Mark Skevington🦋🦊🟢

Bah - scrub that, not a VC55 first as I've retrospectively found and verified a 2004 record. But no others for VC55 in the intervening period!

Scarce Umber (Agriopis aurantiaria). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 16/11/2025. NFY.

Splendid! Scarce Umber to my Whetstone 20W Actinic CFL in an outdoor light fitting last night (along with another Mottled Umber). This is only my fifth garden record, and the first since 2011 (x2 in 2001, x1 in 2002). #vc55moths #teammoth

Ectoedemia intimella on Salix sp. (sallow), Whetstone 11/11/2025.

Ectoedemia intimella on Salix sp. (sallow), Whetstone 11/11/2025.

It's getting a bit late in the year for leaf mine recording for me; not because there are no mines, more about dwindling daylight opportunities around work and weather windows. I was pleased to find Ectoedemia intimella locally today though on sallow, new dots/tetrad to boot. #vc55moths #teammoth

But you have retained it for gen det?

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi). Whetstone, Leics. (UK), 06/11/2025. NFY.

Ectoedemia argyropeza on Aspen. Aylestone Meadows, Leics. (UK), 07/11/2025.

Ypsolopha ustella. Whetstone, Leics. (UK), 06/11/2025. NFG.

Always sweet when December Moth finally appears in the garden trap, just the one amongst x19spp. over the last couple of nights which included a NFG (but moribund) Ypsolopha ustella. Out this morning for a Dusky Warbler and there were Aspen leaves everywhere (see alt text). #teammoth #vc55moths

It's too worn to reliably name from externals ....

Gypsonoma dealbana, larval feeding and tube on sallow (Salix sp.). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 26/10/2025.

Coleophora lusciniaepennella, tenanted larval case on sallow (Salix sp.). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 26/10/2025.

I had a very half-arsed look around some sallow early this afternoon whilst on a shopping errand. Failed to find my intended target (Ectoedemia intimella), but found larval workings of Gypsonoma dealbana and a tenanted larval case of Coleophora lusciniaepennella. #teammoth #vc55moths

Clocks have gone back, so as good a time as any to settle in #listeningto old #vinyl on a Sunday morning whilst verifying moth records. 'Oil On Canvas' by Japan, their live double LP swansong. 1983, Virgin Records, cat. VD2513.

Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 17/10/2025. NFY.

Struggling to pick up more than c15 species a night to my Whetstone garden trap now, back to the usual late autumn/winter numbers here. Grey-shoulder Knot the only NFY over the last couple of nights, and still missing some common late autumn species. #vc55moths #teammoth

Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 14/10/2025. NFY.

Merveille du Jour (Griposia aprilina). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 15/10/2025. NFY.

November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 14/10/2025. NFY.

A trio of NFY species to my Whetstone garden trap over the last couple of nights, amongst few moths of low diversity. Green-brindled Crescent nice to see as missed this last year, Merveille du Jour now seems annual in ones or twos, and November Moth agg. #teammoth #vc55moths

Ok, it's a rough cropped phone shot and but this Crimson Speckled was one of c15 on a cruise ship 08/10/2025 literally half way across the Med. between Palma de Mallorca and Cagliari Sardinia, along with an Old World Webworm and a couple of Humming-bird Hawk-moths. #teammoth

Stigmella oxyacanthella (and Lyonetia clerkella) on Prunus sp. (cherry). Lutterworth CP, Leics. (UK) 05/10/2025.

Stigmella assimilella on Aspen. Lutterworth CP, Leics. (UK) 05/10/2025.

A very early tenanted Ectoedemia argyropeza mine on Aspen. Lutterworth CP, Leics. (UK) 05/10/2025.

Parornix scoticella (and Phyllonorycter leucographella) on Rowan. Lutterworth CP, Leics. (UK) 05/10/2025.

A few more leafmine species found in a short stroll around Lutterworth CP yesterday pm included what I feel sure must be vacated Stigmella oxyacanthella on some sort of cherry, and a mess of a vacated Stigmella assimilella mine on Aspen - a relatively scarce find in VC55. #vc55moths #teammoth

Looks fine to me.

YouTube video by Skevdig Give Me Spice!

Here's a track I made using Behringer hardware synths sequenced from and recorded back into Fl Studio. If you're a fan of (or at least familiar with) the 1984 David Lynch version of Dune you'll recognise the sampled protagonist.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjYm...
#synth #electronica #dune #flstudio

This one only needs gen detting if eg adults to light; absolutely fine to record from the leafmine on Field Maple and Norway Maple without having to rear (though finding tenanted mines with the larva present is best from a purist listing perspective).

Believe the number of instars will vary, presumably clinally, depending on whether one or two years overwintering as larvae. Trust you realise these will need to be overwintered, that'll be the trickier bit.

