The Pale Brindled Beauty

We started moth trapping about five years after attending an event at a local National Trust property. We bought our own trap and whenever we put it out we send our records the following morning to our County Lepidoptera Recorder . He has been a very patient man and has helped me identify many moths in the last few years .

Some years we have been dedicated to the task and others, like the wet summer of last year, saw us hardly trap at all. (I should explain that 'trap' is a misnomer - all the moths live and fly away during the following day). Anyway, we thought we'd try an early start this year and put out a trap last night, only catching one moth in the trap and sighting two others on the house. It is early in the season but the weather was mild and we decided it was worth a try.

This is the Pale Brindled Beauty which rested on our cottage wall. Our County Moth Recorder has just told me that not only was this the first record for our map reference area, it was also the first in a 10km square area. When you hear this, it is what makes it worthwhile.

I know he looks an unassuming kind of chap but some of them are absolutely stunning. The variety in scale, shape and colour is unbelieveable. I'll try and record some of the more 'photogenic' ones as we do more traps this year but every moth record is a valuable one. We need to know what species are declining or getting a foothold somewhere. It's a small thing to do, but fascinating nonetheless.