Roath Central

First trap of the year - and a garden tick! A bit of a tart really: Twin-spotted Quaker. Still nice addition to the list. Also Brimstone moth, Early Grey & D-s Pug (8).

No Visitors from Afar

As I had to take today off, last night was so mild and the air flow is coming from exciting regions, I decided to run my garden trap. I have to say, the catch was a little disappointing, given the conditions and there were no exotic visitors. There were a couple of slightly early species, namely Bee Moth and Yellow-barred Brindle, but neither of them were outrageously early, just adding a smidgeon of interest to an otherwise mundane catch.

Bee Moth x 1
Brindled Pug x 2
Dotted Border x 1
The Engrailed x 2
Small Quaker x 4
Common Quaker x 17
Clouded Drab x 1
Hebrew Character x 2
Early Grey x 6
The Chestnut x 3

There was also a so far unidentified micro, which escaped before I could pot it or take a half decent photo of it. I did manage a single, head-on shot of it, as it sat at the bottom of one of the egg box cells, so once I get it off the camera I might post it, in the unlikely hope that anyone at all will be able to make something of it.

Parc Slip

Good haul of moths last night with temperature not dropping below 12. Common quaker with 118 was most common by far with 20+ of small quaker, hebrew character and clouded drab. Most interesting were a (early?) pale prominent,a  powdered quaker, grey shoulder-knot and a couple of early thorns. 23 species not including the following:

I have kept them in case they need their cilia etc looking at as per previous blog. Apologies for the photos - they don't stay still for long!

Llangynwyd last night.

                                  Dotted chestnut, a first for the Llynfi valley.
                                  Ran the MV and Actinic from 8:30 - 11:30.
                                  Common quaker - 68
                                  Small quaker - 17
                                  Chestnut - 3
                                  Oak beauty - 11
                                  Early grey - 1
                                  Brindled pug - 23
                                  Hebrew character - 6
                                  Early thorn - 2
                                  March moth - 1
                                  Twin spotted quaker - 2
                                  Dotted border - 2
                                  Small engrailed - 1
                                  Early tooth-striped - 3
                                  Clouded drab - 2
                                  Diurnea fagella - 5.

Apple Leaf-miner - melanic form

I caught 3 melanic specimens of Lyonetia clerkella in my garden trap last night which, as always, caught me out at first and made me think they were something more interesting.

Looking at my records of the melanic form, it seems obvious that this occurs mainly in the hibernating generation, presumably because they are more camouflaged than the usual white form over the winter months. My other records are from 28/9/12, 08/10/13, 29/3/11 and 06/3/13 - the former two presumably being pre-hibernation and the latter two post-hibernation.

Looking at the VC41 database, the only other records of L. clerkella where the melanic form has been noted in the comments box are 4 records made by Dave, which don't entirely back up my theory! These are from 08/9/02, 03/05/06, 03/05/13 and 19/6/13. The first 3 could conceivably be the hibernating generation but the latter record is presumably one of the summer generation (although spring was very late last year).

There seems to be no mention in the books of the melanic form being associated with hibernation. MBGBI Vol 2 says only that it occurs as about 10% of the population.

Any thoughts? Does anyone else have any records of the melanic form which have not been recorded in MapMate?

George

Parc slip.

One Orange underwing near the wader scrape hide this aft.

Mullein

I see lots of Mullein moth caterpillars feeding on Mulleins, Water Figwort and Buddleja round here, but I have never until last night found adult moths in the garden trap.














At least I assume it is Mullein.  Waring and Townsend suggest dissection is required to separate Mullein moth from Stripe Lychnis and Water Betony.  Is it OK to record as Mullein Moth, or does it need closer examination?