Mark Skevington🦋🦊🟢
@whetstoneskev.bsky.social
Amateur naturalist. Leics. & Rutland VC55 CMR. Moths; all taxa PSL; reformed twitcher; LCFC; known to dabble with synthesizers. All photos/videos I post are my own unless stated. https://skevsblog.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@Skevdig
https://www.youtube.com/@Skevdig
It's getting a bit late in the year for leaf mine recording for me; not because there are no mines, more about dwindling daylight opportunities around work and weather windows. I was pleased to find Ectoedemia intimella locally today though on sallow, new dots/tetrad to boot. #vc55moths #teammoth
November 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
It's getting a bit late in the year for leaf mine recording for me; not because there are no mines, more about dwindling daylight opportunities around work and weather windows. I was pleased to find Ectoedemia intimella locally today though on sallow, new dots/tetrad to boot. #vc55moths #teammoth
Always sweet when December Moth finally appears in the garden trap, just the one amongst x19spp. over the last couple of nights which included a NFG (but moribund) Ypsolopha ustella. Out this morning for a Dusky Warbler and there were Aspen leaves everywhere (see alt text). #teammoth #vc55moths
November 7, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Always sweet when December Moth finally appears in the garden trap, just the one amongst x19spp. over the last couple of nights which included a NFG (but moribund) Ypsolopha ustella. Out this morning for a Dusky Warbler and there were Aspen leaves everywhere (see alt text). #teammoth #vc55moths
I had a very half-arsed look around some sallow early this afternoon whilst on a shopping errand. Failed to find my intended target (Ectoedemia intimella), but found larval workings of Gypsonoma dealbana and a tenanted larval case of Coleophora lusciniaepennella. #teammoth #vc55moths
October 26, 2025 at 3:24 PM
I had a very half-arsed look around some sallow early this afternoon whilst on a shopping errand. Failed to find my intended target (Ectoedemia intimella), but found larval workings of Gypsonoma dealbana and a tenanted larval case of Coleophora lusciniaepennella. #teammoth #vc55moths
Clocks have gone back, so as good a time as any to settle in #listeningto old #vinyl on a Sunday morning whilst verifying moth records. 'Oil On Canvas' by Japan, their live double LP swansong. 1983, Virgin Records, cat. VD2513.
October 26, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Clocks have gone back, so as good a time as any to settle in #listeningto old #vinyl on a Sunday morning whilst verifying moth records. 'Oil On Canvas' by Japan, their live double LP swansong. 1983, Virgin Records, cat. VD2513.
Struggling to pick up more than c15 species a night to my Whetstone garden trap now, back to the usual late autumn/winter numbers here. Grey-shoulder Knot the only NFY over the last couple of nights, and still missing some common late autumn species. #vc55moths #teammoth
October 18, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Struggling to pick up more than c15 species a night to my Whetstone garden trap now, back to the usual late autumn/winter numbers here. Grey-shoulder Knot the only NFY over the last couple of nights, and still missing some common late autumn species. #vc55moths #teammoth
A trio of NFY species to my Whetstone garden trap over the last couple of nights, amongst few moths of low diversity. Green-brindled Crescent nice to see as missed this last year, Merveille du Jour now seems annual in ones or twos, and November Moth agg. #teammoth #vc55moths
October 16, 2025 at 9:34 PM
A trio of NFY species to my Whetstone garden trap over the last couple of nights, amongst few moths of low diversity. Green-brindled Crescent nice to see as missed this last year, Merveille du Jour now seems annual in ones or twos, and November Moth agg. #teammoth #vc55moths
Ok, it's a rough cropped phone shot and but this Crimson Speckled was one of c15 on a cruise ship 08/10/2025 literally half way across the Med. between Palma de Mallorca and Cagliari Sardinia, along with an Old World Webworm and a couple of Humming-bird Hawk-moths. #teammoth
October 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Ok, it's a rough cropped phone shot and but this Crimson Speckled was one of c15 on a cruise ship 08/10/2025 literally half way across the Med. between Palma de Mallorca and Cagliari Sardinia, along with an Old World Webworm and a couple of Humming-bird Hawk-moths. #teammoth
A few more leafmine species found in a short stroll around Lutterworth CP yesterday pm included what I feel sure must be vacated Stigmella oxyacanthella on some sort of cherry, and a mess of a vacated Stigmella assimilella mine on Aspen - a relatively scarce find in VC55. #vc55moths #teammoth
October 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM
