Mothing at The Hidden House, St Margaret's at Cliffe, Tony Morris


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.


Tuesday, 10 November 2026

Species List for 09/11/2026

 Four traps, a 125W Robinson in the Back Garden, a 125W MV Robinson in the Pond Garden, a 15W Actinic in the Front Garden, and a 80W MV Skinner in the Greenhouse Garden. After a day that only manage 8 deg C and a night that dropped a degree and a light wind that moved to E the lack of moths was not unexpected and the Greenhouse Skinner scored a duck. There were just 17 moths of 13 species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.107

Epirrita dilutata agg.

November Moth agg.

2


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

1


49.261

Crocidosema plebejana


1


63.031

Udea ferrugalis

Rusty-dot Pearl

1


70.244

Colotois pennaria

Feathered Thorn

1


73.068

Allophyes oxyacanthae

Green-brindled Crescent

1


73.113

Phlogophora meticulosa

Angle Shades

2


73.206

Lithophane leautieri

Blair's Shoulder-knot

1


73.210

Eupsilia transversa

Satellite

1


73.223

Dryobota labecula

Oak Rustic

1


73.233

Aporophyla nigra

Black Rustic

2


73.319

Agrotis segetum

Turnip Moth

2


73.342

Noctua pronuba

Large Yellow Underwing

1



Monday, 9 November 2026

Species List for 08/11/2026

 Four traps, a 125W Robinson in the Back Garden, a 125W MV Robinson in the Pond Garden, a 15W Actinic in the Front Garden, and a 80W MV Skinner in the Greenhouse Garden. Another very cold night, with the temperature dropping to 6.5 deg C, but a very light WSW breeze of 5-7 mph produced a surprising number of mothsm, including the second Bloxworth Snout of the year. 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


18.001

Plutella xylostella

Diamond-back Moth

3


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

6


49.261

Crocidosema plebejana


1


63.031

Udea ferrugalis

Rusty-dot Pearl

1


63.052

Nomophila noctuella

Rush Veneer

1


70.095

Chloroclysta siterata

Red-Green Carpet

2


70.107

Epirrita dilutata agg.

November Moth agg.

3


70.244

Colotois pennaria

Feathered Thorn

1


72.006

Hypena obsitalis

Bloxworth Snout

1


73.015

Autographa gamma

Silver Y

3


73.068

Allophyes oxyacanthae

Green-brindled Crescent

1


73.194

Conistra vaccinii

Chestnut

1


73.195

Conistra ligula

Dark Chestnut

3


73.206

Lithophane leautieri

Blair's Shoulder-knot

1


73.223

Dryobota labecula

Oak Rustic

8


73.224

Griposia aprilina

Merveille du Jour

1


73.233

Aporophyla nigra

Black Rustic

1


73.317

Agrotis exclamationis

Heart and Dart

1


73.319

Agrotis segetum

Turnip Moth

4


73.328

Axylia putris

Flame

1


73.342

Noctua pronuba

Large Yellow Underwing

3


.
Blair's Shoulder-knot

Feathered Thorn
.
Dark Chestnut

Chestnut

Bloxworth Snout

Oak Rustic

Sunday, 8 November 2026

Species List for 07/11/2026

 Four traps, a 125W Robinson in the Back Garden, a 125W MV Robinson in the Pond Garden, a 15W Actinic in the Front Garden, and a 80W MV Skinner in the Greenhouse Garden. A cold day, and the temperature dropped to 7 deg C for most of the night. The very light W wind allowed a few moths to visit the traps.  n There were 30 moths of 17 species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.107

Epirrita dilutata agg.

November Moth agg.

3


18.001

Plutella xylostella

Diamond-back Moth

2


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

2


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

3


63.031

Udea ferrugalis

Rusty-dot Pearl

3


70.095

Chloroclysta siterata

Red-Green Carpet

1


70.141

Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Double-striped Pug

1


73.015

Autographa gamma

Silver Y

2


73.068

Allophyes oxyacanthae

Green-brindled Crescent

1


73.099

Hoplodrina ambigua

Vine's Rustic

1


73.189

Agrochola lota

Red-line Quaker

1


73.195

Conistra ligula

Dark Chestnut

1


73.223

Dryobota labecula

Oak Rustic

5


73.233

Aporophyla nigra

Black Rustic

1


73.235

Polymixis lichenea

Feathered Ranunculus

1


73.319

Agrotis segetum

Turnip Moth

1


73.327

Agrotis ipsilon

Dark Sword-grass

1



Saturday, 7 November 2026

Species List for 06/11/2026

 Four traps, a 125W Robinson in the Back Garden, a 125W MV Robinson in the Pond Garden, a 15W Actinic in the Front Garden, and a 80W MV Skinner in the Greenhouse Garden. A few surprises! There were  46 moths of 21 species with two NFY.. A second Red-headed Chestnut was unexpected, as were very late Heart and Dart nd Shuttle-shaped Dart.


Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


18.001

Plutella xylostella

Diamond-back Moth

1


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

4


49.261

Crocidosema plebejana


1


63.031

Udea ferrugalis

Rusty-dot Pearl

3


66.001

Poecilocampa populi

December Moth

1

nfy

70.107

Epirrita dilutata agg.

November Moth agg.

4


70.256

Erannis defoliaria

Mottled Umber

1

nfy

73.015

Autographa gamma

Silver Y

4


73.068

Allophyes oxyacanthae

Green-brindled Crescent

2


73.076

Helicoverpa armigera

Scarce Bordered Straw

1


73.099

Hoplodrina ambigua

Vine's Rustic

1


73.134

Rhizedra lutosa

Large Wainscot

1


73.190

Agrochola macilenta

Yellow-line Quaker

1


73.198

Conistra erythrocephala

Red-headed Chestnut

1


73.206

Lithophane leautieri

Blair's Shoulder-knot

1


73.223

Dryobota labecula

Oak Rustic

5


73.317

Agrotis exclamationis

Heart and Dart

1


73.319

Agrotis segetum

Turnip Moth

5


73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

1


73.342

Noctua pronuba

Large Yellow Underwing

6



..
Red-headed Chestnut

Mottled Umber


December Moth



Friday, 6 November 2026

Species List for 05/11/2026

 Four traps, a 125W Robinson in the Back Garden, a 125W MV Robinson in the Pond Garden, a 15W Actinic in the Front Garden, and a 80W MV Skinner in the Greenhouse Garden.  Another cold night, although the wind E had dropped to about 8 mph. There were 31 moths of 17 species,. The Cosmopolitan was the second of the year and the fourth ever here.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


18.001

Plutella xylostella

Diamond-back Moth

1


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

1


63.031

Udea ferrugalis

Rusty-dot Pearl

3


70.095

Chloroclysta siterata

Red-Green Carpet

1


70.107

Epirrita dilutata agg.

November Moth agg.

1


73.015

Autographa gamma

Silver Y

5


73.068

Allophyes oxyacanthae

Green-brindled Crescent

2


73.113

Phlogophora meticulosa

Angle Shades

1


73.223

Dryobota labecula

Oak Rustic

3


73.224

Griposia aprilina

Merveille du Jour

1


73.233

Aporophyla nigra

Black Rustic

2


73.235

Polymixis lichenea

Feathered Ranunculus

1


73.304

Leucania loreyi

Cosmopolitan

1


73.319

Agrotis segetum

Turnip Moth

3


73.342

Noctua pronuba

Large Yellow Underwing

3


73.359

Xestia c-nigrum

Setaceous Hebrew Character

1


..

Cosmopolitan


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