Thursday, February 04, 2016

Garden Moth Review 2015


This Moth was trapped in my garden during the night of 8th August, and is a Square-spotted Clay Xestia rhomboidea. It was one of 14 new species for me this year, this being the most unusual as it is in the nationally scarce category.

81 species were recorded, which is above the average of 74 per year since I started back in 2005.

The most common species in 2015 was Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba with 44 individuals followed by Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis with 27. Last year the Lunar Underwing Omphaloscelis lunosa was the top species, but this year it did not feature at all in the top 10. All these species have some way to go to catch the Light Brown Apple moth Epiphyas postvittana, which since 2005 is still the most common one overall seen in the garden.

My life list now stands at 351.