Alastair Driver set the Robinson trap at Ali's Pond LNR in Sonning on 22nd and 23rd July: "I caught 47 macro species. New for my parish records were Slender Pug and Olive, new for my site records were Clouded Border, Dwarf Cream Wave and Lesser-spotted Pinion and new for my year records were Yellow Shell, Cloaked Minor, Common Carpet, Common White Wave, Ruby Tiger, Grey dagger agg, Fan-foot, White-spotted Pug, Sycamore and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. Micros to follow, once Peter Hall has checked my id of some of them."

David Redhead ran his garden moth trap (Littlemore, Oxon) last night, 22nd July: "It was the most prolific of the year to date with 190 macro-moths from 50 different species - just like "the good old days". Several additions to my 2008 garden list and the following appear to be new to the UTB 2008 list - Crescent, Least Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Lesser Yellow Underwing (first adult). The most numerous moth in the trap was a micro-moth, the Mother of Pearl with an estimated 290 and other identified micros put the grand total up to 501."

Peter Hall sent this update today: "Larvae of Striped Lychnis seen today (23rd July) in their stronghold near to High Wycombe. Also seen was Sitochroa palealis."

The following came from David Redhead on 22nd July: "The latest batch of HSBC volunteers trapping moths in Wytham Woods as part of the Earthwatch/Oxford University WildCRU project have produced another couple of firsts for the 2008 UTB list. A Maple Pug caught on 16th July and a Copper Underwing caught on 18th July. The Maple Pug was melanic and required Martin Townsend to examine its abdominal plates before he could be sure of its identity."

Jan Haseler sent this report on 22nd July: "The Reading and District Natural History Society moth-trapping event on Saturday 5th July, in the north-west facing field closest to the entrance to BBOWT's Hartslock Reserve, must have been the most sheltered place in the Thames Valley on a night of south-easterly gales. The 88 species identified included Kent Black Arches and Wood Carpet (new to the Upper Thames Branch 'All-time' list), plus Royal Mantle and The Shark."

Nigel Partridge sent the following records recently:
Platyptilia pallidactyla, 30-06-08, Loosley Row. Thanks to Peter Hall for confirming the ID.
Ypsolopha scabrella, 22-07-08, Loosley Row."

~ Saturday 19th July 2008 ~

Peter Hall sent the following reports: "I saw Udea lutealis on 18th July along Stocklake, Aylesbury. My garden moth trap in Ballinger Common on 13th July produced 82 species but nothing very exciting: Acentria ephemerella,Acleris holmiana,Agriphila straminella, Aphomia sociella,Archips podana,Athrips mouffetella, Batia lunaris,Batia unitella,Blastobasis lacticolella, Celypha lacunana,Chrysoteuchia culmella,Coleophora mayrella, Conobathra repandana,Crambus pascuella,Crambus perlella,Cydia pomonella,Ditula angustiorana, Eucosma cana,Hedya nubiferana,Lozotaenia forsterana,Pandemis heparana,Plutella xylostella, Pyrausta purpuralis,Rhopobota naevana,Udea olivalis,Udea prunalis,Ypsolopha dentella, Ypsolopha parenthesella,Beautiful Golden Y,Beautiful Hook-tip,Brimstone Moth,Buff Arches, Buff Footman,Buff-tip,Burnished Brass,Clouded Border,Common Emerald,Common Footman,Common Rustic, Common White Wave,Coxcomb Prominent,Dark Arches,Dingy Footman,Double Square-spot,Double-striped Pug, Dun-bar,Early Thorn,Engrailed,Fan-foot,Flame,Flame Carpet,Flame Shoulder,Green Pug,Heart & Club, Heart & Dart,July Highflyer,Large Yellow Underwing,Light Emerald,Mottled Beauty,Nutmeg, Pebble Prominent,Peppered,Poplar Hawk,Purple Clay,Riband Wave,Rustic,Scalloped Oak,Short-cloaked, Silver Y,Single-dotted Wave,Small Emerald,Small Fan-footed Wave,Smoky Wainscot,Snout,Spectacle, Straw Dot,Swallow-tailed,Tawny Marbled Minor,Uncertain,Vapourer,Wormwood Pug and Yellow-tail."

