Hall Green

Wax Moth  Photo A. Prior

Alan Prior sent me this picture of a Wax Moth caught last night in his Hall Green garden, the first record there since 2011.
Alan added, "Have also had Phyllonorycter scopariella and Tuta absoluta recently, both new for the garden."

Patrick Clement

Side view of moth

Here is the side view.

More Migrants

I trapped three Small Mottled Willows over the weekend at Norchard, Worcs. Along with a Scarce Bordered Straw, 6 Rusty-dot Pearls, 2 Rush Veneer, a Diamond-back, Nephopterix angustella and my first garden Crescent this morning. The Crescent is also a possible migrant apparently. I had two Cypress Pugs on Saturday night which was unusual here. I am struggling with this small tortrix which looked do-able, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Spreading from the south

A nice surprise on Saturday morning (26th August) was a Cypress Pug on the outside of the trap - our first here in SE Worcestershire. This was followed on Sunday morning by quite a fresh, rufous form Scarce Bordered Straw - a species I'd been hoping for with multiple reports from surrounding Counties. The only other migrant of note was a Dark Sword-grass.

Seeing Red

Returning from holidays, I ran the moth trap last night for the first time in August here on Bringsty Common.  Pale Eggar (2), Black Rustic, Flounced Rustic, Centre-barred Sallow (7) and the usual late Summer/early Autumn fayre with Large Yellow Underwing topping the bill with 53 individuals followed by Square-spot Rustic on 34.  Migrants represented by a single Udea ferrugalis. Not too bad for a coolish night.  31 macros and 11 micros.  Hearing about all the Clifden Nonpareils turning up in the UTB region, it reminded me to look around the house walls this morning for Red Underwing and there was one initially disturbed by my movement, then settling again against the brick work.  Now is the time to check your house walls in the morning.  Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Red Underwing

 

Jersey Tiger and elm leaves

A quick look in through the Perspex hood of my garden Robinson Trap on Tuesday evening 21st, at 21:40 saw a moth flashing orange/black and white. No, not the long-awaited for Garden Tiger but a stripy Jersey Tiger - even better, a VC37 first ! It was on my radar - sort of, but thought I would be going well south in the county to see my first.

All the searching of elm leaves for leaf-mines at Tiddesley Wood NR during this summer months have paid off with a fine Phyllonorycter tristrigella emerging on the 27th July followed by a trio of the superb Phyllonorycter schreberella during the week of the 19th August. The photo below just does not do it any justice!

Just chased a Hummingbird Hawkmoth around both front and back gardens (Malvern) trying to get a decent shot. Best we could manage is this slightly demonic looking pic!