Norman Hall organised the annual moth-trapping night at Snelsmore Common on Saturday 15th August. It was a joint event with the Berkshire Moth Group. The skies were clear, but despite the rapidly falling temperature, a respectably long list of moths was accumulated. Norman set up his lights in the field next to the car park and the adjacent woodland. Paul Black, Jan and Laurie Haseler and Roy Dobson set up their lights out on the heathland. The dedicated trappers stayed on site over-night, while the Haselers left at 2am and went home to bed. Next morning, 5 members turned up to view the night’s catch.
A few of the moths, such as Ling Pug, Narrow-winged Pug, True Lover’s Knot and Pempelia genistella, were heathland specialists, with larvae which feed on heather or gorse. Others were associated with trees, particularly oak, birch, pine and willow. The commonest moth, with 66 individuals, was the Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. The largest moths were 2 Pine Hawkmoths. The Prominents are furry, thick-bodied moths which rest in a characteristic tent-like position and some of them have prominent crests on their backs. Seven different species were taken – Iron, Pebble, Lesser Swallow, Swallow, Coxcomb, Maple and Pale Prominent. The most abundant of these, with 34 individuals, was the Lesser Swallow Prominent, a birch feeder. Some of the moths, such as the Black Arches, the Clouded Border and the Purple Bar, were boldly patterned. Others, such as the Canary-shouldered Thorn, the Chevron and the Rosy Footman, were coloured in tones of yellow or pink. Other species seen included an Oak Bush-cricket and a number of Hornets, one of which stung Norman when he inadvertently kneeled on it. Fortunately, its sting was unexpectedly mild.
Pictures by Rob Stallard and Jan Haseler
| Taxon | English Name | Number |
| Triodia sylvina | Orange Swift | 1 |
| Argyresthia goedartella | 3 | |
| Yponomeuta padella / malinellus / cagnagella | Apple Ermine agg | 1 |
| Blastobasis adustella | 3 | |
| Cochylis nana | 1 | |
| Pandemis corylana | Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix | 2 |
| Acleris laterana | 1 | |
| Apotomis betuletana | 4 | |
| Epinotia ramella | 2 | |
| Rhyacionia pinicolana | 2 | |
| Cydia splendana | 6 | |
| Agriphila straminella | 2 | |
| Agriphila tristella | 7 | |
| Agriphila geniculea | 3 | |
| Catoptria pinella | 3 | |
| Catoptria falsella | 1 | |
| Eudonia mercurella | 2 | |
| Nymphula nitidulata | Beautiful China-mark | 1 |
| Nomophila noctuella | Rush Veneer | 1 |
| Pleuroptya ruralis | Mother of Pearl | 5 |
| Pempelia genistella | 3 | |
| Phycita roborella | 4 | |
| Falcaria lacertinaria | Scalloped Hook-tip | 11 |
| Watsonalla binaria | Oak Hook-tip | 4 |
| Drepana falcataria | Pebble Hook-tip | 8 |
| Cyclophora albipunctata | Birch Mocha | 5 |
| Cyclophora punctaria | Maiden’s Blush | 2 |
| Idaea biselata | Small Fan-footed Wave | 1 |
| Idaea dimidiata | Single-dotted Wave | 1 |
| Idaea aversata | Riband Wave | 5 |
| Xanthorhoe designata | Flame Carpet | 1 |
| Xanthorhoe spadicearia | Red Twin-spot Carpet | 2 |
| Epirrhoe alternata | Common Carpet | 1 |
| Camptogramma bilineata | Yellow Shell | 1 |
| Cosmorhoe ocellata | Purple Bar | 2 |
| Eulithis testata | The Chevron | 14 |
| Ecliptopera silaceata | Small Phoenix | 2 |
| Eupithecia centaureata | Lime-speck Pug | 2 |
| Eupithecia goossensiata | [Ling Pug] | 2 |
| Eupithecia nanata | Narrow-winged Pug | 8 |
| Gymnoscelis rufifasciata | Double-striped Pug | 1 |
| Lomaspilis marginata | Clouded Border | 2 |
| Macaria notata | Peacock Moth | 1 |
| Macaria liturata | Tawny-barred Angle | 1 |
| Opisthograptis luteolata | Brimstone Moth | 9 |
| Ennomos alniaria | Canary-shouldered Thorn | 3 |
| Ennomos erosaria | September Thorn | 3 |
| Crocallis elinguaria | Scalloped Oak | 1 |
| Biston betularia | Peppered Moth | 1 |
| Peribatodes rhomboidaria | Willow Beauty | 6 |
| Cabera pusaria | Common White Wave | 1 |
| Sphinx pinastri | Pine Hawk-moth | 2 |
| Furcula furcula | Sallow Kitten | 2 |
| Notodonta dromedarius | Iron Prominent | 8 |
| Notodonta ziczac | Pebble Prominent | 3 |
| Pheosia gnoma | Lesser Swallow Prominent | 34 |
| Pheosia tremula | Swallow Prominent | 5 |
| Ptilodon capucina | Coxcomb Prominent | 5 |
| Ptilodon cucullina | Maple Prominent | 1 |
| Pterostoma palpina | Pale Prominent | 2 |
| Clostera curtula | Chocolate-tip | 2 |
| Euproctis similis | Yellow-tail | 5 |
| Lymantria monacha | Black Arches | 24 |
| Miltochrista miniata | Rosy Footman | 1 |
| Eilema griseola | Dingy Footman | 2 |
| Eilema complana | Scarce Footman | 4 |
| Phragmatobia fuliginosa | Ruby Tiger | 2 |
| Agrotis segetum | Turnip Moth | 3 |
| Agrotis puta | Shuttle-shaped Dart | 27 |
| Ochropleura plecta | Flame Shoulder | 20 |
| Noctua pronuba | Large Yellow Underwing | 21 |
| Noctua comes | Lesser Yellow Underwing | 7 |
| Noctua fimbriata | Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing | 9 |
| Noctua janthe | Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing | 66 |
| Lycophotia porphyrea | True Lovers Knot | 17 |
| Diarsia rubi | Small Square-spot | 1 |
| Xestia c-nigrum | Setaceous Hebrew Character | 20 |
| Xestia sexstrigata | Six-striped Rustic | 4 |
| Mythimna albipuncta | White-point | 5 |
| Mythimna pallens | Common Wainscot | 6 |
| Acronicta psi | Grey Dagger | 2 |
| Acronicta psi or tridens | Dagger agg | 1 |
| Amphipyra tragopoginis | Mouse Moth | 4 |
| Thalpophila matura | Straw Underwing | 3 |
| Apamea monoglypha | Dark Arches | 2 |
| Mesapamea secalis or didyma | Common Rustic agg | 22 |
| Colocasia coryli | Nut-tree Tussock | 3 |
| Autographa gamma | Silver Y | 1 |
| Abrostola tripartita | The Spectacle | 1 |
| Rivula sericealis | Straw Dot | 8 |