Smashed the 100 moth barrier for the first time this year.  110 moths of 24 species.  FFY were : Twenty Plume Moth ; Yellow Horned ; Water Carpet ; V Pug ; Mottled Pug (8) ; Early Tooth-striped ; Brindled Beauty ; Engrailed agg. ; Nut-tree Tussock and Red Chestnut (3).  Spring has sprung.  - for now.

Moving the trap to a different position last night resulted in 12 Moths of 5 species. 6 Early Greys. 3 Double Striped Pug, 1 Common Plume, 1Common Quaker and 1 Light Brown Apple Moth FFY.

Even in my garden last night 16 spp including Ancylis comptana and Plutella xylostella, a couple of nights earlier yielded Depressaria badiella and Early Tooth-striped.

Night of 30/3.

36 of 10 here including 12 x Double-striped Pug and FFY Shoulder Stripe and Scorched Carpet.

Tuesday 30.3.2021 trapped until 23.30hrs. 18 moths of 9 species. White-shouldered House moth, Light Brown Apple Moth x2, Twenty-plume moth x 5, Common Plume x3, Red-green Carpet, Oak-tree Pug, Double-striped Pug x 3, one Small Quaker and one Hebrew Character.

A very warm cloudy night produced 18spp, FFYs Scorched Carpet, Dotted Border, Engrailed, Shoulder Stripe, D-S Pug, Pale Pinion and Agon. ocellana. Small Quaker still by far the most numerous >50.

30/3/21 - the milder night made a big difference to the catch - 39 moths of 10 species, including 3 FFYs - Brindled Beauty (2), Double-striped Pug and Pine Beauty. This last is only the second record here, after one last year.  Othosias still dominant, Hebrew Character (10) and Common Quaker (11) the most numerous.

Lots of other beasties too - 2 Caddises, 6 Green Clearwings, a Sexton Beetle (Necrophorus humator) and two other beetles, plus thousands (well, a couple of hundred) of small gnats/flies.  An entomologist's paradise.

What a difference a day makes. On the 30th 10 moths 5 species. 31st -70 moths 19 species. It was slightly warmer last night with just a little bit of cloud cover early on for the first few hours.

FFG were Dotted border and Acleris cristana. FFY were Double striped and Brindled pug, Engrailed, Powdered quaker and early thorn(16). Others were Pale pinion, Dotted chestnut, Shoulder stripe, Brindled beauty and Early grey(4). Numbers made up with Clouded drab(10) Hebrew character(9) and March moth(9).

One micro to identify.

Very disappointing last night with just 1 Early Grey.

Apologies for the late posting of records. Although I have managed 7 trappings so far this month some have not been very productive. The best was 15th with 67 moths of 13 species which included Oak Beauty 5, and 1 each for Pale Pinion, Chestnut, Dotted Border, Pale Brindled Beauty and Acleris schalleriana. The next best night was 20th with 59 moths of 11 species, this time including singletons of Dark Chestnut, Twin-spotted Quaker, Diurnia fagella and another Pale Pinion. Other species of note during the month were Early Thorn and Angle Shades on 14th, Depressaria radiella (Parsnip Moth) on 18th and Powdered Quaker on 23rd. I have also been keeping an eye out for moths to shed windows, with 6 micro species so far, those of note being Agonopterix purpurea and Pammene giganteana, both new to me. Looking forward to putting the trap out again tonight and tomorrow before it gets cold again!

Over 30 (32) moths and over 10 (12) species both for the first time this year. A very early Silver Y was a surprise and four other FFY were Nut-tree Tussock, Powdered Quaker, Oak Beauty and Early Thorn (3).

28/3/21 - Another disappointing night, but not really a surprise, given the full moon and a bit of a breeze.  Just 15 moths, 4 species, nothing new.  Common Quakers (8) the most numerous by far.

Cold but calm last night resulting in 4 Moths. 1 common Plume 1 Common Quaker 2 Hebrew Characters.

A wet and windy night resulting in 1 Common Quaker

It’s been nil for the last week. I hoped a warmer last night would be better, it wasn’t! Just 4 moths, Common, small and Twin-spot Quakers and a Hebrew Character...roll on next week.

A cold night resulting in 1 Early Grey and 1 Hebrew Character.

Just 2 Early Greys last night.

23/3/21 - not so good here, in spite of the milder (?less cold?) night.  Just 13 moths - Hebrew Character (9), Clouded Drab, Early Grey and Twin-spotted Quaker (2).  The Twin-spots were again differently marked, one with nearly-merged spots like last time.

Best night of the year so far. 61 moths of 15 species. Three FFY : Early Thorn , Pale Pinion and Grey Shoulder-knot.

A poor night; 20w actininc yielded Early Grey 3, Common Quaker 1, Small Quaker 1, Hebrew Character 1. Not only encroaching housing development but next door has his security light on all night!

22/3/21 - Quite cold last night, so numbers well down - just 16 moths, 4 species, nothing new.  8 Hebrew Characters, 6 Clouded Drabs, and singles of March Moth and Small Quaker.  Oh, and a caddis fliy, just for variety.

The forecast is for a milder nigt tonight, so I will try again - maybe get something worthwhile - you never know.

3 species last night. 3 Early Grey, 3 Double Striped Pug FFY and 2 Hebrew Character.

12 moths of 7 species last night. FFY were Light Brown Apple Moth and Early Grey (4).

Night of 19/3.

10 of six including Streamer.

