Parc Slip

Much colder than ideal last night but I had a public moth morning so I had no choice but to put the trap out. Ended up with 20 moths of 8 species with the usual suspects plus two new for the year: 2 x powdered quaker (I only caught one all last year) and early thorn. There was also another Dyseriocrania subpurpurella.

Pug queries...

Most of the pugs I caught at CG last week I'm happy are Brindled Pugs (plus one White-spotted) but I'm not sure of these two - apologies but I only had my phone and it was grey and drizzly....

Thanks in advance!

Kenfig castle today.

                                     Pyrausta despicata.
                                     Also Small blue and Speckled wood seen.

Creigiau last night

Box out for GMS last night - 28 moths of 10 species, 4 of which were new for the year. Similar to Vaughn at Parc Slip, close to half the total was Common Quaker.

The NFY moths comprised Brown House Moth, Early Tooth-striped, a tired looking Pebble Prominent and a pristine Water Carpet.

Pebble Prominent

Water Carpet

Brynna Woods & Llanharan Marsh

We also set out two traps at Brynna Woods & Llanharan Marsh last night - a 12V actinic near the marsh and the MV in the woods. I'm not sure the site has been trapped at this time of year before so almost all the species will be new to the site I believe. The actinic only had 5 species with a dark-barred twin spot carpet the first one I've seen this year I think. The MV in contrast had 24(ish) species - I say 'ish' as I have a few pug photos to trawl through...
Highlights for me were Semioscopis steinkellneriana, small phoenix (FFY), grey birch, white-spotted pug, Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, a few Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Caloptilia stigmatella and a micro that looked like Eriocrania unimaculella but I don't think you can confidently id it to species with the adult can you? And it flew off before I could photograph it...
There was also this very distinctive micro which I can't find in the book - very frustrating!

All in all a successful night's trapping though with the benefit of an orange ladybird in the MV and a grasshopper warbler reeling on the marsh.

Parc Slip

Good night trapping last night - firstly at Parc Slip I had a couple of species new for my site list with a tawny pinion (see terrible photo below, a bad day to leave my camera at home as it turns out...) and a Dyseriocrania subpurpurella (though not as pretty as Paul's) and a couple new for the year too - Nut-tree tussock and lunar marbled brown. A couple of non-moths too with a small soldier beetle which upon close examination turned out to be Cantharis cryptica and a black sexton beetle Nicrophorus humator. 65 moths of 13 species in total with 33 common quakers rather dominating...

Bridgend last night (MV)

Only 8 moths of 5 species, but the highlight was 2 Mullein moths (last recorded in 2010, although we have seen caterpillars). Also trapped were Brindled Beauty, Common Quaker, Early Grey and Hebrew Character. We also recorded Mompha divisella (agg) in the garden a couple of days ago - earliest record of that for us.

Llangynwyd yesterday.

                                 Dyseriocrania subpurpurella Form Fastuosella.

Coed Garnllwyd caterpillar

There was also a caterpillar underneath the moth trap at Coed Garnllwyd yesterday - I haven't got my book with me but can anyone identify it please?

Nantyffyllon yesterday.

                                        Adela cuprella "dancing" over sallow tops.

Creigiau 18 April

A good forecast, so put the box out last night and, with a min temperature of 8.6C , I was rewarded with 33 moths of 11 species. Highlights were a very nice Lunar Marbled Brown

Lunar Marbled Brown

and a Gracillariidae which I haven't been able to identify

Coed Garnllwyd

I set a trap in our Coed Garnllwyd reserve near Llancarfan last night - the first time anyone's trapped there since 2000 as far as I'm aware. I was hoping to run a MV and the actinic but our generator wasn't working so could only run the small Skinner. Slightly disappointed with the numbers of moths with only 7 species (Engrailed, Clouded drab, Hebrew character, Streamer, Shoulder stripe, Brindled beauty and Chestnut). The latter two haven't been recorded there before though as far as I know so not a complete waste of time. I also caught this smart Cantharid - anyone got any suggestions (apologies for the poor photo)?

My assistant

This chap is now almost as quick into the trap as I am.

Robin with Hebrew Character.

