Warmer nights help...migrant Dark Sword-grass, a very black Turnip I was hoping would be a dart, my first garden Dotted Clay and a strongly marked Maiden's Blush, quite worn I think. #teammoth

This is the Odice sp trapped last night in Bramhall, Cheshire. The Spanish are interested as it could be O.suava, but O.jucunda and O.arcuinna are possible. Not necessarily an adventive given the current situation, but that decision is for greater minds. Smart moth though 😁 #teammoth

Caught in Cheshire last night. Is the Odice jucunda? #teammoth

@davegrundy.bsky.social Dave ..is this Odice jucunda? A friend has just caught one in Cheshire.

An interesting Small Mottled Willow in the trap last night. Absolutely pristine condition with beautiful dark markings and three white tufts on its head...surely its bred locally, perhaps even in the garden? Also a gorgeous fresh Antler with bronze, black and cream. Stunning. #teammoth

Predicted to be around 1mm of rain, it started at 5pm and is still raining at 2pm nearly 24hrs later. Very windy but 15c o/night. 15c, so 37sp 104 moths. Few migrants. A Silver Y, SMWillow, and a very pale Rusty-dot Pearl. Also, a Dusky Pearl and a nice Golden-rod Pug. #teammoth

Numbers of moths right down with 12c and cool. 30sp 89moths. Even so, 4 more Mottled Willows continuing the daily arrivals and some nice common stuff. The darkest Flounced Rustic (hopefully 😅) I've ever seen, a pure gold Brassy Y, a well marked Cyclamen Tortrix and a Dichrorampha sp. #teammoth

By this garden's standards, a notable night for migrants. Small Mottled Willow 6 (only 8 Ches records up 2026) and Rush Veneer 2. One moth to turn up was a head scratcher. If I'm right & it's Tree-mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana, it'll be third for Ches. What do you micro men think? A migrant?

Moth numbers have slumped but still some nicely marked ones about... that Dot is so velvety. Brindled Poplar Tortrix is so variable but this was the nicest. A green V-pug and a Small Elephant Hawk-moth which was nfg. #teammoth

So, woke up to Willow Ermines in numbers, always a good sign. First obvious goodie was a Dewick's Plusia, the 8th for Cheshire, Sept Thorn nfg and two good micros. A Beet Moth, 29th record and, if I've got it right, a county first.. Pale Seedhead Moth. What do you all think? #teammoth

#teammoth Looks like it's going to be an ideal night for moths.. mamatus clouds in an anvil cloud, freezing ice crystals and heavy rain potentially... at least the trap is waterproof 🤣

A fresher night with a cool SW breeze. Micros much reduced, half the sp and numbers of recent nights, but still a nice but very jumpy Orchard Ermine on the wall. Rare in Cheshire, a pristine Haworth's Pug was a welcome addition to the garden. Also, a lovely True Lover's Knot and a Phoenix. #teammoth

Moths abound at last. 31c daytime, 18c at night. Struggling to get through the micros but got there. 75sp 400moths. Many new for this garden inc a very local sp Black-banded Masoner, a deeply plummy Purple Clay, what is pres a Blushed Knot-horn a Melilot Case-bearer at 10mm long. #teammoth

Still cool at night.. Just micros to sift through. How confident is everyone with Scoparia/Eudonia? Only ask because three of us got one wrong in Easington when one was gen-detted. Each of us went for different species! A Welsh Chafer Hoplia philanthus was new. At least it was nfg #teammoth

It's 50-something years since I saw a Lunar Hornet Moth.. or Clearwing as it was then. I put the lure out and less than 15 mins later, two turned up! What gorgeous things they are too 😄 Such a privilege to be able to have these in the garden #teammoth

Well, a better night with cloud. 46sp 146 moths with some nice macros and a micro, Maple Snout Anarsia innoxiella being only the 8th record for Ches. I thought they were commoner. Broad-barred White, Dingy Shears and Heart and Club were all nfg. So a goodish night at last. 😁 #teammoth

After all that rain and cold nights, there were a few nice bits on the wall before dawn. Dagger agg, Variegated Golden Tortrix, Cherry Bark Tortrix and the nicest Flame Carpet I think I've ever seen... the rest of the trap inmates were largely H&Ds and LYUs 😁 #teammoth

