Broughton 27May17

A selection of the 36 moths of 26 species we caught with our Actinic trap last weekend. We had five new moths for the site in Notocelia cynosbatella, Lead Belle, Eyed Hawkmoth, Pale Tussock and Rustic Shoulder-knot. We also encountered a few interesting caterpillars in The Drinker, Lackey, Garden Tiger and Five-spot Burnet.

 

Parc Slip

I haven't been able to trap at Parc Slip recently but fortunately my colleague has picked up the baton and carrying on weekly trapping. Mostly poor catches but Lorna did catch our first ever Lime hawkmoth and white pinion-spotted last week and second ever red-necked footman.
Yesterday morning we had about 50 species with a few new for the year including lobster, small magpie, common swift, Elachista argentella and Pseudargyrotoza conwagana. These three micros I'm not sure of though. Thought the first might be Epinotia nisella/Zeiraphera isertana?

And is this Coleophora identifiable please??

Or this Gelechid?

Thank you in advance!

Garnwen, Maesteg dusking this evening.

                    Adaina microdactyla

                   Lampronia luzella

Hensol Forest, Saturday night

I was frustrated not to be able to get out trapping away from the garden during last week's hot spell, so had to content myself with a session on Saturday night - by which time the heat had gone and a chilly wind was blowing. As a result I was surprisingly pleased with the result - 69 species in 3 hours in mixed woodland at Hensol Forest. The temperature held up at 13C throughout, and it stayed cloudy - which no doubt helped as the moths kept arriving throughout.

I used the 'three card trick' of 125W MV, 6W actinic and my newly acquired 3W LED trap (electrics supplied by Paul Batty in Sheffield, 'retro-fitted' onto a Heath trap body). The LED trap performed slightly better than the 6W actinic, and contained the night's best moth - Epinotia subocellana (6th VC record I think), as well as a Little Thorn.

 

Other minor highlights included Waved Carpet, Barred Umber, Map-winged Swift, Green Silver-lines, Orange Footman, Square Spot, Dwarf Pug, Grass Rivulet, Alder Moth,  Epinotia tedella, Ancylis mitterbacheriana, Argyresthia conjugella, Mompha raschkiella and Cydia fagiglandana.

Green Silver-lines

Waved Carpet

Ancylis mitterbacheriana

Argyresthia conjugella

Mompha raschkiella

Talbot Green

The species list is building nicely now, with Sloe Pug being the latest in the 'more interesting' category.
I've also got a better photo of the Cydia cosmorphorana from last week:

Central Roath

Roath late May: A Toadflax Brocade 28th (4th site rec. & earliest) and a Chamomile Shark 29th (New ST17 & 3rd Cardiff rec.).

Merthyr mawr today.

            At least 50 Adela croesella were flying around the Buckthorn tops.

             Cauchus rufimitrella

             Notocelia cynosbatella.
           

Four spotted footman larva.

Stigmella trimaculella

The recent hot spell brought just one new species for my garden list, the tiny but distinctive Stigmella trimaculella. It has slightly odd markings, but I don't think it can be anything else. I've seen the leaf mines of this species on the poplars down by the Taff, about 500m away.

Graig, Llantrisant

A couple of weeks ago I was at The Graig and saw what I thought was Eucosma aspidiscana in an area with lots of golden-rod (the foodplant), but it flew off before I could net it or get a photo. I was back at the site today to look for Anania funebris, and in the same spot were two Eucosma aspidiscana flying in the sunshine. I managed to net one this time.

As far as I know this is the first VC41 record, just a few days after Dave had another tortrix new for the county less than a mile away!

I also saw one Anania funebris (too fast for a photo), eight Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, and several Cauchas fibulella.

Endothenia nigricostana query

Prowling our garden in Creigiau this afternoon and spotted several Diamond-backs, but none would pose for a picture, and managed a 'grab-shot' of a Nettle-tap's bottom. However, the main event was spotting Endothenia nigricostana at the back of one of the flower beds. I did see these last year, and had left a clump or two of woundwort in the beds to see if they would return - hopefully they  have.

Prior's Meadow, Gower. 25th May

Quite windy but after a very warm day, 27 degrees here, it seemed it would be warm overnight so....
Still windy at dawn but around 80 species, mostly pretty flighty. Best for me was a distinctive Lead-coloured Pug which I've only seen once before, and not in Wales, but it got disturbed in the wind by a blundering Pale Tussock as I went to pot it, so no pic. I'll have to try for another.
Also good news was this Lobesia reliquana which I see is only the second VC 41 record, and new to me. The Ectoedemia albifasciella was only 3mm long so I nearly missed it, plus a couple more nice to see.

 04.089 Ectoedemia albifasciella

20.019 Argyresthia conjugella

38.025 Elachista atricomella

47.006 Epermenia falciformis

49.184 Lobesia reliquana

Llandaff - Garden - 25th and 26th May

The two warmest days of the year and first time moths in decent numbers.

29 Species with a couple of micros still to identify.

1 - Argyresthia cupressella

Highlights being Poplar Hawk, Light, Emerald, Figure of Eighty, Miller, Yellow-barred Brindle, Alder Moth, Marbled White Spot, Small Seraphim, Seraphim and Coronet. Do excuse images, I've not had time to arrange better at present.

Talbot Green

On Thursday night I caught this little tortrix, Cydia cosmophorana. I had a vague recollection of there being a previous Glamorgan record, but I can't see it so my memory is presumably flawed. And so my new garden chalks up it's first county first!

Merthyr mawr last night.

                            Mottled pug

                           Micropterix tunbergella

                           Strophedra weirana.
                           91 species in all. Temp still 17 degrees at 2AM.
                           Highlights - Phoenix, Scorched carpet, Green arches,
                           Pretty chalk carpet, Waved umber, Alder moth, Broken
                           barred carpet, Orange footman, Carpatolechia proximella
                           and Incurvaria oehlmanniella.
                         

Roath & beyond

Alder Moth & Small Clouded Brindle at Roath 26/05/17. 3 Silver Y this am. At Parc Penallta 26/05/17 Painted Lady, P. purpuralis, Silver Y, Mother Shipton & Burnet Companion. 

Small Argent & Sable & Argent & Sable, together for comparison. Not a great photo I'm afraid. (MCP & DRWG). 

Abercregan last night.

                 Miller

                 Beautiful snout

                 Silver hook

                  Alder moth.
                  47 sp in all, inc- Grey pine carpet, Red necked footman,
                  Golden rod pug and True lovers knot.

Merthyr mawr last night.

            Gynnidomorpha vectisana, 6 at dusk on the saltmarsh.

            Cream spot tiger

             Fox moth

             Lobster moth

             Rhyaconia pinivorana.
             47 species in total, inc - Seraphim, Light brocade, Alder moth,
             Treble lines, Shears, Elephant hawkmoth and Heart & dart.