With the conditions looking good thought I’d try and go for a high species count so 2 traps were put out in my best area of mixed habitats on the site.
In the morning, things looked promising with quite a few moths resting on the outside of the traps. Checking them resulted in a total of 158sp, my best number for the year so far and probably the best I’d now expect given the lower than normal numbers of moths around with me this year. Best moth was a another new site record – the micro Goniodoma limoniella, a very snazzy little moth that must have wandered in from a saltmarsh somewhere close by in the warm conditions as it feeds on Sea lavender. Other nice micros recorded included: Epermenia chaeophyllella, Phyllonorycter rajella (2), Cosmopterix zieglerella (first time I’ve seen this species as an adult, have found mines on Hops here and at other sites before), Brachima inornatella (seen at this spot before), Cosmopterix liengiella (again seen at this spot before), Yponomeuta rorrella (first for year) and Ypsolopha dentella.
Macros included Shaded fan foot (5), Festoon (3), Black arches (8, normally abundant at this spot so this is a low number for me), Lesser cream wave, Dotted fan foot (3), Fen wainscot (3), Purple clay, Dark sword grass, Turnip (1 – first for year!), Suspected, Ghost (a female), Brown silver line (2, still going!) and Maple pug.
The spot I trapped is the location where the colony of White-mantled wainscot has been present in previous years, and none were seen this time. Maybe it isn’t on the wing yet, will have to try again at a later date.
Neil
Fabulous little moth G limoniella Neil! I took 3 in my catch last night. They clearly decided to move out of the salt marsh. I got a bit overwhelmed with my catch of close on 200 species, many of them as additions to my list and a number still to ID. Not sure If I can cope with another haul until I’ve cleared them.