Friday 24 Feb - Creigiau

Last box of the Winter GMS season last night. Not a good season - 9 of the 16 boxes were empty! Two in/on the trap last night - a second visit of the year from Chestnut and a first visit of Small Quaker.

Drinker caterpillar query

Found in the flower bed this afternoon - could this be an instar of the Drinker moth?

First Glamorgan record since 1857!

Last August Barry Stewart kindly invited me to come along one morning to look through his traps in Horton, Gower.
There was a pug that stood out which neither of us immediately recognised but we quickly identified as an apparently perfect match for the illustration in British Moths, particularly noticing the chequered veins. Only troubles were that it a) does not occur in this area and b) flies in a single generation in May-June.
Dave Slade has now kindly confirmed by gen det that it is, indeed, a Satyr Pug female.
Dave has also very kindly checked my mystery moth from last summer that was suggested as a Cnephasia sp.
It is a male Cnephasia incertana, looking rather different from the usual form.

Satyr Pug female. Horton 26 August 2016

Cnephasia incertana  male. Whiteford 19 July 2016

Talbot Green moths

The new garden list is properly off and running now, with three species over the weekend: Pale Brindled Beauty, Common Quaker and Epiphyas postvittana. We'll be in double figures in no time!

Parc Slip 16th February

I finally caught my first moths of the year at Parc Slip last thursday night too - 1 x early moth, 3 x pale brindled beauty and 3 x dotted border. Needless to say they were all FFY...

Llandaff - 18th February

The last trapping attempt at the end of January, with warmer weather, was unsuccessful once again. However, theres a mini heat wave next week so another attempt is on the cards.

Has anyone tried out the new UV LED bulbs? I've heard they are producing some decent results.

First moth of the year on the kitchen window. A single Agonopterix heracliana.

Llangynwyd last night.

                                 Dotted border  (2).

                               Tortricodes alternella (6).

                              Early moth female, (and 3 males).
                              Also 4 Pale brindled beauty, 2 of which were the melanic form,
                              1 Spring usher and 1 Chestnut.

17 Feb - moths in Creigiau too!

Nice to see moths finally appearing across the region.  Two moths of two species here last night - a very nice March Moth and a quite tatty Pale Brindled Beauty.

Cwmbach Last Night

For the penultimate winter GMS, I had a miraculous three moths of three species: Epiphyas postvittana, Pale Brindled Beauty and Dotted Borde. Couldn't believe it!

Mottled Grey

A Mottled Grey at rest on a limestone outcrop on Old Castle Down today.

Abercregan last night.

        3 Spring usher, 4 mottled grey and a Chestnut to the MV.
        8 till midnight, temp 7.5 degrees.