A few more leafmine species found in a short stroll around Lutterworth CP yesterday pm included what I feel sure must be vacated Stigmella oxyacanthella on some sort of cherry, and a mess of a vacated Stigmella assimilella mine on Aspen - a relatively scarce find in VC55. #vc55moths #teammoth
A couple from hawthorn today in Leics. with Stigmella regiella a new one for me (confirmed via @vc28wildlife.bsky.social) and Ectoedemia atricollis the first I've found this year. Both tenanted mines which is pretty key for several hawthorn miners. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
A couple from hawthorn today in Leics. with Stigmella regiella a new one for me (confirmed via @vc28wildlife.bsky.social) and Ectoedemia atricollis the first I've found this year. Both tenanted mines which is pretty key for several hawthorn miners. #vc55moths #teammoth
Whilst we were out at a local park yesterday with my young granddaughter, she saw me checking leaves and wanted to have a couple of different shapes/colours. I didn't notice until much later in the day that this dark purple Norway Maple variant had x4 Stigmella aceris mines. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 17, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Whilst we were out at a local park yesterday with my young granddaughter, she saw me checking leaves and wanted to have a couple of different shapes/colours. I didn't notice until much later in the day that this dark purple Norway Maple variant had x4 Stigmella aceris mines. #vc55moths #teammoth
Phyllonorycter leucographella was presumably given the vernacular Firethorn Leaf-miner when it turned up here on Pyracantha, but the name seems increasingly irrelevant when it is found on several hosts. I often find it on hawthorn here, and today on apple and Whitebeam. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Phyllonorycter leucographella was presumably given the vernacular Firethorn Leaf-miner when it turned up here on Pyracantha, but the name seems increasingly irrelevant when it is found on several hosts. I often find it on hawthorn here, and today on apple and Whitebeam. #vc55moths #teammoth
A few from oak today; tenanted mines of Ectoedemia albifasciella and Stigmella ruficapitella, and vacated mines of Stigmella basiguttella and Bucculatrix ulmella. I also collected a few Phyllonorycter mines that will need rearing/checking. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 16, 2025 at 9:05 PM
A few from oak today; tenanted mines of Ectoedemia albifasciella and Stigmella ruficapitella, and vacated mines of Stigmella basiguttella and Bucculatrix ulmella. I also collected a few Phyllonorycter mines that will need rearing/checking. #vc55moths #teammoth
I've not had my garden trap out for over a week thanks to weather/work, but I was intent on it going out last night regardless of the conditions. 33 of 11sp. was an unsurprisingly modest return, but included NFY Brindled Green and Lunar Underwing plus a Red (not blue) Underwing. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 16, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I've not had my garden trap out for over a week thanks to weather/work, but I was intent on it going out last night regardless of the conditions. 33 of 11sp. was an unsurprisingly modest return, but included NFY Brindled Green and Lunar Underwing plus a Red (not blue) Underwing. #vc55moths #teammoth
Here's a common miner on a less common host (at least here in VC55). This is Phyllocnistis unipunctella on a Populus hybrid (perhaps Balm-of-Gilead) from a local park where there are a few planted. These have big elongated spade-shaped leaves that are quite thick/tough. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 14, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Here's a common miner on a less common host (at least here in VC55). This is Phyllocnistis unipunctella on a Populus hybrid (perhaps Balm-of-Gilead) from a local park where there are a few planted. These have big elongated spade-shaped leaves that are quite thick/tough. #vc55moths #teammoth
News from VC55: Plumed Fan-foot new to VC list, recorded by Anthony Plummer to light in Quorn last night. His photo attached. #teammoth #vc55moths
September 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
News from VC55: Plumed Fan-foot new to VC list, recorded by Anthony Plummer to light in Quorn last night. His photo attached. #teammoth #vc55moths
From a load of mixed Chenopodium sp. and Atriplex sp. along an arable margin this morning, pretty sure these are all off of Fat-hen despite the apparent differences in leaf shape/size. Lots of tenanted Chrysoesthia sexguttella, and a few vacated/failed Chrysoesthia drurella. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
From a load of mixed Chenopodium sp. and Atriplex sp. along an arable margin this morning, pretty sure these are all off of Fat-hen despite the apparent differences in leaf shape/size. Lots of tenanted Chrysoesthia sexguttella, and a few vacated/failed Chrysoesthia drurella. #vc55moths #teammoth
