006. Despite a fair amount of rain results were quite promising. I haven't seen Peter's results yet but Robin and I each recorded a Shaded Pug. I recorded one in my garden in 2004 and until last night this was the only VC5 record. Robin believes he may have seen one inside Peter's trap before he packed it up. In total we recorded over 200 macros of over 45 species including an Alder Kitten. Peter potted a Dingy Shell during the night. Both of these are moths I have never recorded in my garden before.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 12 degrees and very wet.

The Jubilee weekend was wet as early June often is - think of D-Day and the Coronation ! We have had a number of FFY - Elephant Hawk-moth(2), Plain Golden Y, Pale Mottled Willow, Dark Arches, Common Swift, Burnished Brass and Rush Veneer.

Trapping over the bank holiday at Brean on 1st started off well with 50 species (42 macro’s) including a Marbled Coronet, 10+ Silver Y and 2 Dark Sword-grass. The next morning I noted many Glyphipterix fuscoviridella on the wing along with a lone Parornix anglicella (gen det). On 3rd I counted 11 Diamond-back Moths at a local playing field in Weston so decided to try another trapping session on Brean for migrants. Temperatures were down and nearly everything that came to the trap was a migrant: 19 Silver Y, 11 Diamond-back Moth and 2 Rush Veneer. I’ve had two new moths for the garden in the last two days; Epinotia bilunana and Mullein. Comparing this year’s results with the last two years I’ve found my year list 100 species short of 2011 and 2010 totals. I’ve heard that good migrant moth years are nearly always followed by bad migrant moth years. Let’s hope the year won’t be too unkind and allow some good mothing.

Yet another chilly, damp night, nearly full moon - result, not a lot (again).  40 moths of 23 species. However, 4 were FFY - Elephant Hawk (2), Middle-barred Minor (2), Buff-tip, and a quite early Common Rustic.

Moth,s of interest and ffy include Elephant hawk ,Garden Pebble,Chinese Character,Peach Blossom,Scorched Wing and Least Black Arches also Yellow Barred Minor . In another Milverton garden best was a Pale Prominent also whilst walking Thurlbear for nightingales found a a well marked Yellow Shell Paul

Red Valerian
At last there have been good numbers of Silver Y nectaring on our Red Valerian, along with a couple of Small Elephant Hawkmoth. I netted several SYs in the hope of something unusual but no luck. Our Honeysuckle is in full bloom now but it's just too cold and windy for it to attract anything - on a warm still ebvening its scent is magnetic to both species of Elephant Hawk.

New Micro moth book
I've just had my copy of Phil Sterling's book - it is absolutely superb! It is beautifully illustrated with Richard Lewington's paintings and photographs of larval mines etc.

It does come with a warning about identification of 'difficult' species and we should all take heed of this!

It has enabled me to get positive IDs on a couple of species I photographed in Yorkshire over the weekend.

What with a full moon and a cold Northerly wind blowing, I held little hope of much in the way of moths last night. I was right !!  Only 16 moths of 10 species, including two FFY - Udea olivalis and a very fresh Cream-spot Tiger, which made the whole exercise worthwhile. Beautiful !!

Only 11 moths of 10 species last night including FFY Swallow Prominent, Large Yellow Underwing, Common Marbled Carpet, Common Pug and Diamond-back Moth.

At last lots of new species in the garden 24 macro species Fri and Sat nights including FFY- Shark, Pale Prominent, Pale Tussock, Alder, Light Brocade, Spectacle, Buff Tip, Grey/Dk.Dagger, Heart & Dart, Vine's Rustic, Sm.Sq.Spot, Set.Heb.Char, Marb.Min.Agg, Lime Hawk-moth, and some more Silver Ys.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 14 degrees

39 moths of 33 species including FFY - Middle-barred Moinor, Scorched Carpet, Ruby Tiger, Little Emerald and no doubt the first of many Large Yellow Underwings.

47 moths , 28 species, including FFY - Flame, Common Wainscot, Heart & Dart , Heart & Club. Setaceous Hebrew Character, Clouded Silver, Purple Bar & Epiblema cynosbatella.  Plenty of variety, but nothing particularly special. 

I did however find my first May Bug of the year (in June !) trying to commit suicide in the rainwater butt (makes a change from White-shouldered House-moths). Seemed quite relieved to be rescued.  Also two more Sexton Beetles. The May Bugs always amaze me by the amount of grip in their feet, really powerful for such a relatively small creature - pity they can't look where they're going !!

Nights recently have been relatively poor, due to the attentions of our local Blackbird, and there are never any of the usual few moths outside the trap which add an extra dimension to any night. However, firsts for the year recently have been: Flame Carpet, Brindled Pug, Cinnabar, Knot Grass, Lychnis, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Small Square - Spot, Ingrailed Clay, Small Phoenix, Silver Y, Marbled Minor, and Barred Umber.

Easily the best night of the year so far with 220 Macros of 61 different species. Eighteen firsts for the year including two very common moths in Large Yellow Underwing and Dark Arches as well as 2 less common ones here in Puss Moth and Dark Spectacle. Heart and Dart have reached 25 whilst I was pleased to see 13 Silver Y and 7 Broken -barred Carpets. Highlight though was my first ever Small Clouded Brindle which I may have overlooked in the past as it appears to be reasonably common around the county. Other firsts were Turnip Moth, Large Nutmeg, Brown Rustic, Ghost Moth, White-spotted Pug, Currant Pug, Grey Pug, Elephant Hawk Moth, Shark, Buff Tip, Treble Brown Spot, Straw Dot and Common Carpet.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 15 degrees

79 moths of 34 species including FFY - Eyed Hawkmoth and Marbled Brown