Tuesday 13 September 2016

Llandaff North last night

A pretty good return, by mid September standards, of 22 species in the garden MV last night. The highlight was probably my 3rd garden record of Pinion-streaked Snout, but almost as pleasing was another 3 Dusky Thorns. The State of Britain's Larger Moths (2013) shows this to be one of our most rapidly declining macro-moths with a 98% decrease in abundance in 40 years. Ash Dieback isn't going to help its cause but for now it's doing well, at least locally. It's a bit of an erratic species in my garden, with annual total number of individuals as follows (years with no records not shown):

2007: 5
2009: 3
2013: 5
2016: 14 (to date)

Dusky Thorn


Also recorded was the Horse Chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella, despite being a fair way from any horse chestnut trees. After a single in 2010 I've now had this species in the trap several times each year since 2013. It usually turns up on warm nights which encourage dispersal.


A fresh Toadflax Pug was also nice.

Toadflax Pug

3 comments:

  1. I had my second garden record of Pinion-streaked Snout last night. There was also a single Dusky Thorn.
    Nothing much else but a Meal Moth, Willow Beauty's, Common Marbled Carpet's and some Large Yellow Underwings.

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  2. That's a cracking Toadflax Pug, George.

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  3. Thanks Chris, a nice big female.

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