A first record for VC57 Derbyshire of Pammene obscurana (Birch Catkin Tortrix) was discovered by Steve Orridge in his Buxton garden moth trap, whilst using the TIP pheromone lure on 25/5/2026 The species is a CAT4 which means it can only be positively identified by scientific examination. The specimen was identified by Gen Det analysis
During late May there was an unprecedented influx of migrant moths into Britain. The influx comprised of a wide range of species primarily Striped Hawk-moth, Small Mottled Willow, Bordered Straw and Eastern Bordered Straw to name a few. This paved the way for Derbyshire “moth-ers” to be in with a chance of recording one or
I ran my 20 actinic moth trap from my garden in Melbourne, Derbyshire overnight. Results are, in no particular order, as follows – Star moth was a Small Marbled (5th record for Derbyshire, (with another trapped in Belper this am); Varied Coronet; Silver Y (2); Epiphyas Postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth); Plutella xylostella (Diamond-back Moth)
News broke today of a rather special species of Hawk-moth that has arrived in large numbers across Britain during the recent hot weather that has moved up from North Africa. I was wondering when Derbyshire would get one. William Grange was the fortunate moth recorder, he recorded a Striped Hawk-moth that had been attracted to
I ran my 20W Actinic moth trap from my garden in Melbourne overnight on 26th May, results are as follows in no particular order – Common Swift – female (1); Buff-tip (1); Small Elephant Hawk-moth (1); Marbled Minor agg (3); Middle-barred Minor (3); Ruby Tiger (2); Vine’s Rustic (4); Shuttle-shaped Dart (1); Heart and Dart
I ran my 20W actinic moth trap in my garden in Melbourne from 21:30hrs to mid-night on 24th May 2026. The results in no particular order were as follows – Aphomia sociella (Bee Moth) (4);Epiphyas postvittana (6); Mint Moth; Heart and Dart; Iron Prominent; Pale Tussock; Common Pug; Brindled Pug (2) Common Wainscot; Turnip Moth;
I ran my 20W Actinic Moth Trap overnight on 22nd May in my Melbourne garden – Results were in no particular order – Brimstone Moth (2); Epiphyas postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth) (7), Common Pug (3), Lime-speck Pug (2), Plutella xylostella (Diamond-back Moth( (3), Shuttle-shaped Dart (6), Flame Shoulder (2); Heart and Dart (3), Vine’s
News broke across the Derbyshire moth-ing media on 23rd May 2026 when one of our recording team members posted a photograph of what he thought was Phtheochroa schreibersiana (Gold Cloak) a really rare species of Tortrix. Dave Newcombe, from Belper, had trapped a single individual overnight on 22nd May in his garden MV Light trap
May has been a particularly cold month with overnight temperatures fluctuating between 5℃ – 8℃ on most nights, which of course has lead to much reduced moth trapping and numbers of moths being recorded. I put my 20w Actinic out for the first time in May and recorded only two moths between 21:45 and 23:45
I ran my 20W Actinic moth trap in my garden overnight 16th April 2026 in Melbourne. Results were as follows: Psychoides filicivora (Common Fern Moth) (NFG, NFY) (2); Purple Thorn (NFY) (1); Waved Umber (NFY) (1); Streamer (1); Brindled Pug (1); Common Pug (NFY) (1); Hebrew Character (1). 8/7
Identification Guidance for Oak-tree Pug v Brindled Pug by Christian Heintzen. Here is a quick panel made from my own photographs to illustrate some of the differences between Oak-tree Pug and Brindled Pug. The key differences are well documented in various printed and online sources but I thought, aside from other distinguishing features, there are
The Derbyshire Moth Team have taken on a new challenge. We have been invited by the National Trust Rangers at Hardwick Hall to help them conduct moth surveys, within the grounds of the Hardwick Estate, throughout 2026. The first session took place last night (10th April 2026) when the “Hardwick Hall Moth Team” ran three
I ran my 20W Actinic moth trap overnight 7th April 26 from my garden in Melbourne – Results were Pine Beauty 1; Least Black Arches 1; Early Tooth-striped 1; Streamer 1; Oak-tree Pug 2; Brindled Pug 1 were all NFY, also Double-striped Pug 8; Hebrew Character 4; Common Quaker 3; Early Grey 2 Brindled Beauty
I ran my Actinic moth trap in my Melbourne garden overnight 31st March 2026 – results as follows – Brindled Beauty (3); Early Grey (1) (NFY); Common Plume (1) (NFY); Small Quaker (1); Hebrew Character (1); 7/5.
Not directly Derbyshire Moth News but something VC57 Derbyshire moth recorders and verifiers should be aware of. Steve Mathers has kindly allowed me to use his recent posts that have featured on Derbyshire Moths Facebook Group (DMFG) and on the Nottinghamshire Moths and Butterflies Facebook Group. Steve wrote as follows – 23rd March 2026 –
I ran my 20w Actinic moth trap from my garden in Melbourne for 4 hours before temperature plummeted, results were Common Quaker (3); Small Quaker (5); Clouded Drab (2). 10/3
I ran my 20w Actinic moth trap from my garden in Melbourne on 17th March 2026 between 18:30hrs – 22:00 hrs, result – Common Quaker (6); Double-striped Pug (2), Agonopterix heracliana agg (1). I ran my 20w Actinic moth trap from my garden in Melbourne, overnight on 18th March 2026 results – Common Quaker (20);
The first Lead-coloured Drab recorded in VC57 since 2021 was attracted to a garden moth trap overnight on 8th March 2026 at Cromford. Lead-coloured Drab have bipectinate antennae (meaning having two margins that are toothed like a comb), this helps to eliminate Clouded Drab, a confusion species. Lead-coloured Drab was once a common species in
I ran my 20W actinic moth trap overnight in my Melbourne garden. Results as follows – Acleris literana (NFG) 1; Common Quaker 9; March Moth 3; Clouded Drab 3; Satellite 1; Small Quaker 1; Oak Beauty 1. 19/7
The larval cases of Dahlica triquetrella were discovered by Mark Radford on 8th and 10th February 2026, whilst he was searching local cemeteries and churchyards for this species and for Luffia lapidella. On 8th February larval cases were found at Eckington Cemetery and on 10th February more were discovered at Bolsover Churchyard. Winged males do
My first moth trap for 2026 was on 11th February when I ran my 20W actinic in the garden from 17:30 – 22:30hrs – One Chestnut and one Common Quaker (possibly my earliest ever in the garden)
