An unusual series of Light Knot Grass Acronicta menyanthidis (Esper, 1798) records, took place at the end of May 2019. Of the records made public via social media, were two from just over the county border in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Then we were contacted by Pete Leonard from Leicestershire, informing us of one he'd trapped at Bottesford on May 24th. Frustratingly this was just out of VC56, but a few days later, Pete informed us of a Nottinghamshire record from the same night.

It was recorded by Mike Hill and Tom Shields, who were running a trap at Netherfield Ash Lagoons for the Netherfield Wildlife Group and is the first Nottinghamshire record since the publication of Carr's book in 1916. Light Knot Grass is a northern species, typically of damp heathland and moorland.

Our thanks go to Pete Leonard of Harby in Leicestershire, for very kindly supplying us with his photograph of the Bottesford moth.

Reserve manager Tim Sexton was stunned when he found the county's first Blossom Underwing Orthosia miniosa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) in the trap at the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust's Attenborough NR on April 21st. 

Another early flying moth, Blossom Underwing has declined generally from many UK sites over the past number of years and many recent records are thought to refer to migrants from the continent. Tim's record is thought to be the first county record since the late 1800's. It is attracted to MV light and like most other early Spring Noctuids, is especially fond of Sallow blossom. It seems highly unlikely that this moth has ever really been perminently resident in Nottinghamshire

Colin Watkin reports trapping and photographing a White-marked (Cerastis leucographa) from his garden at Rampton in north-east Nottinghamshire on April 5th. White-marked is an extremely rare moth in Nottinghamshire and this is only the second modern county record, following two recorded at Sallow blossom in the Misterton area in March 2011 (Wood, N.).

Typically flying in March and April, this early flying species is known to occur in scattered woodland localities throughout the southern half of the UK and Wales. It is attracted to MV light and like most other early Spring Noctuids, is especially fond of Sallow blossom.