A pair of Wax moths arrive.

Saturday 3rd September 2022.

One of two Wax Moths arrived this morning in my garden.

After a poor night's sleep, I decided to get up just before the alarm went off and stagger downstairs to tidy up the kitchen before making my coffee and wandering into the garden. I could already see a few moths on the white sheet on this very still morning. Looks like it's going to be a repeat of yesterday although I do hear that rain is on the way soon. By about 6.15am, I can turn the light off the moth box and then go about checking the egg trays and the surrounding area.

One of our most attractive, yet common moths, the Brimstone Moth.

Compared to yesterday, there was a large drop in moth numbers this morning, though a total of 92 moths of 31 species was still nothing to be sniffed at, with the only ‘new for the year’ being a couple of Wax Moths. These rather large micro moths are not always annual here in my garden and I believe they are actually a pest to Bee-keepers, but nonetheless, a welcome addition to my year total. Though numbers were considerably down from yesterday, the variety was there still and Pale Mottled Willows were dominant in numbers again.

Square-spot Rustic moth resting on one of our flower heads by the moth box. 

The following moths were present this morning:

• 4 Willow Beauty
• 1 Yellow-barred Brindle
• 6 Square-spot Rustic
• 2 Angle Shades
• 4 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 22 Pale Mottled Willow
• 4 Vine’s Rustic
• 3 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing
• 3 L-album Wainscot
• 1 Pearly Underwing
• 2 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Dark Sword-grass
• 1 Brimstone Moth
• 1 White-point
• 1 Silver Y
• 3 Double-striped Pug
• 4 Lime-speck Pug
• 2 Small Dusty Wave
• 1 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 6 Common Plume
• 2 Wax Moth (NFY)
• 3 Tachystola acroxantha
• 4 Agriphila geniculea
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 1 Gold Triangle
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 1 Clepsis consomilana
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 3 Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner
• 1 Apple Leaf Miner