Gorseinon

Nothing earth-shattering in the garden trap over the last two nights, highlights from the 24 species caught included Calybites phasianipennella (maybe the 6^th or 7^th Glamorgan record), Acleris sparsana, Udea ferrugalis, Cypress Carpet, Brick, Merveille du Jour, Large Ranunculus, Large Yellow Underwing and Square-spot Rustic.  Small numbers of the rather nondescript plant bug Pinalitus cervinus present in both sessions.

pot shot of phasianipennella

...this is the only other useable one I have Chris

Gowerton

Surprisingly quiet in spite of the very mild weather.
Nice to see 2 more Acrolepiopsis assectella (one hibernating in the garden shed, one to light) plus Ypsolopha ustella to light.
Best for me was Phyllonorycter trifasciella which landed on a window mid-morning, a very fresh 3rd brood from the honeysuckle in the garden.
Also in the debris beside the trap were several of these little hoppers, which didn't like being exposed to the light. Obviously not moths but perhaps someone can identify them.

15.083 Phyllonorycter trifasciella

17.011 Ypsolopha ustella

Hopper. 6mm

Cypress Carpet in Bridgend

A rather nice Cypress Carpet was among the 8 moths we caught last night in Bridgend (7 species). Also caught and new for the year was Acleris sparsana taking us to 161 species for the year.

Creigiau - last night

Box out for GMS - a mild night, though with quite a few drizzly showers.26 moths of 11 species, with 10 of those being November Moth agg.. Highlights were Beaded Chestnut, 2 very brightly coloured Red-green Carpet and Feathered Thorn.

A puzzle was the appearance of Double Line - are they supposed to be flying at this time of year?

and one I'm not sure of - Mompha subbistrigella ?

Merthyr mawr last night.

                            Cypress carpet.

                            Dark sword grass.

                           Scrobipalpa costella.

                          Caloptilia azaleella.
                          16 species between 18:30 and 21:35, when my bulb went!
                          Eudonia angustea, Epinotia nisella, Red green carpet, Silver Y,
                          Autumnal rustic, Feathered thorn, Yellow line quaker, Large
                          yellow underwing and numerous November moth agg.

Broughton, NW Gower 26Oct16

Out went the 8W Actinic all night with high hopes after easterlies! Unfortunately a small catch just 3 Feathered Ranunculus, 1 Red-line Quaker and a Common Marbled Carpet - better than nothing!

Creigiau - 25 October

Like Vaughan, I had the best catch for a couple of months last night. Not the same quantity, but I was more than happy with 17 moths of 11 species - especially as 4 of them were Merveille du Jour! Three moths made their first appearance of the year - Barred Sallow,  Phyllonorycter messaniella (if my ID is correct) and Red-green Carpet. The other highlight was the unexpected appearance of Pseudargyrotoza conwagana - all my previous records of this have been in June & July.

Acleris hyemana

A micro-moth flew across Mansel Street as I was walking from the BC Wales office to Swansea Railway Station this afternoon. 'Probably just a light brown apple moth' I thought. Luckily it came to rest on some iron railings by the road and I could hardly believe my eyes when it turned out to be Acleris hyemana, a moth I've long wanted to see

This is a moorland species with just 6 previous VC41 records, mostly from the western part of the county. There is a record from Kilvey Hill not too far away - perhaps it wandered from there? There is a little bit of heather closer to Mansel Street, on the steep slopes in the Mayhill and Townhill areas of Swansea but I'd be suprised if it's breeding up there.

Wherever it came from, it seemed a most unlikely moth to see flying in an urban street...which just goes to show that interesting moths can turn up almost anywhere.

Parc Slip

It was pretty mild here last night - 11 degrees and we consequently had the best catch since mid-September. 44 moths of 11 species with the FFY of feathered thorn, red-line quaker and yellow-line quaker and our latest ever large yellow underwing. We also had our second latest record of straw dot and a black rustic, green-brindled crescent, merveille du jour and red-green carpet were other attractive species.

Llandaff - 25th October

Last night was mild and misty and lot warmer than the previous few evenings. Sum total of four moths, two Blair's Shoulder-Knot in the trap and two November Moth on the patio wall.

 It's getting time to pack away the trap.

Creigiau 21 October

Put the box out last night for GMS hoping for an improvement on last Friday when the box attracted exactly nothing! Minimum temperature that night was 9.4C and the min temp last night was 3.8C. It was an improvement, 4 moths of 3 species - Spruce Carpet, a very nice Merveille du Jour and the first appearance of the year of November Moth agg (2).

Coleophora virgaureae

To continue the recent Coleophora case theme, I found three cases of C. virgaureae while mapping Marsh Fritillary habitat along a forestry ride near Bryn, Neath Port Talbot yesterday. Cases were on the seedheads of goldenrod. MBGBI vol. 3 says the cases are hidden in the seedheads but two of the three were clearly visible without having to pick the seedheads apart (see circled case in photo below).

The larva makes a silken case to which it attaches fine hairs from the seedheads.

 

As far as I know there are just two previous county records, both from the 1920s, but given that I found it on the first plant I looked at it is likely to be very under-recorded. Timing is important - the larva only makes a case in its final instar, so there is probably only a brief window of opportunity in which the cases can be found.