Nigel Partridge recorded the following in Loosley Row, Bucks recently:
Haworth's Pug, 16-07-08, Catoptria falsella, 16-07-08, Small Ranunculus, 18-07-08, plus one that I must have missed sending in - Caloptilia syringella on 10-05-08. Thanks to Peter Hall for confirming some of these."

Adam Bassett ran another trap in his Marlow Bottom garden on 15th July: "A more successful trap on the 15th - nothing new, but the volume and variety is up! Small Magpie, Mother of Pearl, Bee Moth, Clay Triple-lines, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Riband Wave, Garden Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, The Fern, Dark Umber, Foxglove Pug, The Magpie (first adult), Brimstone Moth, Lilac Beauty, August Thorn, Early Thorn, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Swallow-tailed Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, The Engrailed, Common White Wave, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Lobster Moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Vapourer, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, Buff Footman, Common Footman, The Flame, The Clay, The Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Common/Lesser Rustic, The Uncertain, The Rustic, Pale Mottled Willow, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, The Snout, The Fan-foot and Small Fan-foot. Other micros identified: Endotricha flammealis, Carcina quercana, Diamond-back moth, Twenty plume moth, Acleris cristana, Archips podana, Agapeta hamana and Orthopygia glaucinalis."

Dave Wilton found that Finemere Wood, Bucks produced a pleasing collection of moths on 14th July: "More than 300 macros were trapped from the following species: Lackey, Drinker, Lappet, Peach Blossom, Buff Arches, Large Emerald, Common Emerald, Small Fan-footed Wave, Small Scallop, Riband Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Barred Yellow, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Barred Rivulet, Green Pug, V-Pug, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Swallow-tailed Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, Round-winged Muslin, Scarce Footman, Common Footman, Buff Footman, Short-cloaked Moth, Large Yellow Underwing, Gothic, Smoky Wainscot, Common Wainscot, Minor Shoulder-knot, Poplar Grey, Lesser-spotted Pinion, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Light Arches, Clouded Brindle, Dusky Brocade, Marbled Minor agg, Mere Wainscot, Uncertain, Rustic, Marbled White Spot, Scarce Silver-lines, Burnished Brass, Plain Golden Y, Spectacle, Blackneck, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, Snout and Small Fan-foot. Pick of the bunch for me were the Lappet and Large Emerald (always nice to see) even though the Lesser-spotted Pinion was a first-timer to my trap. The micros added another 150 moths from about 50 species but identification is still 'work in progress'! The only one that I can see may be new to the UTB list so far is the giant tineid Morophaga chloragella which has a wing-span in excess of 30mm. Additions from my garden at Westcott, Bucks have included Limnaecia phragmitella (4th July) and Nephopterix angustella (10th July), while others from a trapping session with Peter Hall at Chinkwell Wood, Bucks on 10th July were Ancylis achatana, Argyresthia goedartella, Assara terebrella, Caloptilia stigmatella and Helcystogramma rufescens."

Tom Stevenson sent this news on 15th July: "Thought you might be interested in the attached photo of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth resting during its attempted escape from my conservatory this evening. I had to help it out with a fishing net eventually!"

Hummingbird Hawk-moth Photo © Tom Stevenson

~ Saturday 28th June 2008 ~

This news just received from Derek Brown: "I'm now up to 118 species for the year, 12 completely new so far taking the garden (Beenham, Berks) list to 275. The only ones I have that don't seem to be on your list are Lilac Beauty, (indoors 22/6), Small Fan-footed Wave (27/6), Common Emerald (28/6) and Short-cloaked Moth (28/6). I've also attached a picture of only my second Eyed Hawk Moth (15/6) that I thought you might like."

