Oncocera semirubella x2

Oncocera semirubella, Luton, 21st July 2014. Only Bedfordshire's third (or perhaps fourth) record of this stunning micro moth.

Oncocera semirubella

Oncocera semirubella, Biggleswade, 21st July 2014.  Only Bedfordshires third (or perhaps fourth) record of this stunning micro moth.

Gold Spot

This photo really doesn't do this species any justice. They almost glow in the sunlight! One of the most striking moths in Britain.

Gold Spot- Upper Caldecote- 4th September 2013

Dotted Rustic and Dark Arches

Dotted Rustic, Biggleswade, 5th July 2013

Dark Arches of the form f. aethiops, Biggleswade, 7th July 2013

Autumn Colour!

Merveille du Jour

These 2 turned up in my Upper Caldecote trap 1st October. First ones seen since 2009.

Raising little beauties

It all started with Ma Lilac Beauty above, who was trapped at Marston Thrift on 25th June. She laid a batch of eggs, which hatched on 9th July. I lost quite a few of them. I think the larvae could be cannabalistic as a couple grew quite large, while others disappeared. In the end I ended up with six, which I separated and now five out of six have pupated with one still to go.

A couple of shots of the larvae, which are quite distinctive.

A couple of shots of pupae

If you are lucky a male will emerge, this one was trapped in Wales in July.

All photos by Melissa Banthorpe

Recurvaria leucatella new to Bedfordshire

This micro-moth turned up in our garden moth trap in Lower Stondon on 11th July. The id was confirmed by David Manning and he also confirmed that it was a new addition to the county list.

Its the wrong clearwing!

I went to Dunstable Downs today to try and get some clearwing records for the site using pheromone lures. My targets were Orange-tailed, Red-belted and Six-belted. I failed on all three but the VES lure which is used for Orange-tailed attracted a male Yellow-legged Clearwing instead. This is the species the lure is made for but it was still a surprise to get one at this site as it is a species of Oak stumps. The closest record is from Sewell Cutting in 1978 by Vic Chambers - also an odd site for the species.

Probably new for VC30......9th June 2011

After a coordinated night of moth trapping all around RSPB The Lodge. Two of these seemingly insignificant micro moth appeared on a vertical sheet. It is a RDB species and hasn't been seen in Bedfordshire since 1904, if these records are even reliable. Micro recorder David Manning is currently looking at a few more, so watch this space...........

799 Neofriseria singula

Denisia albimaculea new to Bedfordshire

The photo below is of a micro-moth that landed on the sheet at a mothing event at Ampthill Park on Saturday night 27th May 2011. It is Denisia albimaculea and is a new addition to the county list. Photo by Melissa Banthorpe.

An Emperor gets his wings

Andy checked the Emperor pupae on his way out to work this morning and this male had emerged from the pupa and was looking for somewhere to perch whilst inflating his wings. I took some photos as it happened and three are below.

Blossom Underwing - new to Bedfordshire

Peter Almond brought a moth that he caught in his garden moth trap last night (28th March) along to the Bird Club meeting tonight to show Melissa and I. We confirmed it as the county's first record of Blossom Underwing, Orthosia miniosa. Melissa has taken some photos and two of these are below. Superficially, to the untrained eye, it looks like an odd Common Quaker but if you are familiar with Blossom Underwing then the dark "saddle" and the very pale hindwings stand out. A very good catch and the second macro-moth species to be added to the county list in 2011.

Ectoedemia quinquella leafmines in Oak leaf

The scans below show an Oak leaf found at The Lodge, RSPB Sandy, today. It shows the characteristic leaf mines of Ectoedemia quinquella and there are seven mines in the leaf. This species typically mines Oak leaves in November and there are often many mines in an individual leaf. Scans by Andy Banthorpe.

Ectoedemia hannoverella mine in Black Poplar

The scan below is of the leaf mine of Ectoedemia hannoverella in a leaf of a black Poplar sp. This species was found new to Bedfordshire near Arlesey in November 2009 and was also found at that site in 2010. This leaf is from Chicksands Wood on 30th October 2010 and is the second site in the county for the species. Please look out for the characteristic mining pattern in the leaves of Black Poplar and report any to David Manning - with a photo for confirmation.
The adult moth lays the egg on the petiole of the leaf where it forms a gall by initial mining and then mines out into the leaf blade leaving a characteristic green island area once the rest of the leaf turns yellow. Scan by Andy Banthorpe

Pale Pinion



This was a welcome surprise in the garden, found by the children today after school.

Pale Pinion- Upper Cadecote- 4th October 2010

New to VC30 - Stigmella tiliae & Enteucha acetosae

Leafmining micro-moths added to the Bedfordshire (VC30) list in the last week were Stigmella tiliae and Enteucha acetosae.

Stigmella tiliae was found mining the leaves of a Lime tree in Lower Stondon on 23th August by Melissa Banthorpe and subsequently at Woburn Park, The Lodge RSPB Sandy and Ampthill Park by Melissa and Andy. All scans by Andy Banthorpe

Stigmella tiliae mine from Lower Stondon 23/08/10

Stigmella tiliae mine + larva from Ampthill Park 29/08/10

Enteucha acetosae was found mining the leaves of Sheep's Sorrel at Ampthill Park on 29th August by Melissa and Andy.

Small Ranunculus larvae

Below are two photos of the larvae of the macro-moth Small Ranunculus on Prickly Lettuce. The upper one was found on 14th August in Lower Stondon and the lower brown form found in Flitwick on 12th. Photos by Andy Banthorpe.

Red-necked Footman

This well-named red-necked Footman crawled out of the undergrowth in Potton Wood during a rainstorm today. Not recorded in the county since 1820, this is almost certainly a recent immigrant.

Green Silver-lines (Pseudoips prasinana)

Surprisingly few British moths are green. This is a strikingly marked example of one which is, the Green Silver-lines. The name says it all. This speciemen came to light in Potton Wood last night along with a second individual.

Brindled White-spot (Parectropis similaria)

This distictive geometrid species came to light in Potton Wood last night. It is regarded as local and uncommon in the county, and is the first record for the wood.