Thursday, 12 June 2014

Sweeper

On my way back from surveys this afternoon, I called in at a field at Llwydcoed where Mark Evans saw a Marsh Fritillary a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't find any today but was pleased to put up 7 Chimney Sweepers from stands of Pignut. This was in SN9804 where Mark Evans recorded them in 2008 (perhaps in the same field?).

This is a scarce species in Glamorgan, with only 4 records in the last 10 years, and seems to be almost restricted to Rhondda Cynon Taff. One of the problems is that there are many good-looking areas of Pignut which you feel should support the moth, but the management is often inappropriate with the plants being eaten by livestock or mown when the eggs are present on them later in the summer. The current site is currently ungrazed and doesn't get cut, so probably ideal for the moth (unless it scrubs over).
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3 comments:

  1. Mark Evans12 June 2014 at 19:34

    ...or disappears under a link road! My records were for the fields the other side of the river Cynon. Up where the old leat meets the railway, in fact. Nice to see that particular field yielding another good record. I wish I could get there more often and wish even more that I could moth trap there, but it is the sort of place that would require a group effort for security purposes.
    Nice pic, by the way. Chimney Sweeper is always difficult to get a decent photo of.

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  2. GMT12 June 2014 at 22:01

    Thanks...it was the only one that kept still for long enough to get a photo.

    I was thinking that it would be a good spot for trapping, but not the easiest for access.

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  3. Mark Evans13 June 2014 at 16:59

    Which way did you get in there?

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