4 days of mothing and a change of weather I've been pretty lazy lately updating my blog and so here is a combined list of moths including all of the new for year species since the 22nd of July until the 30th. In the time I trapped 4 times and each time the catch has got slightly lower each time. This slow down I usually expect to see at the end of August, but with species such as Square-spot Rustic, Rosy Rustic and Straw Underwing it kind of feels like that time of year already.

Some great new moths for the year last week including the rarely seen Nutmeg (with just 3 records now for the garden and last seen in 2014). Nutmeg is a strange one for me. It seems to have poor years for about 5 or 6 consecutive years then an explosion happens like in 2012 where I trapped no less than 220 over two traps on the farm at Braughing Friars. Also Ypsolopha scabrella, which was a garden first in 2013 returned after a four year absence and not just one but 4 over the week and all different specimens as they were potted up.

Udea ferrugalis was recorded as well, a migrant that has turned up for the last 5 years running and my earliest garden record by 29 days, I actually caught two of them on different nights which was pleasing.

Last week saw a spurt of migrants with a year first Nomophila noctuella also recorded and no less than 35 Silver-Y's over the week.

Unbelievably I missed out on Copper Underwing last year, a common moth and which was a year first on the 28th of July.

But saving the best until last was a new Macro Moth for the garden and a truly un-welcome visitor if you work for DEFRA, the Oak Processionary Moth. Really pleased to trap this presumed wanderer from its stronghold population in the Thames Valley and in many districts of London. Unfortunately, it was in a pretty dire state but it still counts and I believe only the second record for Hertfordshire.

The year list now sits on 414 species with the year totals so far being 2016 - [372] 2015 - [401] 2014 - [423] 2013 - [385]

So I need 9 species to level with the best year in 2014, that should be easily attainable with about 20 common species 'expected' to turn up before the year ends.

That is all for now... back to trapping for me.

Catch Report - 22/07/17 to 30/07/17 - Back Garden - Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Oak Processionary [NEW!] 3x Copper Underwing [NFY] 1x Least Yellow Underwing [NFY] 1x Nutmeg [NFY] 1x Straw Underwing [NFY] 1x White-spotted Pug [NFY] 1x Blood-vein 1x Bright-line Brown-eye 4x Brimstone Moth 2x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 76x Common Rustic 2x Common Wainscot 2x Dark Arches 1x Dingy Footman 1x Dot Moth 5x Double-striped Pug 3x Dun-bar 1x July Highflyer 1x Knot Grass 5x Large Yellow Underwing 5x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1x Lesser Yellow Underwing 1x Lychnis 1x Maiden's Blush 5x Maple Pug 5x Mottled Beauty 8x Nut-tree Tussock 1x Pale Mottled Willow 1x Pale Prominent 1x Peppered Moth 1x Poplar Hawk-moth 1x Red Twin-spot Carpet 10x Riband Wave 2x Ruby Tiger 5x Rustic 1x Scalloped Oak 5x Shuttle-shaped Dart 35x Silver-Y 1x Small Waved Umber 1x Smoky Wainscot 4x Straw Dot 1x Tree-lichen Beauty 3x Turnip Moth 3x Uncertain 2x Willow Beauty 1x Yellow-tail

Micro Moths

1x Catoptria pinella [NFY] 1x Epinotia tenerana [ NFY] 1x Hypatima rhomboidella [NFY] 1x Nomophila noctuella [NFY] 1x Phyllonorycter geniculella [NFY] 1x Phyllonorycter messaniella [NFY] 2x Udea ferrugalis [NFY] 4x Ypsolopha scabrella [NFY] 1x Acleris forsskaleana 2x Acrobasis advenella 5x Acrobasis suavella 3x Agriphila tristella 45x Agriphila straminella 1x Aleimma loeflingiana 2x Amblyptilia acanthdactyla 4x Argyresthia albistria 45x Blastobasis adustella 1x Bucculatrix ulmella 10x Chrysoteuchia culmella 1x Cnephasia sp 1x Coleophora sp 2x Cydia fagiglandana 2x Cydia pomonella 2x Cydia splendana 1x Endrosis sarcitrella 4x Emmelina monodactyla 5x Endotricha flammealis 1x Epiphyas postvittana 35x Eudonia lacustrata 30x Eudonia mercurella 2x Evergestis forficalis 1x Lyonetia clerkella 4x Pammene aurita 1x Pammene fasciana 1x Pandemis corylana 1x Phyllonorycter harrisella 45x Pleuroptya ruralis 15x Spilonota ocellana 4x Yponomeuta evonymella