Notice Board 2026

The notice board is one of the principal modes of communication for those interested in VC32 moths. I am keen to keep this resource active throughout the year and will be happy to post interesting sightings or issues. In general, at the time of recording I would like to hear of moths that are UK BAP species, new to the county, very localised or rare, or which have not been recorded since 2000. Additionally any exceptional or interesting captures, i.e. very high numbers, species seen out of season and unusual extremes of variation or melanism etc. will be welcome.

All other records can be submitted at the end of the season for inclusion in the central database.

Site Images: We are keen to complete the species illustrations on the site, additionally some of the earlier photographs now look below par and could be improved. If anyone has photographs of the species that we have not yet pictured, or clear improvements, and does not mind us using them to fill some of our gaps will they please let the County Moth Recorder Mark Hammond know. Any photographs used will of course be acknowledged.

The up to date grid square coverage map is now available by clicking onto:
Request for Information/Records from the County Recorder

IDENTIFICATION AND NOTICE BOARD ENTRIES: Any member of the group is able to handle identification queries on moths at any of their stages and if in doubt will refer the matter on for a second opinion. At the outset the insect should be retained and a realistic photograph provided to confirm the identity. Due to the limitations sometimes imposed by photographic images of moths it is not always possible to identify difficult species from a photograph alone. Basically there is always a preference for a moth in the hand. Accordingly if there are still doubts the actual insect should then be seen by either Mark Hammond, Philip Horsnail or Pete Sharpe who will act as determinors.

2026 Records and Notices:

25th February 2026
An interesting set of sightings at moth traps around the county - Small Eggar Eriogaster lanestris adults were recorded at three locations: Higham Ferrers garden (SP96), Raunds garden (SP97) and Collyweston Great Wood (TF00). Interesting in that the adults are not often recorded (maybe three or four in a year), and that these were all on the same night, and two records are dispersed from known larval sites. And also, that these are all quite a bit earlier than in previous years - more usual flight time being mid-March.

25th February 2026
A very good sighting to report, to properly kick the 2026 season off with a bang! A single Mottled Grey Colostygia multistrigaria was recorded to light at Farthinghoe NR (SP55). The moth was spotted and captured just a few minutes after the light was turned on. This is a species which has been recorded in Northants only sporadically, with just twelve records spanning 1882 to 1995, almost exclusively in the north-east of the county (the exception being one at Salcey Forest, circa 1969). There were no further sightings until a single moth was recorded in a garden light trap in Woodnewton on 15.iv.2013. Therefore this is only the second modern, post-2000 record, and the first for thirteen years! Henwood and Stirling (Field Guide to the Caterpillars of Great Britain and Ireland, 2020) state the foodplants to be Heath & Lady's Bedstraw, but also Cleavers, noting that it's preferred habitat is therefore calcareous grassland. These plants are not rare in the county, and thus it is difficult to explain the apparent dearth of records. Perhaps it reflects the relative infrequency of field-trapping at this time of year (although the Moth Group has looked for the species in years gone by, at this time of year).

22nd February 2026
A single Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum was spotted in Mears Ashby (SP86). Whether this is a moth that has over-wintered locally, or a primary migrant (given the recent southerly air-flows and Saharan dust flow), is open to debate. Certainly several migrant species have been caught in moth traps in the south-east recently (per social media).

12th February 2026 - retrospective records from 2025
Only recently dissected and confirmed - a species new to VC32: Bohemannia auricileilla. The moth was taken to light in ancient parkland near Northampton (SP66) on 17.vi.2025. The moth appears to be nationally rare, with very few records to date.
Also of note, and some of you will have seen the news item/heard the radio interview: a single Hollyhock Seed Moth Pexicopia malvella was taken to an actinic light trap as part of an under-graduate project, at Delapre Abbey (SP75) on 29.vi.2025. This is the first Northants record since July 1940!

1st January 2026
It's that time of year when (I copy and paste this message from last year...and the one before that!) and wish you all a Happy New Year. I'd like to thank all those who have already submitted their 2025 records. I have sorted through just about all of these. I'll be going into iRecord to perform verifications on the more recent entries, etc soon. I will make my customary request for any outstanding moth records for 2025 please (or indeed any others you may have lurking from previous years) to be sent to Mark Hammond as soon as possible please, so that I can assimilate records, run the necessary checks, update species information on the website and write the report for the year. Note too that I have uploaded the 2026 version of the Recording Spreadsheet, a copy of which was sent direct by email to those recipients on that list.