Moth Night 2016

The South Wales BC branch will be hosting a moth trapping event in the Alun Valley on Friday 10th June (the middle night of Moth Night 2016). Meet at 9pm at the Dragon clay shoot. More details on the Moth Night website:

http://www.mothnight.info/www/index.php/public-events/64

Hope to see some of you there!

George

ID check

This was in the garden trap this morning. I reckon it is Dichrorampha montanana but I've not seen this before. Any other opinions? Thanks.

Dichrorampha montanana. Gowerton 30May16

Cwm Colhuw

Saw this little tortrix at Cwm Colhuw last week - is it possible to get to species please? There are too many that look like this...

Gorseinon

There were 91 moths of 45 species in the garden trap this morning despite an absolute torrential downpour early on in the night. Bits and bobs of interest included Psychoides filicivora, Notocelia roborana, Small China-mark, Figure of Eighty, Lime Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Freyer's Pug, Common Pug, Scorched Wing, Waved Umber, Lobster Moth, Coronet, Hebrew Character, Dog's Tooth & Least Black Arches.

Creigiau - Thursday, 26 May

Quite a good haul on Thursday night, probably helped by a calm night with a minimum temperature of 13C.

41 moths in total of 25 identified species (plus 3 unidentified pugs). One of these, Little Thorn, was a new moth for me and 11 others were new for the year - Alder Moth, Brimstone Moth, Agonopterix arenella, Brown Silver-line, Coronet, Little Thorn, May Highflyer, Orange Footman, Sallow Kitten, Scorched Wing, Small Angle Shades and Yellow-barred Brindle.

Little Thorn

Agonopterix arenella ?

Alder Moth

May Highflyer

Scorched Wing

Y Graig, Llantrisant

I called in at the Graig yesterday afternoon to check on the Anania funebris population. I only saw one (compared with 20+ on a similar date in 2014) but there was still plenty of goldenrod so hopefully they're just a bit late coming out.

More of a surprise was 13 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. They were apparently lost from this site in the early 2000s after years of neglect, but seem to have returned (probably from Llantrisant Common) following bracken/scrub management by RCT council and the South Wales BC branch, and the introduction of pony grazing.

I also had a few micro species including Adela fibulella on Germander Speedwell.

Parc Slip tuesday night

I wasn't expecting much from the trap on tuesday night with temperatures dropping to 7.5 but it wasn't a bad night in the end with 25 species caught. Highlights are below but please correct me if I'm wrong...is this first one a devon carpet? Looks too small for a water carpet...

Secondly, I'm pretty sure this is a marbled brown which I do catch from time to time:

Other highlights were twenty-plumed moth which was the first I've ever recorded here and first appearances of silver-ground carpet, muslin moth, coxcomb prominent, campion, green carpet, white ermine, buff ermine, common swift, small square-spot and a couple of micros that I need help with please. Is this Celypha rufana?

And can this Coleophora be identified to species by any chance??

Prior's Wood & Meadow, Gower. 24 May

On a woodland survey yesterday spotted these micros as well as several
Grass Rivulet egg-laying on yellow rattle. Also heard my first cuckoo this year.

Micropterix aureatella

Micropterix calthella

Grapholita compositella

Creigiau - Cabbage Moth

Putting the garden furniture away and found this on one of the chairs - obviously enjoying the last of the sunshine. Clearly a Cabbage Moth with the spine on the tibia obligingly visible in both photos. Early for the garden as my previous records are all in July/August.

Last night in our Bridgend garden

A cool morning. Only 9 moths of 5 species were noted. The highlight was a Poplar Hawkmoth, also new for the year were Flame Shoulder and Heart and Dart. We also caught a Treble Lines and 5 Hebrew Character.

Angle Shades

Can't compete with George's stunning Scarlet Tiger, but this Angle Shades emerged this morning...

The pupa formed on 18 April

and the moth emerged this morning

Absolutely amazing that this can emerge from that ...... how did it fit?

Scarlet Tiger emerges

My first Scarlet Tiger emerged today, from larvae collected in Whitchurch in April (see this blog).

Creigiau - last night

14 moths of 12 species last night - can't really complain as 7 of them were new for the year, although I'm not sure of a couple of them. I would be grateful for confirmation/correction of Common Pug (I'm never really sure about Pugs!), Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and Square Spot - which, if correct, would be a new moth for me.

Also new for the year were Buff-tip, Heart & Dart, Pale Tussock and Shuttle-shaped Dart.

