Passenger, caught 23/9/2006 (National moth night).

Mothing at St Margaret's

Most of the Moth lists and Photographs are from my garden (TR359450) in the village of St Margaret's at Cliffe in Kent. It is situated about 1Km from the sea and has farmland with in 100 metres. The garden is well shrubbed and about 1600 sq metres. I normally run a 125 MV lamp and a 15W actinic light over-night and once the season gets going a couple of other traps. At the moment both are 25W black Lamps. previously I used a 160W blended lamp in one of them. All traps are home made. Trapping dates refer to the date the trap was put out.

Trap Update in 2017. A new 125W MV Robinson was added to a 125W MV Skinner, 15W Actinic Skinner, two 80W MV Morris modified Skinners and a 80W MVMorris Box trap.
Traps are now (2020 onwards) 2x 125W Robinsons, 2x 80W Skinner type and 1x 15W Actinic strip light on a Skinner type .

I try and identify all the Macro Moths, with the micros I am not at all systematic, I do more than I used to with the help of the new book, but there are some that do get through.


Sunday 31 March 2019

Species List for 30/3/2019

64 Moths of 11 species, two NFY.
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
663 Diurnea fagella 1
697 Agonopterix arenella 1 NFY
1663 Alsophila aescularia March Moth 2
1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 2
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 11
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 15
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 7
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 22
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 1
2306 Phlogophora meticulosa Angle Shades 1 NFY

Angle Shades

Saturday 30 March 2019

Species List for 29/3/2019

52 moths of eight species.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1663 Alsophila aescularia March Moth 1
1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 3
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 6
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 14
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 8
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 2
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 16
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 2

Friday 29 March 2019

Species List for 28/3/2019

A colder night, but still 56 moths of 8 species.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1917 Selenia dentaria Early Thorn 1
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 7
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 18
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 8
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 19
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 1

Thursday 28 March 2019

Species List for 27/3/2019

All traps on and a better night, with 89 moths of 11 species. The second best March night here, only beaten by 31st Mar 2014, when I caught 95 moths of 12 species. The Red-green Carpet was only the 5th spring record I've had, this moth is unusual in that the adults hibernate over the winter, having been on the wing in the autumn.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
663 Diurnea fagella 2
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 1 NFY
1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 5
1930 Biston strataria Oak Beauty 1
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 14
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 39
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 6
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 5
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 14
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 1

 Red-green Carpet, in a pose not often seen.

Red-green Carpet

Species List for 26/3/2019

I put out all five traps, to see if they well all working. Four came on OK and one failed. In the morning a loose wire was found and fixed. Bow is it that a wire comes unscrewed while it is not in use? There is always one each year. A few moths in each trap, but a cold night didn't yield any surprises.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1663 Alsophila aescularia March Moth 1
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 8
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 8
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 5
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 5
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 3

Tuesday 26 March 2019

Species List for 25/3/2019

A cool NE wind all day and a clear night. Still five species and 11 moths.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 3
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 4
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 2

Monday 25 March 2019

Species List for 24/3/2019

A cold night, so not many moths. but a March Moth was a first for the year.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1663 Alsophila aescularia March Moth 1 NFY
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 3
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1

March Moth

Sunday 24 March 2019

Species List for 23/3/2019

A Dotted Chestnut was just the second I've caught here. The first was on 20/3/2014.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 4
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 6
2260 Conistra rubiginea Dotted Chestnut 1 NFY


Dotted Chestnut

Saturday 23 March 2019

Species List for 22/3/2019

Nine species, the most for a night so far this year. Two NFY.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1 NFY
1917 Selenia dentaria Early Thorn 1 NFY
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 3
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 11
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 4
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 6
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 4
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 2

 Early Thorn

 Agonopterix alstromeriana

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Species List for 21/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
663 Diurnea fagella 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 1
1930 Biston strataria Oak Beauty 2
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 4
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 2
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 7
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 1

Diurnea fagella

Species List for 20/3/2019

Ypsolopha mucronella was only the second one I've caught. Mottled Grey is irregular here, I've caught just nine in total.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
451 Ypsolopha mucronella 1 NFY
1775 Colostygia multistrigaria Mottled Grey 1 NFY
1930 Biston strataria Oak Beauty 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 3
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 4

 Mottled Grey

 Ypsolopha mucronella

Ypsolopha mucronella

Thursday 21 March 2019

Species List for 19/3/2019

Diurnea Fagella was new for the year, other than that Orthosia rules OK.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
663 Diurnea fagella 1 NFY
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 6
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 2
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 6

Diurnea Fagella

Tuesday 19 March 2019

Species List for 18/3/2019

Five species was a least an improvement, and Early Grey was new for the year,

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 2
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 1
2243 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 1 NFY

Twin-spotted Quaker

Species List for 17/3/2019

The weather calmed down a bit but only one moth  appeared after yet another two day rest.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 1

Species List for 14/3/2019

Another two day gap for very wet and windy weather, not much better but a few moths appeared.
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1930 Biston strataria Oak Beauty 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 8
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 2

Oak Beauty

Tuesday 12 March 2019

Species List for 11/3/2019

After a blank night there were a few moths, in spite of the extremely windy night. A twin-spotted Carpet was new for the year,

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 2
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1
2189 Orthosia munda Twin-spotted Quaker 1 NFY
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 2

Clouded Drab

Twin-spotted Quaker

Species List for 9/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1926 Phigalia pilosaria Pale Brindled Beauty 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 11
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 1

Saturday 9 March 2019

Species List for 8/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1926 Phigalia pilosaria Pale Brindled Beauty 1
1930 Biston strataria Oak Beauty 1 NFY
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 2
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 2

Friday 8 March 2019

Species List for 7/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1926 Phigalia pilosaria Pale Brindled Beauty 1
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 2

Species List for 6/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 1

Species List for 5/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 4
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 4

Tuesday 5 March 2019

Species List for 4/3/2019

After a blank night, thanks to storm Freya, that dismantled my Robinson Trap, and added a lot of water to the contents, there were just two moths last night.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 1
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1

Monday 4 March 2019

Species List for 2/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 1

Species List for 1/3/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
695 Agonopterix alstromeriana    1 NFY
1524 Emmelina monodactyla    1 NFY
1934 Agriopis marginaria Dotted Border 1 NFY
2182 Orthosia cruda Small Quaker 1 NFY
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 2

 Dotted Border

 Small quaker

Agonopterix alstromeriana

Species List for 28/2/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1 2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 8

Species List for 27/2/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1 NFY
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 10
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 3

Species List for 26/2/2019

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
689 Agonopterix ciliella 1 NFS
1935 Erannis defoliaria Mottled Umber 2
2187 Orthosia cerasi Common Quaker 3
2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1 NFY
2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 2
2259 Conistra ligula Dark Chestnut 1 NFY

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