Two more Moth 'year-ticks' among a large haul.

 

Sunday 5^th July 2026.

 

The rather striking Tawny Sycamore Piercer micro moth is an annual visitor to my garden. This was my first one of the year.

Forgive me, but I am playing catch-up with my blog as I had to get a brand-new Laptop and where I had a Chromebook , trying to negotiate loading on photos and Word documents on this new machine, it has been very testing! Nevertheless, I have kept a record of the Moths and other sightings throughout the week.

Once again, this heatwave is taking its toll and not only is it hot during the day (in the mid-eighties!), but it is also very warm in the evening too and sleeping though it is challenging to say the least. The only positive side is that it is bringing in some very interesting birds and insects into the UK and my Moth Box is attracted well over a hundred plus Moths. The heatwave will carry on for the rest of the week and into next week according to the Met Office! Phew!

 

My Moth Box:

Another attractive micro moth, the Italian Bark Moth; also annual to my garden.

A healthy 123 moths of 27 species were recorded this morning, and I expect it would of have been a lot higher number as some flew off as soon as I switched the light off. The numbers were easily dominated by the tiny Apple Leaf Miners (Lyonetia clerkella) with over 70+ counted and probably many more dotted around the garden.

The Small Mottled Willow moth. Normally a scarce visitor to the UK, but it has been an exceptional year for them. Below, one of two Plumed Fan-foot moths.

Two more Moth species were added to my year list, both being micro moths: the pretty Tawny Sycamore Piercer (Pammene aurita) and the Italian Bark Moth (Metalampra italica), which are both regular on an annual basis to my garden. Of the ‘macro moths’, two Plumed Fan-foots is nothing to be scoffed at and the migrant Small Mottled Willow continues to turn up to my garden (it used to be a sort after rarity to my garden!). Both Clay and Small Ranunculus are always most welcome visitors to my Moth Box. The Moths recorded this morning were as follows:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Plumed Fan-foot x2	Apple Leaf Miner x70
Small Mottled Willow x1	Tawny Sycamore Piercer * x1
Small Ranunculus x1	Gold Triangle x1
Lackey 2	Garden Grey x2
Clay x1	Large Pale Masoner x4
Riband Wave x3	Bird-cherry Ermine x2
L-album Wainscot x1	Red-barred Tortrix x1
Common Emerald x1	Italian Bark Moth * x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Ruddy Streak x3
Common Footman x1	Garden Grass-veneer x13
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x3
Double-striped Pug x1	Rosy Tabby x1
	Chestnut Tortrix x1
	Barred Yellowneck x2
	Rusty-dot Pearl x1

 

Other notable insects attracted to my Moth Box overnight included a Cinnamon Sedge Caddis Fly and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee, which promptly flew off once I turned the Moth Box light off!

Andy Fisher had his first ever Ringlet butterfly at Cowplain Marsh!