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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 11h

@andymus.bsky.social has pointed out that my "Oak Hook-tip" looks more like a Spiny Hook-tip, which I wasn't even aware of and is extremely rare. Bigger than an OHT with a grey cast to the wing and different markings near the hook. #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 15h

Mervs & Deep Brown Darts out in full force in Tilehurst now plus a lovely (late?) Oak Hook-tip, FFG Scrobipalpa costella (Winter Groundling) and a (late?) Box Tree Moth ... are a few species getting an extra brood in this autumn?

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Good night in Tilehurst last night: FFY Merveille de Jour 7 Green-brindled Crescent, Blair's Shoulder Knot, Clancy's Rustic, Deep Brown Dart, Beaded Chestnut, Cypress Carpet & Cypress Pug. #ukmoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Clancy's & Rush Veneer still about in Tilehurst/Reading and FFY Blair's Shoulder Knot. Also, Chestnut, Barred Sallow & some lovely Lunar Underwing colour variations. #ukmoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Forgot the Deep-brown Dart from last night ... we've had a few of these in our road so I wonder if they are having a good year? #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Interesting catch in Tilehurst last night, amongst the Lunar Underwings & Square-spot Rustics ... a Garden Cockroach (Ectobius vittiventris), which seems pretty unusual this far west. #teammoth #ukmoths #cockroach #ectobius

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Does anyone have any idea which knot-horn this might be (Reading area, last night)? I'm coming up blank here - looks interesting but I can't place it. #ukmoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Good catch in Tilehurst last night: Clancy's Rustic (2), L-album Wainscot, Acleris cristana (Tufted Button), Oncocera semirubella (Rosy-striped Knot-Horn), Archips podana (Large Fruit-tree Tortrix), Barred Sallow, Meal Moth, Satellite, Black Rustic. #ukmoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Not a bad night in Reading - 3x Clancy's Rustics including a very rubbed one ... the last photo is a Small Mottled Willow, just for comparison. #ukmoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Not a bad night in West Dorset - first ever Clancy's Rustic and the most westerly record on iNaturalist, it seems. Also, Rosy Rustic, Barred Hook-tip & Delicate. #ukmoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The Hummingbird Hawks this year are exceptional - everywhere I went in Dorset they were there on Buddleia or Purple Loosestrife :) I was happy with these snaps on my old Powershot G15 #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Last West Dorset trap before heading home yielded a new one for me - Gem

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Well, there you go again - another "maybe I won't put it out", cold night and then you get your first ever Radford's Flame Shoulder! Also got a Flame Shoulder to compare it to :) #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Lots of Clouded Yellows down in Dorset - including a few pale forms like this female contrasting to a normal coloured male seen on the previous day. I’m assuming they’re not the Pale Clouded Yellow but I’m not sure if I’d know the difference.

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

One of those cold morning traps where you begin to wonder why you put it out ... then you get a Rosy Rustic and realise it was worth the effort :) also Knot Grass, Oak Hook-tip and Vestal. #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Mystery pug moth from last night in West Dorset. Coming up on apps as variously Channel Islands Pug, Thyme Pug, Wormwood Pug or Currant Pug ... the only one that looks remotely OK is Channel Islands Pug but is that at all likely? I guess it has been a good migrant year! #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Found a really nice Cylindromyia brassicaria on Fleabane yesterday, around Beaminster - first time I'm caught one in the UK so rather chuffed :) Very easy to spot as the body is so long and it's a bigger fly than the Eriothrix rufomaculata on the same flowers.

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Nothing spectacular in the moth trap recently but I have enjoyed Beautiful China-Mark (rare here), Black Arches (love those antennae), Brown-tail (new to the area, I think) & Rosy Footman (FFG) #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

... and in other news, I won a cup & trophy at the Tilehurst Methodist Church table tennis club :D rather chuffed as I wasn't expecting to win anything!

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Well, I was thinking it would be a dull night but there on the cloth outside the trap was a lovely Ni Moth ... my first in the UK. Then more migrants: Silver-Y, Diamondback ... and a local - the FFY Uncertain/Rustic ... one of these years I might feel comfortable giving them a definite name!

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Nice! Yes, I got my first Small Marbled last night - it's an amazing migrant year so far :)

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Seems to be a ton of migrants this year - my Tilehurst garden is full of Painted Lady and Silver-Y. Then got this Small Marbled last night. Still holding out some hope for a Striped Hawk ;)

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Last night's moth trap did turn up an oddity - this amazing bug, the "Masked Hunter" (Reduvius personatus).

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Nothing huge in the trap last night but did get some nice variety (e.g. Scorched Wing) and plenty of migrants like the Diamond Backed Moth and this gorgeous (and new to me) Small Marbled. #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

A decent catch last night - Lime Hawk, Pale Tussock, Foxglove Pug(?) and a lovely Ophion minutus/ #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Popped up to #Hartslock today and the orchids are looking lovely but we really need rain and lots of it to save them. Anything on the south-facing slope is really suffering. Also good views of a Painted Lady looking very fresh!

Orchis x angusticruris (purpurea x simia)

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

If you can get to the #BritishMuseum to see their #Samurai exhibition then it's well worth the effort but it closes next Monday. There are suits of armour aplenty, lots of woodblock prints, and just a huge number of exhibits that illustrate the influence of samurai on Japanese and world culture.

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Best night of the year so far in Tilehurst - 5 Nut Tree Tussocks; Buff-Tip; Small Mottled Willow, Oak Tree Pug, Common Pug, Maybugs, Shuttle-shaped Dart & Muslin #UKMoths #teammoth

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Had a lovely walk at #Hartslock this lunchtime: Lady x Monkey orchids in good flower; Dingy & Grizzled Skippers, Green Hairstreaks, Small Heaths, Orange Tip, Brimstones etc. Lots of Chalk Milkwort and the Pasque Flowers are still going and there were lots of Rose Chafers on the hawthorn bushes.

Lady x Monkey orchid (Orchis x angusticruris)

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Just back from a lovely stroll around #MoorCopse NR, Tidmarsh, Berkshire. The #Bluebells were amazing; 7 species of butterfly; loads of Chiffchaffs etc

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

On the previous night in West Dorset we got (Water Carpet?) high on a wall, Pale Pinion and a nice fresh Brindled Beauty. Lovely to see good numbers of moths even with the cold nights. #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Just a few moths in West Dorset last night but was happy to see the Early Tooth-striped, March Moth and Streamer. #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

The first moth trap of the year turned up a nice Mullein Moth for my Tilehurst garden. #teammoth #ukmoths

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

To be fair, I hadn't until about 6-8 years ago and then I noticed some on a nature reserve that I've wardened since the 1980s but not many people go out very early to find flies and you need to be lucky with the weather. They love flying low over grassy hills with short sward.

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Lovely to see these starting this weekend - like mine below on #Hartslock. We need to be a bit careful with IDs in the more montane regions in the north and west though as G. magna and G. lucida are easy to overlook :)

Gymnocheta viridis at Hartslock NR, south Oxon

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Just a few but several more in bud :) BlueSky wouldn't let me upload more than 4 photos so here's another :)

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Just back from a blissful walk at #Hartslock NR where the sun was really warm and both Gonia picea and Gymnocheta viridis were around in good numbers. The Pasque Flowers were also just starting. Plenty of Peacocks on the wing too.

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Here's a Red ... on my arm, investigating my phone :D OK, it was early winter in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2017 where they are very tame ;)

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Chris Raper @chrisraper.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Just back from a lovely Xmas to see my parents in Beaminster. We also visited Charmouth 3 times to look for fossils :)

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