Dark form of Lyonetia clerkella

This small micro had me stumped for a while this morning...I think it must be athe dark form of clerkella - if anyone thinks otherwise let me know! Also a Dark Chestnut last night.

I think this is probably a Light Brown Apple Moth? If so is it out and about rather early?

Barry - if you are reading this you'll see I found a piece of shelly limestone which does indeed improve the pics!

Clydach - Lone Road

Moths species during March for my garden: dotted border, small quaker, common quaker, hebrew character, clouded drab, early grey, oak beauty, early tooth stripe, brindled beauty, chestnut.

Nantyffyllon actinic last night.

Satellites.
Also - Common quaker 25, Clouded drab 14, Small quaker 8, Hebrew character 7, The chestnut 6, Twin spotted quaker 5, Mottled grey 5, Red chestnut 3, Early grey 3, Early tooth striped 3, Diurnea fagella 3, Brindled pug 2 and a Brindled beauty came in at 23:15. This has been a cracking month, i have added 7 species to my KM square already this year, against 12 for the whole of 2010.

Clydach, Swansea Valley

Even greater numbers last night as follows > Common Quaker - 45 > Small Quaker - 30 > Hebrew Character - 21 > Clouded Drab - 10 > Early Grey - 5 > Twin-spotted Quaker - 2 > singles of Brindled Beauty, Yellow Horned, Early Thorn, and Dark Chestnut.

Rhoose Point

A few moths arrived last night before the wind picked up down here. Among them was the pic below that I have tentatively id'd as a pale (and worn!) form of Oak Nycteoline. Can anyone confirm? Thanks, Adam

last week at Resolven

A few days ago Jenny Colley sent me a few micro pics to identify, among them was this fine Semioscopis avellanella that she trapped on the 16th.

Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner

Adults of Cameraria ohridella (Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner) can now be found sitting on the trunks of Horse Chestnut trees in Bute Park.

Senghenydd actinic

Found this superb Dotted Chestnut in the trap last night. To the best of my knowledge this is the eigth county record, the last being in 2003 ??

Also Brindled Beauty (2), Mottled Grey (2), Early Grey, Small Quaker, Common Quaker (21), Twin-spotted Quaker, Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character (3) and Chestnut.

Moth Trapping - Clydach, Swansea Valley.

Large numbers of common species over past few nights :- 25th. March > Hebrew Character 22 Common Quaker 12 Small Quaker 11 Chestnut 3 Clouded Drab 4 Early Grey 1 Twin-spotted Quaker 1 26th. March > Hebrew Character 25 Common Quaker 7 Small Quaker 11 Chestnut 1 Clouded Drab 8 Early Grey 2 Oak Beauty 1 Satellite 1 27th. March > Hebrew Character 37 Common Quaker 14 Small Quaker 22 Clouded Drab 7 Early Grey 1 Shoulder Stripe 1 Pale Pinion 1 (the last two species were new for the garden in 3 years of trapping)

Green Hairstreak in Port Talbot

Not a moth, but I've had a report of a couple of Green Hairstreak on Port Talbot mountain on 24th March. This is the earliest county record.

Gorseinon garden

A reasonable catch in the garden with Zelleria hepariella being new for the garden, along with our first Powdered Quaker of the year.

We also caught a Grey Shoulder-knot, and when checking on MapMate were confused to find that although the trinomial was accepted when entering the record, only binomials were displayed on the system and I was unable to trace any of my previous records! I wonder if this 'bug' is restricted to Grey Shoulder-knot? I'd also  like to know how to fix this if anyone can help?

Nantyffyllon actinic last night.

Herald
Early thorn.
Also - Common quaker 20, Clouded drab 25, Engrailed 4, Twin spotted quaker 8, Mottled grey 3, DS pug 1, The chestnut 5, Hebrew character 8, Small quaker 1, Emmelina monodactyla 1 and 2 Diurnea fagella.

A good catch on Friday night at Rhoose Point, both volume and variety!

• Twin spotted quaker (1)


• Common Quaker (21)


• Clouded Drab (4)


• Double Striped Pug (4)


• Hebrew Character (8)


• Early Grey (4)


• Early Thorn (5)


• March Moth (1)


• Streamer (1)


• Dark Chestnut (1)


• Small Quaker (2)


• Small Waved Umber (1)


• Emmelina monodactyla (3)
  and a very small moth, (approx 8mm long) possibly Agonopterix rotundella - photo below, can anyone help with an id?

Here is a pic of the small waved umber:

And finally the Streamer:

Caloptilia falconipennella?

I took this large and well marked Caloptilia in my garden on the night of 22nd - I can't make it anything other than falconipennella. It's a very good match to Patrick Clement's photo on UKmoths. Any opinions? And would this be a new species for VC41?

Small Torts aplenty

It seems Small Tortoiseshells have benefitted from the cold winter, as in addition to those posted below we counted c15 at Loughor foreshore yesterday, plus 3 Commas and 4 Peacocks.

Nantyffyllon.