Eyed Hawk-moth Photo © Derek Brown

Peter Hall sent the results of two recent moth traps in his garden in Ballinger Common, Bucks:
20/06/08: Brimstone Moth,Broken-barred Carpet,Buff Ermine,Clouded Silver,Common Footman, Common Marbled Carpet,Dark Arches,Double Square-spot,Flame,Flame Carpet,Green Arches, Heart & Club,Heart & Dart,Ingrailed Clay,Larch Pug,Large Yellow Underwing,Middle-barred Minor, Nutmeg,Purple Clay,Setaceous Hebrew Character,Shoulder-striped Wainscot,Silver Y,Small Emerald, Snout,Straw Dot,Treble Lines,Vine's Rustic,Willow Beauty,Aleimma loeflingiana,Celypha lacunana, Chrysoteuchia culmella,Cydia pomonella,Epiphyas postvittana,Eurrhypara hortulata,Hedya nubiferana, Hedya pruniana,Pandemis corylana,Pandemis heparana,Tortrix viridana and Udea olivalis.
23/06/08: Barred Straw,Beautiful Golden Y,Brimstone Moth,Buff Arches,Buff Ermine, Burnished Brass,Clouded Border,Clouded Silver,Common Footman,Common Marbled Carpet, Common White Wave,Flame,Flame Shoulder,Garden Carpet,Green Pug,Heart & Club,Heart & Dart, Ingrailed Clay,Large Yellow Underwing,Light Arches,Light Emerald,Mottled Beauty, Orange Footman,Plain Golden Y,Poplar Hawk,Riband Wave,Rustic,Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shears,Short-cloaked,Shoulder-striped Wainscot,Snout,Straw Dot,Treble Lines,Uncertain, Willow Beauty,Archips podana,Celypha lacunana,Chrysoteuchia culmella,Crambus pascuella, Epiphyas postvittana,Eurrhypara hortulata,Hedya nubiferana,Pandemis cerasana, Prays fraxinella and Udea olivalis.
"Also, a second batch of Mullein caterpillars are nearing pupation here at Ballinger Common, leaving my Verbascum thapsus a tattered mess!”

27th June - A few more moths seen in Aylesbury recently by Dave Maunder were: "Puss moth larvae (7, all 4th stage), all feeding on Sallows in a field close to my house (24th); also Buff Ermine (1); Willow Beauty (1); Yellow Shell (2); Barred Yellow (1); Bee moth (1); Small Dusty Wave (1) and Large Nutmeg (1) - all on 26th June."

Dave Wilton sent his latest moth update on 27th June: "Further moths that I've seen recently which may still be additional to the UTB list are as follows: Celypha striana, Lackey (first adult) and Varied Coronet all to light in the garden at Westcott, Bucks on 19th June, Udea prunalis and Dingy Shears both trapped at Westcott on 20th June, Common Emerald to light at Kingswood, Bucks on 23rd June, Orange Moth seen at Waterperry Wood, Oxon on 24th June and Acleris bergmanniana, Hedya salicella and Small Dotted Buff trapped in BBOWT's River Ray reserves, Bucks on 24th June. Other items of note at Westcott recently have included Small Angle Shades (20th June), which was another addition to my all-time garden list, and the oddly-marked Peppered Moth illustrated below (21st June). Darker forms of the Peppered Moth have appeared in the trap in past years but this is the first time I've seen one that is lighter than normal! The Orange Moth at Waterperry Wood (a female) came as a very pleasant surprise. This large geometer was found flying along the main ride in the middle of the day, looking from a distance a bit like an odd-coloured Brimstone. Several attempts to photograph her were not particularly successful as she insisted on hanging upside-down from grass stems every time she settled, before finally disappearing into the tree-tops when she'd had enough of me chasing her around!"

An amendment to Nick Asher's report for Inkpen Common, 20th June: Scoparia pyralella was actually S. ambigualis. Scoparia pyralella has therefore been removed from the UTB 2008 species list.

An addition to David Redhead's moth trap report for 24th June (below): "I've just realised that the moth trap I ran on 24th June should have included Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing."

Tim & Colleen Watts reported the following on 26th June: "We've just seen (6:30 pm on 26/06/08) our first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of year, nectaring on Red Valarium in our Whitchurch (Bucks) garden."

Chris Brown surveys Kennylands Field (Sonning Common) and sent the following on 26th June: "I was pleased for once to get a couple of minutes of video close up of these Forester Moths and have grabbed a frame for the UTB web site."

