May Day Moths

After two days of strong north-easterlies, the wind finally abated and so out went the moth trap. And what a great start to May with 45 moths of 16 species, with 3 first for year and 4 new for my Port & Wey list, which now stands at 237.

  * First for year
** New for P&W moth list

Moths recorded:

#1       Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x5

#2       Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata x3

#3    * Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria x1

#4    **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis x4

#5       Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x8

#6      *Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella x1

#7      *Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla x1

#8        Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x9

#9        White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella x2

#10      Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x2

#11   **Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon x2

#12      Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x2

#13      Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x2

#14   **Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica x1

#15   **Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria x1

#16     *Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x1

#1 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#2 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

#3 *Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#4 **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

#4 Another **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

#4 And another **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

#5 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#5 Another Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#6 Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella AKA Black Cloak

#7 *Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla

#8 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea

#9 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

#10 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#11 **Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon

#12 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#12 Another Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#13 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#13 Another Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#14  **Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica

#15 ** Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria

#16  *Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#16  *Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

And the one that got away. I always take a "safety" shot first before opening the moth trap, just in case the moth escapes. And in this case, this individual did just that.

Obsidentify seems to think it might be a Leek moth Acrolepiopsis assectella, which it could quite easily be with so many alliums close by.

But sadly there is really no way to tell from this photo. Shame really as it would have been a new moth for my Port & Wey moth list.

I will just have to put the trap out again tonight!!

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Also in the trap were a hoverfly, daggerfly and cranefly

Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

Single-striped Xanthempis Empis stercorea

Cranefly Nephrotoma sp. More on craneflies here.