Pheromones for Forester

I have been contacted by a PhD student that wants people to test a new pheromone lure for Forester moths. They have volunteers from most of the UK vice counties, but as yet no takers from Glamorgan (or Carmarthenshire). If you are interested let me know and I can pass you details on to the student. The idea is to test he lures on sites that may or may not have Foresters on them, prefereably two sites in the county during a two week period in June/July. Dave

Merthyr mawr warren.

                                    Grizzled skipper, just the one, on the wing today.

Scarlet Tiger - breeding in Whitchurch

As far as I know there are only four Cardiff records for Scarlet Tiger: two in 2006 (both made by DRWG - one in his Roath garden and one at the Heliport) and then, nearly a decade later, two in 2015 (another in DRWG's garden and one in my Llandaff North garden).

The moth seems to be on the increase in South Wales and I wondered if, given the 2015 records, they might now be breeding in the capital. Today I was walking my daughter Bethany to a birthday party in Whitchuch and spotted a comfrey plant riddled in holes and with at least 10 Scarlet Tiger larvae sitting on the leaves.

This was in someone's front garden, but at the end of their driveway and easily visible from the pavement without looking too suspicious (easier with a 5 year old in tow). The location was Heol Gabriel, a couple of houses to the east of Whitchurch Brook on the north side of the road (ST15927927), if anyone fancies a look.

Creigiau - 13 April

Quite warm (ish) at 7-8 C so set the trap for a few hours before the heavy rain started at approx 00:30. Not too bad, 15 moths of 9 species including the first Angle Shades and Shoulder Stripe of the year .... although the Angle Shades was found floating upside down in a pot of water!

Shoulder Stripe

Merthyr mawr warren last night, PP+GMT.

                                    Least black arches

                                   Pine beauty

                                   Tissue

                                 Ypsolopha mucronella (4th county record).
                                 25 species in all with 8 new for the site, on a warm night,
                                  (10 degrees).Luckily we only had the odd spot of rain,
                                 which kept off until midnight, when we packed up.
                                

Ectoedemia heringella in Cardiff

I've been looking out for this one for a while, and finally found it this afternoon in Bute Park. These quite distinctive little mines on Holm Oak, very different from Stigmella suberivora.

Creigiau last night

Similar weather conditions to Mark in Cwmbach. Very wet during the night but cleared for a spell before the rain returned this morning - some very soggy egg boxes! However, the trap did attract 15 moths of 7 species including a Streamer, last seen in the garden in April 2014.

Brindled Beauty, Clouded Drab, Common Quaker (2), Early Grey (4), Hebrew Character (5), Small Quaker and Streamer.

Streamer

Cwmbach GMS, Week 6 (already?)

Not a good night, as far as the weather was concerned. Rain dying out in the early hours, then skies clearing and temperatures falling to 1.00C.  Five moths of three species, none of which were new for the year.

Common Quaker x 1
Hebrew Character x 3
Early Grey x 1

Early Brimstone

I was surprised to see a Brimstone in my garden trap this evening. This is my second earliest Llandaff North record, after 30 March 2009. They usually appear around 15-20th April here.

Parc Slip

Nothing as nice as a tawny pinion in the trap at Parc Slip this morning as the weather turned out not as ideal as initially promised. Just 14 moths of 8 species with 2 new for the year (Early Grey and Early Tooth-Striped).

Gowerton. Monday night 4th April

A rather tired overwintered Tawny Pinion was a very nice surprise in the garden this morning.

73.200 (2235) Tawny Pinion

Creigiau - 02 April

Same moths ... but more of them! 19 moths of 6 species including 7 x Hebrew Character and 5 x Common Quaker. The rest were a mixture of Chestnut, Clouded Drab, Early Grey and Light Brown Apple Moth.

The garden is beginning to wake up, and I saw my first butterfly of the year - a Small Tortoiseshell on scabious

and also found this little beastie (approx 20-25mm) on one of the heuchera plants. Possibly Common Marbled Carpet .. ?

Bridgend last night 31Mar16

We trapped fifteen moths of 4 species including Hebrew Character, Early Grey and Common Quaker. The highlight was 2 Small Quaker, our first for the garden since 2005.

Small Quaker

As the trap was put out last night we were welcomed a Pipistrelle Bat sp. which didn't hang around long. A further taste of srping this morning - a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee and a male Tapered Dronefly were in the garden.