84 moths of 34 species (24 macro and 10 micro) with many FFY including: Clouded Silver (2), Vine's Rustic, Middle-barred Minor, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Scalloped Hazel, Mottled Rustic, Large Nutmeg, Plum Tortrix and this Plume moth. It looks like a Hoary Plume (Platyptilia isodactylus) but there has only been a few recent disparate records. Can anyone confirm?

25 species in the garden trap here in Middlezoy last night. I expected more to be honest, still seems rather slow to get going.

Silver Y, Scorched Wing, Elephant Hawkmoth, Pale Tussock, Willow Beauty, Straw Dot, Small Magpie, Minor agg, Cream Spot Tiger, Buff Ermine, Dog's Tooth, Green Carpet, Vine's Rustic, Light Brown Apple Moth, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Common Marbled Carpet, Waved Umber, Heart and Dart, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Pug, Cypress Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Least Black Arches, Cypress-tip Moth, Glyphipterix thrasonella.

Yesterday saw 37 moths of 19 species including 6 FFY . They were Clay Triple - lines , Knott Grass , Silver - ground Carpet , Rivulet , Heart and Dart , L - album Wainscott . Todays moths numbered 72 of 30 species including 9 FFY . They were Light Emerald , Grass Rivulet , Blomers Rivulet , The Flame , Pale Tussock , Small Rivulet , Waved Umber , Middle - barred Minor and Marbled White Spot . Species count this year now 80 .

3 Silver Ys in the trap this morning. On Monday I saw dozens in the sandbanks and coming in off the sea at Gibralter Point near Skegness.
A Ghost Moth was my 100th macro of the year just 2 days later than average.

135 macros 41 species.best numbers for my season so far. White-pinion spotted (FFG), FFY Light emerald, Straw dot(5), Pale prominent, Small square spot, White spotted pug, , Slender pug, Alder moth, Coronet, Poplar grey, Cabbage, Clouded silver (4), Common marbled carpet(9),Least lack arches(2) Marbled minor(9), Middle barred minor(2), Common carpet(3).

A very large haul of micros 25+ to sort through.

A beautiful Netted Pug in the garden trap.  A first for me.

Bob Fleetwood

27/5/18 - a mere 34 moths, of 18 species last night, still a bit disappointing.  FFYs were Buff Ermine, Small Magipie and Udea olivalis. One FFG, a micro, Spuleria flavicaput, accepted/confirmed by Paul Wilkins, to whom my thanks.  Otherwise nothing very exciting.

T Min 12.8°C. 33 moths of 19 species (13 macro, six micro) included the first Large Yellow Underwing of the year and FFG Rhyacionia pinivorana (Spotted Shoot Moth).

Rhyacionia pinivorana

A postscript to yesterday's post - four escapees discovered last night, all FFY. They were Tinea trinotella, Garden Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet and Bright-line Brown-eye. How I missed them when checking the trap I just don't know! They bring the day's total up to 33 moths of 23 species.

27 spp in the garden trap in spite of the storms. signs of migration with 3 Diamond-backs. FFYs included Eyed and Elephant HMs, Broken-barred and Garden Carpet, Gold Spot, Mottled Pug, Buff and White Ermines, Tachystola acroxantha, Celypha lacunana, Red-barred Tortrix, Chrys. culmella and an Hemp-agrimony Plume (Adaina microdactyla)

71 macros 29 spp.  Rustic shoulder knot(FFG) Heart and dart(4) Treble lines(7) Flame shoulder(3) Setaceous HC(3) Shuttle shaped dart(5) White ermine (4) Brimstone(2) Brindled pug(12) Poplar hawk, Lime speck pug, Burnished brass, Buff ermine, Common marbled carpet, Bright line brown eye(2) Green carpet(5) Silver Y, Mocha, Galium carpet, Pale mottled willow, Broken barred carpet(5) Common wave, Chineese character, Silver ground carpet, Pale tussock(2) Poplar grey, V pug and Waved umber.