Forester moths Photo © Chris Brown

David Redhead sent this report on 26th June: "I saw my first Silver-Y of the year flying with the Meadow Browns and Ringlets in Rivermead Nature Park, Oxford. I thought website visitors might be interested in the picture below of the Conversaria form of the Mottled Beauty, caught by the HSBC Bank/Earthwatch volunteers in Wytham Woods on Monday 23rd/Tuesday 24th night - never having seen one before its identification had me stumped at first. I am told this form is not that common in our area but I managed to catch one in my garden moth trap a couple of nights later. Do other contributors see it at all?"

Mottled Beauty f. conversaria Photo © David Redhead

Gerry Kendall sent this news on 23rd June: "We have good numbers of Scarlet Tiger Moths in our garden in South Oxford, about a mile from the City Centre. This evening there were half a dozen, fluttering round our loganberry."

~ Wednesday 25th June 2008 ~

David Redhead ran his garden moth trap, in Littlemore, Oxon, on 21st and 24th June: "Not surprisingly, since it was the warmest night of the year to date with a minimum temperature of 13.7C, last night's overnight garden moth trap produced my best return to date for 2008 with 109 macro-moths from 43 species. They included seven additions to my 2008 list and a previous trap, on the 21st, added 3 species:
21/06 : Barred Yellow, Dun-bar, Ghost Moth
24/06 : Barred Straw, Buff-tip, Common Wainscot, Drinker, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Riband Wave, Satyr Pug (Satyr Pug confirmed by Martin Townsend)."

Thomas Merckx sent this news on 25th June: "I had one Pale Shining Brown at Stonesfield, Oxon. They hence seem to be a week later than the two previous years at these sites."

Nick Asher sent the following report on 25th June: "Berkshire Moth Group held a moth trapping evening at Inkpen Common on Friday 20th June. Three traps were deployed in the paddock at the western end of the Common until 1.00am on an evening of light rain. 61 species were recorded, of which the following are as yet not included on the UTB 2008 list: Hedya nubiferana (Marbled Orchard Tortrix), Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana), Cydia fagiglandana, Lozotaeniodes formosanus, Scoparia pyralella, Dipleurina lacustrata, Epinotia bilunana, Larch Pug, Sharp-angled Peacock, Small Emerald and True Lover's Knot Most common species were Straw Dot and Green Oak Tortrix."
[Amendment 28/6 - Scoparia pyralella was actually S. ambigualis. Scoparia pyralella has therefore been removed from the UTB 2008 species list.]

On 25th June Dave Maunder sent some recent sightings from Aylesbury: "Mullein moth larvae (36) - 24 on my garden mullein, 12 on nearby dark mullein on 6th June; Vapourer moth larvae (2), on my garden Birch on 16th June; and on 24th June my garden m.v. trap pulled in:- Leopard Moth (1); Ghost swift (1, female); Buff Ermine (1); Large Nutmeg (13); Heart and Dart (16); Broad-barred White (1); The Rustic (2); Cabbage moth (1); Bright-line Brown-eye (4); Common Wainscot (2); Flame moth (1); Large Yellow Underwing (1); Marbled minor agg. (7); Swallow-tailed Moth (1); Garden Carpet (1); Green Pug (1), and Small Magpie (1)."

On 22nd June Tom Stevenson sent these unusual photos: "It might be fairly common but I have never seen it before. In a small patch of Borage alongside a footpath in Benson Village, Oxon I counted 28 of these Scarlet Tigers. A photo of three stages of emergence is below."

Scarlet Tiger emergence Photo © Tom Stevenson

On the morning of Thursday 19th David Redhead assisted the second batch of Earthwatch volunteers from HSBC Bank, who are helping Oxford University Wild CRU study the effects of habitat fragmentation and climate change on woodland species, identify the contents of their six 6W Heath traps they had set up in Wytham Woods near Oxford. Over 30 species of macro-moth were caught and the numbers of Lobster Moth and Green Arches were notable. A single Drinker moth was an addition to the UTB 2008 list.

