Another new micro moth & Jersey Tiger.

Saturday 6th August 2022.

My first Jersey Tiger moth of the year (above) next to a Garden Tiger moth. These annual species have settled in the south of the UK, but you cannot rule out it being a migrant moth.  

Oh yes, it was back to the moths first thing this morning and having made a fresh pot of coffee, I wandered out into the dawn to discover my first Jersey Tiger moth of the year. Though they are virtually annual in my garden, it is always a great pleasure in comparing them to the Garden Tiger of which I had quite a few again. There was also yet another ‘lifer’ micro moth when the App, Obsidentify helped me to identify my first Mompha epilobiella!

My first ever Mompha epilobiella moth. The 'lifers' seem to be coming in regularly this week! 

A total of 88 moths of 28 species of which I still have a micro to ID later on today. A good mix of moths again with numbers boosted heavily by at least 16 Common Plume moths, 13 Garden Tigers and 8 Pale Mottled Willows. Only my second Yellow Shell of the year was found in the box and yet another Langmaid's Yellow Underwing (named after the great man himself). The Box Tree Moths were back with just two this morning, which some would say that is enough! A very worn Square-spot Rustic had me scratching my head for a moment and then I noticed the wing pattern which helped clinch the ID. 

My second Yellow Shell of the year.

Yesterday evening, I had a count up on the number of moth species I have had for 2022 so far and it is an impressive 133 macros and 93 micro moths that included the new one today. We are a long way from over for the year and possibly another 40+ moth species to be added? I was glad to see some Swifts screaming high overhead from my garden this morning, with at least three birds seen. It won't be long now for the likes of Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit flying over heading south. Already, the likes of Yellow Wagtail and Whinchat have been seen returning already. What will today bring us?   

The following moths that were recorded this morning:

• 13 Garden Tiger
• 1 Jersey Tiger (NFY)
• 1 Yellow Shell
• 8 Pale Mottled Willow
• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 3 Willow Beauty
• 3 Lime-speck Pug
• 6 Double-striped Pug
• 5 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 4 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 2 Vines Rustic
• 1 Common Rustic agg.
• 2 Turnip Moth
• 1 Langmaids Yellow Underwing
• 2 Buff Ermine
• 1 Square-spot Rustic
• 16 Common Plume
• 1 Mompha epilobiella (NFY + LIFER)
• 2 Blastobasis adustella
• 1 Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner
• 2 Box Tree Moth
• 1 Acleris forsskaleana
• 4 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Bryotropha affinis
• 1 Udea fulvalis
• 1 Pyrausta aurata