I took a walk along the River Frome searching for leaf mines a couple of weeks back and found Bucculatrix albedinella on English Elm in the hedgerow there.

Bucculatrix albedinella on English Elm

I thought I'd better catch up before we drop off the end of the month!

03/10/2017 Blatchbridge near Frome Highlights: Black Rustic (2), Rosy Rustic (1), Dusky Thorn (2), Green-brindled Crescent (4), Pale Mottled Willow (1), Beaded Chestnut (4), Brindled Green (1).

14/10/2017 Blatchbridge near Frome Highlights: Merveille du Jour (2), Green-brindled Crescent (8), Hypsopygia costalis (Gold Triangle) (1), Brick (1), and Grey Shoulder-knot (1). The last three all be new moths for me.

26/10/2017 Blatchbridge near Frome Migrants in the way of Vestal (4), Rusty Dot Pearl (2), Rush Veneer (1) New moth for me Pine Carpet (1) Other highlights Merveille du Jour (4), Feathered Thorn (3), Yellow and Red-line Quakers and Spruce Carpet (1).

27/10/17 - Quite cold last night, with a slight grass frost, but even so, I was a bit disappointed with the catch.  Just three moths, all in the MV trap - another Figure of eight, (which are having a very good year here), a November Moth agg, and a Deep-brown Dart, only my second record, the previous one being in 2009.

A pleasant surprise just now - I was watering an indoor plant in the kitchen, and a Feathered Thorn flew out from under the leaves and into the window !  How long it had been there I know not, but it has flown off into the garden and is now hiding from predatory birds (I hope).

A good night, 34 moths of 19spp, a few added to the season firsts - Mottled Umber & Sprawler, also a Gold Spot & Spruce Carpet, migrants - a Vestal, Silver Ys And Rush Veneer. A Well marked Acleris sparsana and Garden Rose Tortrix,Acleris variegana. There was also a Red Admiral tucked up for the night.

I decided to trap last night rather than the night before, taking into account the weather forecast. The wind was certainly light but the cloud cleared so I ended up with just 10 moths of 4 species (half of the total being Light Brown Apple Moth). The only FFY was Acleris sparsana.

87 moths of 21 species. One FFG , Large Ranunculus (thanks to John Bebbington for ID) Others of note : Acleris sparsana (1) ; Rusty-dot Pearl (6) ; Pine Carpet (1) ; Spruce Carpet (5) ; Red-green Carpet (2) ; Green-brindled Crescent (2) ; Angle Shades (2) ; Yellow-line Quaker (22) ; Chestnut (15) ; Satellite (7) ; Merveille du Jour (2).

Not a bad night 12 spp, usual autumn assortment with A first seasonal Merveille du Jour, 2 vestal and a tiny male Four-spotted Footman.

Only a single migrant last night - a Vestal in poor condition - but my first record of 1949.076 Acleris cristana

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 11.5 degrees

41 moths of 21 species including FFY - Vestal (4) and a Satellite.

6 Vestals, a Ni Moth and a Silver Y were the migrants last night in an otherwise quite disappointing catch given the decent conditions.

37 moths of 23 species spread over two traps. Nothing new but 8 Vestal this time and several different species from my last trap on Monday: Large Wainscot, Dark Chestnut (2), Chestnut, Pale Mottled Willow, Brick, Merveille du Jour, a late Carcina quercana and a nice Acleris literana.

25/10/17 - very disappointing !  I had a quick look outside at 11.pm and found 4 moths on the wall by the MV trap, so I boxed them up, and thought this was a sign that there would be good numbers in the morning. In the event there were only 8 more in the MV and none in the actinic trap.  5 of the total were November Moth agg., 2 each Figure of Eight and Barred Sallow, and singles of Yellow-line Quaker, Black Rustic and Beaded Chestnut.  All very normal.

More from Dave Miller at Dewlands Farm - a Clifden Nonpareil last night.

Dave Miller's Clifden Nonpareil - evidently much travelled!

A few migrants in my garden trap in Langport - Udea ferrugalis 1, Palpita vitrealis 1, Pearly Underwing 1, Silver Y 2.

New member Dave Miller who is a volunteer with RSPB took this Webb's Wainscot at Dewlands Farm on 22nd.

