Clive Moore and myself surveyed our regular Spexhall site last night (1 August) and were joined during the first part of the evening by Tony Hopkins. Three traps were operated in and around the churchyard on this balmy night – temperatures were above 20 degrees with a very warm southerly breeze.
It was a bit of a slow start with quite a breeze, but numbers picked up as the night progressed. A nice surprise was the scarce immigrant Small Mottled Willow that flew to the sheet at 10:40pm.
Small Mottled Willow – Matthew J. Deans
Micro-lepidoptera highlights included Tischeria ekebladella, the Ox-eye Daisy feeding Bucculatrix nigricomella , Spindle Ermine, Orthotelia sparganella (a regular at this site), Limnaecia phragmitella, Pandemis corylana, Eudemis profundana, Hedya salicella, Zeiraphera isertana and Grapholita janthinana.
Macros were represented by Leopard Moth, Oak and Pebble Hook-tips, Orange Moth (a single male at the end of it’s flight period), Large Emerald, White-spotted Pug, Beautiful Hook-tip (3 – 4 seen at this known site), Straw Underwing, Lesser and Lunar Spotted Pinions (good numbers of both seen), Olive, Scarce Silver-lines (two seen), Black Arches, Fen Wainscot, Dingy Shears, Marbled Beauty and Dark Spectacle.
133 species were logged by the end of the night including most of the expected species. One absentee, however, was the Muslin Footman – maybe it has gone over for this year?