No longer lacking Lackey

It is often tempting to spend more time looking at the gaps in the list of species rather than at the list itself and starting at the top I was aware that everyone else I knew with a moth trap in the county had a Lackey and I had not. As a result I was pleased to finally get one on 25th as a new for the garden. Significantly rarer in the county and missing from everyone else's garden list is August Thorn, so it was rather a surprise to get another one of these as a second garden record to follow on from the previous individual trapped on July 5th 2011.

August Thorn - 25th July. Note the distinctive kink (and almost creating a small blotch) in the crossbar at the front of the forewing which was also a feature on the previous individual caught last year, The inner crossbar also consists of a big parabolic curve.

Lackey - garden first 25th July

Clouded Border - scarce here, only four caught in three summers so far, all in July

Swallow-tailed Moth - up to three flit around the trap on some nights but majority do not end up inside

Snout - not particularly common at Wychwood moths, this is only the fourth trapped

Sneaky armchair ticking

The Wychwood Moths garden list sneaked up by two last week thanks to a couple of moths that I took from the trap samples during July.

A particularly rufous looking minor that I collected was dissected by Andy Banthorpe and revealed to actually be a male Rufous Minor as I had hoped; unfortunately I cannot locate a photo I think I took at the time of collection. Previously in June I had collected a small sample of typical individuals and had equivalent numbers of Marbled and Tawny Marbled. So with the set complete, all of next years adults are safe from the freezer ! - was in the name of the scientific record as well as the list of course.

Similarly I collected a limited sample of five Common Rustic agg including two small and dark examples. Dissection revealed three male Common and two male Lesser Common Rustic.

Thanks Andy! 220 jumps to double Nelson 222 despite the windy and often damp nights and a trap that has felt a bit neglected by moths for the last week.

Snout - surprising first for year on 10/Sep

Lesser Yellow Underwing - a peak of variety and numbers in the last couple of weeks

Centre-barred Sallow - new for year 8th Sept, a handful so far