June moths at IGC.

Like others have reported, the first half of June at IGC was poor for moth numbers, although there were still a few interesting records. The second half was much better with the warmer conditions producing some big catches of moths, nice to see after the worry that numbers would be down following the drought in 2018.

Some species had a very good year here. These included Puss moth (a few seen, normally odd ones), Festoon, Blotched emerald (over 20 one night), Eana incanana and the tree canopy feeding tortrix species (1000+ Tortrix viridana, 500+ Aleimma loeflingiana and 500+ Archips xylosteana all on the warm night of the 29th for example). However there have been some losers like Cinnabar that has hardly been seen at all.

Starting with the macros, the following have been of note here. Netted pug (seen at dusk on both the 8th and 11th flying over the patch of Bladder campion in my garden, the first sighting of the adult moth here following larval records a few years ago), Obscure wainscot (17th and 24th, the second and third site records after the first last year, has it colonized perhaps?), Cypress carpet (first record of the first brood here), Tawny wave (9th, first since 2011), Lunar yellow underwing, Dog’s tooth (23rd), Plain pug (third site record), Shaded fan-foot (2nd, an early record), Gothic (25th), Red-necked footman (29th, good to see again after none last year) and a spectacular Goat moth on the 3rd (known to breed on site).

The micros, as is usual, provided more interest. The best of these were three new site records: Isotrias rectifasciana (17th, in garden trap), Dichrorampha sequana (seen in the greenhouse in my garden on the 20th) and Argyresthia pygmaeella (29th, in garden trap). Other species of interest included Argyresthia glabratella (2nd), Endothenia ustulana (in greenhouse on the 20th, the second site and county record), Caloptilia hemidactylella (24th), Cosmopterix lienigiella (24th), Dioryctria schuetzeella (29th), Anarsia inoxiella (29th), Evergestis limbata (2 on 29th), Cydalima perspectalis (Box-tree moth, a black form on the 29th) plus Phyllonorycter scopariella and ulicicolella (a few of each).

Not too many migrants in my traps, only small numbers of the commoner species and Large yellow underwings compared to what was being reported at the coastal recording stations. Best migrant for me was a Splendid brocade on the 25th. It was quite damaged and worn so it certainly wasn’t splendid! Luckily I’ve seen the species before in much better condition so have good photos. Begs the question – did it migrate at all, or did it emerge locally from an unknown local colony? Time will tell.

Also caught in the trap on the very warm night of the 29th were 2 Purple hairstreak butterflies, something that has happened here before in those sort of conditions.

Neil

Isotrias rectifasciana

Isotrias rectifasciana

Argyresthia pygmaeella

Argyresthia pygmaeella

Gothic

Gothic

Obscure wainscot

Obscure wainscot

Netted pug

Netted pug

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