Each to their own

The trap's bulbholder is usually festooned with moths at this time of the year, perhaps because it is warmer than the eggboxes further below. The majority are usually Mother-of-Pearl micros as in the picture above, but look closely and you will see that a family of wasps have pegged out their own territory, on the metal screw attachment even closer to the bulb, the source of heat. They are a minor hazard in the eggboxes at the moment although generally too sleepy to get annoyed. Hornets keep putting in appearances too, causing me to act with extreme care.

Here's a different occupant of the bulbholder and one which only gave me one chance at a photo before flexing its battered wings and taking off with admirable agility and speed.  Although the picture is a bit blurred and the specimen so tatty, I am pretty sure that this is the attractive and attractively-named Maiden's Blush, as opposed to the larger and more angular - and more common - Bloodveins which were on the opposite side of the bowl - picture left.

We had prolonged rain for the first time in ages overnight but I had checked the forecast and snuggled the trap up against a hawthorn hedge. This and the remarkable efficiency of Mr and Mrs Robinson's simple rain shield kept the bulb, the trap and its occupants dry although their numbers were much smaller than of late. Smaller, but attractive as you can see below although I am having a senior moment in identifying the first two, distinctive as they may appear.  Help appreciated; but for now I will suggest an unusually dark Marbled Beauty and a Clouded Brindle (with a relative in the third picture plus a Marbled Minor and Gold Spot and my helpful thumb to give scale).

Next we have a Ruby Tiger showing as much of its vivid red body as they usually allow me to see and then a poplar Kitten (I think, but please correct me if it is a Sallow Kitten; both visit, and confuse, me.

And lastly, a trio of fluttery Carpety moths: a July Highflyer (do they fly high? I have yet to read an explanation for the name); a Common Carpet and a red Twin-spot Carpet which has sadly seen better days.