File:My notable moth records for 2016 (32476530845).jpg

My Notable Moth records from Hertfordshire in 2016, recently featured and edited from this list for the contribution to the Entomological Redord. Here are my highlights from the year in the garden and further afield.

[2235] Tawny Pinion Lithophane semibrunnea 1 to light on the 12/04/16 at Roughdown Common (Hemel Hempstead). A moth that is still considered scarce in the County at time of writing. Pale Pinion use to be the rare moth in the County but both species have gone through a drastic role reversal and Pale Pinion is regular in most locations within the County up to and including 2016.

[1881] Early Tooth-striped Trichopteryx carpinata 1 to a 40w Actinic Skinner trap set in amongst the wooded area of Bovingdon Brickworks (Hemel Hempstead) on 08/05/16 was a superb and very unexpected record of this moth that is practically unheard of in the County.

[1254] Cydia strobilella 3 examples to both the 40w Actinic Skinner trap and 125w MV Robinson trap were recorded on 08/05/16 at Bovingdon Brickworks during a period of possible dispersion and/or migrant activity from this attractive Spruce feeder. Many new records were added to the Hertfordshire database over the space of a few weeks and in other neighbouring Counties too.

[0129] Incurvaria pectinea On the 08/05.16 another uncommon moth for the County was potted up from the Robinson Trap that was opened up at packing up time. pectinea is one of the more uncommon of the Incurvaridae family. A first for me and the Boxmoor Trust land.

[2159] Dog’s Tooth Lacanobia suasa 1 adult to light on the 26/05/16 at Braughing Friars Farm was quite a nice surprise. A moth that seems to be very sporadic in the County and has very few records. Predominantly a coastal species but also inhabiting rough unmanaged waste-ground.

[1142] Epinotia tedella A very pale example of this tiny Epinotia was recorded on our Herts Moth Group field trip o Balls Wood on11/06/16. Scarce in the County and a first for many of us on the night.

[0923] Phtheochroa sodaliana 1 to light at Ashwell Quarry during a Herts Moth Group field trip in the far north of the County on the 18/06/16 was a good record of a local moth, new to me and nearly everybody on the night. Very few previous records.

[2171] Marbled Coronet Hadena confuse An adult was found in the trap over-looking the bare chalk escarpment in the South-Eastern side of Ashwell Quarry on the 18/06/16. A local and uncommon species resident in very low densities within the County.

[0633] Cosmiotes/Elachista stabilella On the 07/07/16 whilst surveying Braughing Friars farmland I potted up a tiny specimen that resembled an Elachistidae of somekind but was rather on the small side at 4mm. The moth was photographed (just!) and retained for further inspection. It turned out to be the scarce Cosmiotes/Elachista stabilella with very few previous records. On a return trip on the 19th of July, I recorded another specimen that resembled this moth.

[0857] Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella On both the 07/07/16 and 19/07/16 I recorded two examples of this adventive species on different dates, both on farmland at Braughing Friars in the same trap and unbelievably positioned in the same location! Other records were made in the County at a similar time including Graeme Smith’s garden first on the same night (07/07/16) and taking a joint County 2nd record..

[1462] Delplanqueia dilutella Several examples of this moth were taken at light during the trip to Hexton Chalk Pit on the 09/07/16. It is a scarce Pyralid in the County and was a first for me and most of the other attendees on the night.

[0678] Depresaria sordidatella 2nd County record. Trapped at Braughing Friars on the 17th of July and which came to the 160w Blended Bulb Robinson Trap and didn’t look quite right for any other obvious Scoparids so the moth was retained.

[0962] Cochylis roseana Another scarce moth in the County was recorded at Braughing Friars farmland on the 19th of July. There are quite a few records for this moth in the County but it was worth mentioning as we trapped a further two examples on the 23/07/16 at Bovingdon Brickworks during a Herts Moth Group outing. Noteworthy because this was the first year that I have ever seen one since 2006.

[0803] Gelechia muscosella New to Herts, Gelechia muscosella was trapped at Braughing Friars on farmland on the 19/07/16 Rare and found in marshes, fens, river-banks and other damp areas. In recent years, it has been recorded only from Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, Dungeness and Whitstable, east Kent and at Blacktofts Sands Nature Reserve, south-west Yorkshire in 1998. The larva feed on catkins of Sallow.

[1138a] Epinotia cinereana This record from 19/07/16 and taken at Braughing Friars is included dubiously as I only have photographic evidence of this species that was recently split from nisella and recognised as a separate species.

[0801] Gelechia scotinella This record from 22/07/16 and caught in my back garden in Stenage is still pending.

[0757] Recurvaria nanella A first for me on the 30th of July to the garden trap here in Stevenage.

[0806] Gelechia nigra My second garden record of this very local Gelechiidae was recorded on the 02/08/16 in Stevenage. Mt first garden record was recorded on the 21/08/13. A very non-descript but distinct elongated dark Gelechia species that represent both 2nd and 3rd County records.

[1323] Pediasia contaminella New to me on the 03/08/16 and trapped at Braughing Friars on farmland. Initially the record was shunned by many online opinions saying that it was ‘just Agriphila tristella’ and that Pediasia contaminella always sits with a head-down posture. Graeme Smith proved that my hunch was correct when the moth was dissected and did indeed turn out to be Pediasia contaminella. A second example was caught on 06/08/16 at Rye Meads Nature Reserve.

[1409a] Cydalima perspectalis An increasing adventive species in the County and my first encounter with one was on the Herts Moth Group field outing to Rye Meads on the 06th of August to the 22w Actinic homemade trap along the hedgerow boundary of the reserve.

[2057] Garden Tiger Arctia caja A slightly tatty example came to a light positioned over-looking long grass and reedbeds at Rye Meads on the 06/08/16 and was the only one of the night. Unfortunately a steadily declining species.

[2290] Reed Dagger Simyra albovenosa A pristine specimen of Reed Dagger was trapped on our trip to Rye Meads Nature Reserve on the 06/08/16. Reed Dagger is a scarce moth in the County but is probably more frequent than records would suggest? At present it is only know from this one site here in Hertfordshire. It was great to find that it is still present at the reserve although maybe still at very low density.

[1171] Gypsonoma minutana On the 24/08/16 whilst trapping on Braughing Friars farmland, I potted up an unfamiliar Tortrix moth. The moth turned out to be the very scarce Gypsonoma minutana.

[1215] Thaumatotibia leucotreta