Mark Skevington🦋🦊🟢

Phyllonorycter pastorella, emerged 11/08/2025 from mine on Crack Willow collected 09/08/2025 from Blaby, Leics. (UK).

Phyllonorycter pastorella, emerged 11/08/2025 from mine on Crack Willow collected 09/08/2025 from Blaby, Leics. (UK).

As has been the case when I've previously collected mines of this species, this Phyllonorycter pastorella emerged today very soon after I collected the mine (Saturday 09/08/2025). #teammoth #vc55moths

Stigmella aceris on a colour form of Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Stigmella tiliae on lime (Tilia sp.). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Stigmella speciosa on Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Stigmella trimaculella on poplar (Populus sp.). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

A few more miners from a local park in south Leics., various Stigmella spp. (see alt text) #teammoth #vc55moths

Cheers.
Tagged you on a post from some time back. I use a USB powered LED panel that works a treat, I then just make the background a neutral grey in photoshop whilst putting the composite image of different shots together.

@dku1000.bsky.social

[Presumed] Phyllonorycter comparella on Populus. The actual host species is not clear as seem too large/big leaved for hybrid Black Poplar, but certainly not White, Grey, Aspen or Lombardy Poplar. Appears to be tenanted so should be able to confirm. Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Phyllonorycter pastorella on Crack Willow (Salix × fragilis). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Phyllonorycter stettinensis on Alder (Alnus glutinosa). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Phyllonorycter esperella on Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus). Blaby, Leics. (UK) 09/08/2025.

Headed out to a local park with a decent range of native and introduced trees late this afternoon to refresh myself on a few leafminers. I found a good number of species with one or two surprises, including what should be Phyllonorycter comparella on a Populus of some sort. #teammoth #vc55moths

🤣

Nah, seen a couple like this before - more surprised it was fresh after they'd all but dried up.

You've seen several Moth On/Off switches?

[Aberrant] Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 08/08/2025.

White-point (Mythimna albipuncta). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 06/08/2025. NFY.

Another relatively poor night last night, after a fairly duff outing on Wednesday night. A scruffy White-point and a Six-striped Rustic were NFY on Weds, and a fresh aberrant Heart and Dart was the only highlight last night. #teammoth #vc55moths

Come on, own up - who was it? #teammoth

A Bushnell Spacemaster ED with 22x WA eyepiece. For a small budget scope with a 60mm objective lens it was great for most stuff [maybe not seawatching in crappy weather, which I always hated anyway]. I still have it and image is still fine - not that I ever use it.

Some niche books are nicher than others. This one looks to be a cracking addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in British wildlife. Ordered!

It's more that different light types can be more/less effective for some species. If you ran an MV you might see a few more, but then again you may miss some that are more attracted to actinic. MV obviously more intrusive to neighbours in urban/suburban setting - I'm lucky on garden positioning.

If I had the time and energy (both limited in working week) I'd run both traps whenever I'm trapping. But if only running one, either trap is good in garden setting. MV just easier as the combo is falling to bits. eg: 11/07/3024, MV 282 of 78sp., combo 270 of 70sp.

Basic numbers for my Whetstone garden, Leics, (UK) Jan - July. The only aspect not included are odd daytime, larval and leafmine records. Worth remembering that I had a power failure overnight on 30/06/2025, on what was almost certainly the best night imaginable. Could easily have added another c800 moths and perhaps a couple of species if that had not happened.

With a bit of effort yesterday, I have my 2025 Whetstone garden records up to date. Most years I am way adrift by June and give up until the winter. It's fair to say this is nailed on to be my best ever year since I started recording here in 1999. Some basic numbers attached. #vc55moths #teammoth

Yes, f. nigra. I had one back in 2004, only one I've seen in 26yrs.

Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 29/07/2025. NFY.

Wax Moth also NFY here last night. These always remind me of Hedgehogs .... #vc55moths #teammoth

Vestal (Rhodometra sacraria). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 29/07/2025. NFY. A little uncooperative, ended up chasing this around the kitchen for half an hour.

Lesser Treble-bar (Aplocera efformata). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 29/07/2025. NFY.

Lesser Treble-bar (Aplocera efformata), female. Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 29/07/2025. NFY.

Epermenia falciformis. Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 29/07/2025. NFY, second garden record (first was in 2003).

Well this is a bit late to post last night's highlights, but there you go. More rain and fewer moths than hoped, but amongst the catch was a nice Vestal, along with Lesser Treble Bar and an Epermenia falciformis (first here since 2003). #vc55moths #teammoth

Caloptilia cuculipennella. Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 25/07/2025. NFY.

(worn) Blastobasis adustella. Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 25/07/2025.

The only highlight from my garden trap last night was this NFY Caloptilia cuculipennella - one which has been shown to be increasingly common in VC55 from leafmines/cones on Ash. I did pot up a putative Blastobasis vittata but, looking closely at it, it's a worn B. adustella. #vc55moths #teammoth

Dusky Sallow seems to be having a very good year in VC55.

Same, and equally think it's nonsensical to do that. But it's likely what everyone else is also doing for comparison. But even the old 'before butterflies / after butterflies' split is no longer relevant.

Yes, the 26yrs recording here is a major factor - but being closer to decent habitat would help. No idea what the biggest VC55 garden list is these days, might have a look over the winter.

20 butterfly species; not had a new one since c2011! Some I used to get have disappeared as the adjacent embankment turned from being rough grass to dense scrub (skippers, Small Heath, Wall!). I'm crap at recording butterflies though (even though they are dayflying moths).

I've had a tot up of my garden moth list, after the deluge of NFG in the last few weeks. The Small Mottled Willow last night brings the list up to a decent 794sp (356 macro/438 micro). I can't over-emphasize that my Leics. suburban garden is miles from decent habitat! #vc55moths #teammoth

Whenever I've found this there is usually a wide range in instars on the same plant.

I have recorded it in Leics. previously, and elsewhere, but it's like my garden was in the Bermuda Triangle.

Small Mottled Willow (Spodoptera exigua). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 24/07/2025.

My garden trap was out for the first night since Saturday; not a great deal in there (always feels like a bit of a lull after the end June/early July peak) but a long overdue NFG was the highlight. It's puzzling why it's taken 26yrs for a Small Mottled Willow to finally show up. #vc55moths #teammoth

Jersey Tiger is well established and quite common most southern areas now, including London.

Jersey Tiger.

Bryotropha senectella (gen. det.). Whetstone, Leics. (UK) 13/07/2025. NFG.

In the peak season, I point the camera at odd bits around the trap in the hour or so after dark before I head off to bed. Yesterday evening I came across one that I'd forgotten about, and found the specimen in the freezer. A bit drab, but Bryotropha senectella is belatedly NFG. #vc55moths #teammoth