Migrant fix

If you're linked up in anyway to the moth grapevine (all your mates probably are), you might have heard about the huge influx of migrant insects into Britain that has taken place in the past month. A fantastic array of exotic species which usually reside in southern Europe and Africa are being blown across the English Channel in their thousands, dropping down into moth-traps across the south coast.

Whilst the migrant 'hotspot' areas around Swanage and Portland enjoy scarcities such as Striped Hawk-moths & Golden Twin-spot, us inlanders rarely get a piece of the action. However, with the sheer volume of moths arriving into the country in the past few weeks, all the ingredients are there to make this a fantastic year for migrant species.

Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera) have made up the bulk of migrant records so far in 2015, so was always going to be the most likely candidate to turn up in the garden. It was still a welcome surprise when this one landed on the lawn yesterday morning while I photographed the previous night's catch. Amazing to think that this hatched out in southern Europe...

Bordered Straw

Light Brocade - of more local origins!