Four more excellent moths added to year list.

Tuesday 25th June 2024.

My first Elephant Hawk-moth of the year.

There was a good variety of moths this morning which included four more that were new for the year. However, numbers still remained low for this time of year, of which a lot of those trapping Moths on the south coast are currently experiencing. Hopefully, the second half of the year might improve in numbers. For now, we have a mini heatwave this week as temperatures climb into the 80’s and most likely warm evening too. The Bats were showing very well again last night in my garden as I switched the Moth Box on under a cloudless and very still night.

Above, only my second ever Poplar Grey moth and below, Varied Coronet moths are getting annual here in my garden.

I have been a bit reluctant in putting the Moth Box on overnight due to the poor showing of late, but seeing it was so warm yesterday, it surely must get better. There were only 17 moths present in all, but what was lacking in numbers made up for it in quality. Four ‘year-ticks’ were present that included only my second ever Poplar Grey moth and my fourth species of Hawk-moth too was present; the gorgeous Elephant Hawk-moth that was sitting on the white sheet behind the Box. A Varied Coronet and Lackey were the other two that were new for the year; the former is becoming a bit of an annual visitor to my garden now. I normally get a good showing of Lackey moths during the next few months and the best of the ‘micro’ moths has to be the Twin-barred Knot-horn; a species that isn't that common here in the south coast.  

Above, a Lackey moth and below, the micro moth Twin-barred Knot-horn.

The moths present this morning included the following:

• Riband Wave 2
• Willow Beauty 2
• Double-striped Pug
• Pale Mottled Willow
• Bright-line Brown-eye
• Elephant Hawk-moth (New for Year)
• Heart & Dart
• Lackey (NFY)
• Poplar Grey (NFY)
• Varied Coronet (NFY)
• Twin-barred Knot-horn
• Barred Marble
• Box-tree Moth
• Ruddy Streak
• Dark Moss Moth