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.


Thursday, 7 May 2026

Species List for 06/05/2026

 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. The weather remained cool.  There were 27 moths of 14 species with two NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.173

Eupithecia centaureata

Lime-speck Pug

1


70.183

Eupithecia vulgata

Common Pug

1

nfy

70.257

Menophra abruptaria

Waved Umber

1


71.012

Notodonta dromedarius

Iron Prominent

1

nfy

72.020

Spilosoma lubricipeda

White Ermine

2


72.022

Diaphora mendica

Muslin Moth

6


73.058

Cucullia verbasci

Mullein

1


73.101

Charanyca trigrammica

Treble Lines

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

1


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

1


73.317

Agrotis exclamationis

Heart and Dart

1


73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

5


73.327

Agrotis ipsilon

Dark Sword-grass

2


73.329

Ochropleura plecta

Flame Shoulder

3



Iron Prominent

Common Pug


Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Species List for 05/05/2026

 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. Miserable May continued. There were 13 moths of nine species with one NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


18.001

Plutella xylostella

Diamond-back Moth

1


63.057

Evergestis forficalis

Garden Pebble

1

nfy

70.200

Acasis viretata

Yellow-barred Brindle

2


70.226

Opisthograptis luteolata

Brimstone Moth

1


72.022

Diaphora mendica

Muslin Moth

3


73.058

Cucullia verbasci

Mullein

1


73.267

Lacanobia oleracea

Bright-line Brown-eye

1


73.317

Agrotis exclamationis

Heart and Dart

2


73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

1


.
Bright-line Brown-eye,

Garden Pebble,

Tuesday, 5 May 2026

Species List for 04/05/2026

 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.  The weather remained cool, and there were only 21 moths of nine species, but there were four NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

2


63.069

Eudonia angustea


1

nfy

71.020

Pterostoma palpina

Pale Prominent

1


72.022

Diaphora mendica

Muslin Moth

3


73.001

Abrostola tripartita

Spectacle

1

nfy

73.053

Cucullia chamomillae

Chamomile Shark

1

nfy

73.101

Charanyca trigrammica

Treble Lines

3


73.291

Mythimna pallens

Common Wainscot

1

nfy

73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

8



Eudonia angustea

Spectacle

Common Wainscot

Chamomile Shark


Monday, 4 May 2026

Species List for 03/05/2026

 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. Dull, slightly damp, but mild night. There were 28 moths of 15 species with three NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


28.024

Tachystola acroxantha


1


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

4


71.020

Pterostoma palpina

Pale Prominent

1

nfy

71.027

Clostera curtula

Chocolate-tip

1

nfy

72.019

Spilosoma lutea

Buff Ermine

1


72.020

Spilosoma lubricipeda

White Ermine

1


72.022

Diaphora mendica

Muslin Moth

3


73.058

Cucullia verbasci

Mullein

2


73.101

Charanyca trigrammica

Treble Lines

3


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

3


73.317

Agrotis exclamationis

Heart and Dart

1

nfy

73.319

Agrotis segetum

Turnip Moth

1


73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

2


73.329

Ochropleura plecta

Flame Shoulder

1


..

Chocolate-tip


Heart and Dart


Pale Prominent


Sunday, 3 May 2026

Species List for 02/05/2026



 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 cooler day with an evening thunder and some rain through the night.  Just 11 moths of eight species with one NFY.  The Pool Garden and Greenhouse Garden traps were empty.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.226

Opisthograptis luteolata

Brimstone Moth

1


71.025

Phalera bucephala

Buff-tip

1

nfy

72.015

Calliteara pudibunda

Pale Tussock

1


72.020

Spilosoma lubricipeda

White Ermine

1


73.101

Charanyca trigrammica

Treble Lines

3


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

1


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

1


73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

2


.
Buff-tip

Saturday, 2 May 2026

Species List for 01/05/2026

 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 much better catch with 46 moths of 22 species and six NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


18.001

Plutella xylostella

Diamond-back Moth

6


28.009

Endrosis sarcitrella

White-shouldered House-moth

1


28.024

Tachystola acroxantha


2


44.001

Alucita hexadactyla

Many-plumed Moth

3


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

7


49.292

Notocelia cynosbatella


1

nfy

70.008

Idaea seriata

Small Dusty Wave

1

nfy

70.157

Eupithecia dodoneata

Oak-tree Pug

1


70.226

Opisthograptis luteolata

Brimstone Moth

1


72.019

Spilosoma lutea

Buff Ermine

2

nfy

72.020

Spilosoma lubricipeda

White Ermine

1


72.022

Diaphora mendica

Muslin Moth

2


73.101

Charanyca trigrammica

Treble Lines

1

nfy

73.113

Phlogophora meticulosa

Angle Shades

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

4


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

1


73.263

Lacanobia w-latinum

Light Brocade

1

nfy

73.284

Hadena albimacula

White Spot

1

nfy

73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

5


73.329

Ochropleura plecta

Flame Shoulder

1


74.004

Nola confusalis

Least Black Arches

2


.
Small Dusty Wave

Buff Ermine

Treble Lines

White Spot

Light Brocade

Friday, 1 May 2026

Species List for 30/04/2026

 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. An improvement, still considering the daytime "heatwave" a bit disappointing. There were 23 Moths of 14 species with four NFY. 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


28.024

Tachystola acroxantha


1

nfy

35.118

Scrobipalpa ocellatella

Beet Moth

1

nfy

44.001

Alucita hexadactyla

Many-plumed Moth

1


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1


49.039

Epiphyas postvittana

Light Brown Apple Moth

2


70.049

Xanthorhoe fluctuata

Garden Carpet

1

nfy

70.141

Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Double-striped Pug

2


70.173

Eupithecia centaureata

Lime-speck Pug

1

nfy

70.200

Acasis viretata

Yellow-barred Brindle

1


70.257

Menophra abruptaria

Waved Umber

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

2


73.325

Agrotis puta

Shuttle-shaped Dart

4


74.004

Nola confusalis

Least Black Arches

2








 

..
Lime-speck Pug


Garden Carpet

Tachystola acroxantha

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