And so it begins!
Last year was fantastic with nearly 13000 records between the two of us with 692 species recorded in our gardens and on field trips.
As always, January has been slow to get going as far as adults go; Winter Moths, the occasional Light Brown Apple Moth and a few Early Moths scattered around the monitored sites. The most surprising find of the year so far was a lovely Pale Pinion found by one of my 20watt Wemlite garden traps on 6th January. It is a hibernating species but can be found in milder weather.
As always, January has been slow to get going as far as adults go; Winter Moths, the occasional Light Brown Apple Moth and a few Early Moths scattered around the monitored sites. The most surprising find of the year so far was a lovely Pale Pinion found by one of my 20watt Wemlite garden traps on 6th January. It is a hibernating species but can be found in milder weather.
Pale Pinion - Lithophane socia
A much smaller hibernating moth at home came in the form of a Mompha subbistrigella which turned up in my office on 23rd January.
Mompha subbistrigella
Lastly, a Psychoides filicivora emerged from a piece of Harts Tongue fern which I brought in a few weeks ago
Psychoides filicivora
For the next couple of days I am visiting relatives in Surrey. Of course, I have brought my trap with me for a rare opportunity to trap near woodland. So far I have a Pale Brindled Beauty and a Spring Usher
 |
| Pale Brindled Beauty- Phigalia pilosaria |
 |
| Spring Usher - Agriopis leucophaearia |
The next week or so look much colder again so I expect another dearth of moths. For the time being it is back to searching for mines and early stages until the weather warms up again.
Species List so far in 2019. 22 species recorded so far. Here's a quick summary:
Taxon
|
Vernacular
|
Records
|
Individuals
|
Coptotriche
marginea
|
a moth
|
1
|
2
|
Luffia
ferchaultella
|
a moth
|
2
|
8
|
Bucculatrix
thoracella
|
a moth
|
1
|
10
|
Phyllonorycter
messaniella
|
a moth
|
3
|
2
|
Phyllonorycter
leucographella
|
Firethorn Leaf
Miner
|
5
|
292
|
Phyllonorycter
maestingella
|
a moth
|
1
|
2
|
Stigmella
tityrella
|
a moth
|
1
|
3
|
Stigmella
aurella
|
a moth
|
6
|
21
|
Ectoedemia
septembrella
|
a moth
|
1
|
2
|
Ectoedemia
heringella
|
a moth
|
3
|
0
|
Mompha
subbistrigella
|
a moth
|
1
|
1
|
Emmelina
monodactyla
|
Common Plume
|
1
|
2
|
Epiphyas
postvittana
|
Light Brown
Apple Moth
|
3
|
4
|
Enarmonia
formosana
|
Cherry Bark
Tortrix
|
1
|
1
|
Operophtera
brumata
|
Winter Moth
|
11
|
68
|
Phigalia
pilosaria
|
Pale Brindled
Beauty
|
1
|
1
|
Erannis
defoliaria
|
Mottled Umber
|
3
|
3
|
Theria primaria
|
Early Moth
|
2
|
2
|
Eilema lurideola
|
Common Footman
|
1
|
1
|
Phlogophora
meticulosa
|
Angle Shades
|
2
|
2
|
Lithophane socia
|
Pale Pinion
|
1
|
1
|
Noctua pronuba
|
Large Yellow
Underwing
|
2
|
2
|
Roll on Spring!
