Spectacles

 

The weather in July had not been good for putting the moth trap out but with warm dry weather returning at the end of August and into September there was a chance to do some catching up. The moths would be different but there might be an opportunity  to get some new garden ticks.

Plenty of moths but where to start, perhaps the Spectacle. Easy to spot from the head shot but a bit harder to tell the Spectacle and Dark Spectacle apart.

Spectacle

Spectacle - Abrostola tripartita

Dark Spectacle - Abrostola triplasia

They are probably easy to tell apart when in pristine condition but once a bit worn and with markings beginning to fade it becomes a bit more challenging.

There have also been good numbers of less common moths, ones that I would have considered rarities and probable migrants, just a few years ago. Portland Ribbon Wave (6+), Channel Island Pug (6+), Blair's Mocha (10+), Clancy's Rustic (8+), Given the numbers involved and the nights they were caught I think local breeding populations are more likely.

Portland Ribbon Wave - Idaea degeneraria

Channel Islands Pug - Eupithecia ultimaria

Blair's Mocha - Cyclophora puppillaria

Clancy's Rustic - Caradrina kadenii

Clancy's Rustic - Caradrina kadenii

Best moth of the year so far and new for me, a Convolvulus Hawk-moth. It's not the rarest moth that I have caught but there is just something that raises the spirits when you open the trap and see a hawk-moth sitting there.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth - Agrius convolvuli 

Also new a Dewick's Plusia and an Old Lady.

Dewick's Plusia - Macdunnoughia confusa

Old Lady - Mormo maura

Others worth recording

Radford's Flame Shoulder - Ochropleura leucogaster

Scarce Border Straw - Helicoverpa armigera

Hedge Rustic - Tholera cespitis

Blackneck - Lygephila pastinum

Four-spotted Footman - Lithosia quadra

A lovely Frosted Orange, new for me but unfortunately not found in the garden.

Frosted Orange - Gortyna flavago

Large Thorn - Ennomos autumnaria

Straw Underwing - Thalpophila matura

Also a couple of green coloured moths. The moths are not rare but I don't find many of them in the trap.

Light Emerald - Campaea margaritaria

Small Emerald - Hemistola chrysoprasaria

One new micro

Red-barred Tortrix - Ditula angustiorana

And two that got away from me. Nice pictures but they need dissection to confirm the identity of the moths. Must check to see if there is anyone in West Sussex that offers this as a service although I am not really sure that I want to kill them just for the sake of my garden list.

Bordered Marble - Endothenia marginana or Teasel Marble - Endothenia gentianaeana

My money is on the Teasel Marble but I will never know. Over a hundred of these two species in the county records, were they all dissected to identify them?

And below what I thought was a Clover Case-bearer but now relegated to Coleophora agg. 

Possible Clover Case-bearer - Coleophora alcyonipennella

The catch through August and September has been good although I am still below last year on the number of different species recorded, with the bulk of the numbers usually made up of Box Tree, Yellow Underwings, Lunar Underwings, Rusty-Dot Pearls and Light Brown Apple Moths.

The moth trap is out again tonight, maybe still a chance to catch that Oleander before the cold weather arrives!