8 micros including N.swammerdamella, Garden pebble. Couple more still to ID.

Also had a few Tree bumblebees in the trap, earlier in the day we had inadvertently disturbed a nest nearby moving some rotten hay bales.

My best species count for the year so far - 19 (29 moths), 16 of which were FFY, namely: Small Magpie, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Common Pug, Brindled Pug, Clouded Border, Peppered Moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, White Ermine (2), Buff Ermine, Heart And Dart and Shuttle-shaped Dart.

I recorded several micro species during a wander around Langford Heathfield today: Micropterix calthella, Cocksfoot Moth, Cydia ulicetana, Nemophora degeerella, Glyphipterix thrasonella and Grapholita compositella.

Grapholita compositella

T Min 13.1°C. 42 moths of 22 species (17 macro, 5 micro). This included two examples of Dichrorampha acuminatana a species I have now caught twice this year and once in 2017. I think both they and Bucculatrix nigricomella, which I also caught for the first time last year, are now breeding on my Oxeye Daisies.

Dichrorampha acuminatana

I think this is part of the wing of an Emperor Moth . Do you agree with my identification ?

Having returned from The Channel Islands on Tuesday I had a trap on 22 nd with 18 moths of 10 species . FFYs being Buff Ermine ,Fox Moth ,Green Carpet , Treble Lines , Peppered Moth and Red Twin- spot Carpet . On the 23rd I had 56 moths of 25 species . FFYs being Brimstone, 6 Small Phoenix , 3 Common White Wave , Common Wave , Barred Umber , 2 White Ermine , Pebble Hook - Tip , Scorched Wing , Marbled Brown and 2 Orange Footman . On the 24 th I had 10 moths of 8 species and FFY s being Dark Marbled Carpet and Peach Blossom . Last night I had 19 moths of 13 species . 2 FFYs Mocha and White - pinion Spotted . No Hawkmoths seen here yet .

25/5/18 - just 10 moths, all singletons.  FFYs were Light Emerald and Blood-vein, and one FFG, an Eyed Hawkmoth,

Thank you very much Paul. I guess it must be Monopis weaverella!

T Min 13.3°C. The best night of the year so far with 52 moths of 32 species (24 macro, 8 micro).

Bucculatrix nigricomella, Argyresthia trifasciata (FFG), Tachystola acroxantha, Syndemis musculana, Light Brown Apple Moth, Codling Moth, Bee Moth, Eudonia angustea, Common Swift, Figure of Eighty, Garden Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Oak-tree Pug, Lime-speck Pug, Common Pug, Mottled Pug, Treble-bar, Yellow-barred Brindle, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Buff-tip Pale Tussock, Cinnabar, Knot Grass, Pale Mottled Willow, Treble Lines, Bright-line Brown-eye, Lychnis, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Dark Dagger/Grey Dagger

Less than 50 moths but they were of 30 different macro species. 17 were firsts for the year with the best records being White-pinion Spotted (one of the more clumsy moth names ) and Seraphim. I've only a few records for both of these and didn't record either last year.

23/5/18 - Slight improvement again, this time 51 moths, 21 species.  FFYs were The Flame, Oak Hook-tip, Common Swift, Garden Carpet, Celypha lacunana and Scoparia ambigualis, plus one FFG, a Scorched Wing. 

Also of interest, 3 male Pale Tussocks - I don't remember ever getting more than singletons before, and 7 very varied Common Marbled Carpets.

Emerged today, reared from eggs found last spring near Midsomer Norton.  The first time I have seen the adult!

Just confirmed this Heliozela sericiella caught by Peter Shirley at Midford Road, Bath

Sorry it's a bit late but Benjamin check out Monopis weaverella for your unidentified micro of the 19 May.

Hi all,

I have permission to moth trap at RSPB Ham Wall and I am thinking of trapping there this Friday 25th as the forecast is currently pretty good. I don't really fancy doing it on my own so if anyone is interested, please contact me on 07979 088 603 or davenevitt@yahoo.com. Thanks.

