Matt Ames

National Moth Week 2025 STARTS TODAY!
This year, photograph the littlest moths you can find -micro moths! Make sure you register your mothing activities www.nationalmothweek.org so we can include you in the project and send your certificate! #NationalMothWeek #MothWeek2025 #MothWeek

I did wonder if you had been using any lures that might have enticed the koenigi to your garden.
Lures are definitely interesting tools, but can be quite addictive!

Nice pics of a smart little moth. I've not had it to light before but it seems to come readily to Clearwing pheromone lures in suitable habitat (I've had it at VES, FOR and TAB) and even Box-tree lure.

Extinct moth rediscovered after 73 years by accident A Butterfly Conservation ecologist has spoken of her amazement after she accidentally rediscovered a moth that was thought to be extinct in England for 73 years.Rebecca Levey stumbled on an entire col...

butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...

Small Scallop in the garden yesterday whilst checking the empty pheromone trap. VC30

They look like Small Eggar larvae to me.

The micro looks like one of the Cnephasia species, which are mostly impossible to tell apart from external characteristics unfortunately.

Good luck with the search. From my experience this one can be really frustrating to find the cases of even with lots of feeding signs present. Worth searching the entire plant as sometimes the case can be either on the stem or a separate leaf with no windows, if that helps at all.

Anyone trapped near the Wisley area of Surrey and is there anything/anywhere particular to go or look out for moth wise? #teammoth

Just counted 1523 Luffia lapidella cases on a single wooden fence panel here in Bedfordshire! Like a miniature version of the herds of Wildebeest on the plains of the Serengeti. (Plus single Psyche casta case for good measure) #teammoth

That'll probably be Holm Oak (Quercus ilex). Old mines really stand out as they go very pale

If/when it ecloses I'll let you know, (tho I'm currently unable to post images on here at the moment for some reason which is frustrating so you'll probably have to just take my word for it). It's nice having these things to be looking forward to this time of year.

Good moth-wrangling skills there Martine!
I have a pupa I found on Pelargonium in the greenhouse recently, currently waiting for it to reveal it's true identity, Angle Shades is high on the possibility list :)

Could it be a flowering spike of Navelwort?

Screenshot of the Bucks Invertebrate Group website: BIG news NEW: Nocturnal Ichneumons – An Introduction This guide by Neil Fletcher provides an excellent introduction to the range of ichneumon wasps that are frequently seen in moth traps.

Many thanks to @neilmoths.bsky.social for compiling an excellent ID guide to nocturnal ichneumon #wasps and making it available via the Buckinghamshire Invertebrate Group website sites.google.com/site/bucksin... #MothTrapIntruders

Day1 #12DaysWild nice light out front in the morning, overwintering Little Egret hanging around and male Blackcap back in the garden. Last night's 3 male Winter Moths still on the wall along with Opilio canestrinii and probable Luffia lapidella case. VC30 #teammoth #MothsMatter

That's a real shame. At least if some do turn up you've provided them with a reason to stick around. Fingers crossed you get some :)

Blue Tits regularly roost in our sparrow boxes over the winter, even had one use a bat box before, no idea how it managed to squeeze in.

Great image Barry, nice to see the adult in such detail.

Nice find Andy, I've been looking for this one lately in places where I found the pupae earlier in the year, after I noticed there weren't any December records on the Agromyzidae website. Splitting the stems is like an entomological scratch card :)

Good point, I don't think we've had many frosts here so far this winter, yet..

Recent Lepidoptera finds in the garden over the last few nights, Agonopterix arenella found resting on the shed, and a small Old Lady larva on a water butt. Always worth a quick look with the torch this time of year especially on mild nights. VC30 #teammoth #MothsMatter

Surprised to find a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) in the bus stop today, I don't recall seeing one this time of year before. The Amaurobius sp. tucked up in the opposite corner is a more usual find in winter.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! Certainly not disappointed, just happy to get somewhere in the end, I'd been going round the houses with it. I just had a look at the Hoplodrina spp, dorsal markings and orange spots seems to fit well with Vine's. Thanks again :)

Very true, would be a new one for my 'self found' list tho I've seen several adults in the traps down there. Seems that part of Dorset is a stronghold for them.

Yep glad you've joined us Richard, and thanks Ruth, after some further research I'm thinking it might be Feathered Ranunculus, which was my original suspicion. Foodplant and location means it's the most likely candidate, but would be great to find out for certain.

Counted 12 Walnut Orb Weavers (Nuctenea umbratica) on the fence out front this evening, and a nicely marked male Mottled Umber was on the wall nearby.

No worries, thanks again. Whilst having a look at the moth you suggested I found a couple of useful European Lepidoptera websites which I'm sure will come in handy.

Thanks for the suggestion, I should have been more specific in my post and said Portland, Dorset. S. frugiperda has some European relatives which could be a possibility, especially given the coastal location. Feathered Ranunculus is also likely, being resident and known to use the foodplant..

That's stunning! I think it might be a Soldierfly, but I'm sure others will know for certain..