Five more moth species added to year list.

Saturday 20th May 2023.

Grey Dagger agg. moth. A very smart looking moth of which I regularly get annually in my moth box.

I was up at 5am this morning with the full intention of beating the Sparrows to my moth box and thankfully, I won. It was quite cold at first as a cloudless sky probably meant fewer moths, but 26 moths of 17 species wasn't too bad considering that I had five species that were 'new for the year' which included a fine looking Grey Dagger agg. (the agg means it could possibly be a Dark Dagger or Grey Dagger and for the purpose of making my life easier, I am going with Grey Dagger. The only way to tell them apart is through dissection of their genitalia, which is a major ‘No thanks’!). There were 4 species of Pug on show including my first Common Pug of the year.

Above, a Dichrorampha acuminatana. Its venicular name is Sharp-winged Drill. Below, my first Common Pug of the year.

Micro moths were in good numbers and variety with Dichrorampha acuminatana, a Rusty-dot Pearl and a Garden Pebble being new for the year.

Above, my first Rusty-dot Pearl of the year. This micro moth is an immigrant moth from the Continent and normally more common in the Autumn months when thousands arrive along the south coast.  Below, my first Garden Pebble moth of the year. Sadly, I think it was probably deceased judging by its moribund position!

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Grey Dagger (NFY)
• 1 Common Pug (NFY)
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Freyer’s Pug
• 1 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 1 Angle Shades
• 1 Dichrorampha acuminatana (NFY)
• 1 Pshychoides filiciviora
• 9 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl (NFY)
• 1 Garden Pebble (NFY)
• 2 Tachystola acroxantha
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 1 Bryotropha affinis

I'll be off birding again today with Andy Fisher, but not before checking his moth box out (sounds rather rude!). One bit of good news is that one of our local Swifts is actually in one of the nestboxes in my house. Happy days!