40 moths of 25 species (19 ma/6 mi). Lots of FFY's: Seraphim (2), Yellow-barred Brindle, Peppered, Grey/Dark Dagger, Treble Lines, Common Swift, Mocha, Silver-ground Carpet, Poplar Hawk, Iron Prominent, Epiblema cynosbatella, Aethes smeathmanniana and Plutella porrectella. I'm off to rural N France for a week so it will be interesting to see how it compares on the moth front.

During the afternoon about 20 Adela reaumurella were dancing above a hedge in the garden. In the traps on Monday morning a better result than of late. 80 moths of 38 species, 21 of which were FFY : Monopis weaverella (1) ; Epiblema scutulana (1) - subject to confirmation ; Cydia ulicitana (1) : Chinese Character (1) ; Flame Carpet (1) ; Silver-ground Carpet (1) ; Broken- barred Carpet (1) ; Small Phoenix (2) ; Small Rivulet (2) ; Dwarf Pug (1) ; Lunar Thorn (1) ; Peppered Moth (2) ; Common Wave (1) ; Marbled Brown (1) Buff-Tip (2) ; Pale-shouldered Brocade (3) ; Lychnis (1) ; Shuttle-shaped Dart (1) ; Least Black Arches (1) and Cinnebar (1) Epiblema scutulana confirmed by Paul Wilkins and is a FFG -- Thanks Paul

21/5/18 - A lot more variety, if not great numbers.  35 moths, 22 species, including 8 FFYs - Puss Moth, Clouded Border, Water Carpet, Heart & Dart, Poplar Grey, Pale Tussock, Marbled Minor agg., and Garden Pebble, plus a FFG Flame Carpet.  There will be more to report, as at least one micro vanished into the interior, and others may have done the same while I was looking the other way.

42 macros 21 species. Poplar hawk, Buff ermine(2), White Ermine(3) Green, Broken-barred and Silver ground carpets, Sharp angled peacock, Least black arches, Common and Mottled pug, Pale pinion, Common white wave, Peppered moth, Treble lines. 11 micros still working on.

Another disappointing night with just 25 moths of 14 spp, 5 each of Muslin and Orange Footmen, 2 each of Heb.Ch. Scalloped hazel, Flame Shoulder and singles of Common and Oak-tree pug, Red Twin-spot, Green and Com. Marbled Carpets, Treble Lines, Willow Beauty, Nut-tree Tussock and Brimstone. Not a single Micro.

19/5/18 - just about struggled into double figures last night, 14 moths of 11 species, including 4 FFYs, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Pug (2), White Ermine, and a very late and worn Satellite. One FFG, an early Large Nutmeg.  Also of note, another Poplar Hawkmoth, and 2 more May Bugs.

The Hebrew Characters appear to have gone to the promised land.

Still very slow: Brimstone Moth,Muslin, Common Pug, The Spectacle, Garden Carpet, Nut-tree Tussock, Yellow-barred Brindle, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Mocha and Small Phoenix.

Caught 33 moths of 17 species last night: 4 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 1 Flame Shoulder, 4 Brimstone Moth, 2 Muslin Moth, 2 Heart and Dart, 2 Common Pug, 2 Spectacle, 2 Light Brown Apple Moth, 1 Pale Tussock, 2 Garden Carpet, 1 Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Vine's Rustic, 1 Argyresthia spinosella, 3 Yellow-barred Brindle, 1 Gracillaria syringella, 1 Knot Grass and 2 micros of a species I can't identify. Here is a photo of one of them and I hope someone can ID it for me? It looks greyer in real-life than in the photo but is still very dark.

I co-led the BC Somerset & Bristol Branch field meeting to Fry's Hill today.  A good variety of moths were recorded including Thisanotia chrysonuchella and Pryausta nigrata (two rare and local micros) and Yellow Belle which is, in the main, a coastal species.

