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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A warm night and lots of moths, 326 moths of 41 species. A Delicate was new for me - It's been a great year for filling macro gaps on the garden list #Otley #VC64 #teammoth

Image of a moth with the name Delicate. Straw coloured with an angular pattern to it's centre.

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Ni Moth was a first for Wharfedale last night. Two Small Mottled Willow gave me another new species, too (late to the party on that one) #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Golden Plusia was among the 350 moths of 86 species in the garden traps last night. Perhaps delphiniums being the plant of the year in 2026 will help improve its fortunes here in Yorkshire #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Narycia duplicella (White-speckled Bagworm) has emerged from cases found by @calybites.bsky.social on a tree in Ilkley #VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

I found the acorn of the Oak (Northern) Eggar moth on Barden Moor today #VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Denton Moor this afternoon: Incurvaria pectinea (Pale Feathered Cutter) was new for me and the 3rd Wharfedale record. Netted among young birches #VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

Psychoides verhuella found mining Hart's-tongue fern at Fewston Church this week. I spotted mined sporangia that looked neater than I'd expect with the more common Psychoides filicivora, larvae checked for the black head. Second Wharfedale record. #VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

While out on the Chevin last night, I found a seldom seen wingless female March Moth emerging from the leaf litter. #Otley #VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Quite a few moths out this evening. I did a quick loop of the Chevin with a net and torch: Dotted Border x11, Tortricodes alternella x7, Pale Brindled Beauty, March Moth (pictured) and Engrailed. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Just been on the Chevin with a net and torch: 10 of 3 (missed a few too). Somewhat challenging conditions to photograph a female Dotted Border - it's been quite wet out at times this evening. Dotted Border x8 (NFY), Tortricodes alternella (NFY) and Chestnut. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

A female Dotted Border moth with its stubby wings.

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

A quick loop of the Chevin this evening saw me Chestnut and Mottled Umber to start my mothing year #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

A Chestnut moth lit by torchlight on a tree trunk

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Family Xmas day walk on The Chevin and I managed to sneak in a Lepidoptera fix. Seven Peacock butterflies and a Herald moth hibernating in this small cave. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

I did a 1hr loop on The Chevin this evening with a torch and net. Spring Usher NFY and the earliest Yorkshire record by 2 days. I’ve previously had one at the same location on 31st December. + Winter Moth x45 and Mottled Umber. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Headed to the garden centre for some Xmas shopping and spent more time looking at the spiders. Uloborus plumipes (the Garden Centre Spider) was numerous among the hanging plants on the pergola and in areas not easily reached for dusting. #spiders #Otley @ecology-digest.bsky.social

A female Garden Centre Spider hangs upside down on her web.

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

It was good to find Heliozela hammoniella, the Birch Cutter, while it was tipping down with rain. Not one you can guarantee each year in Yorkshire #VC64, The #Chevin, #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

It felt like a proper autumnal trap this morning with Red-line Quaker (left), Yellow-line Quaker (right) and Merveille du Jour all new for the year. 31 of 12 in total #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

It was good to catch Pearly Underwing last night. A bit of a rarity here in Wharfedale with the last record being 19 years ago. Among the other 14 moths was a late Small Fan-footed Wave #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Now that's how I like to see my eggboxes. Clifden Nonpareil was a new moth for me and a first for Wharfedale (there were two). Barred Chestnut on the same eggbox (centre bottom) was also new for me. 570 moths of 49 species #teammoth #VC64 #Otley

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Circa 1,000 moths of 91 species in the garden traps last. Mother of Pearl most numerous with 200+. New for me and Wharfedale was Metalampra italica (Italian Bark Moth) #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Mere Wainscot in the garden trap last night. New for the garden and Wharfedale. 20k from the nearest dot on the map. It'll be the most westerly record in Yorkshire. I don't think the habitat exists for it local to me so presumably a wanderer #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Pammene aurana to SKI lure early evening in my garden. A first for Wharfedale and about as far west as records go in Yorkshire #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

One from a busy weekend - Argyresthia pruniella (Cherry Fruit Moth) doing what it does best #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

It had the look and demeanour of a caddisfly - Homoeosoma sinuella (Twin-barred Knot-horn) was new for my garden and Wharfedale this morning #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Busiest night of the year so far with 266 of 76. Highlights were Hedya salicella (White-backed Tortrix) new for me, Beautiful Carpet and the second Obscure Wainscot of the week. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

