Dotted Rustic

Before this year the last time this species was recorded in VC30 (Bedfordshire more or less) was 2006. This individual trapped in Wychwood Ave, Luton on Sunday 15th July represents the third in the county this year, all in July and all coincidentally caught in back garden traps by Andy's (Grimsey, Whitney and Banthorpe), 

This occurrence pattern and timing suggests to me that these are of immigrant origin rather than a local population as these traps are ten miles apart or so.

The moth is a stocky species, mine had a wing length of around 21mm, so stands out easily as something different.

An excellent and most unexpected addition to the Wychwood garden list !

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 

Two more new macros but few highlights

Not a lot to blog about recently at Wychwood Moths as the summer stutters along through the rain. Having reached 119 macro species by the end of June in 2011, the total of 75 in the first six months of 2012 was a very poor return with some species that occurred on numerous occasions previously completely absent for the year. 

July started well with a Small Fanfoot as first for garden and a few days later a Lychnis was also added. These are really gap fillers rather than quality but they all count...

 Shark - 1st July (two previous records 26/6/10 and 6/7/10, none in 2011)

 Shark

Lychnis - first for garden 4th July

Small Fanfoot - first for garden 1st July

Fern - 6th July - four previous garden records, this one nicely marked

Varied Coronet - 4th July - only one previous record on 4/6/10, on only my third garden trapping session

Mid June Brown stuff

A wider variety of brown noctuids have begun to arrive in Wychwood Avenue in the last week but overall numbers of species and individuals are not matching the equivalent period last year. Couple of nice ones though including only my second Ingrailed Clay and one anticipated new for garden in the form of a Brown Rustic.

Ingrailed Clay 19th June - previously caught only on 4th June 2011 and a very different form from that one as well 

(see http://wychwoodmoths.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/first-weekend-of-june.html )

 Flame - very distinctive and common in the garden in June and July when caught most nights

 Shoulder-striped Wainscot - first for year 18th June, caught on five sessions in June 2011

 Rustic Shoulder-Knot - this one with a bit of reddish colouring on

 Brown Rustic - first for garden on 15th June, presumably same individual retrapped on 16th

1st June - two garden seconds

Picking up in variety now and 2nd June marks the second anniversary of mothing at Wychwood Avenue. So coming into my third June it will be interesting to find the status of those moths that I only got in one of the two previous Junes, 2010 and 2011. Was I lucky to get them at all, or unlucky to only get them once ?
To start answering the question, two moths from last night which were second time around records:

What you looking at?

Spectacle - previously recorded just the once on 30th April 2011

Second record 1st June 2012

Nice hair-do ?!

Green Silver-lines - previously recorded on 26th June 2010 when three turned up together. Subsequently one on 27th and 28th were probably retrapped individuals.
Second clearly separate record 1st June 2012

Late May roundup and a late NFG

Things beginning to pick up with the warm spell from mid-May though still well behind last year in species variety and numbers for the equivalent period. Finally picked up a Powdered Quaker as new for the garden at the end of their season just as I thought it might have slipped past me for the second year on the trot. 

Powdered Quaker - new for garden 27th May

Scalloped Hazel - showing the close relationship with the thorns

Nut-tree Tussock - inside the pub umbrella on my deck

Scorched Carpet - I get a handful of these each year, trapped in all months May to August

Carpets start the revival

After an April of cold, wind and rain when Wychwood Moths went into virtual hibernation, things started to pick up this week with a selection of NFY moths, low numbers still and surprising few noctuids so far but seven different Carpets this week. (A late and pale Streamer, Silver-ground, Common, Garden, Spruce, Scorched and Red Twin-spot).
Also added in the last few days were first Common Pugs and Peppered Moth.
Of note on 20th May was a Rustic (previous earliest 22nd June) sharing an egg box with an Early Grey (previous latest 22nd April)

Silver-ground Carpet 

 

Common Carpet

 

Spruce Carpet 

Red Twin-spot Carpet

The Rustic (rather early) on 20th May