So I managed species number 800 last week on the 17th June, but leading up to it also managed to add a bunch of species. On the 14th June I was on species 792, but a walk on the 15th near my house produced a new for me species in the form of Cosmiotes consortella, which is a very small micro, and didn't stop (it was identified by someone else who I wafted it in front off).
Then the trap that night produced a further 5 new species. As I am in a new house, there are decent numbers of species which are new for me in the trap, for example, before this year I hadn't had Scorched Wing or Green Arches, of which I have had several this year.
Anyway, on the night of the 15th I had 5 new species, of which one had to have the chop (and was Ectoedemia albifasciella, and oak feeder (which is odd, as there isn't masses of Oak near me?), the Larch Case-bearer (Coleophora laricella), which is rather plain, but again, new (probably as I always use to ignore coleophorids. The gelechiid Metzneria lappella, which I was particularly pleased with, as Gelechiids are my favourite family of micros. And then there were two new macro species, which were the long overdue Pale-shouldered Brocade, and the nationally scarce Valerian Pug.
Moth number 799 was another gelechiid, Bryotropha senectella, the following day, before number 800 the day after that (which I shall come to in a minute).
Moth species number 801 was another macro, and was a Poplar Kitten. I was quite surprised that I managed to spot this, as I saw it, and my first thought was "it's about time I've had a Sallow Kitten", before thinking, "That doesn't look right!"
Moth number 802 was the very common tortix called Eupoecilia angustana, which I have seen at several locations pretty much every day since.
Number 803-806 were from a moth trapping event at Portland this morning. Sadly, I had work, so I could only stay for half an hour, which was about half a trap, but the new species were Metzneria metzneriella (actually, that one I netted last night), Slender Pug, the very snazzy looking Ethmia dodecea and the nationally scarce Euzophera cinerosella. I have yet to hear whether any of the moths in the other trap/other half of trap I got through were new for me)
Number 807 was brought to the event by another moth-er, and was the nationally scarce Small Black Arches! A very well marked moth, and not small when compared to Least Black Arches1
Poplar Kitten
So that leaves us with moths species 800 and 808, and both species were from the same site, and that site is effectively my new local patch, with me visiting there every other day.
The site is the area around Hardy's Monument, which is dry heathland on gravels and sands (Tertiary I think), with trees being mostly Beech & Sycamore, but the occasional Silver Birch or Hawthorn.
Birding there has produced Nightjar and Hobby, both of which were pleasing, and mammals include Badgers, Foxes, Roe Deer (and of course, bunnies!).
So let's start with moth species 808 and target No. 5. That one was today. I was wondering about, releasing the freshest Grass Emerald I've ever seen (I potted it there a couple of days back). There were several Ancylis-looking micros flying about amongst the Celypha lacunana, which I have since identified as Holly Tortrix (I didn't think this as there wasn't much Holly about, but apparently they feed on Bilberry which solves that problem), I disturbed a couple of Bramble Shoot Moth, and I also managed to pot the tiny coleophorid Coleophora juncicolella (which I am impressed that I managed to spot it flying, find it once it had landed, and potted). I disturbed a large moth from the bracken (this was the first of several I disturbed, I would soon disturb a pug and another geometrid, but both would fly off to never be seen again!). It flew a short distance before landing.
I presumed it was a Common Marbled Carpet or something until it landed, at which I knew instantly what it was, and that it was new for me. It was a Beautiful Snout. And it's name did it justice. I approached it subtly, but it flew off and over the bracken. But I hadn't given up, and where it was, was between two paths, separated by a small hill covered in bracken. I quickly ran back to the point where the two paths joined and ran along the lower path, and gave a poke to the bracken bushes I passed. No luck, next I gave an ash a poke. And it flew off, landing on a bramble a few meters up the hill. Almost impossible to reach. As I got "distracted" by a horse fly (who is no longer with us..) I looked up, but had lost the moth. So, as always, I gave the bush a poke, and off it flew. Up this time, so again I ran back to the point where the two paths merge, and ran up. I disturbed it again, and it landed on some Bilberry not far in front of me at all, I prepared my pot, snuck up on it.. And got it! (thankfully). I shall take photos of it on the morning, so have a pot shot for now.
Beautiful Snout
Now for number 800, the target species No. 4, and one which I was completely surprised to see. Weirdly, I did see another one today when I was chasing the snout.
So there I was last week (where the common moth was Cydia ulicetana and not Holly Tortrix) to collect some heather for the caterpillar I'm currently rearing. Anyway, I'd yet to have any exciting moths. And there, flew out in front of me was a plume moth. Now I've only seen 7 species of plume moths, of which Emmelina monodactyla is very distinct, and this wasn't it, Stenoptilia pterodactyla looked completely different, and this was the wrong habitat, it wasn't either of Amblyptilia acanthadactyla or A. punctidactyla, and again, it was definitely not White Plume moth, or Marasmarcha lunaedactyla or Platyptilia pallidactyla, which meant it was new.
I had my suspect, which was the nationally scarce plume moth Capperia britanniodactyla, which feeds on Wood Sage (which I later found in high numbers). Not only is it nationally scarce, but this one was new for site.
