July 2026 was full of interesting and exciting moths for Derbyshire and it was a difficult task choosing moth of the month. There was, however, one stand-out species and that was the Plumed Fan-foot that was attracted to Claire Richardson Longmoor’s garden light trap at Long Eaton on 17th July 2026. A very special moth […]
A very difficult one to pick as there have been so many good species including 5 new macro and 7 new micro moths for VC57 Derbyshire. There were three new species of Clearwing, including Orange-tailed, Red-belted and amazingly Welsh, Breckland Plume, Rosy Footman and Fleabane Drab, all incredible records. I’ve gone for Dotted Fan-foot, but
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
April’s moth of the month is a micro moth that was last recorded in Derbyshire on 5th June 1971 from Via Gellia. Hysterophora maculosana (Small Bluebell Beauty) was recorded by Dave Evans whilst he was sweep-netting in a Bluebell Wood at Wyver Lane NR, Belper on 29th April 2026. The moth is highly dependant on
This month’s moth of the month is a micro and one that hasn’t been recorded in Derbyshire since 2011. Semioscopis avellanella (Early Diviner) was first recorded in VC57 Derbyshire on 11th March 2011, when one was attracted to MV light at Shiningcliffe Wood, Ambergate, (extract from DaNES Journal 169, 2019 page 48). It is a
On 21st February 2026 a superb colour variant (aberration) was trapped by Christian Heintzen at Long Clough, Glossop. The moth was so distinctive and unusually marked, it prompted Christian to do some digging, to find out exactly what the variant was likely to be. After making a search on the National History portal and subsequent
We start the year with one of the earliest species to emerge, the Spring Usher. Typically the males are on the wing, just as winter is ending, from January through to March. The females are wingless, looking more like a spider, or a strange looking beetle than a moth, and are more tricky to locate
Bryan Barnacle recorded the third record for VC57 Derbyshire on 16th December 2025 at Froggatt of Carpatolechia decorella during daylight, as he watched it fly across his garden landing on a nearby window. After a number of tentative conversations on the ID of the moth, which does not show the usual markings of the species,
Martin Roome recorded the Sprawler at Smiths Gorse, Foremark, which is located in South Derbyshire, on 5th November 2025. The first record since 9th November 2021, when I was fortunate to see one that was trapped at Kings Newton by Will Soar. Due to the late flight period, on the wing during October –
Clive Ashton ran his last moth trap for October from his Cromford garden on the 31st, and recorded a very special moth for Derbyshire. There are two records of The Streak since 2019. One from Hathersage in 2022 and one from Darley Moor in 2023. Clive’s record is the only one so far this year.
A little more difficult to choose this months Moth of the Month than in August, but I’ve gone for the Scarce Bordered Straw. A rare immigrant species to our recording area, but this year there have been more reports than in previous years. It is more often encountered as an annual visitor along the south
Another difficult choice for moth of the month for August. I’ve chosen Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Beet Moth). This tiny little Gelechiid has arrived in Derbyshire in very good numbers during August, most probably migrant wanderers from what has likely been a large influx into Britain this summer, rather than population expansion. There are two generations, with
A very difficult choice this month with four new species for Derbyshire to choose from. Three micros and a macro, but my choice goes to Brian Hallam’s fantastic record of Cloaked Pug, which he recorded on 11th July 2025 from his overnight garden light trap in Findern. A remarkable record of a species that appeared
June produced a wide range of exciting migrant moths, into the VC57 recording area. A total of 35 separate records covering 14 species, were received including a first record of Small Marbled for Derbyshire. This was followed by a further three more during the period 29-1st July 2025. The first record was recorded from Matlock
May produced a wide range of exciting micro moths, so this months moth goes to a micro. On 24/25th May 2025, Christian Heintzen recorded an Ancylis upupana (Southern Hook-wing) from Glossop. This is a new species of micro moth for the VC57 recording area. A species that seems to be expanding its range northwards. Christian
On 3rd/4th April Clive Ashton discovered a Blossom Underwing in his Cromford garden light trap. This was to be the 2nd record of this species for the recording area. The amazing thing was that I had sent out a message to the Derbyshire Moth Facebook Group a few days prior, suggesting that Blossom Underwing was
A new micro moth species has been recorded for the VC57 & Derbyshire, a Caloptilia falconipennella (Dark Alder Stilt) The first record was an individual that 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
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
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
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
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
