Very Disappointing

Well I don't know what's going on, especially after the 45 moths trapped on May Day. But after last nights mild, damp and fairly still night, all that were in the trap were 7 moths of 4 species. Why were there such low numbers!!

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

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1    Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x1

#2    Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x2

#3    Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x3 

#4    Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x1

#1 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

#1 Muslin Moth

#1 Muslin Moth

#1 Muslin Moth

#2 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana 

#2 Another Light Brown Apple Moth

#3 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#3 Another Diamond-back Moth

#3 And a third Diamond-back Moth

#4 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#4 Common Swift

#4 Common Swift

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Also in the trap were a caddisfly and a spider.

Caddisfly sp. Phryganeidae sp.

According to both Obsidentify and Google Lens this spider is a Silver-sided Sector Spider Zygiella x-notata. It also goes by the name of Missing Sector Orb Weaver.

May Day Moths

After two days of strong north-easterlies, the wind finally abated and so out went the moth trap. And what a great start to May with 46 moths of 17 species, with 5 first for year and 4 new for my Port & Wey list, which now stands at 237.

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

Moths recorded:

#1        Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x5

#2        Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata x3

#3     * Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria x1

#4     **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis x4

#5        Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x8

#6      *Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella x1

#7      *Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla x1

#8        Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x9

#9        White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella x2

#10      Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x2

#11   **Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon x2

#12      Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x2

#13      Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x2

#14   **Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica x1

#15   **Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria x1

#16     *Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x1

#17     *Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x1

#1 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#2 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

#3 *Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

#4 **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

#4 Another **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

#4 And another **Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

#5 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#5 Another Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#6 Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella AKA Black Cloak

#7 *Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla

#8 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea

#9 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

#10 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#11 **Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon

#12 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#12 Another Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#13 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#13 Another Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#14  **Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica

#15 ** Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria

#16  *Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#16  *Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#17 *Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella. My first one of the year and a dreadful photo of it.

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Also in the trap were a hoverfly, daggerfly and cranefly

Vagrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae

Single-striped Xanthempis Empis stercorea

Cranefly Nephrotoma sp. More on craneflies here.

More First For Year Moths

It seems that every time I put the moth trap out, there are first for year moths or new moths for my Port & Wey Moth List. This morning there were 20 moths of 11 species, with 5 *first for year.

  *First for year

**New for P&W moth list

#1      *Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x1
#2        Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x2
#3        Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x1

#4        Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x5

#5        Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria x1

#6        White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella x1

#7        Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x5

#8       *Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata x1

#9       *Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta x1

#10     *Chinese Character Cilix glaucata x1

#11     *Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella x1

#1 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#2 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#2 And another Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#3 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

#4 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#5 Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria

#6 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

#7 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#7 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#8 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata

#9 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta

#10 Chinese Character Cilix glaucata

#11 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Also in the moth trap was a Netelia wasp Netelia infractor, a Parasitoid wasp Aleiodes sp. and a Caddis Fly Limnephilus affinis.

Parasitoid wasp Aleiodes sp

Caddis Fly Limnephilus affinis