Gem surprise in Llandaff North

A female Gem in the garden trap this morning was unexpected to say the least!

Broughton, Gower 23rd and 24th July

We had two good nights earlier in the week. 27 moths of 17 species on Sunday night, then Monday night busier with 92 moths of 39 species, many new for us at the site.

The highlights were Coleophora lixella, Agonopterix rotundella, Drinker, Dingy, Common and Scarce Footman including stramineola form of Dingy, Lackey, White-line Dart, Garden Tiger and Knot-grass on the Sunday night. Then we also enjoyed Acrobasis marmorea, Small Phoenix, Chinese Character, Bordered Beauty, Small Fan-footed Wave, Pale Prominent, Dark Swordgrass, Ruby Tiger, True Lover's Knot, Smoky Wainscot, Ear (agg) as the highlights for Monday night.

The total for trapping here in the last four years at SS4192 (25 sessions) now stands at 215 species (153 Macro / 62 micro). We've also recorded 24 species of Butterfly in the surrounding area, more recently the highlights have been Small and Large skipper and Grayling as well as an influx of Red Admiral.

Parc Slip

I trapped here on monday night as we had a moth morning on tuesday - was expecting a fairly empty trap as it was cool overnight but ended up with one that was pretty full (mainly of flame shoulders - 74 of them in fact..). In total we had 381 moths of 69 species compared to 60 moths of 30 species on friday night.
Highlights were the first black arches, yellow-tail, devon carpet and dun-bar of the year, phoenix, dark sword-grass, rusty-dot pearl and 5 types of yellow underwing (large, broad-bordered, lesser, lesser broad-bordered and least.
A couple of queries as usual...

Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella?

Not sure

Terrible photo of Rhopobota naeviana?

Creigiau - 24 July

Wasn't able to trap over the weekend so put a box out for GMS on Monday night. Not bad, 100+ moths of 40 species including 6 new for the year - Canary-shouldered Thorn, Evergestis pallidata, Agriphila tristella, Ancylis badiana, Mompha raschkiella and Scalloped Oak.

Merthyr mawr, 24 July.

                       Garden tiger

                        Oak eggar

                        Canary shouldered thorn.
                        Some highlights from the light and sheet at MM on Monday          
                        99 species in total, with a few more in George's actinics.
                        Dotted clay, Small purple barred, Double kidney, Dark umber,
                        Fern, White line dart, Crassa unitella and Yponomeuta rorella.

A migrant plume at Merthyr Mawr

Paul and I trapped at Merthyr Mawr last night, hoping for an early Portland Moth (no luck on that front). I did a bit of dusking while waiting for darkness to fall, and netted a small plume that I almost dismissed as Adaina microdactyla before I'd had a proper look at it. Luckily I potted it and Colin Hart has now confirmed it as Crombrugghia laetus, a scarce migrant and the first record for Glamorgan.

There was a mini influx of these back in 2011 and I was lucky enough to see one in North Wales. Barry thought he had one at Nitten around the same time, but was without a pot when he saw it and so it was never confirmed. It's nice to get it on the county list at last!

Cardiff docklands

I drove around a few sites near Cardiff Docks before the rain this morning. The Purple Toadflax plants at Tremorfa Industrial Estate, which held two Toadflax Brocade larvae in 2015, had five larvae on them today.

At Pengam Moors, a very large (for a micro) larva of Depressaria radiella was on Wild Parsnip flowers.

Nearby on the Rhymney saltmarsh I found an occupied mine of Chrysoesthia sexguttella on orache (Atriplex sp) - the 4th VC record and first for Cardiff.

Dunraven dusking.

                          Rush veneer

                        Grapholita janthinana

                        Argyresthia albistria.
                        Rusty dot pearl also netted.

Creigiau last week

Had two quite good boxes in the garden last week, 49 species on Friday (14 July) and 56 species on Tuesday (18 July) - across the two nights 18 species made their first visit of the year. Highlights included the first ever visits by Anania crocealis, Clay and Narrow-winged Pug.

Always some queries ... is this one a faded Gypsonoma dealbana?

and these two are causing me some grief. The first (from Friday) I thought may be Common Rustic but then I had, what looked like, a definite Common Rustic on Tuesday. They are both very similar in size at approx 15m - so what is the first one? I thought it could possibly be Small Clouded Brindle, but I'm not convinced bby that either. Assistance gratefully received.

Alun valley last night with George and Chris.

                          MV light

                          Leopard moth

                        Dark umber

                       Four-spotted footman

                       Barred rivulet

                       Celypha rivulana

                       Elachista sp, spec retained if you want it Dave?

                        Elachista biatomella, netted by the road at dusk.
                        63 sp in total to my traps inc Brown tail, Slender brindle,
                        Dotted clay, Garden tiger, Aethes rubigana, Euzophera
                        pinguis and Ringed china mark.

Cadoxton Ponds

I trapped at the Dow Corning site that we manage (Cadoxton Ponds) on tuesday night despite the forecast of thunderstorms and I'm glad we did as I had a few moths that were new to me and at least a couple that are uncommon in Glamorgan I believe. Over 340 moths of 100 species in total with over 30 newly recorded for the site (it's only the 8th time I've trapped).
Highlights for me were dusky sallow, Monochroa palustrellus, Epiblema foenella, the crescent, Coleophora trifolii (about 8mm in length and noticeably bigger than another metallic Coleophora caught), vapourer, ghost moth (female), garden tiger and diamond-back moth amongst many other lovely moths. Most frequent were smoky wainscot (35) and lackey (18). Apologies for the quality of all the photographs - my excuse(s) are very poor light, strong wind and tiredness...

Dusky sallow

Monochroa palustrellus

A few I would like help with please:

1. Batia lunaris?

2. Blastobasis lacticolella?

3. Elachista sp.

4. Gypsonoma dealbana?

5. square-spot rustic?

6. Not sure

7. faded wormwood pug?