Saturday, May 23, 2026

My First Hawkmoth This Year.

With daytime temperatures in the high teens on Portland, I decided to place the moth trap further down the garden in a more open area surrounded by the Cherry Tree, Buddleia and a lots of garden plants. And boy did it pay off with some interesting moths, which you can see below. In total I had 63 moths of 28 species. However I still have another moth to ID.

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

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:
#1        Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x5
#2        Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x4
#3     **Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria x4
#4        Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x3
#5        Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x1
#6        Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella x5
#7       *Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana x2
#8        Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata x1
#9        Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua x4
#10   **Pallid Grey Eudonia pallida x3
#11      Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x5
#12      Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis x3
#13     *Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba x1
#14    **Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella x1
#15      Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x3
#16      Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua x1
#17      Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana x2
#18   **Striped Hawk-moth Hyles livornica x1
#19   **Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi x1
#20    *Common Daisy Moth Dichrorampha acuminatana x1
#21     Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata x1
#22     Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria x4
#23     Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x1
#24   **Daisy Tuft Bucculatrix nigricomella x1
#25      White-point Mythimna albipuncta x1
#26      moth sp. x1
#27      Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x2
#28   **Brown Rustic Rusina ferruginea x1
#29      Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica x1


#1 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#1 Another Light Brown Apple Moth

#2 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea

#2 Another Mallow Seed Moth

#3 **Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria

#3 Another **Portland Ribbon Wave

#4 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella 

#4 Diamond-back Moth

#5 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#6 Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella

#7 *Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana. AKA Tawny-fronted Straw. This moth was first discovered in Britain at Portland in 1993.

#8 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

#9 Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua

#10 **Pallid Grey Eudonia pallida

#11 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#11 Another Common Swift

#12 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis

#13 *Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 

#14  **Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella

#14  **Oak Knot-horn

#14  **Oak Knot-horn

#14  **Oak Knot-horn

#15 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#16 Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua AKA Beet Armyworm

#17 Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana

#18  **Striped Hawk-moth Hyles livornica

#18  **Striped Hawk-moth

#19 **Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi

#19 **Fox Moth

#20 *Common Daisy Moth Dichrorampha acuminatana AKA Sharp-winged Drill

#21 Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata

#22 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#22 Another Willow Beauty

#22 And another Willow Beauty

#23 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

#24  **Daisy Tuft Bucculatrix nigricomella 

#25 White-point Mythimna albipuncta

#26 moth sp.

#27 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#27 Another Rusty Dot Pearl

#28  **Brown Rustic Rusina ferruginea 

#29 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Also in the trap was a spider, ladybird, ant and eggs!!

Lesser Garden Spider Metellina mengei

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis form - succinea

An ant sp.

Possibly eggs!!