Thisanotia chrysonuchella

78 moths of 27 species. I had hoped to break into the hundreds with a milder night but alas not yet. There were 8 FFY : Red-green Carpet (2) ; Sandy Carpet (1) ; Larch Pug (2) ; Brown Silverline (4) ; Grey Dagger agg.(1) ; Knot Grass (2) ; Treble Lines (1) and Bright-line Brown-eye (1).  Brindled Pug was again the most numerous (17) A couple of micro's are still work in progress.

After a few disappointing trapping sessions with low numbers of moths and species (10th 13/8, 12th 7/5 and 14th 21/12) at last a mild night on 15th and a decent return - 142 moths / 41 macros, 3 micros.

Lots of NFYs over this period including Spectacle, Knot Grass, Muslin Moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, Great Prominent, White Ermine, Green Carpet, Brimstone Moth (25 on 15th), Cinnabar, Nut-tree Tussock, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Scorched Wing, Pale Prominent, Flame Shoulder, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Iron Prominent, Maiden's Blush, Angle Shades, Mullein, Pale Mottled Willow, Pale Tussock, Waved Umber, Common Wave, Buff-tip, Chocolate-tip, Garden Carpet, Clouded Silver, Poplar Grey, Lesser Swallow prominent, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Silver-ground Carpet, Oak Nycteoline, Chinese Character, Orange Footman, Small Phoenix, Common / Mottled and Dwarf Pug, Light brown Apple Moth, Syndemis musculana (FFG) and Tinea trinotella. Like all moth-ers I am looking forward to some warmer nights over the next week or so and a few more good returns on the effort involved - especially getting up so early at this time of year !!

17/5/18 - back down to single figures again - just 9 moths, 5 species.  There was however a bright side to it, a FFY Poplar Hawk-moth and a FFG Broken-barred Carpet.

The highlight of my visit to Thurlbear today was finding Pyrausta nigrata.

Assuming the map is correct then this is only the second VC5 record, the first being in 1906.

I have also thought that this year was progressing slowly until I checked over my old records and found that so far it is a fairly typical year. It is much slower than last year which may be affecting the memory.
The average date in the last 15 years for reaching 50 macro species is 2nd May. I reached 50 on 11th May this year which isn't too far out but it was 3 weeks later than 2017. I had recorded 656 individuals up to the end of April this year. Again this is a fairly normal number with 7 out of the previous 15 springs being busier. Last year I had recorded over 1000 but in 2016 I only recorded 271.
Hopefully we'll get some warmer nights and the moths can start flying in good numbers.

Not much progress here, I'm afraid! Last night I had 15 moths of 9 species. FFY were Tachystola acroxantha, Green Carpet (2), Muslin Moth and Knot Grass. Others were Brown House-moth, Light Brown Apple Moth, Brimstone Moth (2), Flame Shoulder (4) and Hebrew Character (2). There were probably as many Cockchafers as moths!

Looking back on my records, I found this number is not untypical here (on the edge of the Blackdowns) at this time of year, particularly on cool, breezy nights. Interestingly I've recorded 33 species so far this year compared to 28 this time last year, so it's individual numbers that are low rather than species.

15/5/18 - an improvement at last, but still not wonderful in terms of numbers (37), but a much wider range of species (20), including 2 FFG - Nut-tree Tussock and Pebble Prominent, and 9 FFY - Yellow-barred Brindle, Chinese Character, Common Marbled Carpet, Cinnabar, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Common Wave, Mottled Pug, Clouded Silver, and an early Garden Rose Tortrix.

Also, lots of small Caddis flies, and 4 May Bugs (all alive this time!)

Onwards and upwards.