73.151 Webb's Wainscot Globia sparganii
Only a handful of Somerset records.

I put both the Actinic and MV lights out last night - also with good results! the Actinic had 19 species including Red Sword Grass, Dark Chesnut, Four-sptted Footman, Gem, Satellite and 4 Vestals. Tha MV had 22 species including Delicate, Scarce Bordered Straw(2), Brick, Chestnut and 5 Vestals. Only one of the Vestals had any pink markings. Very surprising to have Vestals sharing the top spot for 'most common moth' with November Moth agg. with 9 each between both traps!

A pretty good haul for the time of year with 64 moths of 23 species. I had a record 7 Vestal with a Silver Y and Rusty-dot Pearl also appearing for the migrants. Others of note, a late Angle Shades, November Moth agg. (8), my highest count of Cypress Carpet (5) and two FFY - Acleris sparsana and Red-line Quaker (2).

4 Vestals, Delicate and a Silver Y were the migrant interest last night whilst 2 Red green Carpets were my first of the year. A late Engrailed was also of interest amongst a reasonable number of species for the time of year.

23/10/17 - A bit better, both in terms of numbers and variety, than the last few trappings, with 36 moths of 15 species. Nothing new, but several migrants - 2 Rusty-dot Pearls, a Silver Y and no fewer than 5 Vestals, of which two (and six of the other moths) were on the wall near the trap, rather than in it.  Still appearing very late in the season (and faded) a Setaceous Hebrew Character, and 6 Straw Dots.  Lots of small Caddis flies still coming in.

Your record is the second for Somerset, Dave - Jack Astley took one at Closworth in 2006.

Sorry - forgot to thank Paul Bowyer for taking the excellent photo for me. Cheers mate.

Reading about all these exciting migrants elsewhere, after pretty miserable catches recently here in Dundry it was superb to catch this little fella on the night of 15/16OCT. Fortunately I have caught many in the Med so I knew what it was! I am told it is the first for the county, unless anyone knows different ? There appear to have been a few more recorded elsewhere in the country since this one too, so there is always hope!

Slightly better results last night in the drizzle and mist, with 20 moths of 11 species. FFY were November Moth agg. (a very pale grey individual, probably Pale NM), Turnip Moth, Blair's Shoulder-knot (first for two years) and Merveille-Du-jour. Migrants were a Rush Veneer and Dark Sword-grass. Setaceous Hebrew Character is still the most numerous species here (5 this time).

A different story up here in the hills. Hill fog / low cloud makes for a miserable day but great conditions for moths at night, and so it proved to be.  66 moths of 26 species including two FFG : Large Wainscot (1) and Blair's Shoulder-Knot (1).  Three other FFY were : Vestel (1) ; Sallow (1) and Red-line Quaker (1).  Others of note: Ypsolopha ustella (1) ; Rusty-dot Pearl (1) ; Mottled Umber (2) ; Green- brindled Crescent (1) ; Barred Sallow (3) ; Yellow-line Quaker (16) ; Chestnut (1) ; Merveille du jour (5) and Black Rustic (5). Now, it would be nice to see the sky again !

Palpita Vitrealis and a male Gem were the best of a poor catch last night.

18/10/17 - Surprisingly few moths last night, given the conditions, only 10 in all, of 8 species, but including FFY Yellow-line Quaker, and Vestal (2).  Otherwise, not much else worthy of comment, so I won't bother.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 9.2 degrees and very wet.

50 moths of 13 species including FFY Yellow-lined Quakers (4).

Barrie Widden emailed me this morning - he photographed this specimen which Dawn Woodward found already dead in washing on her clothes line in September (no exact date).

Death's Head Hawk-moth from Mudford ©Barrie Widden 2017

A post Ophelia trapping session resulted in 24 moths of 15 species. A Turnip moth was the only FFY, other notables were Scarce Bordered Straw (my third of the season), Large Wainscot, Feathered Thorn, Brindled Green, Rusty-dot Pearl (2) and Mervielle du Jour (2 and currently in cop.)

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

I had great difficulty in deciding on the ID of a moth I caught last week as it getting late in the year for lute strings. I am therefore extremely grateful to James Mcgill for confirming that it was a very late Common Lutestring.

In the garden moth trap last night (15th/16th October) in Weston-super-Mare I recorded Scarce Bordered Straw, Four-spotted Footman and Silver Y.

