St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly, moth trapping results - October 15th - 21st 2005.

St.Agnes, the most westerly island of the Isles of Scilly archipelago, presents not only good birding but for the moth enthusiast, a superb place for moth trapping, in ideal conditions. This year we were lucky enough to have 3 nights of near perfect weather conditions, which proved to be excellent for migrant moths. For a number of weeks prior to our arrival, a good selection of species had been trapped on St.Mary�s, so we were full of anticipation.

From the 15th to the 17th the wind was warm and from the south, with a little rain overnight. From the 18th to the 21st the weather broke and we experienced a strong south to south westerly gale with rain showers during the evening. Most nights there was a full moon which must have had some effect on the catch numbers. Nevertheless we had some good migrant moths during our week.

We were able to trap on 6 occasions but the moth catches deteriorated during the week due to the weather conditions. A Blended Mercury Vapour Light and Skinner Trap was used on the evenings of 15th; 16th; 17th 18th 19th and 20th October located at Troy Town Farm. On the 16th we ran our trap from the campsite at Troy Town as an alternative location.

The following table on page 2 shows the results of the six traps, along with a selection of images of the better moths that were caught. I would like to thank Dave Scattergood for his help and assistance during the week and to Dave Grundy & Mike Hicks for their help and advice and for additional trapping on the island which provided the opportunity for extra species. Well done Mike for the Dark Mottled Willow & Old World Webworm.

The Cosmopolitan - Mythimna loreyi

St.Agnes - Troy Town October 2005.
A scarce migrant which is now trapped annually on the Isles of Scilly.

Dark Mottled Willow - Spodoptera cilium
St.Agnes - trapped by Mike Hicks - 15th October 2005
A first record for the Isles of Scilly. A second was trapped
By Mike Scott @ Longstones, St.Mary�s on 17th October.

The Delicate - Mythimna vitellina
St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 2005
An attractive and now regular migrant species on the Islands.

Old World Webworm - Hellula undalis
First trapped on the Isles of Scilly in 1995. Approx 20 individuals arrived during October 2005, including this one on St.Agnes, which was trapped by Mike Hicks on 18th October 2005.
This specimen is a darker variety than others that were trapped on St.Mary�s which were a more sandy brown in colour.

Palpita vitrealis - St.Agnes, Troy Town Campsite - October 16th 2005.
Another was trapped on St.Mary�s on 2nd October. A classic migrant species.

Scarce Bordered Straw - Helicoverpa armigera
St.Agnes, October 2005 - Trapped by Dave Grundy. A rare migrant but now trapped on a regular basis on the islands.

Diamond Back - Plutella xylostella
St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 2005.
A common and regular migrant, often trapped in large numbers.

Small Marbled - Eublemma parva - St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 17th 2005.
A rare migrant with less than 20 records for the Isles of Scilly to 1998.

Small Mottled Willow - Spodoptera exigua
St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 18th 2005.
A regular immigrant, recorded often dependant upon migration conditions.

The Gem - Orthonama obstipata
St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 2005
An annual immigrant and often a good indicator species, for the arrival of migrant moths.

The Vestal - Rhodometra sacraria - St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 15th 2005.
Only 1 trapped. Another good migrant species, often turning up with The Gem and another indicator species of migrant activity.

White-speck - Mythimna unipuncta
St.Agnes, Troy Town - October 2005.
A common migrant often trapped in hundreds and may now be a resident species on the islands.

Cypress Pug - Eupithecia phoeniceata
St.Agnes, Troy Town Campsite - October 17th 2005

Lesser Yellow Underwing - Noctua comes sagittifer.
Note the strong markings and dark cross-lines of this sub-species. About half the specimens trapped on the Isles of Scilly are referable to - sagittifer.

Shuttle-shaped Dart - Agrotis puta ssp insula.
Another distinctive endemic subspecies, very bright and attractively marked in comparison to the mainland race.