EASTERN BORDERED STRAW heads the cast of a good selection of Moths.

Sunday 31st May 2026.

Sometimes, I am blessed with something really special in my Moth Box and this morning, this EASTERN BORDERED STRAW moth was present in one of the outside egg trays. A very rare moth from eastern Europe.

It was back to dear old Southsea where it was overcast first thing this morning at 5.15am. After watching a good gig last night (Toyah Wilcox) at the Thornden Hall, Eastleigh, when I got home, I put my Moth Box on and after the good variety of migrant moths coming through, I was a bit optimistic in getting something interesting this morning and I certainly did! I had only switched the Box on for about five minutes and already, a Large Yellow Underwing, Bee Moth and a Pug species had arrived! So the signs looked good. A breezy start with westerly wind blowing and temperatures around 15 degrees centigrade. 

My Moth Box:

My second Twin Gold-spot of the year.

Though I never joined the ‘Striped Hawk-moth club’ yet this morning, I think I had the next best thing, my first ever EASTERN BORDERED STRAW moth! I have read that some guys have had this very rare moth to their traps all over the UK and amazingly, I was now among them. Having got the Bordered Straw moth this week twice in Devon, to get the Eastern species is something special. It was perched on one of the outside egg trays and remains there while I write this up early this morning.

Above, new for the year was this Diamondback Moth, another migrant moth that had made it to my garden. Below, the common Blushed Knot-horn was also new for the year and in good numbers too.

Above, a Codling Moth and below, the Bramble Shoot Moth. Both new for the year.

Other moths new for the year included the ‘Macro’ moth Treble Brown Spot and Dark Arches and the ‘Micro’ moths Bramble Shoot Moth (Notocelia uddmanninana), Blushed Knot-horn (Ephestia woodiella), the migrant Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) and the Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella). The Golden Twin-spot was again in my garden, on the same egg tray as the Eastern Bordered Straw and up to 5 Green Pugs and 2 Riband Waves were new to my garden this year having seen both species in Devon this week.

Treble Brown Spot was a nice moth for the year. Below, this Dark Arches was new for the year.

A cracking 54 moths of 28 species were recorded this morning; my highest total for the year so far. How long this heatwave is going to continue, I don't know; but the rare moths are still turning up. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
EASTERN BORDERED STRAW * x1	Bramble Shoot Moth * x1
Golden Twin-spot x1	Bee Moth x2
Small Dusty Wave x3	Apple Leaf Miner x2
White Ermine x1	Brown House Moth x2
Treble Brown Spot * x1	Blushed Knot-horn * x8
Riband Wave x1	Diamondback Moth * x1
Large Yellow Underwing x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Marbled Minor agg. x1	Codling Moth * x1
White-point x1	Cypress Tip Moth x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Large Pale Masoner x1
Heart & Dart x2
Pale Mottled Willow x3
Green Pug x6
Brown-line Brown-eye x1
Dark Arches * x1
Common Pug x1
Yellow-barred Brindle x1

Other insects attracted to the Moth Box overnight included a Lacewing, a small Ladybird species, Marmalade Hoverfly and my first ever Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil! It really was a tiny little Beetle. A pair of Med Gulls flew over while I was checking the Moth Box.

My first ever Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil was on my Moth Box.

Mr Geoff Farwell texted me last night to say he went birding around the Hazeley / Twyford Down area and heard a Quail calling there. He also saw 2 Red Kites, Common Buzzard, 2 singing Corn Buntings, Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Common Whitethroats, 8 singing Blackcaps, 5 singing Chiffchaffs and 2 Stonechats tending to 2 fledglings.