A bit up and down this August, weather and mothing wise. Not been to The Patch during the month but had a good visit to Havergate Island on 2nd and to Abbey Farm, Snape on 21st. I was joined by the voluntary warden to sort two of the traps and part of the time by the warden for the third trap at Abbey Farm. Havergate produced the expected Ground Lackeys and Sandhill Rustics for the time of year but I recorded my first two Crescent Striped for the site. It was calm weather and this produced masses of salt-marsh micros. 7 Coleophora species, including C. aestuariella. 6 Scrobipalpa species and 3 Bryotropha including the first B. desertella for me and the Island. Also a regular on the Island and good to see is Batia lambdella and a first catch for me was a Phycitodes saxicola. One then turned up at home on 12th.
An abundance of 6-striped Rustic at Abbey Farm which was a surprise. The Crescent is a regular there and the dark form is common but I had to photograph the beautifully marked paler form that turned up. Nice to see Epermenia falciformis regularly there and also took the first Rosy Wave for the site. I had a few Endothenia marginana. they turned up in two of the traps. At home I catch E. oblongana that feeds on the roots of the plantain that covers part of my front garden. I have also had E. gentianaeana at home when I had good numbers of teasel plants but they have waned recently as has the moth. I see Neil has caught E. ustulana. Ustulana is the darkest of the four, gentianaeana is the largest and usually shows white prominently on the thorax. The marginana were noticeably more contrastingly banded ‘black and white’ than the oblongana I have at home but the text book pale hindwings of the male did not hold. They were as dark as those of the female. All these species can be separated on the forewing patterning. I confirmed my E. marginana by dissection.
At home, the Silver Y was abundant mid-month, Ancylosis oblitella all through the month and Setaceous Hebrew Character at the end of the month. There was a good showing of a second brood of Evergestis limbata. It has also been good for the Twin-spotted Wainscot and Cypress Pug. Migrants have been thin on the ground with just a few Scarce Bordered Straw, Dark Sword-grass and Nomophila noctuella with one tattered Small Mottled Willow. However there was an ‘invasion’ of the Rest Harrow reported and I managed to get two. Both males, on 6th and one on the 11th. A third Butterbur for my site was a nice catch on 12th and a first for me and for the site of a Nemapogon clematella on 6th. Perhaps one of the best catches of the month was my second Glyphipterix equitella on 27th.
Catches are now indicating the coming of autumn with moths such as Sallow, Feathered Gothic, Brown Spot Pinion and Centre-barred Sallow. Looking forward to the Black Rustic turning up.