3 Moths last night. 2 early Greys and 1 Small Eggar. Small Eggar FFy and garden.

19/3/21 - much the same as last time in terms of numbers (22), but a slight improvement in species (7), including FFYs Oak Beauty and Early Thorn. Two slightly different Twin-spotted Quakers had me temporarily puzzled, as their "Twin Spots" were almost merged into one - I'm easily confused at times !

32 moths 8 species. Pale pinion was only my 4th record . Early grey, Shoulder stripe, Hebrew character (10) Common quaker(8), Twin spot quaker, Small quaker(2) and Clouded drab(8).

10 moths of 7 species last night to my 40w actinic skinner trap. 2 Common Quaker, 1 Double-striped Pug, 1 Brindled Beauty, 1 Clouded Drab, 1 Small Quaker, 2 Common Plume and 2 Oak Nycteoline (new for my garden) which had me puzzled for a while as they looked like completely different moths.

Only two moths last night. 1 Early Grey, FFY, on wall next to light trap and 1 micro in trap.

I left my 15w actinic and 4w LED traps out all night. 6 spp in the Actinic mainly Small Quaker 20+. There was a bumper catch in the LED about 50m away, 13 spp, FFY Twin-spot Quaker, Brindled Beauty, Brindled Pugs, Early Thorn and more than 50 Small Quakers everywhere! There were no species solely in the actinic. The LED was the clear winner.

17/3/21 - A considerable improvemnent all round - better numbers and a little more variety.  26 moths, of 6 species, including FFYs Early Grey, Small Quaker and Sarellite (my first for two years). Mind you, if it weren't for Hebrew Characters (19) the catch would have been quite small.

Cold but calm last night. 1 off Common Quaker and 1off Micro as yet to be identified last night. Also had a plume moth which i believe to be Brindle Plume on the 15th, awaiting confirmation on I.D.

Best night of the year so far. 35 macros of 8 species. 11 Hebrew Character, 9 Common Quaker, 5 Clouded Drab, 4 Early Grey, 2Early Thorns, 2 Chestnuts and singles of March Moth and Small Quaker.

Twenty five moths last night represented the best night of the year so far. Five FFY: Diurnea fagella, Oak Nycteoline, Small Quaker (2), Double-striped Pug and March Moth (6).


Oak Nycteoline - Nycteola revayana

Numbers increasing, 23 moths of 7spp. Mostly 15 Small Quakers, 2 each of March Moths, Hebrew Character and 1 each of Com. Quaker, Early Grey, Oak Beauty. FFY Diurnea flagella,

At last some moths! 13 moths of 9 species. FFG was Agonopterix subpropinquella.  FFY were Diurnea fagella, , March Moth (3), Red Chestnut (first for four years), Small Quaker (2), Common Quaker (2), Twin-spotted Quaker, Hebrew Character and Dark Chestnut (4th record). While checking for moths on the wall, I was pleased to find a Scarlet Tiger larva!

40 moths of 14 species was a bit more like it.  FFY : Shoulder Stripe ; Double-striped Pug ; Oak Beauty (6) ; Early Grey (2) ; Clouded Drab and Twin-spotted Quaker (2). Others of note : Acleris literana (2) ; Mottled Grey (5) ; March Moth (5) ; Dotted Border (3) ; Chestnut (5) ; Common Quaker (5) ; Small Quaker and Hebrew Character.

First good catch of 2021 with double figures of Hebrew Character and Common Quaker whilst Twin-spotted Quaker, Small Quaker and Early Grey were firsts for the year.

Trap got switched on by mistake last night resulting in 1 off Hebrew character at TA8 1LU. 2nd for the year with one on 9th March. Also a single Clouded Drab on Feb 24th making a total so far this year of 4 Moths altogether.

1off Early Thorn at TA8 1LU last night. Newish member, Joined last year and have been honing my I.D. skills before posting.

8/3/21 -- Another cold night, but a few more moths than last time.  14 altogether, 6 Hebrew Characters, 6 Common Quakers, and singles of Clouded Drab and FFY March Moth.  Looking forward to some milder weather, although I'm not happy with the forecast of gales in the next few days/nights - the moths will not be impressed..

6/3/21 - Hardly worth the electricity - one each Hebrew Character and Common Quaker - still too cold I suppose, but forecasters are saying warmer, wet and windy soon - proper March stuff then.

4/3/21 - just made it to double figures last night (well it was pretty cold) - just 6 Hebrew Characters and 4 Common Quakers.  Barely a quorum for an ecumenical conference.

Good night, FFY Oak Beauty, Clouded Drab, March Moth and Ypsolopha mucronella, also Hebrew Ch. Common and Small Quakers

First migrant of the year last night, a very tattered Dark Sword Grass.

Good job it was a seed eater in the trap Paul, or it might have been a morning jigsaw puzzle with wings.  Here, I had 11 moths of 6 species.  FFY: Mottled Grey ; March Moth (3) and Common Quaker.  The others were : Dotted Border (2) ; Chestnut (2) and Small Quaker (2).

2/3/21 - Life is full of surprises, as they say.  In terms of moths, just 15 of 3 species - 9 Hebrew Characters, 5 Common Quakers and an Early Moth, plus an Ichneumon Wasp.  The surprise?  A Goldfinch in the Actinic trap !!  I have had an occasional Blue or Great Tit, but never one of these.  Made my day.

Many larvae of Endothenia marginana in found in Teasel heads at various sites in Butleigh. Characteristic anal comb to distinguish from E.gentianaeana.