Mallow at Whiteford

This time last week I arranged to go to Whiteford as the weather forecast looked good; warm, cloudy, humid.
It would have been a bit late for Mallow but might have been a chance. In the event the sky cleared and there was a fullish moon and it got very cold very quickly, total catch 3 moths: Silver Y, Autumnal Rustic, Pine Carpet.
However, Veronica in Cwm Ivy gave me hot chocolate and a chance to photograph one she had caught earlier, so not a total waste.

Mallow. 10th October 2016

Cypress Carpet in Bridgend

Another small catch overnight in the garden, but the highlights were Cypress Carpet and Blair's Shoulder-knot (both pictured) and Large Ranunculus.

Bridgend, night of 10th October

Out went the MV trap into the garden again and we were lucky to get a nice selection: 2 LB Apple moth, 3 CM Carpet, 1 Barred Sallow (first here since 2007), 1 Black Rustic, 1 Angle Shades and a Silver Y. Year list has reached 156 (109 macro) pretty poor compared to recent years.

Parc Slip

Only 15 moths of 9 species in the trap last night but it was worth setting for a new macro - my first ever barred sallow (it was on the site species list but without a date or recorder name). Also my first merveille du jours of the year, a smart black rustic, a couple of ab. capucina green-brindled crescents and my first November moth agg. of the year. Also a couple of micros in the form of a diamond-back and a light brown apple moth.

Coleophora violacea

Another nice Coleophora case in the Alun Valley. This C. violacea was spotted feeding on blackthorn during a site meeting on Monday. I think there is just one previous VC41 record, from Taff's Well in 1939.

 

Long-tailed Blue in Llantwit

I've just had a report of a Long-tailed Blue from Llantwit Major on the 3rd October. I don't think there are any photos, but you never know! Dave

Dunraven yesterday.

                             A Phyllonorycter query. this looks very much like P. joannisi
                             but is on Field, not Norway maple?

Phyllonorycter trifasciella.

                        Netted on the wing at dawn in Kenfig west pool bushes yesterday.
                        Looks ok to me but wish I got a better photo! Comments welcome.

Broughton, Gower last night

The 8W Actinic did well for us last night with 30 moths of 15 species: 2 Eudonia angustea, 1 Monopis crocicapitella, 1 Agonopterix purpurea, 1 Brown House moth, 3 Large Yellow Underwing, 1 CM Carpet, 1 Sq Spot Rustic, 1 Anomalous, 1 Green-brindled Crescent, 3 Flounced Chestnut, 9 Feathered Ranunculus, 1 Red-line Quaker, 1 Snout, 1 Angle Shades and 3 Lunar Underwing:-

Creigiau - Friday 07 October

Box out in promising conditions for GMS but low numbers persist - 15 moths of 10 species. The catch did include a nice Spruce Carpet and a first visit of the year of Feathered Thorn.

Large Ranunculus

We finally had a good moth this morning in our Bridgend Garden. Only 7 individuals but Large Ranunculus was the standout along with a few Epiphyas postvittana, Angle Shades and a worn Copper Underwing.

Like buses

Following Dave's new county record of Antispila treitschkiella yesterday, I had another one today with several cases of Coleophora fuscocuprella found on young hazel on Old Castle Down.

There is an undocumented Monmouthshire record and an 1875 record from Pembrokeshire, but it looks like that is about it for Welsh records of this species. Worth looking for the characteristically small mines on hazel.

Antispila

I've been looking for Antispila mines on Dogwood for years and never found them before this year. I did find one in my garden hedge earlier this year - unfortunately it was 'tidied away' before I could check for the 'practice slits' that would determine the two species from each other. Yesterday, on the 'annual' SEWBReC staff outing ~I found some more at Porthkerry Country Park. These show no sign of the practice slits making them Antispila treitschkiella, which has not previously been recorded from Glamorgan, indeed only the fourth record for Wales as far as the Aderyn is concerned. I'll try to scan the leaves later and upload them.

Creigiau - Tuesday 04 October

Forecast didn't look too bad so chanced the box on Tuesday night. Although the temperature held up, with a minimum of 12C, the  chilly north easterly wind gusted quite strongly through the night. I ended up with 12 moths of 10 species - and some of these looked more than a little worse for wear.
Two were definitely first for the year - Flounced Chestnut (unfortunately found dead in one of the egg boxes) and Beaded Chestnut ( a bit battered but I think my ID is correct).

Again a bit battered, but I think this may be Pine Carpet

and I'm not sure what this could be ...

I would be grateful for confirmation/correction of my Ids and for any help with the last image.

Nothing in Bridgend

No, its not a mis-print that should say mothing in Bridgend! We actually only had four moths in the trap this morning - very disappointing when our hopes were high. One each of CM Carpet, Angle Shades, Silvery and Sq Spot Rustic. The highlight therefore was the early morning southward trickle of Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Siskin high over the garden.

Large moths in Port Eynon

On a weekend visit for my dad's 80th birthday, so a cheeky trap in the garden.

Best of the catch was Large Wainscot (lifer! - see below) and Large Ranunculus (NFY) (and a Red-line Quaker, also NFY, but not large...)  plus Rush Veneer and a very fresh Silver Y on the migrant front.

Dave Morris, Port Eynon