I ran my 20wUV Skinner Type Moth trap overnight in my Melbourne garden on 31st March 2025 – results are as follows: Agonopterix arenella -NFY (1); Brindled Beauty -NFY (3); Double-striped Pug -NFY (1); Clouded Drab -NFY (3); Common Quaker (14); Hebrew Character (3)
A new micro moth species has been recorded for the VC57 & Derbyshire, a Caloptilia falconipennella – Dark Alder Stilt. It was attracted to a MVLight Trap on 24th March 2025 at Long Clough NR, Glossop and recorded by Christian Heintzen. A rare species and one that over winters and is on the wing in early
Christian Heintzen recorded his first male Emperor Moth of the year today (24th March 2025) on the moors near Glossop. The moth came to EMP Lure and settled in the heather. A stunning moth and the season for them has only just started. This appears to be the first one for the VC57 of the
I ran my 20W actinic moth trap overnight on 20th March 2025 from my garden in Melbourne, Derbyshire – Results are as follows – Oak Beauty (5); March Moth (9 males); Engrailed/Small Engrailed NFY (1); Common Quaker (15); Hebrew Character (5); Small Quaker (1); Common Plume (1) – 7 species/ 37 moths
Clive Ashton recorded a Dark Sword-grass from his overnight garden moth trap in Cromford, 20th March 2025 – A very early record of this species in the county and almost certainly a migrant.
One of our verifiers accepted a record of 39.005 – Chrysoclista linneella (Lime Flame) from Matlock 23/6/2024, that was submitted to iRecord. At the time it was thought to be the first account of this species since 1863. Whilst I was updating species pages, I discovered two previous records that have recently been submitted to
I ran my 20W Actinic moth trap overnight on 8th March 2025 in my garden, Melbourne, South Derbyshire. Results as follows – Oak Beauty (6); Hebrew Character (2); Early Grey (1), Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume) (1); Acleris schalleriana (1); Epiphyas postvittana (Light-brown Apple Moth) (1); Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella agg (2), were all NFY, plus March Moth
I ran my 20W Actinic moth trap overnight on 6th March 2025 from my garden in Melbourne, Derbyshire, results were – 1 Yellow Horned (New for the garden); 1 March Moth; 1 Common Quaker; 1 Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella agg:
This months Moth of the Month goes to the Spring Usher, one of the harbingers of spring. Dave Evans and Christian Heintzen were the only moth-ers to have recorded this species in February. The moth is very variable in colour, ranging from black and white to brown and orange, to a drab grey brown. Can
I ran my 20W Actinic Moth Trap in my garden overnight on 22nd February 2025, results were – 1 Agonopterix heracliana; 2 Dotted Border, 1 March Moth, 1 Common Quaker.
This months Moth of the Month goes to Nikki Mahadevan, who recorded the only macro moth species during January. It was a Dotted Border of the form fuscata. Nikki ran her 20W actinic in her garden at Shirland on 14th January. The trap produced a nil return, but the Dotted Border was discovered on a wall behind
This months Moth of the Month goes to Christian Heintzen from Glossop, who recorded a fresh example of Acleris hastiana on 31st December 2024. whilst running his final moth trap of the year at Long Clough. There are only a handful of this scarce and variable coloured tortrix species in the county. This one is
I ran my garden 20w actinic light trap overnight on 30th November 2024 – results were 1 December Moth, 2 Epiphyas postvittana (Light-brown Apple Moth) 1 Acleris schalleriana:
I ran my 20w Actinic Moth Trap from my garden in Melbourne, overnight on 4th November 2024 – results were my very first garden Merveille du Jour; 3 Red-green Carpet, 1 Epiphyas postvittana (Light-brown Apple Moth); 1 Spruce Carpet; 1 Beaded Chestnut; 1 Acelris variegana (Garden Rose Tortrix):
This months Moth of the Month goes to Dave Evans from Belper, who recorded a Gem from his garden light trap on 6th November 2024. A very rare immigrant to Derbyshire, with less than 12 records. Two in one year (2024) is unprecedented, with Martin Roome recording one on 28th October 2024. The last Gem
Whilst checking his garden moth trap during the evening of 23rd October 2024, Dave Newcombe discovered a moth clinging to the side of an egg tray on the outside of one of his two light traps he was running from his Belper garden. It was a species he was not familiar with, and so he
I ran my 20w Actinic light trap from my garden in South Derbyshire overnight on 20th September – results as follows – Lesser Treble-bar (1) (NFG); White-point (2); Short-cloaked Moth (1); Brimstone Moth (6); Box Tree Moth (9); Large Yellow Underwing (19); Lesser Yellow Underwing (4) Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing-female (1); Willow Beauty (2) – male
I ran my 20w actinic garden moth trap overnight on 16th September 2024. Overnight temperature dropped and by 11pm it was quite cold. Results were – Large Yellow Underwing 3; Box Tree Moth 3; Pale Mottled Willow 2; Brimstone Moth 1; Small Blood-vein 1; Small Dusty Wave 1; Light Emerald 1; Dusky Thorn 1; Stigmella
I ran my 20w actinic light trap from my garden overnight on 9th September 2024 – Results as follows – A cool and windy night affected numbers – Flounced Rustic (NFY) (1); Setaceous Hebrew Character (3); Lesser Yellow Underwing (3); Large Yellow Underwing (5); Epiphyas postvittana (Light-brown Apple Moth (1):
In June 2003 I launched my personal website www.simplybirdsandmoths.co.uk. as a place to show-case my wildlife photography. I also wanted to start and create a central data base for Derbyshire Moths, which was another avid interest of mine; this was something that didn’t exist at the time. Over the years my personal website has grown
On the evenings of 26th & 28th August 2024 Dave Evans ran his light trap from his Belper garden and managed to record the superb Pyralid moth, Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) a species that is most common in the southern Mediterranean. These two individuals represent the 6th & 7th records for VC57 & Derbyshire.
I ran my usual garden light trap overnight on 27th August 2024 in Melbourne, South Derbyshire. Whilst processing the trap on the morning of 28th August I discovered an unfamiliar Olethreutinae species. I managed to pot it and put it to one side for viewing later. I had a second Olethruetinae species, this time one