With white external walls I often notice interesting bugs. This afternoon it's the turn of Eysarcoris venustissimus (Woundwort Shieldbug). Quite small for a shieldbug and at first glance I thought it was going to be the nymph of another species. Edge of its range W. Yorks #VC64 #Coleoptera #Beetle

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

198 moths of 67 species in the garden traps last night. Obscure Wainscot was new for me. It's the second record for Wharfedale with the first being in 2012. Perhaps we'd get more local records if I ran a trap among its foodplant down Otley Wetlands #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Good mothing conditions last night. Mompha raschkiella, the fireweed Mompha, was among the 167 moths of 66 species in the garden traps #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

I was pleased I made the decision to run the trap undercover last night as it chucked it down. Numbers down to 28 of 22, but good to see Green Silver-lines, Beautiful Snout and Willow Beauty as all new for the year.

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Numbers well down on the previous few nights, but still a respectable 34 moths of 24 species in the garden traps. Streamer was a new moth for me and there were two of them. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

It's certainly been an April to remember, 113 of 47 in the garden traps last night. New for the year were Lime Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Cinnabar Moth, May Highflyer, Spectacle, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Wormwood Pug, Bright-line Brown-eye and Yellow-barred Brindle #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Things really picked up last night with 94 moths of 27 species in the garden traps. Puss Moth new for me, what a beast. Others NFY were Small Phoenix, Spruce Carpet, V-pug, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Bee Moth. 26 Brindled Pug was more than I caught in the entirety of last year #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

The highlight from this morning's moth trap was a mint Chocolate-tip moth, a new species for the garden #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Phyllonorycter dubitella (Goat Willow Leaf-miner) bred from Grey Willow collected on 7th November at Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits is a new species for the Wharfedale list #VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

I was expecting a few moths last night with the warmer weather, 23 moths of 8 species, but I wasn't expecting two moths new for the garden. Acleris ferrugana/notana and Acleris literana are both great looking moths #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Moonlighting in Spain - these mines would be an adventive back home

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

The decent spell didn’t even start in VC64

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

1/3 I saw the post by @richardfoxbc.bsky.social about the larval tubes of Infurcitinea argentimaculella (Silver-barred Lichen Moth). A moth with few Yorkshire records. I thought I'd see if I could find the larval tubes. It turns out they're in my garden and on the Chevin #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

It was good to pot Early Moth near the trap this morning as it's not a species I can guarantee each year #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

The snow has finally melted. A walk around the Chevin this evening saw me my first moth of the year - a Chestnut. #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Reposted by Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith)

Double Kidney @doublekidney.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I'm looking forward to telling everyone about the Yorkshire 2024 mothing highlights on Zoom on 17th February. There have been rather a lot! You can book a place on www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yorkshire-...

eventbrite.co.uk

Yorkshire Moths 2024 – a review of the year

Charlie Fletcher will present a review of moths recorded in Yorkshire in 2024

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Still waiting for that first moth of 2025 and conditions aren’t promising in VC64 #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Just the one moth in the trap last night. Pale Brindled Beauty - new for this winter and the final moth of 2024. Happy New Year! #VC64 #Otley #teammoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Two moths in the trap this morning - a worn Red-green Carpet and a Light Brown Apple Moth #VC64 #Otley #teammoth Have a good Xmas

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

A quick loop around the Chevin with my eldest daughter this evening saw us a Mottled Umber and three Winter Moth #VC64 #Otley #TeamMoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

You know what it’s like - head out for the evening and return with two trays of Lepidoptera from 1972 and a tray of Hymenoptera from 1903 onwards. The Hymenoptera are certainly worthy of a good museum collection so now to work out where best to send them for the future.

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Last night’s trap saw me December Moth x4, Acleris sparsana x3, LBAM x2, Scarce Umber, Red-green carpet, Silver Y, Feathered Thorn and an Elf. #VC64 #Otley #TeamMoth

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Wharfedale Moths (Aidan Smith) @eggboxenvy.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

I took a group of Wharfedale Naturalists Society members out on the Chevin this evening to count Winter Moth. 100+ Winter Moth was easily the most I’ve ever seen there. Also, four Scarce Umber (pictured) and a Mottled Umber. #VC64 #TeamMoth

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