24 Aug 25

Wakeham

The moth trap went out last night and this morning I had 59 moths of 26 species, which included 5 new moth species for my Port _& Wey moth list.

Also trapped was a deceased Common Wasp. How is that possible!!

Moths Recorded:

#1 - Marbled Green Nyctobrya muralis (x2)

#2 - Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria (x1)

#3 - Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (x1)

#4 - Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata (x1)
#5 - Caloptilia sp. (x1)

#6 - Lilac Beauty Apeira syringaria (x1)

#7 - Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata (x1)

#8 - Tree-mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana (x2)

#9 - Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana (x2)

#10 - Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella (x1)

#11 - Orange Swift Triodia sylvina (x10)

#12 - Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana (x1)

#13 - L-album Wainscot Mythimna l-album (x1)

#14 - Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis (x1)

#15 - Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis (x4)

#16 - Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa (x6)

#17 - Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum (x8)

#18 - Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua (x2)

#19 - Straw Underwing Thalpophila matura (x1)

#20 - Jasmine Moth Palpita vitrealis (x1)

#21 - Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea (x3)

#22 - Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta (x3)

#23 - Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria (x1)

#24 - Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla (x1)

#25 - Dingy Footman Eilema griseola (x1)

#26 - Blastobasis sp. (x1)

#1 - Marbled Green Nyctobrya muralis

#1 - Another Marbled Green Nyctobrya muralis

#2 - Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria. I'm pleased I managed to photograph this new moth for my Port & Wey list; but what a shame it escaped from the moth trap, before I could a better photograph of it..........

 

.................The last record of this moth in Dorset was in 2023 and the last one seen on Portland was in 2009 I believe. This moth occurs in Oak Woodland and is fairly common along the south coast. It has a second brood in August where the adult moths can vary in colouration  but also in numbers. A few sightings could be of immigrants from the continent, however it is interesting to note that there are at least 4 Oak trees within 50 metres of my house, including one in my garden that has had a caterpillar sp. feeding on the leaves earlier in the year!! More on this moth here, here and here.

#3 - Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 

#4 - Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata 

#5 - Caloptilia sp. 

#6 - Lilac Beauty Apeira syringaria. I'm not doing very well with photographing these new moths for my Portland Moth List. This was the second new moth to escape from the trap and another one which I just managed to photograph. This one would not settle but I was fortunate to catch it flight before it flew over into the neighbour's garden.

#7 - Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#8 - Tree-mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana AKA Southern Bell and  Cotton Tipworm Moth. 

#9 - Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana

#9 - Another Ox-tongue Conch Neocochylis molliculana

#10 - Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella. More on this moth here.

#11 - Orange Swift Triodia sylvina.

#11 - Another Orange Swift Triodia sylvina. So many "swifts" with at least 8 in the trap, plus a couple of escapees.

#12 - Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#13 - L-album Wainscot Mythimna l-album

#14 - Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#15 - Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis

#15 - Another Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis

#15 - And another Pale Mottled Willow Caradrina clavipalpis

#16 - Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

#17 - Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum

#17 - Another Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum

#18 - Vine's Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua 

#19 - Straw Underwing Thalpophila matura

#20 - Jasmine Moth Palpita vitrealis AKA Olive-tree Pearl

#21 - Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea

#22 - Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#23 - Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria

#24 - Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla

#25 - Dingy Footman Eilema griseola

#26 - Blastobasis sp.

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris - deceased

How this Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris met its fate in the moth trap is a bit of a mystery. But whatever it was severed its thorax from its abdomen. Odd!!

23 Aug 25

Wakeham

Here are a few photos and a video from the back garden this afternoon

A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum on the Lavender Lavandula sp.

And another Common Carder Bee..................

..........having a brush-up.

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax sat on an Oak leaf

And this very small Dance Fly...........

..............is a Hybos culiciformis and a new fly for my Portland List.

A Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

22 Aug 25

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Wildlife Site and Wakeham Meadows

It was another early evening walk and despite it being around 6:00pm, I came across 2 Common Blues and a Chalk Hill Blue. And there I was thinking they were done for the Summer.

Other highlights were a Common Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff alongside the meadow, plus the two female Wasp Spiders were still present.

Birds Recorded:
1 Common Buzzard
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Blackbird
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

This Common Buzzard drifted over Wakeham and then..............

...........disappeared sharpish when the Herring Gulls gave chase.

Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon


Butterflies Recorded:
3 Large White Pieris brassicae
2 Small White Pieris rapae
5 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
2 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
1 Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

A Small White Pieris rapae sat on Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba 

There are still quite a few Speckled Woods Pararge aegeria about.

And not having seen any Common Blues Polyommatus icarus for.............

.............a few days I came across two males.

And I also found this Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon

Moths Recorded:
2 Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum

1 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella

1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

And not having seen any Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella I came across one today.

And I also came across another Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera

Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius

A male Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies Recorded:
2 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

3 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
1 Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
1 Syrphus sp.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

And a Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea on Wild Fennel Foeniculum vulgare

A Syrphus sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Many unidentified flies
Blue Blowfly Calliphora vicina
Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
2 Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

Spiders Recorded:
1 Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi

And the Wasp Spiders Argiope bruennichi are both present.............

................in their respective meadows. Though this one did move very quickly to catch this tiny fly.

Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Buddleia Buddleja davidii
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Common Teasel Dipsacus fullonum
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sp.
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Greater Burdock Arctium lappa
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Ivy Hedera helix
Large Bindweed Calystegia silvatica
Lesser Burdock Arctium minus
Wild Clematis Clematis vitalba 
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Wild Fennel Foeniculum vulgare
Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare

Ted:

Perfect conditions for Ted to have a buzz.