To complete the trio of trapping events for Sand Dune Night, here's a brief report on our rather lengthy session at Merthyr Mawr.
Paul Parsons, Marc Botham, Mike Thornton and I ran 8 traps (4 MV, 4 Actinic) for most of the night (we weren't really intending to stay that long, but you know how it is...) in the dunes close to Candleston car park. Unlike Whiteford there was no breeze at all, but it was rather chilly. The moths didn't seem to mind though and some of the traps were stuffed with moths by the time we packed up.
Highlights included Angle-barred (Ash) Pug (3), Maple Pug, Haworth's Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Archer's Dart, Brussels Lace (quite a few of these), Fern, and some excellent micros:
Eulamprotes wilkella (several),
Celypha cespitana (several),
Acompsia cinerella (2),
Ebulea crocealis,
Pyrausta cingulata,
Pempeliella dilutella,
Ypsolopha plumbella (several) and
Epiblema incarnatana. I've probably forgotten some as I don't have Paul and Marc's lists. Marc had over 100 species at his traps; I'd guess the total species count was around 150.
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| Acompsia cinerella |
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| Celypha cespitana |
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| Maple Pug |
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| 15W actinic trap site |
Like everyone else we failed on the Portland Moth quest though. Is it still in Glamorgan (and Wales)? Certainly some more trapping is needed at Merthyr Mawr, further into the dunes where there is more Creeping Willow.
90 species in my two traps here, with Acleris aspersana, Aproaerema anthylidella, Scorched carpet, Clouded magpie, Lime speck pug and Garden tiger the highlights. Also one Caryocolum sp to be identified.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Portland Moth is at Pembrey (Carms) any more given Jon Baker's great efforts there in the 2000s. Given the general stability of Welsh dunes, it may have gone entirely, though some N Wales systems are less stable and retain good early-succession bryophytes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam. The frontal area at Merthyr Mawr must still have potential, though is hard to access for trapping. Paul, I forgot to mention Garden Tiger somehow. Also Red Underwing.
ReplyDeleteI actually disagree with Sam`s comments re Pembrey. Jon did a huge amount of trapping in the Pembrey area but - importantly - was hardly able to trap with any frequency (certainly at the right time) at Tywyn Burrows (the fenced-off RAF `Pembrey Sands` bombing range), where there is a lot of wet slacks with Salix repens and is adjacent to more mobile `marramy` dunes at Tywyn Point itself. Laugharne-Pendine Burrows also has much more wet slack/loose sand interface, especially in the E7 Range towards Ginst Pt - but this potentially very rich MoD site is virtually untrapped.
ReplyDeleteJon`s main past efforts were in many parts of Pembrey Forest and Pembrey Burrows (the SE end of the dune complex) the latter has lots of accretion and mobile dunes, but hardly any wet Salix slacks, so is no good for Portland moth.
I THINK that I read somewhere (I may be wrong) it is the mix of wet Salix slacks, admixed with mobile, tussocky dune that the elusive Portland moth needs.
What about a BC/local moth`ers mothing expedition to MoD Pendine next year perhaps?
PS. Another possibility is for BC to consider put forward a project to re-check suitable Glam/Carms dunes for Portland moth, as part of their annual grant-aid (IF that still happens!). Certainly for the Carms dune sites (and I suspect for Glam too) the `invertebrate assemblage` is a qualifying feature for the SSSIs that underpin the EU SAC status....perhaps have a word with Mike Howe `to test the water`? A nice contract for someone...if any funding remains.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ian. One issue we have is that Portland Moth isn't a S42 species (or S41 in England), which makes it harder for us to justify working on it (even though I agree this is important).
ReplyDeleteRe the ecology, the larvae are supposed to live in a burrow under the sand by day, so presumably they need fairly open conditions for this.
I plan on visiting this site again in the next couple of weeks with the aim of just taking the actinic down further than we managed Saturday. The Bulk of our MVs restricted our reach somewhat.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that Paul, well worth doing. I might try again in mid September if weather suitable.
ReplyDeletePortland Moth: All the Kenfig records come from trapping on the reserve centre roof. Steve Moon caught one in his garden. Morgan caught it at Margam Moors in the 50s. The only real dune trap known to have had success was at Merthyr Mawr in 2002 and possibly at Whiteford in the 70s. No real effort was ever made to actually go looking for this species, it came to MVL on its own accord. Since the new centre was built at KNNR trapping now takes place in the garden area which isn't open the dunes, it needs the moths to be flying over the centre to be attracted down, hence the loss of species density.
ReplyDeleteAt Kenfig the optimum area would be the fore-dunes along the haul road and the dune slacks opposite. Maybe next year with more planning and setting aside a weekend in August for a GMRG event.
I agree, it was frustrating not being able to get down to the younger dune system and Saturday's experience demonstrated how exhausting it can be carrying equipment any distance on those loose sand paths. Another maximum effort attempt next year would get my vote.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. I'd be up for repeating at MM too, trying to get further into the frontal dunes, though Sid might turn one up this week if he goes back :-)
ReplyDeleteI may try tomorrow night, conditions look ok.
ReplyDeleteI too might try an all nighter with my heath trap, at Kenfig, if I can get suitable weekend weather.
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