Micro found hibernating in greenhouse

Sorting out some old bits and bobs in the greenhouse this afternoon and I disturbed a hibernating member of the Elachistidae - Agonopterix arenella. Now I must admit to assuming it was hibernating, because, it can be found the year round, but the weather has been so cold, especially at almost 1000 feet ASL at the top of Bargoed!!!

I'm always far more pleased to come across moths like this than by light-trapping, and its also nice to add a new species to the garden list. Weather forecast looks to be rather wet, breezy and milder over the coming days, I'm still looking forward to kinder weather.

Happy Mothing,
Bill

Cwmbach GMS. Wk 2

Despite the mild (6.70 C) night, there were just four moths in the trap, for which I was nonetheless grateful.

Dotted Border x 1
Twin-spotted Quaker x 1
Hebrew Character x 1
Early Grey x 1

GMS week 2

A solitary Oak Beauty was in the trap this morning.  I was expecting a couple more moths as conditions were not too bad. Can't complain though as it was my first moth of the year and not a bad one to get out of the blocks with. :)

5th March The Season has started!

Ran the trap in the nearby woods for 4 hours last night. Rewarded with 149 moths of 13 species, and it was still 8.5 degrees at 11pm

Yellow Horned, showing orange antenna

Pale Brindled Beauty fm monacharia

I was especially pleased to see this Yellow Horned, my first sighting in Wales in six years, and also the dark form of Pale Brindled Beauty was new for me.

My Cwmbach Garden, Last Night

I ran the garden actinic all last night, as it was forecast to be relatively mild. The minimum temperature was 4.70 C and it remained dry, but there were no moths on the trap, come this morning. Inside, however, were seven moths of six species:

Torticodes alternella x 1

Tortricodes alternella

March Moth x 1
Pale Brindled Beauty x 1
Common Quaker x 1
Hebrew Character x 1
The Chestnut x 2

It was especially nice to see the Common Quaker and Hebrew Character.

In Sunday, I visited a wooded valley, near Llwydcoed and on the Polystichum aculeatum (Hard Shield Fern), I came across lots of the leaf mines pictured below.

On the undersides of the fronds were larval cases, enclosed in the detached sporangia from the fern, as can be seen below.   

I think this may be Psychoides filicivora, but it is possible that it may be P. verhuella, which is the only Phychoides species I've ever come across, locally. 

I don't rear through, so I suppose the only way to be certain is to keep visiting the site in the hope of seeing an adult.

                                        

My First Butterfly of 2013

Real bit of Spring in the air today, and I was delighted to see a Small Tortoiseshell flying over the garden early this afternoon in Bargoed. This is exactly one week earlier for the species than last year. The insect was a bit the worst for wear with rather ragged wings, survived hibernation though, only hope that this year is kinder to both our butterflies and moths than the last one was!!!

First butterfly of the year

The sun today must be bringing a few things out of hibernation.  First butterfly of the year (for me at least), a Red Admiral basking in the sun on the wall of the house I am renovating in Barry.