Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 25 September 2013

The night of 25 September began warm (c. 18°C) with overcast skies, but by 05h00 it was almost cloudless and calm with a bright half-moon. At some time during the night a light rain had fallen and wetted the groundsheet and trap area. The temperature at 06h30 was a slightly cooler 8.1°C. As for previous nights, Golden Plover called as flocks passed overhead in the pre-dawn.

There were fewer moths outside the trap, but a couple of Dusky Thorns and a Canary-shouldered Thorn were conspicuous. Compared with previous nights, the trap seemed to be full of moths, all competing for space to hunker down amongst the egg-cartons. Most of these were Brown-spot Pinions and Beaded Chestnuts, tying with 26 apiece. I checked the hindwing of all the latter to exclude Lunar Underwing - and vice versa. Black Rustic numbers were down on the previous catch, but still pretty respectable at 17. New for the trap were a rather anaemic Angle Shades and a Mallow. Our garden has plenty of hollyhocks and mallows, which may have been the foodplant of the latter.

A fairly washed-out Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa.

♂ Mallow Larentia clavaria.

Macro-moths (130 moths of 25 spp.):-

Idaea seriata	Small Dusty Wave	2
Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet	1
Larentia clavaria	Mallow	1
Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	6
Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	2
Ennomos alniaria	Canary-shouldered Thorn	1
Ennomos fuscantaria	Dusky Thorn	2
Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald	2
Agrotis segetum	Turnip Moth	1
Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	1
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	5
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	1
Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	3
Aporophyla nigra	Black Rustic	17
Dryobotodes eremita	Brindled Green	2
Agrochola litura	Brown-spot Pinion	26
Agrochola lychnidis	Beaded Chestnut	26
Omphaloscelis lunosa	Lunar Underwing	8
Xanthia togata	Pink-barred Sallow	3
Xanthia icteritia	Sallow	7
Phlogophora meticulosa	Angle Shades	1
Hydraecia micacea	Rosy Rustic	2
Gortyna flavago	Frosted Orange	3
Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	1
Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	6