Some good results over the weekend for some of you - well done! I didn't fare so well last night, recording 16 moths of 9 species, though these figures are quite typical for me going into the second half of October. There was some interest in the form of an FFG Cypress Carpet (my 519th garden species), a Rusty Dot Pearl and my second Large Wainscot. Interestingly I'd gone nearly three weeks without Setaceous Hebrew Character then record 7 last night. Mothing is strange!

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 13.3 degrees

47 moths of 23 species including FFY- Scarce Bordered Straw, Feathered Thorn, Blair's Shoulder-Knot

FFG Acleris literana. It has been a really good year for micros here, this being my 32nd FFG micro of 2017 (compared with e.g. eight in 2015 and 13 in 2016).

Addendum to 13/10/17 The two mysteries mentioned before have resolved themselves into a poorly-marked Beaded Chestnut (not very exciting) and a FFG Four-spotted Footman, a late, small, faded male looking very much like a Buff Footman, but much too late in the year.  Even the small black patch at the base of the wing was almost faded to a shadow - had me foxed for quite a while !!

With perfect conditions (extremely mild, cloudy, light winds) and it being a Moth Night I put out both traps front and back. I was rewarded with my highest species count (35) and numbers (123) for this time of year. I had 8 FFY: Mervielle du Jour, Blair's Shoulder-knot (4), Green-brindled Crescent, Red-green Carpet, November Moth agg., Pine Carpet, Hypsopygia glaucinalis (2), Crocidosema plebejana and one NFG, a Pearly Underwing - about time too! Other notables were a Chestnut, Large Wainscot, Mallow, Spruce Carpet (5) Cypress Carpet and a lovely fresh Gold Spot.

74 moths 0f 22 species.  one FFG, Pale Mottled Willow (1) , an uninspiring moth except that it is the 500th species recorded in the garden. Others were FFY : November Moth agg. (6) ; Barred Sallow (1) ; Yellow-line Quaker (5).  also of interest : Acleris emargana (1) ; European Corn Borer (2) ; Straw Dot (4) ; Silver-Y (2) ; Beaded Chestnut (6) ; Common Wainscot (1) and two very fresh, second generation Shoulder-striped Wainscot. Paul Wilkins has been slaving away with scalpel and tweezers on a number of micros caught over the past few weeks. Here is what the maestro has come up with.  17/8/2017 : Prays ruficeps ; 27/08/2017 : Mompha bradleyi and Epermenia falciformes : 4/09/2017 : Monopis weaverella ; Ypsolopha alpella and Agonopterix subpropingquella.  26/09/2017 : Oegoconia quadripuncta .  06/10/2017 : Monopis obviella.  Many thanks Paul.

Whitefield Wiveliscombe - Min temp 15,5 degrees.

45 moths of 26 species including FFY - Red-line Quaker (2) and a Tawny Pinion. We also had a late White Ermine and an O glaucinalis.

A better night with 24spp, lots of firsts for season, Green-brindled Crescent, Brindled Green, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Barred Sallow, Red-line Quaker, a Silver Y and minute Four-spotted footman just 12mm long. A few micros, Agon.alstromeriana, Carcina quercana, Crassa unitella, Monopsis obviella and a FFG Madder Pearl, Mecyna asinalis.

13/10/17 - much better - warm night and only half a moon.  53 moths, 19 species, including a Scarce Bordered Straw (2nd this year) and 12 Black Rustics.  Two mysteries to be sorted later.

If anyone would like an electronic copy of the latest e-Moth (which coincidentally features the Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis on the front page I can email one to them. Please let me know by email (john.bebbingtonfrops@btinternet.com)

Roy and Faith Blackmore took what appears to be the first VC5 record and only the second Somerset record of the Box-tree Moth (63.054 Cydalima perspectalis) two nights ago.

A spectacular 'micro' but bad news for gardeners - it is an introduced species which is a pest of Box. Amendment - This is the third Somerset record as Bob Fleetwood had one at Clevedon on 2nd September which I had overlooked!

11/10/17 - a poor night, maybe a bit too breezy at first ?  ONly 18 moths, 9 species.  One FFY, a Figure of 8, and another Merveille du Jour - beautiful.

No trapping but I discovered FFY Beaded Chestnut indoors this morning, possibly an escapee from a couple of days back. I also found a Bright-line Brown-eye caterpillar on the wall of the house.

