Small White Wave

Pick of the bunch of new moths for the year in this recent warm spell, but not easy to get a photo as it was pale, was this Small White Wave. Needed a little bit of Levels adjustment in Photoshop to bring out the cross lines.

Small White Wave - NFG 20th May 2014

Also of interest to me at least:

 Toadflax Brocade - one in 2010, three in 2013, first for 2014 on 22nd May (established now I guess)

 Light Brocade - two in 2011, now four so far in 2014

 (un)-Broken-barred Carpet - average two each year but this is the first I have had with out a break in the central stripe

Pale Tussock - such hairy legs !!

Tawny Pinion leads the April listings

A second garden tick for the year and closely related but much rarer than the first (Pale Pinion), this Tawny Pinio was a real surprise on an otherwise quiet night in the trap. To my knowledge, only three other's caught in VC30 since 2006, all from the Matt's efforts at Upper Caldecotte.

 Tawny Pinion, 24th April

Other recent more interesting species trapped include:

 Streamer - one of my favourites in the spring due to its purple tones, a handful trapped every year

 Herald - first spring record, previous only in July 2013

Powdered Quaker - a couple every year, usually appearing after the other quakers have started to diminish in numbers

Muslin Moth

Pale Pinion - A first to start April

First day of the month and a new for the garden, otherwise predominantly Orthosias trapped at the moment as per the expectations of the season.

Pale Pinion - new for garden April 1st

A few others trapped in the last few days of warmer weather of more interest to me at least:

 Twin-spotted Quaker - only a couple of these per year normally

 March Moth - in March of course

 Satellite - surprisingly uncommon in my garden - only four records, two in March, two in November

 Oak Beauty - always nice to see

Grey Shoulder-Knot - three records no for the garden, all in month of March

Yellow Pages

Autumn is a season when a good selection of yellow moths are around in the garden, here are a few that have come my way over the last couple of weeks.

 Dusky Thorn

Pink-barred Sallow - NFG 29th September, another on 5th October

 Barred Sallow

Sallow - a paler-winged individual

 Brick - this battered and worn moth was a NFG on 21st October

Yellow-line Quaker - first for the year was 2nd October, three weeks or so earlier than normal for me

Brimstone - maintaining the theme I have not blogged one of these before. get them every night through summer and autumn

Vestal Double

Not one but two Vestal around the entrance slot to the trap this morning. One better marked than the other and presumably encouraged by the recent south east to south west warm airflow.

Vestals... new for garden on 4th October

The feature is Orange

Since the start of my mothing, I have always enjoyed the switch to autumn and the arrival of moths of the autumn leaf colour rather than brown mud colour and this year the offering has included a welcome selection as we passed the middle of September including some newbies for the garden.

 Barred Sallow (orange form) - 22nd Sept. Day after garden first when trapped two of the normal form

 Beaded Chestnut - found lurking amongst many of the oranger forms of Lunar Underwing

 Dusky Thorn - NFG 24th September

 Frosted Orange - NFG 20th September

Orange Sallow - two trapped this year, 26th August and 21st September, previous 25/9/11

Tawny-speckled Pug - this one 12th September, average three a year in the garden

Micro interlude - a new species for VC30

I don't "do" micro-moths in the true sense of the word but I have a list of micros which includes a number of photos that have been built up over last couple of years to assess presence in the garden of those that are distinctive enough to be recognisable without a posthumous examination of the nether regions. Once I identified this one though I knew it was significant so will use it to open my account on micros on this blog.

1409a Diaphania perspectalis - Luton 30th August 2013, first for Bedfordshire
With a wingspan close to 40mm this was larger than many macro-moths in the trap

From VC30 Micromoth recorder, David Manning: This is a species first recorded in UK in 2008. It is a pest of Buxus (Box) and is presumed to have arrived via the horticultural trade [from Asia]. Recorded to date in eight counties, the most northerly being Herts, Bucks and Glos.