The trap turned out 2 Hebrew Character, 1 Powdered Quaker and 1 Small Quaker at Denver this morning. Not quite the Red Sword-Grass we were hoping for, but at least we got something - you can never be sure this early in the season!

A Garden Carpet flew into the shower room this evening.

(James) A selection of Common Marbled Carpets, one of the most variable species in terms of colouration.

(James) This Small Tortoiseshell spent 2 nights in our bedroom, as we didn't want to put it out in the rain.

(James) Twin-spotted Wainscot, a first for Denver, found on Simeon's bed this morning!

(James) From top: Beautiful China-mark, Ringed China-mark, and European Corn Borer.

(James) Sycamore (top) and a slightly washed out Four Dotted Footman (bottom) were highlights from a 65-species trap at Bates Wood on 16th July, with a Peach Blossom on 15th, and a beautiful male Ghost Moth earlier in the week.

(Simeon) Ringlet butterfly at Whin Common this morning (29/6/08)

(James) From top: Pink-barred sallow, Common Marbled Carpet and Sallow. Traps are becoming progressively less productive, so the Denver Mothing Season is likely to end soon.

And now, the end is here!

Alas moth trapping has now ceased for another year at Dersingham and although both numbers of residents and immigrants were down on previous years it has still been a reasonable year. 3 nationally scarce species were caught during the year and these were Large Thorn, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Star-wort, while only one immigrant of note was caught, a Delicate.

Cheers,

Connor

(James) Mallow (bottom) and Pale-lemon Sallow (top) at Bates Wood, Denver on 15th September. The latter is a Nationally Scarce A listed species associated with poplars, and after catching one at the same venue on National Moth Night last year (but not realising it was rare and therefore not taking a photo of it!) was a big target for 2007. Well worth getting out of bed for!

Dersingham Moths

(Connor) Lilac Beauty, Maiden's Blush and Large Thorn, Dersingham, September 2007.

(James) This may look like a Scarce footman, but the grey edge to the hindwing proves this specimen to be a Northern footman - a Red Data Book subspecies of Scarce footman. Incidentally, every Scarce footman type we trapped in North Wales turned out to be Northern, as the ranges do not overlap much there.

(James) From top: probable Crinan Ear (a speciality of the area we visited in North Wales), Sandy carpet, Narrow-winged pug and Rusty dot pearl (an immigrant micro moth)

(James) More moths from our August trip to Wales - True lover's knot (top), Magpie (centre) and Lesser swallow prominent (bottom).

(James) Moths from our trip to Wales: (from top) Small Rufous, Dark Spectacle and Purple Bar.

Bedstraw Hawkmoth

(Connor) Bedstraw Hawkmoth, trapped Holme Village, August 2007

(James) Scarce silver-lines trapped at Stow Bardolph... in a Conifer plantation!

(Connor) Trapped this Star-Wort overnight at Dersingham on 25/7/07. First site record. Also 3 Diamond-backed Moths, Slender Brindle, Purple Clay, Grey Pine Carpet, Bird's Wing, Copper Underwing and Dark Spinach were noteworthy.

Cream-bordered Green Pea trapped at Dersingham (2nd site record)


(Connor) Trap highlights for 24/7/07 at Dersingham:

Light Arches,

Swallow Prominent,

Lesser Swallow Prominent,

Sallow Kitten,

Slender Brindle,

Diamond-back Moth,

Bloodvein,

Pebble Hook-tip,

Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Trapping in general this year has been poor with poor quantity and quality of resident species and the only immigrants being about a dozen Diamond-back Moths. This trap was an improvement especially in terms of resident species.

(James) One of 2 Coxcomb Prominents trapped at Stow Bardolph (first for the area around Denver) thanks to Nigel Davies kindly providing a brilliant generator.

(James) This micro turned up at Bates Wood a few nights ago (i'm only photographing pretty micros, not the crummy old grey ones, so don't worry I haven't fully lost my mind yet). Anyway, thanks to Peter Tilley of Holme and Jon Clifton of Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies it turns out that Evergestis extimalis (the micro in question) is an occasional wanderer from the Brecks, and not especially common, so it is a pretty decent record!

(James) The first trap on Stow Estate was fairly decent, especially considering the rain throughout the night, producing about 50 moths of 20 species. Highlights included several Black Arches, Slender Brindle, Bordered Beauty (top), and 11 Poplar Hawkmoths (bottom) - the largest number recorded by me in one trap!

(James) Small Phoenix and Grass Emerald at Bates Wood. The 7 consecutive traps I have just conducted there for my Biology coursework reeled in 807 individuals with 95 species (excluding the ones that got away!), adding between 10 and 20 new species to the Denver list! Species diversity calculated from the samples using Simpson's index produced a value of 20.8 - I now have another 7 days trapping at a pine plantation on Stow Estate to compare these data.

(James) Chinese Character (also known as "bird poo moth" because of its unusual choice of camouflage. The effect is very convincing when you find one on top of the perspex!), and Purple Thorn (2nd generation).

(James) Trap highlights from 17th - Bird's Wing (top), Eyed Hawkmoth (middle), and the classic: Elephant Hawkmoth (bottom). Bird's Wing was somewhat unexpected, and we had been hunting Eyed Hawkmoth for quite some time so it was a lovely surprise!

(James) Southern Wainscot, another decent addition to the recent run of 'firsts' for denver.

(James) From top: Pine Hawkmoth, Round-winged Muslin, and Buff Tip (aka Random bearded Swedish guy)