Another Cold Night

The temperature dropped to 6.7°C overnight, and to be honest I wasn't expecting to see any moths in the trap this morning. But surprise surprise there were 4, plus several midges. What was really a surprise, was trapping an Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, making it 96 lifers this year. I wonder what the chances of reaching 100 are!!

I also checked the footage on the trail camera, overlooking the apples on the picnic table, and though the Blackcap didn't visit, I did at least have the over-wintering Robin.

And whilst I was checking the moth trap a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris landed on one of the apples.

So 4 moths of 4 species. And a lifer.

  *First for year

**Lifers

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1  **Ashy Button Acleris sparsana x1

#2      Beaded Chestnut Agrochola lychnidis x1

#3      Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba x1

#4      Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x1

#1 **Ashy Button Acleris sparsana AKA Lead-coloured Tortrix

#2 Beaded Chestnut Agrochola lychnidis

#3 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

#4 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana. Well I'm presuming it is, as I couldn't find anything to match it. There are so many variations in patterns and colour for this species, I guess this is just another one!!

More on:

#1 Ashy Button Acleris sparsana UK Moths here and Dorset Moths here.

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Also in the trap were a few midges

In the trap were several large midges, which............

.............I believe are non-biting midges from the family Chironomidae.

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And on the apples a wasp.

On the Bramley apples a.....

...............Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris