Treble lines are on the way out at home in Hollesley now with Vine’s Rustic, Flame, Large Yellow Underwing and Crambus lathionellus being prominent. Common Footman is about and my compact actinic is attracting a number of Cream-bordered Green Pea. Interested to read of the Hawk-moth numbers as I have taken all the common ones in reasonable numbers at home but not at sites I have gone mobile to. Three recent additions to my site list have been Festoon, Pinion-streaked Snout and the distinctively marked Epinotia tedella. Notocelia trimaculana has been turning up at most sites in low number as has the Cream Spot Tiger this year.
Wandered out to the Tangham area again on 31st May. I try to cover as many habitats as possible with the placement of my two traps and on this occasion covered fen, heath and forest to get a good diverse catch. Noctuids are sparse on my visits to Tangham. The more abundant moths were; Carpatolechia proximella, Neofaculta ericetella (a new one for me), Epinotia bilunana, Cydia ulicetana, Scoparia ambigualis, Pebble Hook-tip, Small Seraphim (another one new to me) and Peacock. Also took both Caloptilia alchimiella and robustella, several Rosy Marbled (another one new to me) including a beautifully marked deep pink one and a number of Lobster Moth. Not very many conifer feeder in this catch but the Bordered White is flying and took two species of Dioryctria. A few other species new to me which was pleasing were; Pleurota bicostella, Lobesia reliquana, Epinotia tetraquetrana, Grass Wave and Coleophora milvipennis. The C. milvipennis catch is interesting since the literature states it flies in July, however I also see from The Moths of Suffolk that Neil’s specimen was also noted for May. I think the literature needs updating. Also something that is bugging me is that I keep getting Argyrestia conjugella at Tangham but only A. spinosella at home amongst my apple trees! Catches during this period have been around the 100 mark.