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That is late! My latest ever was 20th September.

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My previous latest ever Buff-tip was 21st August 1985, so very late! #teammoth

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A surprising 61 species in St Mellion last night (despite running fewer traps). A few late species: D. angustiorana (Red-barred Tortrix), 2 E. angustana, N. angustella, 2 O. semirubella, Flounced Chestnut, Merveille du Jour, Buff-tip, Swallow-tailed Moth, Gold Spot & Beautiful Hook-tip #teammoth

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I'd say Scarce Bordered Straw. Lacks the black dots along the wing edge and kink in the subterminal band.

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3/10 migrants: ocellea (Silver-spotted Veneer), 5 vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl), 16 noctuella (Rush Veneer), 14 ferrugalis (Rusty-dot), Gem, 5 Vestal, Radford's Flame Shoulder, Dark Sword-grass, 2 Turnip, 5 White-speck, Delicate, 3 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 Small Mottled Willow, 8 Silver Y #teammoth

White-speck, feeding from a paint brush used to apply sugar solution

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Also in St Mellion: New for year Flounced Chesnut, O. semirubella (Rosy Knot-horn), C. perspectalis (Box Tree Moth), Red-green Carpet, Four-spotted Footman (female), 3 Merveille du Jour, Pinion-streaked Snout and Beautiful Hook-tip #teammoth

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St Mellion migrants on 2/10 4 Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) 9 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty-dot) 11 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) 17 Vestal 3 Turnip Moth 1 Pearly Underwing 3 White-speck 2 Delicate 1 Scarce Bordered Straw 5 Small Mottled Willow 4 Silver Y + 1 Radford's Flame Shoulder #teammoth

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Ah ok. I can obviously only go by the photo but what I see looks very much SSR. It's usually the female that causes confusion. Glad you're checking it though.

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Absolutely Steve. The camera angle or lighting can radically change or distort the subject.

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I'm guessing you dissected it? I have to say I'm surprised it's a Suspected if you did.

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Looks like a Square-spot Rustic :-)

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Best of the rest in St Mellion - new for Autumn Dark Chestnut. O. semirubella (Rhubarb and Custard Knot-horn), late Purple Bar, Four-spotted Footman (female), Vapourer, L-album Wainscot, 2 Autumnal Rustic, Large Ranunculus, 2 Frosted Orange, 2 Merveille du Jour and late Mouse Moth. #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

1/10 St Mellion: P. vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl), 10 U. ferrugalis (Rusty-dot), N. noctuella (Rush Veneer), E. ocellea (Silver-spotted Veneer), 7 Vestal, 5 Turnip Moth, 2 White-speck, Scarce Bordered Straw, 8 Small Mottled Willow, 22 Silver Y + Four-spotted Footman female, L-album Wainscot #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Other highlights from 28-29/9 in St Mellion: Phyllonorycter messaniella, Caloptilia alchimiella/robustella, Phycita roborella, Buff Arches, Buff Ermine, 2 L-album Wainscot, 2 Merveille du Jour and Scarce Silver Lines. #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

St Mellion migrants on 29/9 - Scrobipalpa ocelatella (Beet Moth), 8 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer), 11 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty-dot), 9 Vestal, 2 Convolvulus Hawk, 7 Turnip Moth, 2 Dark Sword-grass, Delicate, 8 Angle Shades, 2 Small Mottled Willow, Scarce Bordered Straw & 21 Silver Y #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Yeah, not sure whether they'll move north or even migrate to Africa. Most likely hang around and get in another generation (getting tight with the first frosts/withering foodplant)

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Some of newly hatched Convolvulus Hawk-moths. #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Very poor last night in St Mellion, 3 Vestal, L-album Wainscot and first (2) Red-green Carpet of note. A mass emergence of 14 Convolvulus Hawk-moth last night so here's a photo of a box fresh female (left) and male. Of the 20 to emerge so far 14 have been female. #teammoth

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The first Convolvulus Hawk-moth, bred from a gravid female taken at light on 8th August emerged today. 59 to go!!! #teammoth

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Annoyed to find a Convolvulus Hawk wing on the lawn yesterday evening. This would have been from the night of 22/9 when I had three others. I spend a couple of hours each morning checking around the moth traps but this one must have been very well hidden (although not from the birds!) #teamoth

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St Mellion cont. Barred Sallow was new for the year. Also, Nephopterix angustella (Spindle Knot-horn) and Acleris emargana (Scalloped Tortrix) - I would have named it Double Bass Moth! #teammoth

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Migrants: xylostella (Diamond-back), 15 noctuella (Rush Veneer), 13 ferrugalis (Rusty-dot),2 vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl), oblitella (Saltmarsh Knot-horn), 3 Vestal, Pearly Underwing, 3 Turnip, 2 White-speck, 2 Delicate, 3 Small Mottled Willow, 27 Silver Y, Ni Moth & 2 L-album Wainscot #teammoth

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One of the Lobster Moth caterpillars has pupated, spinning a couple of oak leaves together. At first I though this one had cannibalised it as it took me a while to find it! [from 1st instar larvae found in the moth trap] #teammoth

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Not sure if the warm summer played a part but I've never seen so much variation in the Vestals this year.

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Another spectacular Vestal (R. sacraria) in the St Mellion moth trap last night. Perhaps not quite as spectacular as the one taken a month ago, but the polar opposite, with the pink on the basal side of the forewings, up to the stripe. #teammoth

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59 species in St Mellion on 22/9. Migrants: P. vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl), 3 Convolvulus Hawk 2 female/1 male. Male had soft wings, so likely emerged close by, 3 Pearly Underwing, White-speck, 7 Delicate, 10 Small Mottled Willow, 3 Scarce Bordered Straw, 2 Ni Moth, plus Jersey Mocha #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Highlights from the past couple of nights in the St Mellion garden - Rosy Underwing, Convolvulus Hawk, Verge Cricket (Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis) in the actual moth trap, Ni Moth and Autumnal Rustic. #teammoth

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It wasn't much fun Tim, although not as bad as the estimated 5000 taken one night in Dorset!

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Just c800 Large Yellow Blunderwings last night. Also Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl), Blair's Mocha 2nd site record, 7 Vestal, 4 Pearly Underwing, 2 White-speck, 9 Delicate, l-album Wainscot, Cosmopolitan, 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, 38 Small Mottled Willow, Ni Moth, Clifden Nonpariel #teammoth

Not quite what I had in mind for a comparison shot!

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Steve Nash @stevenash71.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Had my first wasp sting of the season yesterday. Given the numbers in the trap I'm surprised it took this long!

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😮 No issues with ants this year thankfully, just wasps!

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Zilch on the egg-boxes Clive, but found refuge on the collar or bottom of the traps.

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It was bedlam Steve! Some of the trays were heavy to lift!

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