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.


Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Species List for 27/11/2018

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 1

Tuesday, 27 November 2018

Species List for 26/11/2018

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 1

Species List for 25/11/2018

A red letter day, a Scarce Umber, my first here and another Oak Rustic.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1933 Agriopis aurantiaria Scarce Umber 1 NFS
2246a Dryobota labecula Oak Rustic 1

Species List for 24/11/2018

Two migrants, a feature of the Kent Coast currently.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1

Species List for 23/11/2018

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 2
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1

Species List for 22/11/2018

Wow- four species, six moths. an actual list.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 3
998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 1
1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 1
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1

Species List for 21/11/2018

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 1

Species List for 20/11/2018

A zero return yesterday. Avery worn moth today, but it Brick seems to fit whats left.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2262 Agrochola circellaris Brick 1

Species List for 18/11/2018

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 1
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1

Species List for 17/11/2018

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 1
2087 Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 1
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 2

Sunday, 18 November 2018

Species List for 16/11/2018

A little cooler here, despite the fact that according to ocean measurements from the North Pole Environmental Observatory, the mercury tipped -1.9°C (28.6°F) on Wednesday as the Arctic bathed in an unseasonably warm spell and some areas of the Arctic were up to 35˚C (63°F) warmer than the seasonal average. This is of course a global warming hoax, engineered by China. In total six moths of five species.


Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
0464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1
2087 Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 1
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 2
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1

Species List for 15/11/2018

Another dry, and for the time of year reasonably mild night. Another Oak Rustic aand still a few migrants. Eight moths of five species.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
1923 Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn 1
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 4
2246a Dryobota labecula Oak Rustic 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1

Species List for 14/11/2018

After almost a week of near continuous rain the weather has changed and  the Robinson is in the back garden. Not spectacular but the first December Moth of the year and six moths of six species.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 1
998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 1
1631 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 1
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1

 December Moth


Species List for 8/11/2018

After a night off forvery wet weather, I foolishly put my traps out. Just six moths and a lot of drying out to do!

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2
1795x Epirrita dilutata agg. November Moth agg. 1
2240 Lithophane leautieri Blair's Shoulder-knot 1
2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 2

Species List for 6/11/2018

Just two moths, both Large Yellow Underwings, the weather is deteriorating!

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 2

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Species List for 5/11/2018

The temperature overnight remained above 12 deg C, but there were no fireworks in the trap. In total 15 moths of nine species, including another four Oak Rustics. I wonder how many there would have been last week had I been here and not on St Mary's?

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 2
874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1
998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 2
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 1
2092 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 1
2126 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
2246a Dryobota labecula Oak Rustic 4
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1


The two morphs of Oak Rustic.

Species List for 4/11/2018

A much milder night brought a better return with 18 moths of  nine species, including the first Mottled Umber of the year.
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 3
1935 Erannis defoliaria Mottled Umber 1 NFY
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 5
2109 Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 1
2245 Allophyes oxyacanthae Green-brindled Crescent 2
2246a Dryobota labecula Oak Rustic 1
2262 Agrochola circellaris Brick 1
2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 3
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1

Mottled Umber

Monday, 5 November 2018

Species List for 3/11/2018

Another single moth night. The promised mild spell yet to arrive.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 1

Species List for 2/11/2018

Still cold and windy. Just four moths of three species, three traps run.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 2
2240 Lithophane leautieri Blair's Shoulder-knot 1
2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 1

Species List for 30/10/2018

Three moths, two species.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 2

Species "List" for 28/10/2018

Just one moth.

Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals
2232 Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 1

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