Andy Banthorpe
@vc30moths.bsky.social
One half of the County Moth Recordership in vc30 Bedfordshire (my wife Melissa is the other half). Moths, Leafminers, other wildlife etc
Reposted by Andy Banthorpe
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 🌍
November 26, 2025 at 2:08 PM
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 🌍
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
October 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
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
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.
October 4, 2025 at 6:53 PM
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.
@ashwhiffin.bsky.social excellent film just now on Gardeners World. Great encouragement to enhance the biodiversity of sites
October 3, 2025 at 7:35 PM
@ashwhiffin.bsky.social excellent film just now on Gardeners World. Great encouragement to enhance the biodiversity of sites
Hi Entomological peeps. I am stuck on an id even to genus of this larva on Hazel in The Burren Co Clare Ireland from early September. @gmtord.bsky.social @naturespotter.bsky.social
September 23, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Hi Entomological peeps. I am stuck on an id even to genus of this larva on Hazel in The Burren Co Clare Ireland from early September. @gmtord.bsky.social @naturespotter.bsky.social
Hi bee people. Is this id to species please? B terrestris or lucorum or not splittable? Location north coast of County Clare Ireland early September @bexcartwright.bsky.social @bumble-being.bsky.social
September 23, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Hi bee people. Is this id to species please? B terrestris or lucorum or not splittable? Location north coast of County Clare Ireland early September @bexcartwright.bsky.social @bumble-being.bsky.social
Hi moth people. We are stuck on an id for this larva found on a Sea Aster stem on the north coast of County Clare West Ireland 2 weeks ago and would value any suggestions of the id. It looks like it should be in Geometridae... @rlewington2.bsky.social @gmtord.bsky.social #TeamMoth
September 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Hi moth people. We are stuck on an id for this larva found on a Sea Aster stem on the north coast of County Clare West Ireland 2 weeks ago and would value any suggestions of the id. It looks like it should be in Geometridae... @rlewington2.bsky.social @gmtord.bsky.social #TeamMoth
I photographed this Small Ranunculus larva on Prickly Lettuce in a local.field edge this evening and it wasn't until.I looked at the photo that I spotted there was a second larva behind! These things are v cryptic though... #TeamMoth
August 22, 2025 at 9:30 PM
I photographed this Small Ranunculus larva on Prickly Lettuce in a local.field edge this evening and it wasn't until.I looked at the photo that I spotted there was a second larva behind! These things are v cryptic though... #TeamMoth
Reposted by Andy Banthorpe
To all moth trappers out there Do you have any humerous stories regarding moths and moth trapping?any mishaps/memorable moments etc. I did hear of a trap getting hit by lightning once?My father is writing a book and he wants to include some quirky moth elements into a short fictional story #teammoth
August 21, 2025 at 6:32 PM
To all moth trappers out there Do you have any humerous stories regarding moths and moth trapping?any mishaps/memorable moments etc. I did hear of a trap getting hit by lightning once?My father is writing a book and he wants to include some quirky moth elements into a short fictional story #teammoth
I think these are newly hatched Shildbugs maybe but which species? @rockwolf74.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 3:12 PM
I think these are newly hatched Shildbugs maybe but which species? @rockwolf74.bsky.social
Nice to have a v fresh Tissue on the garden trap on Monday night. Last caught one here on the v first night we trapped in July 2003. #TeamMoth
July 2, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Nice to have a v fresh Tissue on the garden trap on Monday night. Last caught one here on the v first night we trapped in July 2003. #TeamMoth
One of the mice things of being a County Moth Recorder is the interactions with recorders. A Sunday afternoon visit to a couple in Bedfordshire who found an Oleander Hawk-moth in their garden was enhanced by both a nice chat and cuppa and finding Phytomyza aconiti leafmines new to vc30. #TeamMoth
June 30, 2025 at 11:34 AM
One of the mice things of being a County Moth Recorder is the interactions with recorders. A Sunday afternoon visit to a couple in Bedfordshire who found an Oleander Hawk-moth in their garden was enhanced by both a nice chat and cuppa and finding Phytomyza aconiti leafmines new to vc30. #TeamMoth
A few early summer miners from this afternoon at Gypsy Lane East NR in Beds whilst birding. Etainia louisella in a Samara of Field Maple, Phyllonorycter coryli in Hazel, Profenusa pygmaea in Oak and Heterarthrus wuestneii in Field Maple.
June 6, 2025 at 8:05 PM
A few early summer miners from this afternoon at Gypsy Lane East NR in Beds whilst birding. Etainia louisella in a Samara of Field Maple, Phyllonorycter coryli in Hazel, Profenusa pygmaea in Oak and Heterarthrus wuestneii in Field Maple.