Not as many moths as hoped last night given the reasonable conditions. However there was a fair amount of interest with my first Pine Carpet for 3 years along with Grey Pine Carpet and Merveille De Jour as firsts for the year. A second generation Brussels Lace was unexpected but welcome.

41 moths of 17 species including NFG Acleris rhombana (Rhomboid Tortrix) also a Feathered Thorn and two Mallow, both FFY.

9/10/17 - A slight improvement in numbers, and a good amount of interest this time.  35 moths, 13 species, including FFY Red-line Quaker, Autumnal/November Moth agg. (2), and Merveille du Jour.  10 Black Rustics the most numerous, continuing their good year.  Also a very faded and battered late Spectacle, and two nearly as badly faded Setaceous Hebrew Characters - several species seem to be having long lives this year, as I have had quite a few very worn specimens recently.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 12.2 degrees

Twenty moths of 12 species including FFY - Merveille du Jour, Red-green Carpet, Green-Brindled Crescent, a Small Autumnal Moth, a November Moth and a Pale November Moth.

Conditions for last night looked promising, with cloud, light wind and mild temperature.......but only 17 moths of 8 species. There was, however, some interest.  FFY was Black Rustic (7). I don't trap many of them but this exceeds my previous highest multiple record of 3. There was also a Brimstone Moth, only my third October record, and a slightly worn Buff Ermine. The latter is quite remarkable in that it was my first October record, and only the second time I've recorded an adult after early August! Usually it's caterpillars at this time of year.

A very poor night with only 8 app, Straw Dot commonest at 8, followed by Lunar UW & Black Rustic. FFY Large Wainscot. Tenanted mines of Caloptilia stigmatella 15.010, found yesterday on Salix in field being garden.

7/10/17 - Another quite poor catch, 28 moths, 12 species.  No FFY, but a very late Oak Hook-tip and fairly late Gold Triangle and Light Emerald.

A better night despite the full moon at the start and rain in the early hours.  40 moths of 20 species.  FFY were Monopis obviella and Pink-barred Sallow (2).  Others of note : Scrobipalpa costella (1) ; Red-green Carpet (1) ; a rather small, second brood Willow Beauty ; Silver-y (3) ; Flounced Chestnut (4) and Autumnal Rustic (1).

37 moths 22 spp. One still unindent. FFG Large ranunculus. FFY Green brindled crescent, Yellow line quaker, Beaded chestnut, Garden carpet and Sallow

5/10/17 - low temperature plus full moon equals few moths, as one might expect.  Just 7 of 4 species, all in the mv trap, and all the usual suspects.

16 moths of 8 species.  Garden Rose Tortrix (1) ; Eudonia angustea (1) ; Spruce Carpet (1) the only moths of interest. .........is it going to be a long winter ?

Peter Gawthorpe a new member has been experimenting with LED lighting. Last night the caught just one moth - but if you are only going to catch one then an L-album wainscot is not a bad start. Peter is about 3 miles from me and this record is the second or third in our 10k square this autumn as I trapped one on the 23rd September possibly recaptured on the 26th. I note that previous records are clustered close to the Dorset border or along the Bristol Channel coast.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 7.5 degrees

Only nine moths of six species including FFY - a Mottled Umber.

3/10/17 - Much colder last night, and this coupled with a nearly full moon kept numbers down.  21 moths, 7 species only, including one FFY, a Sallow, and another Red Underwing, this one in far better shape than the tatty specimen 2 nights ago.  Lunar Underwings (8), and Black Rustics (7) made up the bulk of the catch.

Caught 23 moths of 11 species last night. Highlights were 1 Blair's Shoulder-knot, 2 Beaded Chestnut, 2 Black Rustic, 1 Dark Spectacle and 1 Large Ranunculus.

Another moderate catch last night, perhaps fewer than I would have hoped for given the mild conditions, but quite interesting nonetheless.  66 moths, 18 species, including FFY a very tattered Red Underwing, and a very fresh Large Ranunculus, the first record here since 2011 - what a beauiful moth !  "Only" 16 Lunar Underwings, surpassed by 17 Black Rustics.  This must be an exceptional year for Black Rustics, as I have now had four of the five largest nightly totals I have ever recorded here, within the past two weeks. Also, having had a belated FFY appearance of Angle Shades two nights ago, I had two more last night. Where have they been?

Yellow-line Quaker, reared from larva collected with sallow catkins, Coleford, 25 March.