I thought that I'd try a green 22W Circline instead of the blue I've been using. A bad night to try it...a cold 12c and SW3-4,5-6 with rain, so few moths. Nice Shoulder-striped Wainscot. I never realised that they had a black bar across the forehead. Apart from H&Ds, Ele-hawk was nice. #teammoth

A cold night 10c with a SW3-4 and o/cast. Usual stuff including the Small Marbled from yesterday... let it go in the front garden, and it flew off high...only to be re-caught by the UV. Photos confirmed it. Not many do that. Double Sq-spot, Poplar Grey and a Hawthorn Moth nfg etc 😁 #teammoth

I couldn't get around to the trap until 10-ish due to various things, and left the funnel stuffed with a plastic bag to stop the birds getting in. Good move. I took the lamps and collar off to find a fresh Small Marbled sat near the top of an egg box! 8th Cheshire record. Well chuffed 😄 #teammoth

Managed to beat the birds but only just. 33sp 55moths. Some fresh moths at this time of year. Crescent Tortrix was an eye-catching new micro for me. Quite a few Mint Moths around the herbs and another variation of Seraphim I've not seen. 😁 #teammoth

No exotic rarities or dapper hawk-moths up here but a nfg in the shape of a Grey Birch in pristine condition which was nice. Also a fresh Figure of Eighty and a very small Spectacle, not much bigger than a minor..and all the usual stuff. 31sp 51 moths sums up the mothing here.. #teammoth

A night of brief storms & heavy rain, so not much in the way of moths, even if I did beat the Great Tits by a few seconds. Apart from a microcaddisfly which looked like a moth, Triple-spotted Nest Moth, Brindle Tortrix, Plum Tortrix & Spotted Shoot Moth. Latin in the alts. Lots of PLadies. #teammoth

A cool night with a fresh easterly so a lot less moths, the best of which was a Scorched Wing, which are always nice to see... and common stuff, Com M Carpets, Ingrailed Clay, Freyer's Pug etc... but very few micros.. #teammoth

Second day in the row of temps around 33c. Nights around 14c-15c. So, like buses, 2 more Small Mottled Willows and 21 Diamond-backs confirming insects are reaching northern parts. However, the star was a carpet which made a run for it but was chased down 😅.. Oblique Carpet, another nfm. #teammoth

Thanks to @stevenash71.bsky.social for 1 of his Small Mottled Willows...down with Saharan sand on the trap. Also 2 Diamond-backs & 3 new pugs for the garden..my first ever Dwarf surprisingly, White-spotted & Mottled. 3 tiny micros to be looked at. Northbound Painted Ladies in several spots #teammoth

A cooler night than expected but more moths than usual, so good..😁 Silver Y nfy, a beautifully subtle olivey-grey May Highflyer, furry Pale Tussocks, Seraphim, Grey Pine Carpets etc & 18 micros, 12 of which were Aus Orange-tips Tachystola acroxantha. Also a Shore Sexton Beetle N.littoralis #teammoth

Slightly better after a warmer night..14sp 22moths and with lovely fresh moths... and a couple of nice nfg.. Maiden's Blush and Meadow Hook-wing Ancylis badiana.. alongside Set H Character looking very medieval and a Pale Mot Willow with its beige cardigan markings 😁 #teammoth

Had to change all 3 lamps in the trap after one failed and glad I did..it was so much brighter. Still not enough to bring hordes in, but a nfm, Azalea Leaf-miner Caloptilia azaleella unless you all think otherwise.. 2 Cockchafers, a smart Buff-tip and a fresh Currant Pug 😁 #teammoth

I've been enjoying this so much, I forgot to post a picture of it set up! under 15 min for full set up. if leaving at same location, breakdown/wind safety takes 30 sec. I made it, it works - onward to less urban locations! #teammoth #mothlight #bugsky

uncharismatic minifauna@minifauna.bsky.social · 3mo ago

1st moth sheet of 2026 is going NOW! testing it right outside my door, cuz that’s all I can manage now. do you need all this to do a moth sheet? heck no. does it make it easier for me and my one working shoulder? … maybe supplies in alt text