Stigmella regiella, larva with two marks behind head. Aston Firs, Leics. (UK) 18/09/2025.

Ectoedemia atricollis, larva with dark head. Burbage Common, Leics. (UK) 18/09/2025.

A couple from hawthorn today in Leics. with Stigmella regiella a new one for me (confirmed via @vc28wildlife.bsky.social) and Ectoedemia atricollis the first I've found this year. Both tenanted mines which is pretty key for several hawthorn miners. #vc55moths #teammoth

Stigmella aceris, x4 vacated mines on a dark purple Norway Maple variant. Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 16/09/2025. The mines are barely visible until back-lit.

Whilst we were out at a local park yesterday with my young granddaughter, she saw me checking leaves and wanted to have a couple of different shapes/colours. I didn't notice until much later in the day that this dark purple Norway Maple variant had x4 Stigmella aceris mines. #vc55moths #teammoth

In what sense?

Firethorn Leaf-miner (Phyllonorycter leucographella) on Malus sp. (apple) left and Whitebeam right. Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 16/09/2025. Also found today on cultivated Firethorn (Pyracantha).

Phyllonorycter leucographella was presumably given the vernacular Firethorn Leaf-miner when it turned up here on Pyracantha, but the name seems increasingly irrelevant when it is found on several hosts. I often find it on hawthorn here, and today on apple and Whitebeam. #vc55moths #teammoth

Ectoedemia albifasciella, tenanted mines on oak. Narborough Bog, Leics. (UK) 16/09/2025.

Stigmella ruficapitella, tenanted mine on oak. Narborough Bog, Leics. (UK) 16/09/2025.

Stigmella basiguttella, vacated mine on oak. Narborough Bog, Leics. (UK) 16/09/2025.

Bucculatrix ulmella, vacated mines on oak. Narborough Bog, Leics. (UK) 16/09/2025.

A few from oak today; tenanted mines of Ectoedemia albifasciella and Stigmella ruficapitella, and vacated mines of Stigmella basiguttella and Bucculatrix ulmella. I also collected a few Phyllonorycter mines that will need rearing/checking. #vc55moths #teammoth

Brindled Green (Dryobotodes eremita). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 15/09/2025.

Lunar Underwing (Anchoscelis lunosa). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 15/09/2025.

I've not had my garden trap out for over a week thanks to weather/work, but I was intent on it going out last night regardless of the conditions. 33 of 11sp. was an unsurprisingly modest return, but included NFY Brindled Green and Lunar Underwing plus a Red (not blue) Underwing. #vc55moths #teammoth

Phyllocnistis unipunctella on a Populus sp., perhaps Balm-of-Gilead, or some other sort of Balsam Poplar / cottonwood hybrid. Enderby, Leics. (UK) 13/09/2025.

Here's a common miner on a less common host (at least here in VC55). This is Phyllocnistis unipunctella on a Populus hybrid (perhaps Balm-of-Gilead) from a local park where there are a few planted. These have big elongated spade-shaped leaves that are quite thick/tough. #vc55moths #teammoth

Been on the increase in eg Beds and further east I believe so one on my distant radar but wasn't expecting one any time soon.

Plumed Fan-foot (Pechipogo plumigeralis) new to VC55. Quorn, Leics. (UK) 12/09/2025 - recorded and photographed by Anthony Plummer.

News from VC55: Plumed Fan-foot new to VC list, recorded by Anthony Plummer to light in Quorn last night. His photo attached. #teammoth #vc55moths

Chrysoesthia sexguttella. Cosby, Leics. (UK) 13/09/2025.

Chrysoesthia drurella. Cosby, Leics. (UK) 13/09/2025.

From a load of mixed Chenopodium sp. and Atriplex sp. along an arable margin this morning, pretty sure these are all off of Fat-hen despite the apparent differences in leaf shape/size. Lots of tenanted Chrysoesthia sexguttella, and a few vacated/failed Chrysoesthia drurella. #vc55moths #teammoth

Def. Convolvulus - hope not your first!

Hmmm ....
Think I'd be putting that down as hohenwartiana agg. and hoping it was female for gen det.

Yes, can be limiting! That was one of my barriers for a good while.

A presumed tenanted (or failed) mine of Heliozella resplendella. The larva mines along veins and down the mid-rib. A completed mine will have an oval cut out just off of the mid-rib in the next 'panel' below the mine. Meridian Balancing Lagoon, Leics. (UK) 08/09/2025.

There are around 11spp. that can be found as leafmines on Alder, including x2 Stigmella spp. and x4 Phyllonorycter spp. (plus another on Grey Alder). I found an Alder a couple of days ago on which I failed to find any of these, and only found one mine - Heliozella resplendella. #vc55moths #teammoth