Winging it

Another garden first in the moth trap this morning but unfortunately something had been eating its way through the contents and chose this as one of its first victims. There were also the wings of a Brimstone Moth but this one is very scarce indeed and it's a real shame it was killed and we couldn't see the whole moth.

There are only two other recent records for VC31. Not totally unexpected though as there are known breeding sites not far away.

The Four-spotted Tyta luctuosa

Canon Powershot A640

Least Carpet

A welcome garden first.

Least Carpet Idaea rusticata

Canon Powershot A640

Bombus horturum

A few of these bumblebees appearing in the moth trap lately.

Bombus hortorum


Canon Powershot A640

July's moths

List of the 79 species (48 macros) recorded so far this month (preceded by B&F catalogue numbers). Orthopygia glaucinalis and The V-pug were both third records for the garden.
0411 Argyresthia goedartella
0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella)
0866 Brachmia blandella
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella
0937 Agapeta hamana
0986 Syndemis musculana
0994 Clepsis consimilana
1001 Lozotaeniodes formosanus
1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana)
1016x Cnephasia sp.
1020 Grey Tortrix (Cnephasia stephensiana)
1036 Acleris forsskaleana
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana)
1063 Celypha striana
1076 Celypha lacunana
1082 Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana)
1261 Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella)
1288 Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
1334 Scoparia ambigualis
1337 Eudonia pallida
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata
1344 Eudonia mercurella
1361 Pyrausta aurata
1390 Udea prunalis
1392 Udea olivalis
1398 Phlyctaenia coronata
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis)
1415 Orthopygia glaucinalis
1424 Endotricha flammealis
1524 Emmelina monodactyla
1651 Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)
1654 Figure of Eighty (Tethea ocularis)
1705 Dwarf Cream Wave (Idaea fuscovenosa)
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata)
1708 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) (all ab. remutata)
1722 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)
1758 Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata)
1817 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)
1825 Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata)
1858 The V-Pug (Chloroclystis v-ata)
1887 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata)
1919 Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)
1921 Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria)
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)
1931 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) (all typical)
1976 Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri)
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)
1994 Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)
2029 Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea)
2030 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)
2031 White Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis)
2047 Scarce Footman (Eilema complana)
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
2089 Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)
2098 The Flame (Axylia putris)
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)
2155 Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae)
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)
2193 The Clay (Mythimna ferrago)
2198 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura)
2278 Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala)
2302 Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea)
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) (incl. 1 f. aethiops)
2322 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea)
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)
2341 Cloaked Minor (Mesoligia furuncula)
2345 Small Dotted Buff (Photedes minima)
2381 The Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)
2382 The Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda)
2387 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus)
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)
2477 The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)
2489 The Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis)

Elton Bridge

Very productive walk along the Nene dowstream of Elton Bridge with plenty of butterflies. The Chaser was rather far away for a photo, hence the rather ropey shot, but good to see. Emperor and Brown Hawker also on the wing here.

Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae


Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola


Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva