October, Hollesley

At this end of the year with little in the way of micros to report and with only two traps running intermittently my catches tend to be a pale shadow of those reported by Matthew for Bawdsey. Whilst the mix is similar, my highlights are fewer, though there has been some interest. The immigrants have been dominated by an abundance of Udea ferrugalis and Plutella xylostella. Though I have had small numbers of the less common migrants I am still awaiting a Pearly Underwing and Four-spotted Footman at my home site. However on the wet and windy morning of 17th I spotted a strikingly marked and unrecognised pyrale on the vanes of my trap. Unfortunately I made a big mistake. Being in a hurry to get the trap in and out of the rain I switched the power off before approaching the trap and by the time I had got a pot ready for the moth it was blown away in the wind and rain. A quick description to Matthew pointed me to Spoladea recurvalis a very good match with nothing else coming near. A species also captured by Matthew a few days prior. A lesson has been learned!

My species count during the middle of the month with the peak of migrants and also good moth weather was in the 40s. All the regular autumn species have been taken along with some hangers on such as a Red Underwing on 16th and the much reported second broods. I have taken most of the second brood species so far reported but perhaps not mentioned are Acrobasis suavella that has been regular and one A advenella. I have also had the Garden Carpet and one fresh specimen turning up on 31st. The Vines Rustic has made a resurgence too probably as immigrants. Carcina quercana and Barred Sallow have been prominent here this autumn.

Weather on the turn now to much colder conditions later in the week and most autumn species on the way out. The catch now has the November Moth, Red Green Carpet and Feathered Thorn indicating the oncoming winter.

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