A few new species have appeared at the moth trap over the last few days, with a noticeable shift in the commons species as well. This week has seen the emergence of the Heart & Club. Not having been recorded before, the last two trapping sessions in Batch Valley have recorded nine individuals, making it the commonest moth at present.
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| Heart & Club |
Others have appeared in smaller numbers. One of them is the delicate Satin Wave, which I found in the garden on Tuesday night. This is one of the moths which overwinters in the larval stage, with the caterpillars hibernating over the winter.
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| Satin Wave |
Micro lepidoptera have been in short supply this week, but I was pleased to find one new species for the garden in the trap this morning. This was a Celypha striana, like the Satin Wave the larval stage feeds on dandelion, a plant which is in good supply in the garden.
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| Celypha striana |
Other new species for the garden including The Flame, which Graham mentioned in a blog recently, and a long-awaited Buff-tip. The Buff-tip is a species I have been hopeful of attracting one to the moth trap. I recorded a caterpillar in the garden last year, but until this week had never recorded the adult stage. Whilst we try not to repeat pictures of the same species on the blog, I will make an exception for this exceptional looking moth.
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| Buff-tip |
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