Suffolk Moths Blog

After a few days of much cooler weather, felt a bit milder yesterday so I tried a moth trap overnight, a few bits and bobs noted. These included Spruce carpet, Red-line quaker (first for year, one of the last species I’m expecting on this year’s list), Merveille du Jour, Large wainscot (both these 2 species still going), Streak and Green-brindled crescent (2).

For those interested in other insects, the most notable sighting was this morning (22nd) – the first site record of a Western conifer seed bug. Unfortunately I found it squashed between a window and its frame at my house. It was probably trying to get in to find somewhere to hibernate – hopefully another will appear soon so I can photograph it, as the squashed one was not really photogenic!

Neil

13th; the first records of the season for Chestnut 6, and November moth 2. Large Wainscot still showing strong at 15. Red-green Carpet 2, Mallow 3, Acleris sparsana, 3 Diamond-back.
On the 14th, not so much activity but warmer in the early part of the night with season firsts of Green-brindled Crescent 2 and Satellite. 4 Meurville du Jour, singles of Dark Sword-grass and Red-green Carpet, 2 Diamond-back amongst the 18 species trapped.

Stuart Read caught a Dotted Chestnut in Sudbury on Tuesday night (11th October). I make this the second county record for the moth. In the same way that Pale Pinion and Black Rustic have moved into the county, I expect we will see more of this moth.

Dotted Chestnut © Stuart Read

I was pleased to find that the small dark Caloptilia lurking in the bottom of my trap from last night has turned out to be Caloptilia semifascia, a new site record! There were 26 other species noted also, so not a bad night for the time of year but again actual counts of moths were very low, largest number for a species being the 6 Lunar underwing. Other things of interest: Merveille du jour (another 3), Eudonia angustea, Green-brindled crescent (2), L-Album wainscot, Streak (2) and Brick.

I did search some areas of Ivy and over-ripe Blackberries as well last night but it was very unproductive with few moths seen.

Neil

Despite mild conditions overnight, numbers of moths in the traps here seemed low, something that has happened quite a few times this year in my experience. 16sp were seen in both my garden trap and another one run at work, the only migrant a single Plutella xylostella. Also recorded were L-Album wainscot, Flounced chestnut, Large wainscot (4 in total), Grey shoulder knot, Merveille du jour (3 in total, seems in good numbers this year), November moth agg. (2 – first for year), Streak and Mallow.

I saw a single Dark sword grass last night on the Ivy patch in my garden, along with Lunar underwing, Chestnut, Yellow line quaker, Flounced chestnut and Blastobasis lacticolella.

Conditions look like they could be improving the next few days with warmer weather returning so hopefully the moth traps can be put out again!

Singles of Dark sword grass and Silver Y along with 2 Udea ferrugalis in the trap this morning. Other things of note were Orange sallow, Large ranunculus, Flounced chestnut, Acleris sparsana.