Stigmella oxyacanthella

Mines of Stigmella oxyacanthella found in Sand Point NT car park on Hawthorn on 27th August 2018.

Stigmella oxyacanthella mine on Hawthorn

Coleophora albicosta

A relatively straight forward Coleophora trapped in the New Forest on 5th June. There are a few Coleophora's with white lines along the forewings but the genitalia plate confirms to species level.

Coleophora albicosta genitalia plate

Coleophora albicosta

Coleophora caespititiella

Found in my garden moth trap on 4th June this Coleophora turned out to be a pretty good match for Coleophora caespititiella. The aedeagus wasn't quite perfect lacking toothed edge but the shape of the sacculus is best matched for this species.

Coleophora caespititiella

Coleophora caespititiella

Brean Down 30th-31st October

2 MV's and 2 actinics ran from 9pm to 3am on Brean Down recording quite a few migrants. Here is the whole list from that night:

40+ RDP

5 Feathered Thorn

10 Beaded Chestnut

1 Diamond-back Moth

1 Scarce Bordered Straw

3 Rush Veneer

10 Angle Shades

4 Red-green Carpet

1 White Point

2 Setaceous Hebrew Character

30 November Moth

2 Autumnal Moth

3 Green Brindled Crescent

2 Large Wainscot

1 Mother of Pearl

5 Lunar Underwing

1 Dark Sword-grass

1 LBAM

1 Red-line Quaker

1 Pearly Underwing

1 Shuttle-shaped Dart

3 Black Rustic

2 Turnip

1 Brick

1 Acleris rhombana

2 Blastobasis lacticolella

1 Feathered Ranunculus

Scarce Bordered Straw

White Point

Ypsolopha parenthesella

A new moth for me from a trapping session on 7th August

Ypsolopha parenthesella

Coleophora peribenanderi

A new moth trapped in the garden on 6th July 2014 confirmed today as Coleophora peribenanderi. This moth is said to use Thistle (carduum or cirsium) as the host plant.

Coleophora peribenanderi

Coleophora peribenanderi male genitalia plate

Coleophora limosipennella

Whilst in the woods this morning I found this larval case on Elm which looks good for Coleophora limosipennella.

Coleophora limosipennella larval case on Elm

Lobesia littoralis

I found this little moth at the end of Sand Point on 27th June which turned out to be Lobesia littoralis. This species can be found in the vicinity of Thrift which is present on Sand Point. The last record for the site was some 13 years ago.

Lobesia littoralis

Mendip mothing

Another good trapping session on the Mendip Hills on Friday 13th including 3 new macro's:

Map-winged Swift

Neofaculta ericetella

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth

A big surprise to find Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth on the patch this morning 6th June. It's never been recorded before. The larval foodplant is Devil's-bit Scabious and Field Scabious but I've only found Small Scabious. It was nectaring on Red Valerian and was quite approachable to around 5 feet.

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth

Spurge Hawk-moth

Just purchased some Spurge Hawk-moth pupae from the internet two of which emerged today. I'm never likely to see this species in the wild hence the reason for the purchase.

Spurge Hawk-moth

Spurge Hawk-moth

Mendip Hills 17th May 2014

I trapped on the Mendips last night which resulted in 46 species being found including my first Fox Moth.

Dwarf Pug

Epinotia tedella

Fox Moth

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

Ochreous Pug

Phyllonorycter tristrigella

Whilst out walking in Weston Woods on 3rd May 2014 I found this moth flying around Elm which looks good for Phyllonorycter tristrigella.

Phyllonorycter tristrigella

Tawny Pinion

Several Tawny Pinion moths have been turning up in moth traps in the south-west of England recently and I myself have had two: 29th March 2014 and 4th April 2014 both of which were trapped using my Skylight trap. This species is best told from the Pale Pinion by the presence of a dark line extending from the inner edge of the forewing and the black abdominal crests.

Tawny Pinion

Oak Beauty

Trapped this fresh Oak Beauty in the garden last night and after 8 years of trapping was wondering if they ever came to actinic as have never trapped this species in Weston despite others getting it to come to MV.

Oak Beauty Moth

Chevron and Centre-barred Sallow

Moth numbers are down at the moment but I did have Chevron which is my first capture of this species on 29th August and my third capture of Centre-barred Sallow

Centre-barred Sallow

Chevron

Stigmella centifoliella

I picked some rose leaf mines for rearing yesterday and noticed one has already emerged by this morning but rather than the expected Stigmella anomalella I got Stigmella centifoliella.

Stigmella centifoliella

Stigmella centifoliella leaf mine

Mompha propinquella

Another new for the garden on night of 18th August this Mompha propinquella was also a new moth for me. They are similar to Mompha lacteella so care with ID is needed.

Mompha propinquella

Maple Pug Eupithecia inturbata

This moth turned up at the garden trap this morning. I identified it as Maple Pug but found that Slender Pug looks very similar. The Gen Det showed it to be Maple Pug

Maple Pug Eupithecia inturbata (Gen Det)

Eulamprotes atrella

Last night I trapped 3 of these little micros. ID was a little tricky at first but once honed in it was a case of separating Eulamprotes atrella from Eulamprotes immaculatella. The main external difference between these two is the colour of the labial palpi. Eulamprotes atrella has pale palps with the lower edge darkened on segment 3. The moth is said to feed on St John's Wort of which there is only Pale St John's Wort on Sand Point.

Eulamprotes atrella