Autumn Moths

Well I say Autumn Moths, as it all depends on whether you go by Meteorological Autumn, which always begins on 1 September and ends on 30 November, or by Astronomical Autumn which starts on 23 September this year, a date that changes by a few days every year.

Whichever you go by, there is definitely a marked difference in the weather, which is distinctly cooler than it was a week or so ago. And when I got up at 6:30am to check the moth trap, it was also very dark. It will be Winter before you know it!!

So what was in the trap. Well apart from a good number of moths still, there were 40+ beetles and 2 caddisflies, along with numerous unidentified flies.

So last nights trappings were 77 moths of 31 species, with 3 firsts for the year and 2 lifers.

  *First for year
**Lifers

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1       Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana x2

#2       Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea x6

#3       Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x5

#4       Mullein Wave Scopula marginepunctata x1

#5     *Small Emerald Hemistola chrysoprasaria x1

#6       Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella x8

#7       Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum x3

#8       Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua x5

#9       Feathered Ranunculus Polymixis lichenea x2

#10     Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea x4

#11   *Straw Underwing Thalpophila matura x1

#12     Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata x1

#13     Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa x6

#14     Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis x3

#15     Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua x4

#16     Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba x6

#17   *Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis x1

#18     Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae x1

#19     Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria x3

#20     Ni Moth Trichoplusia ni x1

#21     Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x1

#22     L-album Wainscot Mythimna l-album x1

#23     Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha x1

#24     Vetch Moth Aproaerema anthyllidella x1

#25     Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla x1

#26     White-point Mythimna albipuncta x2

#27     Starry Pearl Cynaeda dentalis x1

#28 **Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria x1

#29 **The Vestal Rhodometra sacraria x1

#30     Chinese Character Cilix glaucata x1

#31     Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum x2

#1 Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana

#2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea 

#2 Another Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea

#2 And another Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea

#2 And another Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea 

#2 And one more Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea 

#2 And last one Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea 

#3 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#3 Another Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#3 And another Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#4 Mullein Wave Scopula marginepunctata 

#5 *Small Emerald Hemistola chrysoprasaria

#6 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella

#7 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum

#8 Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua AKA Beet Armyworm. They are starting to fade a bit now.

#9 Feathered Ranunculus Polymixis lichenea. The beetle is a ground beetle Bradycellus verbasci

#9 Another Feathered Ranunculus Polymixis lichenea

#10 Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea

#10 Another Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea

#11 *Straw Underwing Thalpophila matura. My first for the year and a very worn individual.

#12 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata

#13 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

#13 Another Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

#13 And another Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

#13 And one more Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

#14 Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis

#15 Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua 

#16 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

#16 Another Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

#16 And another Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

#16 And one more Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

#16 Large Yellow Underwing

#17 *Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis - Melanic form. 

#17 *Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis - Standard form. This individual was trapped 20 Sep 25

#18 Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae 

#19 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#19 Another Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#19 And another Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#20 Ni Moth Trichoplusia ni

#20 Ni Moth

#21 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#22 L-album Wainscot Mythimna l-album

#22 L-album Wainscot

#23 Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha. AKA Australian Orange-tip, which you can just make out on trailing edge of its wings.

#24 Vetch Moth Aproaerema anthyllidella

#24 Vetch Moth

#25 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla

#26 White-point Mythimna albipuncta

#27 Starry Pearl Cynaeda dentalis

#27 Starry Pearl

#28 **Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria. This is a male. The female is flightless

#29 **The Vestal Rhodometra sacraria

#29 The Vestal

#30 Chinese Character Cilix glaucata

#31 Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum

More on:

#28 Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

#29 The Vestal Rhodometra sacraria UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

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As mentioned above there were also 40+ beetles and 2 caddisflies, along with numerous unidentified flies in the trap.

One of 40+ Ground Beetles Bradycellus verbasci in the trap. It doesn't have a common British name, but in..................

...........Sweden it is called Rödgul vinterlöpare which in English translates to "Red-yellow Winter Runner". I said it would be Winter soon. 😂😂

Caddis Fly Stenophylax permistus