Nigel Partridge sent the following moth sightings from his Loosley Row garden recently: Blastobasis lacticolella (formerly B.decolorella), on 12-06-08, Fern on 20-06-08, Chrysoteuchia culmella on 16-06-08, Paraswammerdamia albicapitella on 20-06-08, Magpie (larva) on 21-06-08 and finally, a new one for the list and a new species for our garden: Broad-barred White, on 23-06-08. Thanks to Peter Hall for helping with some of the id's."

David Redhead ran his garden moth trap in Littlemore, Oxon, on 19th June: "It added six macro-moth species to my 2008 garden list - Common White Wave, Double Square-spot, Light Arches, Mottled Rustic, Peach Blossom, Privet Hawk-moth and Small Fan-foot. Also two new micro-moth additions to my all time garden list - the Bramble Shoot Moth/Epiblema uddmanniana and Phlyctaenia perlucidalis, the latter being caught earlier in the week but just identified by Martin Townsend. Later this morning Wendy came across our first garden Scarlet Tiger Moth of the year."

~ Thursday 19th June 2008 ~

On Thursday 19th June Mick & Wendy Campbell were looking for butterflies in Bernwood Meadow and saw their first Six-Spot Burnets (2) of the season.

This update came from Dave Wilton on 18th June: "Catching up on recent sightings which may still be new to the UTB list, my garden trap at Westcott, Bucks has produced: Elophila nymphaeata/Brown China-mark and Dusky Brocade (4th June), Chrysoteuchia culmella, Phlyctaenia perlucidalis and Heart & Club (6th June), Emmetia marginea, Lyonetia clerkella/Apple Leaf Miner, Ditula angustiorana/Red-barred Tortrix and Dioryctria abietella (9th June) and Dot Moth and Mottled Rustic (16th June). Elsewhere, at Finemere Wood, Bucks I trapped Epermenia falciformis, Peach Blossom and Bordered White on 7th June and found daytime-flyer Aphelia paleana/Timothy Tortrix there on 9th June, while Crambus perlella and Myelois circumvoluta/Thistle Ermine were daytime flyers at Seven Barrows, Berks also on 9th June. The most pleasing event of late was the arrival of the garden's first Privet Hawk-moth on 16th June, taking my macro-moth list for Westcott up to 335 species since I started trapping here in 2005."

Privet Hawk-moth Photo © Dave Wilton

David Redhead found 16th June a slightly warmer night (min 9.4C) than his last trap: "It increased the macro-moth count in my overnight garden moth trap (Littlemore, Oxon) back into the fifties with 57 moths from 27 species. An addition to my all time garden list was a pristine Blue-bordered Carpet and additions to my 2008 list were singletons of Heart & Club, Light Emerald, Setaceous Hebrew Character and Round-winged Muslin."

Jan Haseler sent the following report on 17th June: "On Saturday 14th June, Reading and Disrict Natural History Society had a recording day at Withymead Nature Reserve, on the north bank of the Thames between Goring and South Stoke. Moth traps were run on the board walk next to the marsh and the 38 species identified included: Ghost Moth, Donacaula forficella, Oblique Carpet, Grey Pug, Eyed Hawk-moth, Round-winged Muslin, Nutmeg, Mottled Rustic and Pinion-streaked Snout."

Nigel Partridge sent this update on 16th June: "One more moth that wasn't on the list last time I looked: Ghost Moth, 13-06-08, Loosley Row.

David Redhead ran a garden moth trap in Littlemore, Oxon, on 14th June: "I added Buff Arches, Green Pug, Eyed Hawk Moth and Uncertain to my 2008 list. The lowest numbers of my four attempts in June with only 38 macros from 22 species, but the coldest night of the four with minimum temperature of 7.4C, the other three ranged from 8.9 - 12.8C. I also had my first Large Yellow Underwings of the year - not in the moth trap but two put up whilst mowing the lawn earlier in the evening. Then today (15th) an early morning dog walk produced a Green Carpet in Rivermead Nature Park and an afternoon walk in the grassland above the house a Straw Dot and my first Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet of the year."

Mark Calway sent the following news on 14th June: "Attached is a photo of a pair of Hornet Moths. It was taken this morning, Saturday 14th June near Reading town centre. This year's first sightings in Berkshire that I am aware of were three males on 6th June. I have seen a fresh pupal case in one area (ie evidence of recent emergence), this mating pair (see photo below) at 9:00am in another area, another 2 recently emerged adults in yet another area along with a male patrolling for females."

