Early July, Hollesley

Been rather busy recently. Not only on moths. Ran two MV traps on 4 occasions 1st, 4th, 9th and 10th July. Species count on 9th was 135 the others were in excess of 200. Migrants abound in the UK at present and I have had a few. The first two nights were with easterly winds. The 3rd July brought a massive thunderstorm across from the east. We had a lightning strike somewhere in the vicinity of my property and that of my immediate neighbours. Everyone lost their broadband hubs and there was further damage to persons electronic equipment. My main pc which is surge protected was OK but my second one in the ‘insect room’ with attached Canon camera on a microscope now has the fans running continuously at a low speed and the camera is dead. The Thunderstorm brought immigrants and the easterlies helped salt-marsh species up to my traps.

1st July saw Bucculatrix maritima, Morophaga chorogella (new for site), Elachista scirpi (the second here and helps establish that it is resident on the coast at Hollesley), Monochroa suffusella (a first for me and probably for Suffolk) gen det, a very smart Celypha rosaceana, a Cypress Carpet (new for site) and 7 Red-necked Footman.

4th July turned up an Yponomeuta rorella, Leucoptera spartifoliella (new for site), Agdistis bennetii, Notocelia roborana (new for site), Aphomia zelleri, Four-dotted Footman (new for site), 6 Red-necked Footman, a Lilac Beauty (and they truly are!) and quite spectacular to see it in the trap an Olive Crescent (clearly new for site).

9th July whilst lower in species brought me my first Prays fraxinella other Prays have been ruficeps and another immigrant, a Cydia inquinatana (took me a while to work out what this one was).

10th July found an Argyresthia laevigatella (gen det) in the trap along with a Spatalistis bifasciana both new for the site.

Further on the immigrants, seems I’ve missed out on the Catoptria verellus but at the moment the Small Mottled Willow is notable when absent. Lots of Harlequin Ladybirds in the traps too.

What else; well Evergestis limbata is doing better than last year and quite a few Sciota adelphella. Particularly common this year are water Ermine, Treble Brown Spot and Fanfoot. Abundant are Clouded Silver and Synaphe punctalis with one of these looking like an albino variety, pale ochre with vague marking from scattered ferruginous scales. Currently Common Rustic are about now and my favourite Minor, the Rosy Minor. Dusky Sallow has appeared (sign of an oncoming autumn?) but still caught the Brown Silver Line on 10th.

Finally a rather sad story. I’ve been clearing out the final room of my property having been offered a sofa which will match the intended design. In the process I found the breeding site of the occasional Tinea pellionella that has been turning up in the last few years. A rolled up rug waiting to go down when the room was finished. Not any old rug though. A hand-made Moroccan rug I bought some 20 years ago for around £600!

Olive Crescent

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