Late July at IGC.

The cooler wetter conditions today have given me time to collect my thoughts on the second half of July here at IGC.
I agree with Raymond, the season has been running around 2 weeks later than recent years here too. I’ve done a lot of trapping at home and at the work shed woodland, with a few nights trying other areas on the site. Some nights have been good with over 150sp seen with the best count this year so far on the 21st with 163sp noted. This is lower than my normal high counts in July in previous years. Generally as has been noted by others numbers and diversity are reduced this year. In fact some of the common species aren’t common this season – Large yellow underwings, Dark arches, Black arches and the other underwing species have all been in low numbers. However the Ear moth has been common.
Autumnal species have begun to appear now, with a Rosy rustic and now regular Canary-shouldered thorns. Another feature of late July has been unexpected late species, with Pale Oak beauty and Shears seen, both fresh individuals. The mid summer stuff has gone on longer too, with Festoon recorded up to the end of the month and Shaded fan foot seen in the last week, both normally over here by mid July. There are also undersize moths around like the Snout, a reflection on the poor weather earlier in the year when they were larvae trying to feed.
There have still been some highlights, starting with new site records, of which there have been 2. I’ve already posted my Catoptria verellus seen on the 24th, but the next night I caught an Evergestis limbata (very worn sadly). Not surprised at this one as it is an increasing breeding species now.
Other things of interest: Orthotelia sparganella, Pyla fusca, Coleophora paripennella (second site record 19th), Gelechia muscosella (20th), Platytes alpinella (a few), Bucculatrix nigricomella (22nd), Vitula biviella (regular), Gelechia senticetella (31st), Bucculatrix albedinella (31st), Goat moth (19th, seen trapping out on an area of Heath), Magpie (also 19th, rare here), Small rufous (26th), Tree-lichen beauty (regular at end of month), Double lobed (second site record 25th), Maple pug (a few at the end of the month, seems to be having a good season with several other recorders noting it), Beautiful hook tip (a few records, used to be a rare Suffolk moth), Toadflax brocade (third record 29th), Ling pug (2 seen) and Haworth’s pug (31st). I’ve also had 2 records of White-mantled wainscot with one seen on the 19th at a reedbed area I’ve not recorded it before at the far right end of the site, so it now seems to have spread along the entire length of the Mill stream here. Very pleased about this as it proves my reedbed management at the site is spot on for this moth. The other sighting was at a known site on the 26th.
Migrants, like others have found, have been thin on the ground with only Plutella xylostella around in numbers but I think most of these are home bred now. Have had an Anarsia lineatella (Peach twig borer) my second record on the 25th following the first last year and a Cydia amplana on the 29th.
As the new month starts, I wait to see what lies ahead. Will summer return for a final flourish?
Neil

Cydia amplana

Cydia amplana

Goat moth

Goat moth

Double lobed

Double lobed

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