Friday 13 September 2013

Gypsy Moth Caught at Bryngarn Common, Pencoed.

I had a nice evening's moth trapping last night with Emma Douglas (Coity Wallia Commons Biodiversity Enhancement Project Officer) and Gill Barter on Bryngarn Common near Pencoed, Bridgend which produced 25 species including a very unexpected male Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar.

Dave Slade tells me this is the only record from Glamorgan. The trapping site is immediately adjacent to Brynna a Wern Tarw SSSI which is designated for its species-rich marshy and dry neutral grassland. Trapping in a field within the SSSI yielded 75 moth species on 24th July this year. A wonderful site.


5 comments:

  1. That's a pretty amazing record Nick! I don't think it's been recorded in Wales previously.

    Not sure whether there's any obligation to notify DEFRA about Gypsy moth sightings due to their potential pest status? (Perhaps this only applies to females and larvae which are likely to indicate breeding populations - presumably your male specimen was a migrant).

    George

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  2. Yes, there was an old record from Hallett's time, but there was a note alongside it indicating that it was an escape, so this is the first confirmed 'proper' record.

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  3. Thanks to Nick for letting Mike & myself have a look and take some photos this evening. Excellent migrant for VC41 & a tick!

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  4. Worth putting on the Atropos flight arrivals I think!

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  5. There is previous welsh record in NRW's files for Angelsey, but I'm not sure if the VCR has accepted the record (or even looked at it). So it may not be a first for Wales.

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