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!!