A herd of thorns, a high priestess and a gravedigger.

 I trapped for a second night in a row, leaving my actinic by the front step. This produced a very different suite of moths and lower numbers - possibly to do with the street light which looms over the front garden - tip to Carms County Council, turn off the street lights at 12.00 midnight, save money and earn the gratitude of urban moth trappers.

The first thing I found was a Dusky Thorn, swiftly followed by 6 others of the species, which is more than I usually trap in a year.

They were an unruly mob and several stampeded before I could get the shot. You can see significant subject blur in the left hand moth as it furiously flaps its wings.

The Vestal  - always a treat.

Whilst numbers of Square Spot Rustic and Large Yellow Underwing were well down, some things remained the same - Small Dusty Waves continued to make their presence felt and Centre Barred Sallow made a second appearance in two nights. 

Also of interest in the trap was a sexton beetle species, Nicrophorus investigator. It had entered the trap and was infested with mites - apparently they don't harm the beetle and are hitching a lift to the next corpse. The mite breeding cycle coincides with that of the Sexton Beetle and the young hop back on for the flight to the next carcass.

Not moths, but quite interesting even so.