Tom Stevenson ran his 25w BB moth trap in his Benson garden on 14th June and recorded: Elephant Hawk-moth, Heart and Dart (10), Treble Lines, Buff Ermine, Shears (4), Poplar Grey, Evergestis forficalis (Garden Pebble) and Common Footman.

Dave Maunder ran his garden m.v. in Aylesbury on 9th June: "I caught:- Pine Hawk-moth (1); Poplar Hawk-moth (1); White Ermine (2); Pale Tussock (2); Large Nutmeg (12); Rustic Shoulder-knot (4); Large Yellow Underwing (2); Angle Shades (1); Common Rustic (1); Treble Lines (1); Flame moth (1); Heart and Dart (6); Snout moth (2); Middle-barred Minor (1); Marbled Minor agg. (12); Sandy Carpet (1); Common Carpet (1); Common Marbled Carpet (2); Brimstone moth (1); Straw Dot (3); Garden Pebble (1); Small Magpie (1). On the following day (10th June) I found a Lackey moth larva crawling on a fence in Fowler road - quite a scarce species in this area, I think these days!"

Lackey moth larva Photo © Dave Maunder

Keith Mitchell's midweek trap on 11th June in his Stoke Goldington (Bucks) garden produced the following moths: Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Magpie (3), Middle-barred Minor (2), Marbled Minor Agg (9), Heart and Dart (12), Buff Ermine (3), Rustic shoulder-knot (3), Chrysoteuchia culmella, Treble Lines (2), Small Square Spot, Mottled Rustic, Large Nutmeg, Udea olivalis, Common Marbled Carpet, Flame Shoulder and Common Swift (3)."

Small Elephant Hawk-moth Photo © Keith Mitchell

Tom & Ian Stevenson ran an overnight trap at Ewelme Watercress Beds (SU641916) on 9th June 2008: "Two traps were used, both home made "Skinner", the first with a 125w MV bulb and the second with a 25w Blacklight Blue energy saving bulb. I was amazed to catch 4 species of Hawks! - photos below. The full list was: Elephant Hawk-moth 1, Lime Hawk-moth 1, Eyed Hawk-moth 1, Privet Hawk-moth 1, Figure of 80 2, Oligia sp. 10, Buff Ermine 6, Pale Tussock 1, Treble-bar 1, Willow Beauty1, Bright-line Brown Eye 2, Common Wainscot 3, Flame Shoulder 1, Flame 1, Heart and Dart 4, Large Yellow Underwing 1, Nutmeg 3, Setaceous Hebrew Character 2, Shoulder-striped Wainscot 3, Treble Lines 7, White Ermine 1, Rustic Shoulder-knot 1, Scorched Wing 1, Vine's Rustic 1, Large Nutmeg 3, Middle-barred Minor 2, Common Marbled Carpet 1, Scopariid (sp) 1, Small Square-spot 2."

~ Sunday 15th June 2008 ~

David Redhead has been doing some catching up since his return from a week's holiday last Saturday, 7th June: "I've run three overnight garden moth traps, which averaged 50 macro-moths per night and added 29 species to my 2008 list taking it through the century barrier to a grand total of 106. One almost certain addition to the UTB 2008 list is the Obscure Wainscot with a singleton caught on National Moth night, 7th June, and the following night. Other possible candidates, compared to the listing updated to 5th June, are Beautiful Hook-tip, Burnished Brass, Fan-foot (7th), Grey Pug, Plain Golden Y (7th), Treble Brown Spot and Willow Beauty. Also some more readily identifiable micros which may be additions to the UTB list : Pandemis cerasana/Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix, Clepsis spectrana/Cyclamen Tortrix (9th) and Perinephela lancealis (9th). I've included a photo of the Figure of Eighty as I thought it was a rather well marked specimen."

Ian Stevenson (BBOWT) sent the following moth records on 11th June: "At work (Warburg Nature Reserve, Oxon) today, 11th, we had two nice sightings. The first being a Red-necked Footman, and the second a Privet Hawk-moth (resting on a fencepost which we were trying to remove)."

