Welcome

Hello and welcome to my moth Blog. I now reside in a small village in East Cambridgeshire called Fordham. My Blog's aim is to promote and encourage others to participate in the wonderful hobby that is Moth-trapping.
Moth records are vital for building a picture of our ecosystem around us, as they really are the bottom of the food chain. They are an excellent early indicator of how healthy a habitat is. I openly encourage people to share their findings via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
So why do we do it? well for some people it is to get an insight into the world of Moths, for others it is to build a list of species much like 'Twitching' in the Bird world. The reason I do it....you just never know what you might find when you open up that trap! I hope to show what different species inhabit Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties.
On this Blog you will find up-to-date records and pictures.
I run a trap regularly in my garden and also enjoy doing field trips to various localities over several different counties.
Please also check out the links in the sidebar to the right for other people's Blogs and informative Websites.
Thanks for looking and happy Mothing!

KEY

NFY = New Species For The Year
NFG = New Species For The Garden
NEW! = New Species For My Records

Any Species highlighted in RED signifies a totally new species for my records.

If you have any questions or enquiries then please feel free to email me
Contact Email : bensale@rocketmail.com

My Latest Notables and Rarities

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Recent moth bits and a welcome returning species

On Tuesday at work I was just checking the bug zapper in the kitchen (as I do frequently to see if there's any interesting deceased moths amongst the frazzle of flies, I found 2 Emmelina monodactyla, 1 Agonopterix heracliana and an Epiphyas postvittana, pretty much expected species in the middle of a town but as I just moved the zapper I saw a large dark micro just sitting there...and I said to myself 'Well I wasn't expecting to see a Diurnea fagella' it being new for the year for me...rescued from the perils of electricity I took him home for a better photo.
That same night and after another mild day hitting 16 degrees the trap went out at 6pm ready to see what might turn up come the morning, the sky did clear and it was a little cool this morning with a heavy dew but I was still pleased with 12 moths of 8 species which I know seems little in comparison to other trappers lists at the moment.
It was certainly quality over quantity as well with even a mint condition Epiphyas postvittana grabbing my attention for a photo.
The best moth for me was a very pale Lead-coloured Drab, only my second record for the garden (I had forgot that I first took this species in 2014).
It is a moth that I use to trap commonly when I lived with my parents, sometimes 5 or 6 per trap would you believe! 
Also my second Oak Beauty of the year was nice and a really striking Clouded Drab had to have it's shoot with the Lead-coloured Drab.

All in all a pleasing result.

Catch Report - 14/03/17 - Back Garden - Stevenage - 1x 125w MV Robinson Trap

Macro Moths

1x Lead-coloured Drab [NFY] 
2x Clouded Drab
3x Common Quaker
1x Early Grey
1x Hebrew Character
2x March Moth
1x Oak Beauty
 
Micro Moths

1x Epiphyas postvittana

Diurnea fagella











Epiphyas postvittana













Lead-coloured Drab & Clouded Drab











Oak Beauty












Lead-coloured Drab

Posted by Bennyboymothman at 18:50

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