Sleep Deprivation

I fully intended to have the moth trap out every night over the weekend, but the sleep deprivation has finally caught up with me, and Sunday night goes unrecorded. Consciously deciding not to put the trap out was harder than I thought, which only confirms how helplessly hooked I am. If any NQS readers have had their curiosity piqued by all the mothy content, and found themselves googling 'moth traps', I have some advice:

DON'T DO IT!

Thursday night, 6th July

66 moths of 29 species; 1 new for year, also new for garden.

My notebook tells me that a specimen of Endothenia marginana was among the catch, a new species for the garden. However, I have no photographic record, nor any recollection of trying to photograph one and it escaping. Which just goes to show the state you get into when you don't bother with sleep.

Friday night, 7th July

123 moths of 56 species; 11 new for year, 5 new for garden.

A hot day, followed by a warm night. Loads of moths...

First July Highflyer of the year.

I've seen photos of these, but had never caught one before. The dark form of Box-tree Moth. A pearly-winged stunner!

First Black Arches of 2023. That sliver of red visible behind its antennae is all you can see from above, but there is loads more on the abdomen. A lovely moth.

Black Arches

The year's second Cloaked Minor.

First for the garden. Only six Bridport area records on the Living Record map.

First of the year. Expecting a few more.

I think this might be a nice catch. There are three Bridport records on the Living Record map, but relatively few other Dorset sites appear to have recorded it. It is designated Nationally Scarce A.

Dusky Brocade. One last year, and now one this year too.

Small Rivulet. We caught just two last year.

A really striking little Tortrix. We caught a few last year, so hopefully this is the first of several.

Quite common, but this is a lovely fresh one.

Assuming I've got the ID correct, this appears to be another good 'un. The Living Record map indicates less than 15 other records from just six Dorset sites, and none west of Dorchester.

Another garden first.

Saturday night, 8th July

Warm again, and the trap was once again nicely full: 152 moths of 62 species, including 7 new for year and 4 new for garden.

A beautifully-marked Mocha, the tenth of the year.

Vapourer. Caught just one in 2022.

A nice garden first: Kent Black Arches. One of two.

Not that common, with just a couple of Bridport records on the Living Record map.

Blair's Mocha #8 for 2023.

First Swallow Prominent of 2023. We caught six last year.

After eight in April/early May, this is the first of the second-generation Nut-tree Tussocks.

Second Phoenix of the year.

With only ten or so records on the Dorset Living Record map, this appears to be another decent catch. Designated Nationally Scarce B.

A weird little thing, and another garden first. Supposedly common, but there are no Bridport area dots on the Living Record map.

These 'tripod' moths are always welcome.

The 2023 garden tally stands at 344, including aggregates. But, with at least two or three different unidentifiable Coleophora species in that lot, the real total is closer to 350.