Parc Slip

Very disappointing catch this morning despite the temperature not dropping below 11. Maybe the early rain and steady wind put them off. Just 9 moths of 6 species with only treble lines being new for the year.

Instead, can anyone identify this micro that has been the unfortunate victim of a crab spider Misumena vatia...? It was seen at Cadoxton Ponds, Barry.

North Gower this morning.

    Cauchus rufimitrella

   Phalonidia affinitana.
   Had a look around the saltmarsh by Loughour bridge after seeing
   the Gull billed tern and found these.

Forecast looked promising so I put the box out on Monday night. A little disappointing - 9 moths of 9 species, including 3 new for the year - Common Marbled Carpet, Flame & Peppered Moth.

The Common Marbled Carpet actually emerged from its pupa but unfortunately the wings appear to be slightly creased! Still flew away when released though ...

Also had a pristine Small Phoenix

Creigiau - Thursday night

I also had my best catch of the year on Thursday night - 31 moths of 19 species. Six were new for the year - Foxglove Pug, Iron Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Puss Moth, Sharp-angled Peacock and Twenty-plume Moth.

Also the first appearance of May Bug.

Parc Cwm Darren - 21st May. CANCELLED

The planned trapping at Parc Cwm Darren has been cancelled due to the train. I don't think anyone else was coming but just in case!

Hensol Forest, Thursday night

My dad and I trapped at Hensol Forest on Thursday night - the last really warm night of the recent fine weather. There were lots of moths but, unfortunately, also lots of midges.

The highlight was two specimens of Cydia strobilella. The only other county record comes from 1934, when Hallett reared this species from spruce cones at Swanbridge. In the last couple of weeks this moth has been reported widely in southern England, sometimes away from conifer plantations, and Ian Morgan trapped one new for Carmarthenshire. Some of the recent records may be immigrants or wandering individuals, but Hensol contains lots of spruce so it seems likely the moth is breeding there.

Cydia strobilella, specimen 1

Cydia strobilella, specimen2

Sixty species were trapped in total including Devon Carpet, Waved Umber, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Hook-tip, Lunar Marbled Brown, Marbled Brown, Dwarf Pug, Little Thorn, Square Spot and Swammerdamia caesiella.

Little Thorn

Square Spot

Swammerdamia caesiella

Bridgend last night

29 moths of 16 species last night - the highlight a nice Chocolate-tip. Also trapped / new for the year were Cochylis atricapitana (first since 2009), Pyrausta aurata, Peppered moth, Muslin moth, Bright-line Brown-eye and Treble Lines. Later on the school run, our daughter spotted an Emperor moth on the wall of one of the school buildings!

Chocolate-tip

Pyrausta aurata

Emperor moth

Muslin moth

Cochylis atricapitana

Parc Slip

Trapped again here on monday night - minimum temperature of 14 overnight so a decent catch despite the rain. The second ever white pinion-spotted was a highlight as were more least black arches which seem to be having a good year, lesser swallow prominent, brimstone, poplar hawkmoth, brown silver-line, clouded border, clouded silver and scalloped hazel were all new for the year and there was a selection of micros too...Epinotia immundana, Digitivalva pulicariae, Depressaria daucella, Parornix sp. and these which I'm not 100% sure of:

1. Elachista argentella?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ? Apologies for poor photo - it wouldn't stay still...

Hello, I was wondering if you could shed some light on these 2 (apologies for poor shots).
Had  a bit of a look (bit short on time). second moth looks to be a green colour? poplar grey knotgrass??
Puss moth, pale pinion, streamer and white spotted pug also recently,
thanks Chris

Creigiau yesterday

Lots of these little guys, I counted at least 20, flying around  at the bottom of the garden in the brief dry spell yesterday morning. Looks like Psychoides filicivora - the ferns are only just beginning to unfold but that's where they were flying.

Psychoides filicova

Later in the afternoon I spotted this little beastie 'bouncing' around on a window in the garage - could this be Mompha subbistrigella?

Parc Slip

I trapped at Parc Slip on friday night and the temperature stayed above 13 so consequently I had the best trap of the year so far. Over 30 species with plenty new for 2016 including least black arches (first ever here), water carpet (second ever here), chocolate tip, peach blossom, iron prominent, v-pug, flame shoulder, female pale tussock, common carpet, scorched wing, Digitivalva pulicariae and Epinotia immundana.

There were also a few micros I need help with:

1. Agonopterix alstromeriana?

2. AGonopterix heracliana/ciliella?

3. Bactra lancealana?

4. Depressaria daucella?

5. Depressaria daucella?

6. Gelechid

7. ?