I ran two traps at Priors Park Wood until 02:00h this morning; 252 moths of 57 species (51 macro, 6 micro):

Cauchas rufimitrella (1), Tachystola acroxantha (1), Agonopterix arenella (1), Syndemis musculana (9), Grapholita jungiella (1), Pyrausta aurata (1), Scalloped Hook-tip (2), Pebble Hook-tip (1), Flame Carpet (1), May Highflyer (1), Spruce Carpet (5), Phoenix (1), Small Phoenix (8), Red-green Carpet (2), Green Carpet (4), Water Carpet (5), Small White Wave (4), V-Pug (7), Brindled Pug (2), Oak-tree Pug (3), Dwarf Pug (2), Common Pug (2), Mottled Pug (2), Seraphim (1), Yellow-barred Brindle (5), Clouded Border (2), Brown Silver-line (26), Barred Umber (5), Brimstone Moth (9), Early Thorn (3), Purple Thorn (5), Scalloped Hazel (3), Brindled Beauty (3), Waved Umber (2), Engrailed (9), Square Spot (3), Common Wave (1), White-pinion Spotted (3), Puss Moth (1), Poplar Kitten (1), Lobster Moth (1), Pebble Prominent (20), Swallow Prominent (2), Lesser Swallow Prominent (2), Pale Prominent (3), Coxcomb Prominent (6), Orange Footman (2), Spectacle (1), Nut-tree Tussock (11), Grey Shoulder-knot (1), Pine Beauty (1), Clouded Drab (7), Common Quaker (5), Hebrew Character (28), Flame Shoulder (8), Red Chestnut (1) and Least Black Arches (5) + several very worn Pugs that were best ignored!

An improving 59 moths of 24 species last night with 8 FFY, these being: Pale Prominent, Brown Silver-line, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Chocolate Tip (3), White Ermine, Knot Grass and two micros Tachystola acroxantha and White-shouldered House Moth.

It has been a strange season so far with many 'regulars' not showing up and some that I don't see so often appearing in relative numbers. A case in point last night with 3 Chocolate Tip, my last record was a singleton from 2015.

18 species in the moth trap in my garden in Middlezoy last night. Full list as follows:

Yellow-barred Brindle, Chinese Character, Lime Speck Pug, Brimstone, Cinnabar, Pebble Prominent, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Knot-grass, Twenty Plume, Buff Ermine, Waved Umber, Garden Carpet, Muslin, Purple-bar, Light Brown Apple Moth, Pseudoswammerdania combinella, Cochylic atricapitana, Bactra species (unsure of ID - getting it checked).

A couple of day flying micro's in the afternoon : Micropterix aruncella (2 female) and Micropterix calthella (1). All on the same lone flowering buttercup.  Another disappointing night followed with 33 moths of 19 species, plus an as yet unidentified geometrid which is awaiting its ultimate fate. Of those I have identified there were 4 FFY : Green Carpet (2) ; Scalloped Hazel (1) ; White Ermine (1) and Common Pug (1).

13/5/18 - still diabolical numbers, just 7 moths last night, 2 each Muslin Moth, Green Carpet and Flame Shoulder, and 1 Hebrew Character.  (Also, one dead May bug, for the record).  Still, it means I get breakfast early !!

Caught 20 moths of 13 species last night: 1 Hebrew Character, 1 Brimstone Moth, 5 Muslin Moth, 1 Flame Shoulder, 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Nut-tree Tussock, 1 Light Brown Apple Moth, 3 Common Pug, 1 Angle Shades, 1 Bright-line Brown-eye, 1 Common Marbled Carpet, 1 Mottled Pug and 1 Common Plume.

Two Small Purple-barred were recorded during today's BC Somerset & Bristol Branch field meeting to Worley Hill including one f. fusca

9th May 8 moths 6 species Poplar hawk, Peppered, Flame shoulder(4), Powdered quaker, Hebrew character and an un-indent micro.

13th May 18 moths 6 species Least black arches, Flame shoulder (7), Hebrew character (6), Brimstone, Spectacle(2) and Red twin spot carpet.

Still very poor returns 2017 first half of May 40 moths/15spp per trap. This year 12 moths/6 species per trap.

