The first six nights of September have produced a combined total of 210 species in the traps. Numbers of moths still very high for this late in the season and like Raymond I am plagued by enormous numbers of autumn noctuids: mostly pronuba, xanthographa, c-nigrum, decimalis and segetum this week as well as damn wasps! Fortunately the couple of Hornets I’ve caught were already dead in the base of the traps having suffocated on all the moth scales.
John Langmaid and Brian Elliott have been visiting which has boosted the numbers of micros identified. Including a further 40 leaf-miners this week the total moth count for the week is up to 250 species. One leaf-miner that stands out was P. lantanella – which appears to be quite scarce in our county.
Highlights have included another Beautiful Marbled (third Bawdsey record) and a Gypsy Moth (second record) last night (5th) with numbers of the common migrants ipsilon and gamma building. The purpurina was not as bright as previous specimens I’ve caught, although sadly I couldn’t turn it into a much-wanted ostrina.
Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar – Bawdsey Hall
Beautiful Marbled Eublemma purpurina - Bawdsey Hall
A lovely dark Centre-barred Sallow f. unicolor was well received this week. Nupta has been recorded virtually nightly with a couple of maura. Sandhill Rustic still going strong and a late Ground Lackey female at the start of the week. A single Clay Triple-lines was a rarity here as was a Treble Bar. Dusky Thorn, Large Thorn, Small Phoenix, Dark Spinach and orbona this week, several rhomboidea still about and Tree-lichen Beauty still going. Unprecedented numbers of Gold Spot about this second-brood – recording it nightly and a few Twin-spotted and Webb’s Wainscots trapped with single Pinion-streaked Snout.
Micro highlights have been Caloptilia semifascia, Prays fraxinella, Monopis monachella, Ethmia bipunctella, Bactra robustana, Apodia bifractella, Wax Moth, Nephopteryx angustella, Agriphila latistria, Platytes alpinella and Ebulea crocealis.
Two Western Conifer Seed Bugs were interesting to see on the nights of 3rd and 4th. Another feature of this week has been the variety of butterflies at light; I’ve had singletons of Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Red Admiral in the traps this week.
Very good Matthew! Although I’m sure I’m not alone in not knowing what you are talking about when you don’t use the Common English names for the macro’s.