A night with too much moon, but enough to the sheet for a post or two, with a couple of interesting observations when compared with spring two years ago. At that time the uncommon Ring-tipped Bark Moth, Syneora hemeropa came to the light and the thought was that there may be a resident garden population. That seems to be the case two years on with another male arriving. Some images will enlarge.

Another moth two years ago was the white-patched form of the Pome Looper, Chloroclystis testulata. It also came to the light this season, and it’s interesting to note that the white patching pattern closely resembles the earlier moth. Here are both, the 2022 one first.

The Black Geometrid, Melanodes anthracitaria is a regular,

As is the neat Epidesmia, Epidesmia tryxaria.

Two more regulars, the Epyaxa Moth, Epyaxa subidaria,

And the Streaked Notodontid, Destolmia lineata.

Although temperatures are still quite cool it was worth firing up the light to see what the situation is with the garden moth population. Still quiet as it turned out, with only a small number of common moths landing on the sheet, several Crypsiphona ocultaria, one Anthela acuta and a small variety of common Noctuids. The most interesting arrival was a Gauna aegusalis, the larvae of this small Pyralid live in and feed on rust galls, Uromycladium tepperianum, on wattles. At rest this small moth holds its body curved upright.