Ran a couple of traps in a relatives garden in Hawk Green on Thursday night 20/07/2017. Probably not the best night to pick, as a cold front had passed through earlier in the day and the temperature had dropped considerably. It was breezy and there were rain showers overnight, so I was not expecting many moths when I arrived to empty the traps the following morning, although it is late July and there is a new moon in a couple of days.
The moth total for the two traps was a mere 40 species and most of these were common grassland species, however there was a single Scarce Footman in the trap and this is the first I have caught in SJ98. The only other record coming from Dave Bancroft’s trap in Poynton in 2014. Dave’s Poynton trap is only a mile SW of my garden and Hawk Green two miles to the NE, so I’m certainly expecting to catch one in my own garden soon.
Just two Tortrix moths were attracted to the Hawk Green traps; one was the widespread Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana but the other was Gypsonoma aceriana and this was new to SJ98. This species feeds on Poplar and a row of Poplars grow by the roadside to the south of the garden as the road passes over Macclesfield Canal, so I suspect these trees may be the origin of this moth, blown into the garden on the southerly breeze.
- Gypsonoma aceriana - Hawk Green - 20/07/2017
Regards,
Steve
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