Another 'Lifer' moth among so many.

Tuesday 19th July 2022.

My first ever Brown-veined Wainscot was present within my moth box this morning. Thank you to Ian Thirlwell for the ID.

Today promises to be the hottest day of the year with UK temperatures in some parts of the country to be around 41 degrees Centigrade (106 degrees Fahrenheit), though a tad cooler here on the south coast (I hope!). Last night, it was around 70 degrees, but I was well prepared with a fan in the room and so got a nice sleep. I awoke literally a few minutes before 5am and quickly turned the alarm off and made my way downstairs to check on the moth box yet again. 

Above, my first White-spotted Pug for many a year this morning. Below, my first Clay moth of the year.

There was yet another good turn out of moths including 3 Hawk-moths (2 Pine Hawk-moth and an Elephant Hawk-moth and an abundance of Lacewing, with literally at least 60+ of the dainty little insect. A massive total of 175 moths of 67 species were recorded including a superb Brown-veined Wainscot which was a new moth for my life list. This is another wetland specialist and obviously off on a wander due to the very balmy conditions overnight. 

Above, my first Small Blood-vein of the year and below, a pristine Blood-vein moth joined by some of the many Lacewings. 

There was also a lot of new moths for the year including Tree-lichen Beauty, White-spotted Pug (incidentally, Pugs are always awkward, in my eye, to identify and so I used the Obsidentify App to get an identify and it was 100% sure it was the White-spotted Pug; a species I rarely get in my garden. Happy days), Small Blood-vein and Clay. 

Above, an Elephant Hawk-moth was just inside the moth box and below one of two Pine Hawk-moths were seen this morning.

Micro moths were also in very good numbers with a Firethorn Leaf Miner and Crambus perlella also new for the year. Four species of Blastobasis and probably yesterday’s Ethmia quadrillella were also present (Portsmouth 'moth-er', Ian Thirlwell had one in his moth box this morning). Other notable insects within my box included a male Myathropa florea Hoverfly (Batman Hoverfly), the huge number of Lacewing and at least 4 Harlequin Ladybirds. Thankfully, no Wasps in or around the box, but it didn't take long for the House Sparrows to come down to try to nick a moth or two! They all soon scattered into the nearby vegetation when a female Sparrowhawk belted through low over the gardens.  

Above, the second Pine Hawk-moth of the morning on the white sheet, while the other was in the moth box. This individual soon flew off once I had turned the light off. Below, a Knot Grass within one of the egg trays.

The following moths were present this morning:

• 2 Pine Hawk-moth
• 1 Elephant Hawk-moth
• 1 Brown-veined Wainscot (NFY & LIFER)
• 14 Riband Wave
• 3 Garden Carpet
• 2 Common Carpet
• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 4 Willow Beauty
• 1 Tree-lichen Beauty (NFY)
• 6 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 White-spotted Pug (NFY)
• 7 Double-striped Pug
• 11 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Small Blood-vein (NFY)
• 1 Blood Vein
• 1 Clay (NFY)
• 1 Buff Ermine
• 1 Common Emerald
• 3 Small Dusty Wave
• 4 Cloaked Minor
• 2 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
• 2 Heart & Dart
• 1 Grey Dagger
• 1 Knot Grass
• 1 Common Wainscot
• 1 Least Carpet
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Lackey
• 1 White Ermine
• 5 Tachystola acroxantha
• 1 Acleris forsskaleana
• 3 Crassa unitella
• 5 Common Plume
• 3 Blastobasis adustella
• 5 Bird-cherry Ermine
• 16 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 2 Anania coronata
• 1 Rush Veneer
• 17 Apple Leaf Miner
• 2 Caloptilia rufipennella
• 1 Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner
• 1 Gold Triangle
• 1 Bud Moth
• 2 Monopsis crocicapitella
• 1 Cherrybark Tortrix
• 1 Bryotropha terrella
• 4 Udea fulvalis
• 1 Eudonia mercurella
• 3 Blastobasis rebeli
• 2 Pyrausta aurata
• 1 Firethorn Leaf Miner (NFY)
• 2 Bee Moth
• 1 White-shouldered House Moth
• 1 Crambus perlella (NFY)
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 1 Oegoconia quadripuncta
• 1 Ephestia woodiella
• 2 Swammerdamia pyrella
• 1 Ethmia quadrillella
• 1 Agriphila straminella
• 1 Blastobasis vittata
• 1 Euzophera pinguis
• 1 Endotricha flammealis
• 1 Chrysoteuchia culmella
• 1 Blastobasis lacticolella
• 1 Clepsis consimilana

Above, a Least Carpet was inside the moth box this time around and below, my first Tree-lichen Beauty of the year. 

Above, a smart fresh Common Wainscot and below, my moth box this morning with one of the Pine Hawk-moths in attendance on the white sheet.