Peter Hall ran a moth trap at a BBOWT reserve in the Chilterns on Monday night 9th June: “A total of 4 Red-necked Footman moths were recorded at this site. In 2006 2 of these moths were also trapped here indicating possible breeding status for this species in the county. This moth could possibly be following in the footsteps of the Orange Footman which started appearing in small numbers at specific sites back around 2002. Experts said they were migrants but by 2004 it was turning up everywhere. So, I’m wondering if the Red-necked is doing the same and we shall have to wait and see what records come in this year and the following years. Other species new to this year's UTB Species List were: Argyresthia conjugella, Beautiful Golden Y, Clay Triple-lines, Epiblema uddmanniana, Green Arches and Pseudargyrotoza conwagana."

Red-necked Footman Photo © Peter Hall

On 9th June David Redhead recorded the following: "Tortrix viridana or 'Green Oak Roller' in one of the oak trees at Slade Camp (part of Shotover Country Park and bordering Brasenose Wood)."

Keith Mitchell, Stoke Goldington, sent the following on 8th June: "I had Eyed, Poplar and Elephant Hawk-moths in my Skinner Trap on Friday night, 6th June, but more interestingly I found 11 male Aphomia sociella (Bee Moth) clustered together in the corner of my compost heap on Sunday afternoon, 8th June."

Alastair Driver ran his Robinson trap on National Moth Night - 7th June: "At home in my garden in Sonning, Berks, I caught 14 macro species of which Willow Beauty, Mottled Pug, Green Pug, Heart & Dart, Straw Dot and Marbled Minor agg. were all new for my yearlist. The highlight however was a Mullein Wave in good condition (see photo below). This is a first for my parish records and I note that it has not appeared on UTB's yearlists since you started the web-based lists in 2004. Many thanks to Peter Hall and colleagues for confirming the i.d. Suitably enthused, I set the trap in the garden again the next night - 8th June - and caught 22 species, of which the following were new for my yearlist: White Ermine, Buff Ermine, Beautiful Hook-tip, Large Nutmeg, Middle-barred Minor, Least Carpet, Common Wainscot, Shoulder-striped Wainscot and Buff-tip."

Mullein Wave Photo © Alastair Driver

Peter Hall sent the National Moth Night (7th June) results for his garden in Ballinger Common, Bucks: Angle Shades, Beautiful Golden Y, Brimstone Moth, Broken-barred Carpet, Brown Silver-line, Buff Ermine, Celypha lacunana, Common Marbled Carpet, Common Wainscot, Elephant Hawk, Eurrhypara hortulata, Flame Shoulder, Green Carpet, Grey Pug, Heart & Dart, Ingrailed Clay, Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor, Mottled Pug, Orange Footman, Pale Oak Beauty, Prays fraxinella, Scorched Wing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Silver-ground Carpet, Small Fan-foot, Small Square-spot, Straw Dot, Treble Brown Spot, Treble Lines, Udea olivalis, White Ermine, Willow Beauty and Yellow-barred Brindle.

National Moth night, 7th June - Peter Hall & Martin Albertini ran moth traps at an orchard in Swan Bottom, Bucks, with the following results: "Marbled Minor, Coleophorids, Cnephasia’s, Grey Dagger and Pugs were determined by dissection: Common Swift, Psyche casta, Plutella xylostella, Plutella porrectella, Coleophora laricella, Coleophora striatipennella, Ptycholoma lecheana, Eulia ministrana, Cnephasia asseclana, Cnephasia incertana, Celypha lacunana, Hedya pruniana, Eucosma hohenwartiana, Eucosma cana, Crambus lathoniellus, Scoparia ambigualis, Eurrhypara hortulata, Udea olivalis, Flame Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Green Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Grey Pug, Plain Pug, Green Pug, Small White Wave, Small Seraphim, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, Peppered, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Pale Oak Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, White-pinion Spotted, Clouded Silver, Elephant Hawk, Small Elephant Hawk, Lobster, Marbled Brown, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, White Ermine, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Light Brocade, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Wainscot, Grey Dagger, Small Angle Shades, Angle Shades, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Large Nutmeg, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor, Treble Lines, Marbled White Spot, Green Silver-lines, Nut-tree Tussock, Beautiful Golden Y, Spectacle, Straw Dot and Small Fan-foot."

