Chris Vincent

Rain all night here, but I shall be trapping nonetheless in my sheltered garden

Lesser Yellow Underwing larva feeding on a Sycamore seedling

Caloptilia azaleella blotch mine (right) and leaf cone (left) on an azalea

Vacated mine of Phyllonorycter lantanella on Viburnum tinus

Underside of the Phyllonorycter lantanella mine, showing several creases

46 of 13 in Plymouth overnight included NFY Pine Beauty, a garden record of 7 Oak Beauty, 5 Brindled Beauty, 22 Common Quaker & 2 Early Thorn.
Also found in the garden yesterday were NFY early stages of Lesser Yellow Underwing, Caloptilia azaleella and Phyllonorycter lantanella
#teammoth

This is almost certainly Depressaria pimpinellae, but I need to take a clearer photo to be 100% certain as it's a bit worn

Engrailed

Brindled Beauty

Brindled Pug

A few NFY species over the last couple of nights at the garden and work traps in Plymouth

3/3
Garden trap 18 of 9

Brindled Pug

4/3
Garden trap 15 of 9

Depressaria pimpinellae
Brindled Beauty (2)

Work trap 52 of 15

Small Quaker (5)
Engrailed
Diurnea fagella
Herald

#teammoth

Small Mottled Willow

Acleris cristana

A selection from the garden trap. Oak Beauty, Twin-spotted Quakers, Common Quakers, Small Mottled Willow, Rush Veneer, Early Moth

Acleris hastiana

A NFY Small Mottled Willow was the best @migrantmothuk.bsky.social overnight in my Plymouth garden trap, along with singles of Rusty-dot Pearl and Rush Veneer among 31/16. Acleris cristana was also NFY here. The work trap had 16/9, with Acleris hastiana NFY here

#teammoth

Tawny Pinion

V-Pug

Twin-spotted Quaker, worn and lacking the twin spots

The first double-digit species number in Plymouth overnight: 27 of 10, with 2 NFY

Common Quaker 11

Double-striped Pug 3

Common Plume 3

Hebrew Character 3

Ypsolopha ustella 2

V-Pug NFY

Tawny Pinion NFY

Dotted Border

Twin-spotted Quaker

Agonopterix heracliana agg

#teammoth

This is perfectly normal. They are flightless, in order to conserve energy into egg production. She was on the house wall again this morning, so she will be relocated onto a nearby oak tree tonight. There are several flightless females of autumn/winter/early spring species.

Seems okay Gavin. Kochiella tends to have a slightly more concave costa

Dotted Border female. Moth of the night for me

Twin-spotted Quaker

Early Thorn

Early Moth

5 NFYs across the home and work traps overnight in Plymouth
12 of 6 at home included NFY March Moth (3) as well as a garden 1st female Dotted Border on the side of the house.
Just 5 of 5 in the work trap, the 4 NFY were : Early Thorn, Twin-spotted Quaker, Early Moth and Ypsolopha ustella. #teammoth

Hopefully you'll catch more than I've been getting in Plymouth of late

Yes, they have continuous generations so there are always some adults about.

It's a species I've recorded in every week of the year here in Devon, but not sure where you are situated

I really can't fathom mothing at times. Similar conditions today, and 3 species so far tonight, the best being my year's 2nd Oak Beauty

Well done Dave. A high of 14° in the garden yesterday & low of 9° resulted in yet another Wogan! Really tough going in my part of Devon

It is indeed

I'm amazed italica was new for Cornwall, seeing as it's fairly regular here just across the Tamar

Just 2 moths at my Plymouth trap overnight - Winter Moth and a NFY Oak Beauty, my earliest by 13 days

#teammoth

Yes, that's fine for umbrana Alan.

