Where Do You Start!!

Overwhelming would be an understatement. I mean I know it was a very warm night here on Portland, with the temperature at a muggy 23.0°C, but I never expected to see the moth trap so full of moths, lacewings and other invertebrates.

A very full moth trap with............

...........hundreds of lacewings making........

........up the bulk.....

.........of invertebrates trapped last night.

I chose to keep the trap under cover, as I didn't want the early morning sun "cooking" everything inside. And I'm happy to say, there were no causalities. With the trap under cover there were also dozens of moths all over the walls and ceiling of the gazebo. It was quite impressive.

Not only were there many moths, but there were 100+ lacewings, 20+ beetles, 5 ichneumon wasps, 3 Harlequin Ladybirds and several other bugs.

So what were the numbers! Well it wasn't easy totting them up and the number I have come up with is a best guess. What was a surprise was the number of micros, especially from the Yponomeutidae family. So as an estimate, I would say there were around 238 moths of 58 species, with 18 firsts for the year, and 16 new moths for my Port and Wey Moth List.

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

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1       *Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria x8

#2       *Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp. x40+

#3       *Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella x20+

#4        Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata x5

#5        Haworth's Pug Eupithecia haworthiata x3

#6     **The Gem Nycterosea obstipata x1

#7     **Muslin Footman Nudaria mundana x2

#8       *Rufous Tortrix Clepsis consimilana x2

#9        Riband Wave Idaea aversata x10

#10   **Knapweed Seedhead Moth Metzneria metzneriella x1

#11     *Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula x1

#12      Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x15

#13      Garden Mompha Mompha subbistrigella x1

#14      Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella x6

#15      Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x3

#16   **Common White Wave Cabera pusaria x1

#17   **Bordered Beauty Epione repandaria x1

#18    *Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria x2

#19      Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria x1

#20      Regal Piercer Pammene regiana x3

#21      Madder Pearl Mecyna asinalis x1

#22      Orange Footman Eilema sororcula x1

#23      Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana x3

#24      Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha x6

#25    *Common Footman Eilema lurideola x1

#26   **Brown Elm Tortrix Epinotia abbreviana x1

#27      Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba x8

#28      Small Blood-vein Scopula imitaria x5

#29      Heart & Club Agrotis clavis x6

#30   **Least Carpet Idaea rusticata x1

#31      Bee Moth Aphomia sociella x5

#32      The Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina x2

#33   **Wood-sage Plume Capperia britanniodactylus x1

#34      Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata x1

#35   **White Cloaked Tortrix Gypsonoma aceriana x1

#36     *Yellow-spotted Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana x5

#37    **Coast Grey Eudonia lineola x6

#38    **Cinnamon Knot-horn Ancylosis cinnamomella /  Western Thyme Knot-horn Delplanqueia dilutella x1

#39    **Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana x1

#40      *Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata x1

#41      *Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella x1

#42    **Acrobasis sp. x1

#43    **Four-spotted Tyta luctuosa x1

#44       Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria x8

#45    **Cloaked Minor Mesoligia furuncula x1

#46      *Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla x1

#47      *Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis x1

#48      *Crescent Plume Marasmarcha lunaedactyla x1

#49      *Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla x1

#50       The Flame Axylia putris x1

#51       Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea x4

#52       Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x3

#53      *Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria x1

#54      *Brown-tail Euproctis chrysorrhoea x1

#55      *Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea x2

#56      *Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella x2

#57       Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x1

#58    **Mediterranean Flour Moth Ephestia kuehniella x1

#1   *Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria

#1 Another Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria

#2 *Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.

#2 Another Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.

#2 And another Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp. with a Ground Beetle Ophonus ardosiacus.