Brimstone Photo © Peter Hall	Elephant Hawk-moth Photo © Peter Hall	Green Silver-lines Photo © Peter Hall

Jan Haseler sent a report of the Berkshire Moth Group's National Moth Night (7th June) event at Waltham Place, Berks. The following moths are new to the UTB 2008 Species List: Agapeta hamana, Aglossa pinguinalis (Large Tabby), Aleimma loeflingiana, Ancylis mitterbacheriana, Archips xylosteana (Variegated Golden Tortrix), Barred Yellow, Batia unitella, Beautiful Hook-tip, Blotched Emerald, Choristoneura hebenstreitella, Cnephasia stephensiana (Grey Tortrix), Cryptoblabes bistriga, Dark Arches, Elegia similella (aka Microthrix similella), Ephestia parasitella unicolorella, Eucosma cana, Eudonia pallida, Light Emerald, Lozotaenia forsterana, Netted Pug, Pandemis cerasana (Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix), Parapoynx stratiotata (Ringed China-mark), Riband Wave, Taleporia tubulosa, Tinea semifulvella, Tortrix viridana (Green Oak Tortrix) and Willow Beauty
Click here to read the full report.

Nigel Partridge sent a few more sightings from Loosley Row, Bucks, on 9th & 10th June:
"31/5/08 - Nemapogon cloacella - thanks to Martin Albertini for confirming the ID
National Moth Night, 7/6/08 - Treble Brown Spot
8/6/08 - Reddish Light Arches
9/6/08 - Netted Pug."

Mick & Wendy Campbell ran their Bucks garden moth trap for a couple of hours on National Moth Night, Saturday 7th June: "20 species were identified: White Ermine, Marbled Minor agg, Heart & Dart, Clouded Silver, Grey/Dark Dagger, Brimstone, Elephant Hawk-moth, Straw Dot, Spectacle, Burnished Brass, Angle Shades, Peppered Moth, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Bright-line Brown-Eye, Eurrhypara hortulata (Small Magpie), Figure of Eighty, The Flame, Green Pug and Large Nutmeg."

National Moth Night, Saturday 7th June - Lynne & Colin Lambert had a moth trap in their garden in Cheddington, Bucks: "We caught one of each: Garden Carpet, Spectacle, Treble Lines, Pale Mottled Willow, Marbled Minor agg, and 2 Large Nutmegs."

Thomas Merckx sent this report on 8th June: "On the 7th June I saw a group of 10 or so what looked like very freshly emerged Scarlet Tigers. They were all fluttering around a tree in the centre of Charlbury, Oxon. Spectacular animals!"

Dave Wilton sent this interesting news on 5th June: "I found a small colony of five-spotted burnet moths active in the Greatmoor area of mid-Bucks on 5th June. Until now, the accepted wisdom has been that in our area these must be Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets (Zygaena lonicerae). However, the opinion of Dr Gerry Tremewan (the expert on burnets) is that this particular colony at least is undoubtedly Five-spot Burnet (Zygaena trifolii) and that the mating pair illustrated below are both f. minoides, a well-known form of the species with confluent spots. The reasons for this are the early flight date, the fact that all five of the moths seen had fused spots (common in Z.trifolii but very rare in Z.lonicerae) and the fact that the female of the pair presented me with a "mound" of eggs two days later. It does not appear to have been widely circulated that a clear distinguishing feature between the two species is that the female Z.lonicerae always lays her eggs in a single layer while the female Z.trifolii always lays her eggs in an irregular heap of several layers."

Five-spot Burnet f. minoides Photo © Dave Wilton

On 5th June Malcolm Brownsword saw the following at Seven Barrows (BBOWT) in Berks (20C, cloudy): The Forester 10 and Fox Moth 1.

The Forester Photo © Malcolm Brownsword

~ Thursday 5th June 2008 ~

Keith Mitchell, Stoke Goldington, sent this moth report on 4th Jun