Bloxworth Snout

Dotted Border

Still limping along, with just 3 of 3 in Plymouth overnight, 2 being NFY: Dotted Border and Bloxworth Snout. Winter Moth made up the total. Puts me on 7 for the year, which is actually 4 more than this time last year!
#teammoth

Winter Moth

December Moth female

Double-striped Pug. Nice and fresh

Rusty-dot Pearl

Finally up and running for 2026. 4 of 4 to my Plymouth garden overnight: Winter Moth, December Moth, Double-striped Pug and Rusty-dot Pearl

#teammoth

Ephestia kuehniella. Found whilst checking off a delivery of veg seeds in work on 22nd November. It probably fell out of an open packet of peas seeds. One previous Devon record from 2007

Stigmella regiella from the garden on 15th August. 14 Devon records, the main area for this species seems to be the Bere Peninsula area of Devon, which is just across the Tamar from Pentillie. Did I inadvertently bring some home from one of my trapping sessions, or has it spread south from its main range? I also found Stigmella anomalella in the garden, which has a similar Devon distribution.

Acrobasis tumidana from the garden trap on 17th August. Just 12 previous Devon records

3/3

43 species were new for me, and my life list now stands at 1079 (1058 without aggs), after 6 full years of recording.

#teammoth

Slender Burnished Brass. 8 previous Devon records, but this was the first this century, coming to its own pheromone lure on 10th November, with a second individual on 16th November

Ni Moth. A long-awaited lifer, albeit rather worn. This came to my MV trap at my holiday chalet on Riviere Towans, Hayle on 26th June

Pauper Pug. Just a single previous Devon record in 2010 by Mark Marshall, I had one in work on 14th May, followed by another at home on 25th May.

Caloptilia honoratella. 3 previous Devon records, I recorded 10 individuals over 8 sessions between 10th July and 9th October at home and in work

2/3

504 species were recorded in Cornwall, split between the Hayle area (VC1) and Pentillie Estate (VC2).

609 species were recorded in Devon from my Plymouth garden and Brixton work trap (VC3).

A few species were also recorded in Scotland (39) and Kent (1).

#teammoth

Clepsis peritana. Plymouth garden. New for Devon with 4 recorded between 8th July and 24th August

Dichomeris acuminatus. A very worn individual to the garden trap on 2nd October, genitalia determined by Phil Sterling. New for Devon, and the 4th or 5th for Britain.

Homoeosoma nebulella from the garden trap on 2nd October. Just 1 previous Devon record in 1987, so the first record this century

Mompha terminella. Found walking across my glasses in my house after I had processed the garden trap on 18th September! Also potentially the first adult recorded in Devon!

1/3

While I'm still waiting for a single moth this year, I thought I'd do a few stats on my 2025 records.

I recorded 732 species in 2025, submitting 10,786 records of at least 35,876 moths to 4 County Moth Recorders.

#teammoth

White-speck

Dark Sword-grass

Crocidosema plebejana

Dark Sword-grass, 6 December Moths & LBAM

A couple of migrants at the final work trap of the year: White-speck & Dark Sword-grass among 12/6. Noteworthy were 3 female December Moths among the 6 recorded.
The garden trap had 4/2: 3 Rusty-dot Pearl & Crocidosema plebejana. Plymouth VC3
#teammoth
@migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Same here Ruth. Lots of Honeysuckle in the garden, but less than annual.

Apart from the Caloptilia. They've got really character, and are my favourite group

Overnight conditions meant I could finally run the trap in work, being less windy/rainy/cold. Just 3 species, but 50 moths - 2 Winter, 3 Mottled Umber & 45 December Moths which was lovely to see. Brixton VC3
#teammoth

Another nice selection, Ruth. The Dichrorampha would be new for me, but I'm with @wheatersdave.bsky.social regarding the Ypsolophas.

Lovely selection Ruth. Several lifers for me in there

15 of 6 overnight in Plymouth, which included a few migrants.

62W actinic/synergetic

Small Mottled Willow (pic)
Silver Y 2
Rusty-dot Pearl 7
December Moth 3
LBAM
Acleris ferrugana/notana

@migrantmothuk.bsky.social
#teammoth

Up until this year, there was only a single Devon record. I've had 2 (in work and at home) this year, and I think more will be added once the totals are in. Hopefully a good sign for their future