Garden Moth Review 2008

My photograph above, shows a Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, which was the last species attracted to my garden moth trap in 2008, on the 23rd December. This is known as a Micro moth and is from the family Tortricidae or tortrix moths (leafrollers). The colouration can be extremely variable, but the form above seems to be one of the most typical found in my garden. This species of moth has been the most common seen in the trap during the last three years with 27 in 2008, 19 in 2007 and 28 in 2006.

Other species that did well were:
Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha - 14
Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata - 10
Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba - 9
Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis - 8
Heart and Club Agrotis clavis - 7
Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes - 7
Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa - 6

Species that did not do so well were:
Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta - 2 (16 in 2007).
Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor - 0 (5 in 2007).
Small Quaker Orthosia cruda - 3 (8 in 2007).
Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica - 2 (6 in 2007).
Marbled Beauty Cryphia domestica - 1 (5 in 2007).

Alas, there were no Humming-bird Hawk-moth's Macroglossum stellatarum in 2008.

Here is a breakdown of the number species seen and the total number of individuals for the years 2005 - 2008.

Year - Species - Individuals
2005 - 51 - 99
2006 - 50 - 142
2007 - 53 - 161
2008 - 68 - 178

This probably only reflects the fact that my identification skills are improving.

The species richness of my garden is now 125 (104 in 2007).