July 2025 part i

Mid-summer and it is all insects, with no birds of interest turning up. A highlight was the Entomology Section setting up a series of moth traps in the reedbeds at Grand Pre on 12th. We had the usual reedbed specialities and a new macro for me - Nut-tree Tussock. It does occur in Guernsey from time to time, but one has never wandered into the trap. The other new species was Phalonidia manniana, a tiny tortrix that feeds on Gypsywort.

Moth trap in the reedbed at the Grand Pre

Nut-tree Tussock - Grand Pre. 12 Jul 25 - a new species for me

Chevron - Grand Pre, 12 Jul 25 - the only place I’ve seen this species in Guernsey

The best thing at Grand Pre was some amazing “Peacock” beetles (Elaphrus riparius) that were seemingly common on the dried mud in the reedbed in the daytime the day before. Shiny jewel-green all over with lines of violet-coloured deep pits down the wing cases, as well as a super-shiny ‘mirror’ - quite the looker!

Elaphrus riparius - Grand Pre, 12 Jul 25

Elaphrus riparius - Grand Pre, 12 Jul 25 - the amazing wing cases

The garden moth trap was set four times in the month - the weather wasn’t great for much of the time. The best species was a new one for Guernsey on 12th July, Dialectica scalariella or the Echium Stilt. A tiny thing which feeds on Viper’s Bugloss and is a southern european species mainly but has spread north and has only just reached Britain. We don’t really have Viper’s Bugloss growing on Guernsey (apart from a few in Herm) but it can also feed on a few similar species. It clearly is breeding here as I had another four on 18th!

Echium Stilt (Dialectica scalariella) - garden, 12 Jul 25

Other decent records from the trap in July were a few Small Mottled Willows, a Gem, a Small Marbled, a Latticed Heath and a Jersey Mocha.

Small Marbled - garden, 10 Jul 25

Bordered Beauty - garden, 10 Jul 25

Grey/Dark Dagger - Garenne, 10 Jul 25 - Finding noctuid moths in the trap is fine, but coming across them resting in the field is much nicer.

June 2025

Pine Processionary - garden, 20 Jun 25

June was all about the moths. A few really hot, sticky nights producing some superb catches and a number of rarities. My current policy of only setting the trap when the conditions look really good meant that I only put it out on four occasions, but on those four night I caught 1074 moths in total of exactly 200 species!

The first night was 12th June and a new species for me was the pied micro moth Parachronistis albiceps (Hazel Bud Moth). This has only been recorded once previously on the island but Hazel is not a common tree here so it might be resident in low densities. More spectacularly was only my second Lesser Puss Moth. Other good species were Acrobasis repandana, European Corn-borer and an Ash-bud Moth (Prays fraxinella).

Lesser Puss Moth - garden, 12 Jun 25 - showing off its black saddle which a normal Puss Moth lacks.

Parachronistis albiceps - garden, 12 Jun 25 - a new species for me.

20th June was an even more exciting night with some absolutely corking species, the most spectacular was almost a near miss when I walked towards the trap early morning to see a Striped Hawk-moth just taking flight and buzzing away past my head. only my second sighting of this species. However, I managed three new moth ticks in this collection, starting with a fine Pine Processionary, a rare species in Guernsey and an immigrant from the continent. The second was Holly Tortrix (Rhopobota naevana) which I may have overlooked in the past. The third was a slightly unfamiliar smallish plume moth, which eventually turned out to be Stenoptilia zophodactylus (Dowdy Plume) which looks to be only the second for Guernsey. These new species have brought my garden lepidoptera list to more than 700 species! That’s a lot, but this is from 22 years of trapping and there’s still plenty to go for. Other species that night were two more Lesser Puss Moths, a European Corn-borer, a Small Mottled Willow, Elegia similella and the first Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing of the year.

Pine Processionary - garden, 20 Jun 25

Rhopobota naevana (Holly Tortrix) - garden, 20 Jun 25

Stenoptilia zophodactylus (Dowdy Plume) - garden, 20 Jun 25

Stenoptilia zophodactylus (Dowdy Plume) - garden, 20 Jun 25 - detail of the wing

Elegia similella - garden, 20 Jun 25 - one of my favourite species, I don’t know why

The nights of 28th and 30th did not produce any ticks but there were even more species than before with over 100 species both nights. There weren’t many things surprising, but I was getting lots of teeny tiny Nepticulid moths with an estimated 300+ of them on 30th. Identifying these tiny 2mm creatures is probably not so likely but I would probably go for something like an Ectoedemia sp. The 28th saw a Radford’s Flame Shoulder (my first early record of this species) and six Spiny Hook-tips. The best moth of 30th was a Small Marbled, but there was also a Bordered Straw, Small Mottled Willow, Blair’s Mocha, two Bright Waves and a True Lover’s Knot.

a trap full of tiny nepticulids - garden, 30 jun 25

Out in the field I managed to find a few new plant species, but it was mostly finding things for some microscope work later on.

Dichrorampha petiverella - Portinfer, 6 Jun 25 - these were common along the banking by the clay pigeon range

Australian Fern Weevil (Syagrius intrudens) - Garenne, 7 Jun 25 - the second time I’ve found it at this reserve, but still nowhere else.

Sharp-leaved Fluellen - LBHS, 26 Jun 25 - found in the inside courtyard at school, only the second time I’ve seen it.