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.


Saturday, 7 March 2026

Species List for 06/03/2026

After a cooler dull day and night there were 32 moths, but only four species. 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

2


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

14


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

5


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

11


Species List for 05/03/2026

 Fine warm weather produced, what  I think is the best early march catch I have ever had here. There were 54 moths of 12 species with three NFY.   

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1

nfy

49.075

Acleris umbrana


1

nfy

70.141

Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Double-striped Pug

1

nfy

70.245

Alsophila aescularia

March Moth

3


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

2


70.255

Agriopis marginaria

Dotted Border

1


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

3


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

16


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

21


73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

1


There were 

Species List for 04/03/2026

 After a foggy day I was surprised there were any moths, and the arrival of a pearly underwing was a bonus. There were 32 moths of six species with one NFY. 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

2


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

2


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

7


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

18


73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

2


73.307

Peridroma saucia

Pearly Underwing

1

nfy

Species List for 03/03/2026

 Not so warm and dull during the day. There were 13 moths of six species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

2


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

4


73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

2


Species List for 02/03/2026

 The much warmer, fine weather, coming from the south, produced a big increase in activity. There were 32 moths of eight species, with three NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


32.018

Agonopterix heracliana


1

nfy

70.245

Alsophila aescularia

March Moth

1

nfy

70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

1


70.255

Agriopis marginaria

Dotted Border

1

nfy

73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

12


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

12


Species List for 01/03/2026

 Thre were four moths of three species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

1


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

1


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

2


Species List for 28/02/2026

 There were 10 moths of four species, with two NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1

nfy

73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

5


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

2

nfy

73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

2


Early Grey

Small Quaker

Species List for 26/02/2026

 Just two moths of one species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

2


Species List for 25/02/2026

Mothing for 2025 finished for me at the end of August (27th) when I then went for two months ro Australia, not mothing but Birding and Mammal and Reptile watching. I returned at the end of October, to be greeted with some of the wettest  most dismal weather imaginable. Coupled with the awful weather extending into January and February and a couple of  physical problems, due to my penchant in old age for falling over, I didn't get started this year until February 25th.  At the moment I am using two traps, a 125W MV Robinson in the Back Garden and an 80W  MV Robinson in the Pond Garden. Hopefully I will add photos for each NFY species as we go along. I will catch up in the near future.

There were 16 moths of five species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

2

nfy

73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

1

nfy

73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

8

nfy

73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

4

nfy

73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

1

nfy


Common Quaker

Oak Beauty

 

Twin-spot Quaker

Clouded Drab

Hebrew Character

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