Autumn Moth Collection

 As autumn progresses towards winter, the moth trap catches have become greatly reduced. There will still be a few species to come that are winter specialists and so I may yet put the trap out again if we are blessed with a few mild nights during the coming months.

Here is a selection of autumn species that I have attracted to the garden over the last couple of months, mainly common residents and occasional migrants. 

The first four images are of species that were recorded in my garden for the first time.

Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera)

Boxworm (Cydalima perspectalis)

Tree-lichen Beauty (Cryphia algae)

Cryptic Fern (Horisme radicana)

Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago)

Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae)

Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana)

Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra)

Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)

Delicate (Mythimna vitellina)

L-album Wainscot (Mythimna l-album)

Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)

Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx)

Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)

Palpita vitrealis

November Moth (Epirrita dilutata) 

Devil's Fingers

 Devil's Fingers (Clathrus archeri), also known as the Octopus Stinkhorn, is a very striking fungus. The species was an accidental import from Australasia during the First World War and is still a rare find in Britain.

David, Bob and I have met up a few times over the last couple of years to search for specimens in locations where it is known to occur but it has proved to be a difficult species to find.

After another search earlier this month, Bob and I were on the point of calling it a day when David calmly announced that he had found one.

Devil's Fingers (Clathrus archeri)

The next day, I returned to the site to see whether the "tentacles" had opened out into a classic star formation but alas it had been attacked by slugs overnight.