About the Kent Moths Gallery

This blog is intended as a gallery of photos for all moths found in the county of Kent. Please send through your quality images (and links to your websites) of moth species caught yesterday or yesteryear in order that this can become a complete archive of Kent's moth fauna.

Many thanks,
Tony Morris (Admin) & Ross Newham (Admin) kentmothsgallery@gmail.com

Monday 26 July 2010

Paddock Wood, 24th July 2010

Poplar Kitten - To complete the trio of "kittens" on the blog, slightly larger than the very similar Sallow and a very welcome addition to the garden list.

The Phoenix - A large geometer which is well distributed over much of the British Isles but is not particularly common.



Dungeness Bird Observatory, 24th July 2010

Cynaeda dentalis - From UKmoths: "A highly distinctive moth, this species is restricted in Britain to a few coastal localities in the south-east of England, where its preferred seaside habitats such as shingle beaches occur.

The single generation flies in July, and comes to light.

The larval foodplant is viper's bugloss"

Shore Wainscot - A rather pale and worn individual of this strictly coastal species.

Schoenobius gigantella - As the name suggests this is a beast of a micro, such females being up to 46mm. Another coastal speciality.


Mere Wainscot - The Lewington guide suggests there is a population near Sandwich but otherwise the occasional wanderer appears in Kent. Apologies for posting photos "in the pot" but I was under strict instructions not to lose the moth!
Thanks as ever to David Walker at DBO.




Friday 23 July 2010

Lozotaeniodes formosanus


This colourful, well-marked and therefore easy to ID micro is Lozotaeniodes formosanus. It is fairly localised and shows preference to scots pine woodlands. It was trapped last night in Pembury.

Wednesday 21 July 2010

The Wormwood, Sissinghurst Castle



" This species is not too easy to come by. It carries Notable b status and was a surprise addition to the Castle list last night (19/7)" Steve Broyd

Splendid Brocade, Sissinghurst Castle



"Two Splendid Brocades were caught at the Castle last night (18th July). With this species being recorded in double figures at Dungeness at the moment it was not really surprising that it should be recorded inland"

Thanks to Steve Broyd for this photo and text - a great record.

Ruckinge, 16th July


Kent Black Arches


Oak Eggar


Purple Thorn


Plain Golden Y

Thanks to Bernard Boothroyd for his photos.

Monday 19 July 2010

Caloptilia hauderi

Caloptilia hauderi - Only the second record in Kent that I am aware of although it's undoubtedly under-recorded. This from ukmoths: "A very local species, occurring in a small number of localities in the south. It is known from the Isle of Wight, and West Sussex. Elsewhere it is found in the Pyrenees of southern France and from Austria where it was first named.

The adult moth is fairly distinctive, having a rectangular yellowish blotch against the forewing ground colour of brown or chestnut, and occasional smaller yellow markings."

Treated by some as a form of Caloptilia stigmatella though a paper on the subject is currently in press.

The moth was taken at light in my Paddock Wood garden on 11th July.

Sunday 18 July 2010

Sandwich


Plain Pug -


Pyrausta purpuralis


Mullein Wave


Broad-barred White


Varied Coronet


The Delicate - a migrant species here.


Waved Carpet - this was the first record for the observatory, 'scarcely distributed throughout England and Wales, and rare in Ireland.' (UKMoths)


Fen Wainscot - A non-descript but still rather pleasant species that occurs in reed-beds in south and east England, Midlands and north Wales. (Manley)

All taken between 9th and 13th of July.

Friday 16 July 2010

Hello

Hi all,

Just a quick post to reiterate the purpose of this blog, which I should have made clear at the beginning.

The aim is to create an illustrated list of moths (both macro and micro) that occur in Kent. The main priority is to keep adding species that have not featured on this blog yet. To find out which species are already on the blog there is a list on the right hand side under 'Species Photographed'.

Please don't post photos of species which are already on the blog, although exceptions can be made for rarely photographed subspecies or forms, or just aberrant specimens.

Thanks for all your help...now lets start covering micro's a bit more!

Cheers,
Josh

Six-belted Clearwing



4 males were lured by pheromone on the Sandwich Bay estate last Saturday. These represent the first Bay records of this species.

Thursday 15 July 2010

Hayes

A few from the garden recently.


Maple Prominent


Small Ranunculus (my second this month...)


Campion


Common Wainscot

Dartford


Tree-lichen Beauty


Small Ranunculus


Small Emerald


Lobster Moth

Iron Prominent
Dwarf Cream Wave


Dot Moth

Dark/Grey Dagger
Thanks to James Hunter for all these photo, some depicting very good records.
Tree-lichen Beauty is a southern European species that occurs as a migrant, usually on the south coast, so this is a great record.







Ruckinge, weekend 10th/11th July


Festoon


Scare Silver-lines


Olive Crescent

Thanks to Bernard Boothroyd for his photos.

Beautiful Snout


"Beautiful Snout - Sissinghurst Castle 10 July 2010. One of two recent records."
Thanks to Steve Broyd for this photo.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Paddock Wood

Wood Carpet - A well distributed but local moth, this is the first one I've had in the garden (11th July).

Least Carpet - Restricted in range to the south-east of England, I've caught around 20 so far this year (11th July)


Aglossa pinguinalis - or Large Tabby. This moth used to be a more common inhabitant of old barns etc but has declined in numbers in recent years. This one was found resting behind some wood in the garden (3rd July).

The Dun-bar - A relatively common moth but can be quite variable in it's apperance (3rd July).



Thursday 8 July 2010

Ruckinge


Beautiful Hook-tip from the 7th July


Green Silver-lines is listed as common but is only an occasional visitor to my garden in Ruckinge.

Thanks to Bernard Boothroyd for these photos.

Dartford Moths


L-Album Wainscot


Scarce Footman


Rosy Footman

More from James Hunter in Dartford this month.