#3   *Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella

#4 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

#5 Haworth's Pug Eupithecia haworthiata

#6 **The Gem Nycterosea obstipata

#7 **Muslin Footman Nudaria mundana

#8 *Rufous Tortrix Clepsis consimilana aka Privet Tortrix

#8 Another Rufous Tortrix Clepsis consimilana

#8 And another Rufous Tortrix Clepsis consimilana

#8 And one more Rufous Tortrix Clepsis consimilana

#9 Riband Wave Idaea aversata

#9 Another Riband Wave Idaea aversata

#10 **Knapweed Seedhead Moth Metzneria metzneriella

#11 *Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula

#12 Top left - Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Centre - Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea,  #13 Bottom right - Garden Mompha Mompha subbistrigella

#14 Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

#14 Another Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

#15 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#15 Another Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#16 **Common White Wave Cabera pusaria

#17 **Bordered Beauty Epione repandaria

#18 *Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria 

#19 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#20 Regal Piercer Pammene regiana

#21 Madder Pearl Mecyna asinalis

#22 Orange Footman Eilema sororcula

#23 Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana

#24 Bottom - Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha, Centre - Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea and #2 Top - Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.

#25 *Common Footman Eilema lurideola

#26 **Brown Elm Tortrix Epinotia abbreviana aka Brown Elm Bell

#27 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

#28 Small Blood-vein Scopula imitaria

#29 Heart & Club Agrotis clavis

#30 **Least Carpet Idaea rusticata

#31 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella

#32 The Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina

#33 **Wood-sage Plume Capperia britanniodactylus. It looks like this moth was blown off course as it is found in heathland, where its larva feed on Wood Sage growing among bracken.

#34 Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata

#35 **White Cloaked Tortrix Gypsonoma aceriana

#36 *Yellow-spotted Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

#37 **Coast Grey Eudonia lineola

#37 Another Coast Grey Eudonia lineola

#38 **Cinnamon Knot-horn Ancylosis cinnamomella / Western Thyme Knot-horn Delplanqueia dilutella.

#38 I appreciate that certain moths cannot be identified by photos and need an examination of the genitalia to differentiate between similar species. Unfortunately I didn't retain this moth, so all I have to go on is the original image above which hasn't been enhanced in anyway. So if it is possible to identify this moth, it would be great. The closest I could get was Ancylosis cinnamomella and Delplanqueia dilutella, however it could well be something totally different.

#39 **Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana

#40 Top left - *Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, far right - Grousewing Caddisfly Mystacides longicornis, centre - An Aphid Aphidoidea sp. and bottom left a midge sp.

#41 *Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella

#42 **Acrobasis sp. Possibly Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella or Hawthorn Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella 

#43 **Four-spotted Tyta luctuosa

#44 Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria

#45 **Cloaked Minor Mesoligia furuncula

#46 *Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

#46 *Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis

#48 *Crescent Plume Marasmarcha lunaedactyla 

#49 *Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla

#50 The Flame Axylia putris

#51 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea

#52 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#53 *Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria

#54 *Brown-tail Euproctis chrysorrhoea

#54 *Brown-tail Euproctis chrysorrhoea - A little bit worn.

#55 *Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea

#56 *Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella

#56 Another Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella

#57 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#58 **Mediterranean Flour Moth Ephestia kuehniella 

More on:

#6      The Gem Nycterosea obstipata UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#7      Muslin Footman Nudaria mundana UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#10    Knapweed Seedhead Moth Metzneria metzneriella UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#16    Common White Wave Cabera pusaria UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#17    Bordered Beauty Epione repandaria UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.
#26    Brown Elm Tortrix Epinotia abbreviana UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#30    Least Carpet Idaea rusticata UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#33    Wood-sage Plume Capperia britanniodactylus UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#35    White Cloaked Tortrix Gypsonoma aceriana UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#37    Coast Grey Eudonia lineola UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#38    Cinnamon Knot-horn Ancylosis cinnamomella / Western Thyme Knot-horn Delplanqueia dilutella.!!

#39    Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#42    Acrobasis sp. Possibly Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella or Hawthorn Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella !!

#43    Four-spotted Tyta luctuosa UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#45    Cloaked Minor Mesoligia furuncula UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#58    Mediterranean Flour Moth Ephestia kuehniella UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

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Also in the trap were 100+ lacewings, 5 ichneumon wasps, 30 beetles, 5 bugs and 3 ladybirds

Common Green Lacewings Chrysoperla carnea

Ground Beetle Ophonus ardosiacus. It doesn't have a common name, but in Holland it is called the Grote blauwe halmklimmer, which translate into English as Large Blue Runner.

A pair of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis - form succinea 

A Plant Bug Deraeocoris flavilinea. The French call this the Miride à ligne jaune, which translated into English is the Yellow-lined Mirid.