Another moth for my Moth Life List.

Thursday 14th August 2025.

Another grey morning that was so still, I could hear a pair of Sandwich Terns flying over Southsea, somewhere south of my garden. It was still around 18 degrees first thing this morning as I went about checking around the Moth Box. There was another large haul of Moths again this morning and among them was another ‘Lifer’.

My Moth Box:

This Holly Tortrix was a new moth for my Moth Life List today.

A good total of 89 moths of 36 species were recorded this morning, though only one was new for the year and in fact, it was another ‘Lifer’; the micro moth Holly Tortrix (Rhopobota naevana). Apparently, they are a common moth of hedgerows and gardens, but it's taken decades for one to finally arrive in my garden. Better late than never! Yesterday’s Large Thorn was still present by the Moth Box and both Garden and Jersey Tiger were still present. Immigrant moths this morning included 2 Golden Twin-spots, a Turnip Moth, Silver Y, Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing and 4 Rusty-dot Pearl.

Above, one of two Golden Twin-spots and below, the Large Thorn was still present.

The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Large Thorn x1	Holly Tortrix x1
Garden Tiger x2	Common Plume x2
Jersey Tiger x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x4
Double-striped Pug x8	Ruddy Streak x3
Lime-speck Pug x6	Meal Moth x1
Small Dusty Wave x3	Barred Yellowneck x1
Willow Beauty x2	Barred Marble x1
Pale Mottled Willow x3	Light Brown Apple Moth x7
Common Rustic x2	Garden Pebble x2
Marbled Green x1	Chevron Grass-moth x2
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	White-shouldered House Moth x1
L-album Wainscot x3	Hawthorn Moth x1
Marbled Beauty x3
Shuttle-shaped Dart x9
Yellow-barred Brindle x1
Brimstone Moth x4
Golden Twin-spot 2
Silver Y x1
Garden Carpet x1
Turnip Moth x1
Setaceous Hebrew Character x1
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1
Vine’s Rustic

As well as the Sandwich Terns, I watched a Swift flying high over the house heading west and a Chiffchaff was calling within the trees behind my house. After breakfast, the dogs got their early morning walk and just around the corner from where I live, I watched a Hummingbird Hawk-moth flying around the rooftops until flying off south.

Matt & Emma’s Moth Box, Fareham:

The guys had four new moths this morning to their Moth Trap: a White-point, Straw Dot and two I would love to see, Vestal and a Webb’s Wainscot. They certainly do get some half decent moths to their garden. 

I found this Ruby Tiger moth caterpillar yesterday on someone's driveway and so carefully picked it up and placed it somewhere safe.