Merthyr mawr warren today.

             One Orange underwing, a first for the reserve.

Creigiau caterpillar query

Found this on the decking this morning. Approx 25mm in length ... one of the 'yellow underwings' maybe ? Help with ID appreciated.

Our Bridgend garden last night

At the fifth attempt this year, we finally caught some moths! 13 of six species: Oak Beauty, Brindled Beauty, Common quaker, Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character and Early Grey. A really nice spring collection.
The Oak Beauty was only the second we've caught since 2004, the last being in 2012.

Ceigiau - GMS last night

A bit warmer here than in Cwmbach with the temperature staying at approx 7C all night. Strong gusting wind though!

9 moths of 5 species, Clouded Drab (2), Early Grey, Hebrew Character, March Moth (2) & Oak Beauty (3).

Cwmbach GMS 3

A dry breezy night, but with a minimum of 5.3 C, a relatively mild one. Just three moths in the trap:

Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and The Chestnut.

Creigiau - Tuesday night

Seven species in/around the trap on Tuesday night - Clouded Drab, Emmelina monodactyla (x2), Common Quaker, Early Grey (x2), Hebrew Character (x4), Oak Beauty (x2) & Twin-spotted Quaker.

Early Grey

Oak Beauty

Twin-spotted Quaker

Parc Slip

45 moths of 12 species in the trap last night with only 2 being new for the year - a red chestnut and a couple of mottled grey (assuming i've got my id right...)

Llangynwyd last night.

                           Dotted border

                           Oak beauty

                          Yellow horned.
                          Trapped 8-11pm. 12 sp in all inc Red chestnut and Herald. No micros.

Mystery caterpillar

A gentleman came into the office today wanting some id help. He took a photograph of this caterpillar in his garden in June 2014 - about 50mm apparently. Can anyone help out with a possible id? Thanks in advance.

Creigiau - Friday night

An improvement, albeit a small one. The temperature stayed close to 7C all night and the trap attracted 5 moths of 4 species - Clouded Drab (x2), Hebrew Character, March Moth and Pale Brindled Beauty.

Cwmbach GMS 2

Overcast with a light ENE breeze and a minimum of 4.3 C. Eight moths of four species came to the 22w actinic trap on Friday night:

Mottled Grey x 1
Brindled Pug x 2
Common Quaker x 3
Hebrew Character x 2

Exotica

Almost nothing in the garden trap so far with this frosty weather but a couple of Jersey Mocha have hatched. Similar to Blair's Mocha but discal spots have absolutely no outline.

Jersey Mocha. Bred from eggs from a Dorset female

Parc Slip

Finally a good haul of moths at Parc Slip last night with the temperature not dropping below 7. The undoubted highlight of the 10 species was the second ever dotted chestnut caught here with the other being in April last year (when this photo was taken).

Most of the other 9 species were first for the year including oak beauty, brindled pug, hebrew character, small quaker, common quaker, twin-spotted quaker and Depressaria daucella. The other two were chestnut and clouded drab. There was also one caddis which I'm going to attempt to id shortly...

ID Please

A moth sp. found in NE Spain last weekend - Pyrausta? Any ideas?

Also a March Moth today at Whitchurch Hosp.

Mompha subbistrigella.

                              Found indoors last night.

Coed y bedw last night

I was feeling a bit moth deprived after 5 months without any away from home trapping, so I left my two 6W actinics at Coed-y-bedw overnight. The weather was better than forecast with a dusk temperature of 9C and a low of about 6C. The result was 55 moths of 11 species, all of them welcome after very slim pickings in the garden so far this year. Catch as follows:

Chestnut 16
March Moth 11
Brindled Pug 8
Pale Brindled Beauty 8
Dotted Border 7
Satellite 2
Mottled Grey 1
Early Thorn 1
Engrailed 1
Common Quaker 1 
Acleris cristana 1

The almost complete lack of Orthosia species (single Common Quaker only) was not surprising as this is a late site - a cool north-facing wooded valley slope.

March Moth

Mottled Grey

Pale Brindled Beauty

Satellite

Back home there were just three moths in the garden trap, all different from those at Coed-y-bedw: Hebrew Character, Epiphyas postvittana and Emmelina monodactyla.

Cwmbach GMS (Delayed)

Being away until Saturday, I ran my GMS trap last night instead of Friday, so missed a chilly night. Last night's minimum was 5.00 C and as a result, eight moths of six species came to the trap:

Mottled Grey x 1
Brindled Pug x 2
Pale Brindled Beauty x 1
Oak Beauty x 1
Common Quaker x 1
The Chestnut x 2

Creigiau this afternoon

A nice little find on the garage window (inside) this afternoon -  Mompha divisella. Very fidgety, so had to take the picture in a pot!

Creigiau last night

Temperature again dipped below freezing last night, but the trap attracted 2 March Moth. The trap has now been out for 11 full nights in 2016 and I have recorded 4 moths of 3 species - Paul doubled my total in 3 hours in Llangynwyd !

Llangynwyd last night.

                  Dusted the trap off and did 3 hrs until it got too cool. 8 moths of 3 sp.

                 March moth

                 Pale brindled beauty

                 Pale brindled beauty, f. monacharia

Parc Slip

Not a great improvement but a shoulder stripe and march moth were both new for the year (and the only things attracted to the trap)

Nowt in Bridgend

Our second speculative trapping last night in our garden in Bridgend and again nothing. Still too cold.