A greenhorn lepidopterist at large in suburban London

Berrylands Station is on the London Waterloo to Hampton Court line between New Malden and Surbiton, a 25 minute train journey from central London. I became aware of its potential for attracting moths in late August 2008. The station is situated on an embankment with the Hogsmill Sewage Farm directly to the north and a typical mix of suburban houses and gardens to the south. The elevated aspect of the station and the comparative lack of domestic and street lighting in the immediate area mean that it acts like a huge moth trap, there are white-painted covered waiting areas and staircases on both platforms, these are illuminated at night and most of the moths are found in these areas. What follows is my attempt as a novice lepidopterist to record and catalogue all the macro moths I encounter on my daily commute to work along with the occasional "awayday" in search of other British lepidoptera .

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Blue-bordered Carpet

Plemyria rubiginata

2009: a single of the nominate form on June 18th.
2013: a single of the nominate form on July 12th.
2014: a single of the nominate form on June 12th.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Spruce Carpet

2008: one on September 29th.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Cypress Carpet

Thera cupressata

2012: singles on June 15th & 18th
2013: one on July 12th.
2015: one on June 14th.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Broken-barred Carpet

2008: one on August 31st.


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Green Carpet

Colostygia pectinataria

2009: singles on May 24th and August 6th.
2010: recorded on seven dates between May 17th and August 23rd, all singles except for two on June 1st.
2011: recorded on ten dates between May 10th and August 31st, all singles except for two on May 10th and August 18th, 22nd & 25th.
2012: recorded on ten dates between May 17th and August 28th, all singles except for four on May 24th.
2013: singles on May 20th, 30th & 31st and June 10th.
2014: one on May 27th.
2015: one on August 29th.


Saturday, March 26, 2016

November Moth

2012: one on October 22nd.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Winter Moth

Operophtera brumata

2008: singles on December 18th & 21st.
2009: singles on November 17th and December 8th & 12th.
2010: singles on November 19th and from December 6th to 8th, four on December 30th and six on December 31st.
2011: four on January 2nd, two on January 4th, one on January 7th.
2015: one on December 16th.


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Foxglove Pug

Eupithecia pulchellata

2011: one on June 23rd.
2012: one on June 19th.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Mottled Pug

2010: one on June 2nd.
2011: one on May 11th.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Lime-speck Pug

Eupithecia centaureata

2008: one on September 3rd.
2009: one on august 26th.
2010: recorded on nine dates between June 8th and August 23rd, all singles except for three on July 28th and two on August 2nd & 10th.
2011: one from June 16th to 21st.
2012: singles on August 1st & 15th.
2013: singles on August 7th, 9th, 16th & 23rd.
2014: singles recorded on eight dates between June 20th and August 6th.
2015 singles recorded on six dates between July 24th & 29th.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Freyer's Pug

Eupithecia intricata

2009: one on June 22nd.
2010: one on June 8th.

2011: one on July 1st

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Wormwood Pug

2014: one on August 1st.
2015: one on July 24th.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Common Pug

Eupithecia vulgata

2010: recorded on eight dates between April 27th and July 16th, all singles except for two on June 9th.
2011: singles on May 18th and June 3rd & 5th, three on May 25th.


Friday, March 18, 2016

White-spotted Pug

2010: one on May 17th.
2011: singles on May 10th, 11th, 19th & 20th.
2012: one on July 25th.


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Bordered Pug

Eupithecia succenturiata

2010: singles on August 6th and September 8th.
2014: one on July 16th.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Plain Pug

Eupithecia simpliciata

2010: singles on July 21st & 30th, two on August 2nd.
2013: one on July 26th.
2014: singles on July 21st and August 1st.



Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Brindled Pug

Eupithecia abbreviata

2010: singles on april 19th and May 4th, two on May 28th.
2011: singles on five dates between April 12th & 25th, four on April 15th.
2012: singles on March 23rd & 29th, two on April 10th and May 24th & 28th.
2013: two on May 7th, singles on May 8th, 28th & 29th.
2014: two on April 23rd.
2015: singles on April 23rd, 26th, 27th, 28th & 29th.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Oak-tree Pug

Eupithecia dodoneata

2010: one on May 25th.
2012: one om May 8th.
2013: one on May 3rd.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Juniper Pug

Eupithecia pusillata

2011: one on September 16th.


Saturday, March 12, 2016

Cypress Pug

Eupithecia phoeniceata

2009: singles on August 11th and September 25th.
2012: one on August 24th.
2014: one on September 10th & 11th.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Green Pug

2010: one on June 8th.
2012: one on June 6th.
2015: one on June 18th.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Double-striped Pug

2008: one on September 10th.
2009: recorded on 22 dates between March 30th and September 9th with a peak count of four on August 20th.
2010: recorded on 40 dates between April 8th and October 7th with peak counts five on June 6th and August 12th.
2011: recorded on 19 dates between March 23rd and July 1st, all singles except for two on March 23rd & 27th and June 20th.

2012: recorded on 19 dates between March 16th and September 6th, all singles except for two on April 4th & 5th and three on August 18th.
2013: recorded on 25 dates between March 6th and September 25th, all singles except for three on April 24th & 25th, two on July 10th and August 12th & 21st and four on August 23rd.
2014: recorded on 12 dates between March 14th and September 26th, all singles except for two on September 5th.
2015: recorded on 28 dates between March 14th and September 13th with peak counts of three on August 30th and September 1st. 

Wednesday, March 09, 2016

Streak

Chesias legatella

2010: one on November 2nd & 3rd.