There are around 11spp. that can be found as leafmines on Alder, including x2 Stigmella spp. and x4 Phyllonorycter spp. (plus another on Grey Alder). I found an Alder a couple of days ago on which I failed to find any of these, and only found one mine - Heliozella resplendella. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 11, 2025 at 8:17 PM
There are around 11spp. that can be found as leafmines on Alder, including x2 Stigmella spp. and x4 Phyllonorycter spp. (plus another on Grey Alder). I found an Alder a couple of days ago on which I failed to find any of these, and only found one mine - Heliozella resplendella. #vc55moths #teammoth
I am not a prolific recorder of moth leafmines, and I'm not very structured either, just checking greenery en route as I amble about. Very occasionally I'll be more focussed on a particular host or target species. There is plenty of time, but 61 spp. recorded so far this year. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 11, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I am not a prolific recorder of moth leafmines, and I'm not very structured either, just checking greenery en route as I amble about. Very occasionally I'll be more focussed on a particular host or target species. There is plenty of time, but 61 spp. recorded so far this year. #vc55moths #teammoth
A few more leafmines found over the last couple of days in Leics. [details in alt text as usual]. I've not found Antispila petryi and Caloptilia honoratella mines previously, and whilst I've found Stigmella plagicolella all over the place I've not found it on cherry before. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 9, 2025 at 9:25 PM
A few more leafmines found over the last couple of days in Leics. [details in alt text as usual]. I've not found Antispila petryi and Caloptilia honoratella mines previously, and whilst I've found Stigmella plagicolella all over the place I've not found it on cherry before. #vc55moths #teammoth
A few leafmines found yesterday at Western Park, Leics. in an hour or so around a relatively small circuit. I found c23 species in total. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 7, 2025 at 8:45 PM
A few leafmines found yesterday at Western Park, Leics. in an hour or so around a relatively small circuit. I found c23 species in total. #vc55moths #teammoth
Not had too much to get excited about in my garden trap for a good week or so, and last night was very windy so no great expectations. Surprised to find a box-fresh Bordered Straw, along with x7 Dewick's Plusia, a European Corn-borer and a few Scrobipalpa ocellatella. #vc55moths #teammoth
September 7, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Not had too much to get excited about in my garden trap for a good week or so, and last night was very windy so no great expectations. Surprised to find a box-fresh Bordered Straw, along with x7 Dewick's Plusia, a European Corn-borer and a few Scrobipalpa ocellatella. #vc55moths #teammoth
A few more NFY here in Whetstone last night: first Lilac Beauty since 2011, first Pink-barred Sallow since 2018, and Dark Spectacle was NFG last year. #teammoth #vc55moths
August 23, 2025 at 4:48 PM
A few more NFY here in Whetstone last night: first Lilac Beauty since 2011, first Pink-barred Sallow since 2018, and Dark Spectacle was NFG last year. #teammoth #vc55moths
I've been patiently waiting for this one: Phyllonorycter comparella finally emerged from a mine on some sort of hybrid Black Poplar collected on 09/08/2025. Pupal exuviae checked though my photos of that are pants. #teammoth #vc55moths
August 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
I've been patiently waiting for this one: Phyllonorycter comparella finally emerged from a mine on some sort of hybrid Black Poplar collected on 09/08/2025. Pupal exuviae checked though my photos of that are pants. #teammoth #vc55moths
One I didn't get around to posting yesterday: this spanking Phyllonorycter klemannella emerged yesterday from a mine on Alder collected on 09/08/2025, along with couple of much more jumpy and slightly less photogenic Phyllonorycter stettinensis. #vc55moths #teammoth
August 21, 2025 at 8:46 PM
One I didn't get around to posting yesterday: this spanking Phyllonorycter klemannella emerged yesterday from a mine on Alder collected on 09/08/2025, along with couple of much more jumpy and slightly less photogenic Phyllonorycter stettinensis. #vc55moths #teammoth
My Whetstone garden trap is picking up for numbers, albeit mainly common brown Noctuids and not too much diversity as is typical for this time of year. Only highlights from last night were a x2 Palpita vitrealis and x2 Tawny-speckled Pugs (relatively scarce in recent years). #vc55moths #teammoth
August 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM
My Whetstone garden trap is picking up for numbers, albeit mainly common brown Noctuids and not too much diversity as is typical for this time of year. Only highlights from last night were a x2 Palpita vitrealis and x2 Tawny-speckled Pugs (relatively scarce in recent years). #vc55moths #teammoth