10/5/18 - another poor night, only 10 moths, and 7 species.  Even the Hebrew Characters have almost deserted the place, only 3 between the two traps, plus 2 Musllin Moths, and singles of Pale Pinion, Common Carpet, Waved Umber, and FFYs Green and Red Twin-spot Carpets.  Mind you, it was quite cold and breezy, so not too surprising really.

A few recent finds.

I am hoping this is Lesser-spotted Pinion, although more likely it is Dun-bar.

One of the Copper Underwing species.

Heath Rustic - remarkable camouflage against heather stems, not so evident here.

A good night's trapping with a number of species new to the garden - Pebble Prominent, Least Black Arches and Pine Beauty - the latter new to the 10km square and a moth I have never seen anywhere before.  Remarkable numbers of pugs, too.

A few years back I found the adults of the scarce coleophorid Metriotes lutarea in and near to Chewton Wood, sitting openly on the flowers of the foodplant Greater Stitchwort in the sunshine.  I have regularly checked, without success, the stitchworts present in woods and hedgerows locally since, partly for this species and partly for the cases of the other coleophorids that feed on it at this time of year.  On revisiting Chewton Wood yesterday, I found the moth not uncommonly in the wood and also in a couple of locations along nearby lanes with good patches of the foodplant.

Why it should occur in and around just this one wood baffles me; there seemed to be nothing about the locations in the nearby lanes that I cannot find in many other places with the foodplant.  Could it be something about the wood (damp and relatively level, unusual for this part of the county) and that the population expands out into the nearby countryside in good years?

20 moths of 16 species, 9 being FFY: Waved Umber, Green Carpet, Oak Nycteoline (only my third in 5 years), Red Twin-spot Carpet, Pale Tussock (2), Orange Footman, Spectacle, Lunar Marbled Brown (first for two years) and, at last, a micro - Swammerdamia combinella.

T Min 11.7°C. 39 moths of 16 species. FFY: Green Carpet, Peppered Moth, Muslin Moth, Knot Grass and Angle Shades; and my second record of Incurvaria masculella the first being on 11.5.2016.

7/5/18 - another poor night's trapping, just 13 moths of 5 species - 8 Hebrew Characters, 2 Brimstone Moths, 1 Common Carpet, 1 Muslin Mpth, and 1 FFY Flame Shoulder. Ho hum.

Like John below I also found some early instar Small Eggar larvae at WWT Steart on the coastal scrub there. Sadly my local nest won't be there anymore as the hedge it was on has been cut to the ground regularly the past year or so. A fate that harms many of our hedgerow species.

Plenty of Brown-tail moth larvae too. Earlier in the year I counted 113 larval nests of Brown-tail on a short stretch of scrub.

I went for a wander around Thurlbear today principally looking for butterflies but also found some micros: Micropterix calthella, Pyrausta purpuralis and a good day for ‘longhorns’ with: Adela reaumurella (c50 swarming together around a Field Maple), Cauchas rufimitrella and Nematopogon swammerdamella.

A catch bordering on respectable but probably still low for this time of the year. 11 species:

Brimstone, V-pug, Muslin, Spectacle, Dog's-tooth, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Green Carpet, Light Brown Apple Moth, Hebrew Character, Chinese Character, Powdered Quaker.

A late afternoon walk along Westerngate Road (a track) north of Pitney was generally disapponting - the northernmost stretch which used to be very varied has been 'managed' and most of the interesting flowers have gone! The hedges have been flailed but fortunately before Small Eggar oviposition time - I found two 'nests' of early instar larvae.

66.005 Small Eggar (Eriogaster lanestris) early instar larvae.

Later I found this Common Emerald larva - the adult is frquent in my trap but I had never seen the larva before. Many thanks to Barry Henwood (Devon Moth Group) for identifying it!

70.305 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria) larva

62 moths of 15 species.  Three FFY : Red Twin-spot Carpet (1) ; Lesser Swallow Prominent (2) and Muslin Moth (1).  Where have all the Micro's gone ?

