Senghenydd last night

A good catch with 27 moths of 12 species in the trap this morning. Highlights: Mottled Umber, Barred Sallow, Brick and 2 Frosted Orange.

Lavernock Ivy Blossom

Ivy Blossom at Lavernock Point this evening: L-album Wainscot (5), Large Wainscot, Brick, Sallow, Silver Y (5), Rusty-dot Pearl (5) & Acleris rhombana among a total of 14 species. The wainscots are both new for ST16 I think.

Hummingbird Hawk

Seen by Peter Douglas-Jones in his Langland garden today

Roath (central)

L-album Wainscot this am. New species for garden & VC41 tick too! My first since 1995 on Scilly.

Roath (central)

Last few nights have seen good numbers of Large Ranunculus, a Sallow (4th rec. & first since 2003), Cypress Pug, Blair's Sh.-knot, Small Dusty Wave & and a very late D. lacustrata - looks like the latest VC rec. Migrants: only a Rusty-dot Pearl on 26th. Had Red Admiral today at Lavernock.
Tremorfa/Pengam Green: Lunar U/w New ST27 (26th).

Rhoose Point

20 species last night, the highlights being 20 Feathered Ranunculus, 11, Black Rustic, 1 Rusty-dot Pearl, 5 L-album Wainscot, Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Silver Y and 1 Shaded Broad-bar which was new for the garden record.

Senghenydd

Recent catches have been pretty much the norm for the time of year - 11 species on 24th being the best. Highlights: my first Flounced Chestnut (24th) & Black Rustic (21st) of the year, Dusky Thorn (24th), Pale Mottled Willow (22nd), Blood-vein (21st), Hedge Rustic (2, 16th) and Neglected Rustic (15th).

Llandaff North this week

Four nights trapping over the last week have produced some decent catches for late September, with the best catch coming last night (24th) with 19 species. Highlights: Sallow (21st & 23rd), Black Rustic (19th & 24th), Large Ranunculus (10 in total, including 6 on 21st) & first Blair's Shoulder-knot of the year last night.

Also a bit of migrant activity with Dark Sword-grass on 19th and a total of 8 Silver Y. Also seen a few Rusty-dot Pearl while out surveying in Carmarthenshire.

Roath (central)

Back trapping again after hols: Large Ranunculus (2), Blair's Shouder-knot & SilverY were last nights highlights.

Convolvulus Hawk in Cowbridge

Anthony and Kate Isles emailed me yesterday to tell me of what they thought was a Privet Hawk-moth found amongst their washing in Cowbridge on 3rd September. In itself that would have been rather exciting, given that Privet Hawk is not that common in the east of the county, so I was somewhat disappointed that it was 'only' a Convolvulus Hawk! It is only the second county record this year that I am aware of, although I've not synced with Barry for a while so there may be some other west Glam records.

Rhoose Point

A dozen or so very fresh looking Red Admirals and a few Commas basking in the sun and feeding on windfall nectarines in the garden this afternoon. May pop out later to see if the moths are feeding too.

Agriphila latistria, Epermenia chaerophyllela and Garden Rose Tortrix (the latter new for the garden) all in the trap on 8/9.

Mompha langiella?

Found this moth in my living room on Friday...I think it might be a slightly odd Mompha langiella. It looks quite different from the illustration in MBGBI but there are some similar photos on the web. Any thoughts anyone?

The odd thing is I've never found any mines on the Enchanter's Nightshade in my garden despite regular searches.

Senghenydd

Recent highlights: Heath Rustic (2nd garden record), Treble-bar, Silver Y, (9th). Sallow, Frosted Orange, Hedge Rustic, Catoptria pinella, (8th). Anomalous, (2nd).

Llandaff North recent trapping

A minimum temperature of 17.3C last night - is it really September? A slightly disappointing catch given the conditions, with 23 species. The previous night was a bit cooler (15.6C) but the catch was better, with 31 species.

Nothing terribly exciting among these, highlights over the two nights: Broad-bordered Yellow Und, Pale Mottled Willow (2), Turnip, Lime-speck Pug, Ringed China-mark, Eudonia pallida (3) and Phyllonorycter rajella.

Ectodemia sericopeza update

Just really to draw a line under the flurry of recent records, here is the adult that emerged from the cocoon I collected last week.

Depressaria badiella

I've now dissected this Depressaria taken in my garden on Friday night and it is badiella (a male). I think this is the 2nd Cardiff record after one in Jake's garden in 2006. I bet Tony's will turn out to be this species too - the specimen looks very similar.

Rhoose Point 4/9/11

30 species in the trap this morning, highlights being; Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Cochylis species (molliculana and hybridella), Yellow Belle, L-album Wainscot, Cochylimorpha straminea, Celypha lacunana, Cydia splendana and Cypress Pug. Mostly beginning with C's it seems...!

Migrants represented by 3 Silver Y and a single Rush Veneer.

I may post a photo or two later, jet-lag permitting!

Found my first Blue-bordered Carpet on the garden fence yesterday evening.

I've been trying my hardest to make this one Depressaria badiella, but can't quite convince myself that it's not duacella??

Nantyffyllon actinic last night.

Small wainscot.
Anomalous.
Agriphila latistria.
30 species in all, including - Purple bar 3 (scarce here this year), Autumnal rustic 7, Green carpet 1 (poor year for this too), Rosy rustic and Agriphila inquinatella.

Ectoedemia sericopezia (again)

Following Dave's post I've had a more careful look on fallen Norway Maple keys in Llandaff North this evening, and found what I think is a mine of this species (plus scale insect)...
















They're certainly less obvious than most of the images I can find on the web, which mostly show the mine extending into the wing.
Also a cocoon...

















Meanwhile in the trap last night I had an Ectoedemia which might be this species, but could be louisella - any opinions, or would it need dissecting?

Roath (central)

Sept. Old Lady (1) & Silver Y (2) 1st.
Toadflax Pug (1), N. advenella (1), Cypress Pug (1) & Rush Veneer (1) all 2nd.
The migrants are the first I've had since 16th Aug.

Senghenydd

A Painted Lady this afternoon.

This Hedge Rustic and my 2nd Pyla fusca of the year were amongst just 11 species in the trap this morning. The only other moths of note over the last week or so were Anomalous and Small Rufous on Aug 22.