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 so far, I would say there were around 180 moths of 29 species, with 7 firsts for the year, and 6 new moths for my Port and Wey Lists.

Note

The above numbers and species is not complete and I will add the rest tomorrow.

  *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

#1   *Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria

#1 Another Small Yellow Wave Hydrelia flammeolaria

#2 *Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.

#2 Another Ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.

#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

#9 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 

#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

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.

                            

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

Also in the trap were 100+ lacewings, 5 ichneumon wasps, 30 beetles 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

NOTE

More moths etc to be added to this page tomorrow. There is a lot to go through still!!