Whilst walking the derelict railway line this afternoon i saw 7 Small tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock and 2 Comma. An Orange underwing moth flying around the tops of some young Birches was a nice surprise. A male Brimstone butterfly was seen from the car at Coytrahen.

Cardiff UA

Six Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock & a Green-veined White today at Rumey Great Wharf.

Nantyffyllon actinic last night.

Red chestnut
Early grey.
Also - Clouded drab 12, Twin spotted quaker 12, Small quaker 4, Common quaker 3, Mottled grey 3, Hebrew character 2, March moth 2, Dotted border, Engrailed, Oak beauty, Early thorn, The chestnut, Agonopterix ocellana and 2 Diurnea flagella.

Oak Beauty and Diurnea fagella

These two species new for my garden list, among a catch of 10 species last night at Llandaff North. This is my 5th year trapping here and I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm still catching quite a few new species.

Catch also included first Early Thorn, Eudonia angustea and Mompha divisella/bradleyi of the year.

Winter Moth Article

For those interested, Steve Whitehouse (Worcestershire) writes a nice article on winter mothing:
http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=2611

Senghenydd last night

Trapped overnight for GMS - wednesday is my designated night. Another good catch: Yellow Horned (sorry Dave, but they just keep on coming!) Oak Beauty, Dotted Border, Double-striped Pug, Hebrew Character (3), Common Quaker (10), Twin-spotted Quaker (4), Clouded Drab (3), Early Grey (3), Chestnut (2), E. monodactyla and A. heracliana/ciliella.

Nantyffyllon actinic last night.

Oak beauty
Grey shoulder knot
Small quaker
Clouded drabs
Agonopterix ocellana.
Also, Mottled grey 6, March moth 5, Common quaker 11, Double striped pug 4, Twin spotted quaker 5, Small engrailed 4 and one Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella.

A new species for the garden

Llandaff North MV last night - Twin-spotted Quaker new for the garden list, also Double-striped Pug and the plumes A hexadactyla and E monodactyla.

Llanishen, 15/16 March

Another good night: Dark Chestnut x3, Oak Beauty x2, Hebrew Character x4, Twinspot Quaker, Common Quaker x8, Clouded Drab, Early Grey x4

& a Caloptilia (betulicola?)

Llandaff North last night

Two new species for the garden list last night - March moth and Depressaria daucella. Also Hebrew Character x2 and Clouded Drab.

Meanwhile in Hailey Park today, Small Tortoiseshell x4 and Peacock x1, plus a Common Bee-fly.

Senghenydd actinic

Decent catch last night: Yellow Horned, Hebrew Character, Twin-spotted Quaker (3), Common Quaker (2), Early Grey, Chestnut (3) and Double-striped Pug. All bar the Chestnut were new for the year.

Whitchurch Hospital

Twin-spotted Quaker, Bright-line Brown-eye, Dark Chestnut & E. postvittana on the windows this AM.

First garden butterflies of the year

Llandaff North: A Comma and a male Brimstone in the garden this lunchtime, plus a few solitary and bumble bees.

Llanishen 11/12th March

A mild and species rich night last night: Zelleria hepariella, Acleris literana, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Dotted Border, Dark Chestnut, Hebrew Character x2, Common Quaker x3, Clouded Drab & Early Grey.

Mompha

At Orion factory, Kenfig Industrial Estate, West Glam. - 1 Mompha divisella/bradleyi ? caught indoors, probably needs disecting as it looks closer to the rarer "bradleyi" than the commoner "divisella to me. Also 1 Pale Brindled Beauty. Comments welcome.

Nantyffyllon.

Pale brindled beauty on the library wall today.

Llanishen - 9th/10th March

A single Grey Shoulder-knot braved the wind last night and made it into the trap.

Nantyffyllon actinic last night.

2 Chestnut and this Mottled grey.

Nantyffyllon today.

Double striped pug
Eggs on umbellifer stem, any ideas?

Despite a frost and a temperature of -2.90 C, before dawn this morning, there was a Small Quaker on the kitchen window, attracted by the flourescent light. This was probably one of the pair I had in my trap from the 5th, a catch which also included a Mottled Grey, 3 Common Quakers and a Hebrew Character.

New for year in Llanishen

Not a great night, but this Twin-spotted Quaker was a new species for the year last night.

Last night in Llanishen

Another cold night, and just two moths: Common Quaker & Early Grey.

Report from Greg: Yesterday at Parc Slip

Yesterday, Greg found this Grey Shoulder-knot on the Reserve building at Parc Slip (SS881843) - a new moth for him. He also saw a female Adder on the reserve.

Acleris schalleriana

I've now dissected this Acleris, caught in my garden MV on 15th Jan. Turns out to be schalleriana, and I had another one on 19th Feb at the kitchen window.

This makes 3 records for my garden, all in Jan-Feb, strange I've never had them in the autumn.

Last night in Llanishen

I don't know what posessed me to put the trap on last night, but there were two moths in it this morning, which I guess makes it worthwhile! A Common Quaker and this Grey Shoulder-knot.

Darren woods, Maesteg.

Tortricodes alternella 28 February.