Another three figure number of moths.

Friday 23rd June 2023.

This Thistle Ermine was my first for the year.

Back to the moths first thing this morning as I awoke to a clear blue sky, though there were some clouds in the distance that were reflecting the early morning sunrise. Pretty. A pleasant temperature also of 15 degrees as I made my coffee and got about checking the moths outside. A few more species were added to my year list again as yet another reasonable number of moths were present. At 4.30am, it is still a bit dark around by the box, but once I start turning the light off, there is a bit of an exodus of moths passing me by to seek a darker place.

Above, Common Wainscot and below, the micro moth, Italian Tubic (Metalampra italica) were both new for the year.

There were another four more moth species added to my year list this morning that included the macro moths Common Wainscot and Marbled Beauty plus the micro moths Caloptilia rufipennella and the pretty Italian Tubic (Metalampra italica). Riband Wave was the most numerous, closely followed by the micro moth Garden Grass-veneer. A total of at least 111 moths of 38 species were recorded.

Another two more that were new for the year were above, Small Red Slender (Caloptilia rufipennella) and below, Marbled Beauty.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 17 Riband Wave
• 4 Willow Beauty
• 5 Lime-speck Pug
• 5 Common Emerald
• 1 Marbled Beauty (NFY)
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 5 Heart & Dart
• 4 White Ermine
• 5 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Cabbage Moth
• 1 Large Yellow Underwing
• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Common Wainscot (NFY)
• 1 Common Marbled Carpet
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Dark Arches
• 1 Lackey
• 6 Common Plume
• 1 Caloptilia rufipennella (NFY)
• 3 Aleimma loeflingella
• 1 Metalampra italica (NFY)
• 2 Ephestia woodiella
• 3 Tachystola acroxantha
• 4 Bee Moth
• 2 Brown House Moth
• 1 Crassa unitella
• 12 Garden Grass-veneer
• 1 Crambus pascuella
• 2 Diamond-back Moth
• 3 Blastobasis lacticolella
• 6 Box Tree Moth
• 1 Thistle Ermine (NFY)
• 1 Crescent Plume
• 1 Marbled Yellow-pearl
• 1 White-shouldered House Moth
• 1 Broom Shoot Moth
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 1 Bud Moth

Above, my first Inlaid Grass-veneer (Crambus pascuella) in my garden this year and below, a Cinnabar Moth in Emma Parkes kitchen!

Above, this female Broad-bodied Chaser was in Andy Friend's garden this morning and showing very well to us both. Below, Emma Parkes photographed this Emperor Dragonfly in Whiteley Woods today.

Also in the same wood, this Golden-ringed Dragonfly (above) was also seen by Emma, along with this Ringlet butterfly (below).