Second week of July

The rain is not abating and a couple of cooler spells have come along but the large ex-pub umbrella still allows the trap to run each night in the corner by the shed. Just a couple of highlights this week as the annual macro species total stumbles slowly to three figures. Nice to see Bufftip and Leopard which have virtually identical appearance profiles at Wychwood moths with two records of each in 2010 and neither in 2011.

 Leopard Moth 8th July - third garden record, previous 25/6/10 and 19/7/10, not in 2011

Bufftip 8th July - third garden record, previous 23/6/10 and 19/7/10, not in 2011

Reddish Light Arches - somewhat of a Wychwood Moths speciality, this well marked individual representing the 7th this year and the 22nd in three years with all but one in the last week of June or first week of July

Buff Ermine is a frequent catch - like to get a nice belly shot in occasionally

Barred Yellow regularly trapped - adds a bit of colour amongst the brown stuff 

Wychwood Moths first birthday

Today, 2nd June, is one year to the day when moth trapping and proper recording began at Wychwood Moths following collection of the "Ratface Twin 15W actinic/UV Skinner". In that first year, the garden list was 201 macro species (pending a couple of frozen confusing pugs that need to be investigated); but the official garden list is 203 as it includes Hummingbird Hawkmoth which was recorded three times in the garden but all pre-2010 and Feathered Thorn that was recorded in my bathroom in autumn of 2009. Lots of highlights in that period but for pure rarity value, the VC30 vice-county 2nd Toadflax Brocade, one month after the first, was top of the list. However, the thrill of finding such stunning beasts as the Hawkmoths in the trap in the morning still remains, and even among the commoner species there are some more subtly beautiful varieties. I have added a couple of images of favourites here which have not appeared on the blog previously:
Maple Prominent


Peppered Moth


Leopard Moth


Lunar-spotted Pinion

Privet Hawkmoth

Sallow Kitten

Shark

Tawny-barred Angle

Toadflax Brocade