Despite the forecast of a cloudy night, the skies cleared and last night's session produced a disappointing total of 22 moths of 13 species. FFY were Light Brown Apple Moth (3), Oak-tree Pug (first for 4 years only 3rd record), The V-pug, Scorched Carpet (first for 3 years), Brimstone Moth and Flame Shoulder. Others were Shoulder-stripe, Brindled Beauty, Common Quaker (2), Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character (6), Early Grey and Nut-tree Tussock (2).

4/5/18 - Still not many moths, just 20 of 5 species, but a bit more variety this time.  8 Hebrew Characters, 2 Muslin Moths, and FFY Brimstone Moths (7), Common Carpets (2), and a FFG Purple Thorn.

I'm just entering my seventh year trapping here, and am still regularly getting new species for the garden - tonight Brindled Pug (2) and Brindled Beauty.  Also Iron Prominent (seemingly freshly-emerged, and by far the earliest I have recorded this species), freshly-emerged Brimstone Moths, and Shuttle-shaped Dart (also freshly emerged, and the first I have seen here since 2015).

Hi Paul - I was also at Tucking Mill yesterday!  I searched the elms mostly for White-letter Hairstreak, but instead found a noctuid larva on the seeds which is probably Brick, but might just be Dusky-lemon Sallow, and some blackish noctuids which I am hoping will be Satellites.

86 moths of 22 species including 10 FFY : Agonopterix arenella (1) ; Twenty Plume Moth (1) ; V-Pug (6) ; Brimstone Moth (1) ; Waved Umber (2) ; Marbled Lunar Brown (1) ; Pebble Prominent (2) ; Swallow Prominent (1) ; Nut-tree Tussock (1) and Flame Shoulder. Most numerous was Brindled Pug (23).

After my post a couple of days ago I was bound to have a very welcome Oak Beauty last night. I think it is my first May record. Other firsts for the year were Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pebble Prominent,Pebble Hook Tip, Least Black Arches, Waved Umber, Scorched Carpet and Flame Shoulder. Also the first May Bug of the year. Numbers still low for a reasonably promising night.

A welcome 38 moths of 14 species last night with 7 FFY: Water Carpet, Mottled Pug (a record 9), Least Black Arches (3), Oak-tree Pug (3), V Pug, Swallow Prominent, Muslin Moth (2)

At last up to 14 Spp between the two sites, 27 in wood to actinic and 16 in garden to MV.. still poor numbers. FFYs Nut-tree Tussock, Pebble and Swallow Prominent, Purple Thorn, Scorched Carpet, Eudonia Angustea, Brindled Pug. Like Ian I haven’t had any Pale Brindled Beauty this year, usually common in my garden. Also Hebrew character, Clouded Drab, Small Quaker, Early Grey, Early Thorn, Brindled Beauty and Brimstone.

With the weather it bit more spring like I spent a very pleasant hour looking for the leaf mines of Mompha miscella on Rock Rose (Helianthemum) at Tucking Mill where I netted a couple of adult moths last year. An added bonus was a Brown Argus larva also feeding on the Rock Rose.

2/5/18 - Hebrew Characters (1 in the Actinic, 9 in the MV trap) were all I caught last night.  Boring, or what?

Of the nearly 400 macro species I have recorded over the last 16 years in my garden about 120 I have recorded every year. These are the most common species and ones I would expect to record every year for the next 15 years. It is always sad and a little worrying when you don't record one of these regulars and in the last 2 seasons I have not lost any of them. This year, though, I appear to have lost 2 of them already. Pale Brindled Beauty I normally record 2 or 3 times a year but no sign of it this year. The second one I've probably lost is Oak Beauty. This is much more surprising as I normally record double figures and last year was its best ever I trapped 28 of them. The weather may be to blame as there have been few decent nights for trapping so far but I hope that this isn't a sign of the year to come.

30/4/18 - it gets worserer and worserer.  One Hebrew Character in the Actinic, and one Brindled Beauty on the wall beside the MV trap.  Nuffink else.