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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Nice work Matt especially the Vestals

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Agromyzidae also mine Common Reed too

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Last vc30 Beds record was 2015. Probably gone here too

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I would agree with conyzae. It looks like it is flatter on one edge i.e. like a flattish oval cross section is that right?

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Ibipennella unless there is a confusion species there or it wandered from something else

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Reposted by Andy Banthorpe

Keith Balmer @keithbalmer.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Here's a summary of the Bedfordshire butterfly season so far. Thanks for all the records. They are mapped in iMap here: www.keithbalmer.com/bedsbutterfl... Click on a square to see its species list. Choose other mapping options from the drop-down list.

A table of weekly butterfly counts for each species. The totals for each species after the first 14 weeks of 2026 are :
760   Brimstone
220   Comma
56   Green-veined White
47   Holly Blue
7   Large White
96   Orange Tip
740   Peacock
42   Red Admiral
43   Small Tortoiseshell
77   Small White
16   Small/Green-veined White
83   Speckled Wood

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Reposted by Andy Banthorpe

Keith Balmer @keithbalmer.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I've added a first-day and last-day phenology graph to each Bedfordshire butterfly species account on www.bedsbutterflies.org.uk with a trend line showing change since 1990. This is Comma's. Global warming effect at the local level...

Graphs of flight times, first and last day, and adult abundance for Comma butterfly. The first date is trending earlier and the last date later. Abundance is also rising.

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Yours might actually be an odd Chromatomyia aprilina

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

hendeliana and cornigera can only be separated by a close look at the larva or pupa or breeding. I seem to find them just after they vacate the mine which is annoying!

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Superb find. One we have not seen yet - this group of moths are little stunners

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

@lizziebruce.bsky.social Melissa and I had a great day at Welney yesterday - lots of species inc 3 Otters. She commented on the large numbers of Shoveler we saw and I meant to ask a member of staff if that was usual for the time of year or is the water depth just right for them at present?

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Melissa reminded me that in a Marple episode we saw last week set in the 1950s a Horse Chestnut was covered in mines of Cameraria ohridella despite that not occurring in the UK till 2002.

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Nice - we had a couple yesterday just east at Sandy Smith NR

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Yep.eill message you when back in

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Lovely walk in. Bedfordshire wood this afternoon to see the wild Narcissus and also Wood Anemones and even a couple of Bluebells out.

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Received today thanks. Once I get a chance I will hopefully get an id for you

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Yes please send all the bits and I will see what can be done. I need the exuvia and the case as well

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Some others too depending on food supply etc.

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Melissa and I just watched the first episode of Aillte by @cormacscoast.bsky.social on TG4 - it's a really good watch. Easy to get the TG4 player on our smart TV and the programme has English subtitles. Looking forward to watching the other episode tomorrow. www.tg4.ie/en/player/ca...

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Happy memories of seeing them in 2005

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

One of 3 cases of CV Coleophora saturatella on the same Broom plant in east Beds vc30 this afternoon the 8th county record. All the Beds records are in the same area of the county across 2 sites. #TeamMoth

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

It is a superb book. I often dip into it

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

This is Bedfordshire but there are photos of the different stages. It should have most of the species you are interested in www.keithbalmer.com/bedsbutterfl...

keithbalmer.com

About these Web-pages

Bedfordshire Butterflies

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Some Leafmines still to be found in Bedfordshire on Boxing Day. Ectoedemia rubivora in Dewberry/Bramble, Liriomyza pascuum in Wood Spurge and the ubiquitous Phytomyza chaerophylli in Cow Parsley. rubivora had evaded us this year until now. #TeamMoth

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

If kept in the freezer some last and work ok for years so do try them. As others have said date, time of day and habitat are all important. Some species don't move much either. I have used the Six-belted lure at a site with nothing arriving in 15 mins, moved the lure 10m and bingo.

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Reposted by Andy Banthorpe

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

New study confirms that short wavelength light (UV & blue) attracts the most nocturnal insects & that intensity increases attraction for all colours. Longer wavelength & lower intensity outdoor lights should reduce biodiversity impacts resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #teammoth 🌍

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Best id is by the shape of the antennae segments. It is dependant on the sex as males and females different but it's great for telling awkward Grey Pine and Spruce Carpet specimens apart

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Not a leafminer but just damage on the leaf causer unknown

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

To be honest even if they did that it would pick up so much non mine dross and also many or maybe most real mines would have needed more info to id

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

The mine in this case is Agromyzidae but would need breeding to id. Yes Melissa and I do look on gardening programmes and try and spot mines on plants! As to.other iRecord photos verifiers only see their species group(s) so I would only see records stated as moths for Bedfordshire and not others

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Definitely a Euura species of sawfly on Salix. There are several species like this and usually the id depends a lot on identifying the particular Salix species

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Phyllonorycter pastorella mine on Crack Willow and Aulagromyza heringii on Ash. Both new leafmines to site for @englishheritage.bsky.social Wrest Park. Also a few other added along with several gall species. #TeamMoth

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Nice work and yes depending on the site they can take a long time to find

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

Picked up our copy of the excellent new Bedfordshire avifauna at the launch event today. It is 31 years since the last was published and this is so much more. 500 pages and a superb job with all monies going to 2 reserves in the county. Get it now via the Bedfordshire Bird Club website.

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Yes they probably are - I was just pointing one of the issues with Stigmella mines on Hornbeam

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

@ashwhiffin.bsky.social excellent film just now on Gardeners World. Great encouragement to enhance the biodiversity of sites

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Round here in Beds it is probably under recorded but still scarce and we rarely find it.

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Stigmella mines on Hornbeam can be problematic at Stigmella carpinella is one of the options and not identifiable without breeding through

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Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

It could be one of several species of Oak feeding Stigmella but you would need to see the larval.features along with various features of the mine to get to an id and sadly this mige is vacated

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