Reposted by Andy Banthorpe
Bookings are going well so don’t miss out on the BENHS Harvestman workshop with Meg Skinner and her new test British key to ID them . . .
To book: mail [email protected] providing a mobile contact number.
To book: mail [email protected] providing a mobile contact number.
May 26, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Bookings are going well so don’t miss out on the BENHS Harvestman workshop with Meg Skinner and her new test British key to ID them . . .
To book: mail [email protected] providing a mobile contact number.
To book: mail [email protected] providing a mobile contact number.
Ethmia quadrillella on its larval foodplant Comfrey today. The 2nd earliest record in the county. This was at the new Greensand Trust Clophill Lakes NR
May 17, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Ethmia quadrillella on its larval foodplant Comfrey today. The 2nd earliest record in the county. This was at the new Greensand Trust Clophill Lakes NR
Two moth larvae from Monday evening - Blossom Underwings on Oak and Sprawler on Holm Oak. Melissa found the Blossom Underwing, a new larva for us and a new site for it in the county
May 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Two moth larvae from Monday evening - Blossom Underwings on Oak and Sprawler on Holm Oak. Melissa found the Blossom Underwing, a new larva for us and a new site for it in the county
Leafmines and cases from this evening in Beds vc30. Acrocercops brongniardella and Eriocrania subpurpurella mines in Oak, Coleophora hemerobiella on Apple and C conspicuella on Knapweed.
May 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Leafmines and cases from this evening in Beds vc30. Acrocercops brongniardella and Eriocrania subpurpurella mines in Oak, Coleophora hemerobiella on Apple and C conspicuella on Knapweed.
Mullein moth larvae on Great Mullein in our village Baptist Church garden that Melissa looks after. The earliest larval record in the county by 5 days. At least 19 present so they will eat a fair bit of the plants
May 12, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Mullein moth larvae on Great Mullein in our village Baptist Church garden that Melissa looks after. The earliest larval record in the county by 5 days. At least 19 present so they will eat a fair bit of the plants
Melissa found these Andricus quercusramuli falls on Oak at a site in Bedfordshire today. Apparently they are quite uncommonly seen and were certainly new to us.
May 2, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Melissa found these Andricus quercusramuli falls on Oak at a site in Bedfordshire today. Apparently they are quite uncommonly seen and were certainly new to us.
An unexpected find today was a Scarlet Tiger larva on Geum in Old Sulehay vc32. Also a terrible back on shot of Rhagium mordax - not seen one of these for ages
April 28, 2025 at 9:53 PM
An unexpected find today was a Scarlet Tiger larva on Geum in Old Sulehay vc32. Also a terrible back on shot of Rhagium mordax - not seen one of these for ages
Tonight's nature themed beer :-)
April 5, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Tonight's nature themed beer :-)
1/2 More puparia of Melanagromyza aeneoventris found today in Beds vc30. All in old dead flower stems of Ragwort.
Go for the thickest stems you can find that are not damaged at the base, cut with secateurs at ground level and split the stem. All were in the bottom 10cm of the stem.
Go for the thickest stems you can find that are not damaged at the base, cut with secateurs at ground level and split the stem. All were in the bottom 10cm of the stem.
April 4, 2025 at 9:55 PM
1/2 More puparia of Melanagromyza aeneoventris found today in Beds vc30. All in old dead flower stems of Ragwort.
Go for the thickest stems you can find that are not damaged at the base, cut with secateurs at ground level and split the stem. All were in the bottom 10cm of the stem.
Go for the thickest stems you can find that are not damaged at the base, cut with secateurs at ground level and split the stem. All were in the bottom 10cm of the stem.
Finally got to 100 bird species for the year so far in UK with Yellowhammers late afternoon in N Herts. Still only 82 for Beds. Not actively chasing birds uses v local but enjoying getting back into more birding since Jan 2024.
March 28, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Finally got to 100 bird species for the year so far in UK with Yellowhammers late afternoon in N Herts. Still only 82 for Beds. Not actively chasing birds uses v local but enjoying getting back into more birding since Jan 2024.
Nice fresh Yellow Horned moth and several Gorse Shieldbugs at @rspb.bsky.social The Lodge this afternoon also 5+ Orange Underwings around the Birches and a pair of Brambling under the feeders. Also excellent cheese and onion pasty in the cafe :-) #TeamMoth
March 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Nice fresh Yellow Horned moth and several Gorse Shieldbugs at @rspb.bsky.social The Lodge this afternoon also 5+ Orange Underwings around the Birches and a pair of Brambling under the feeders. Also excellent cheese and onion pasty in the cafe :-) #TeamMoth