Broughton Sunday night 16th August

Well we are right next to sand dunes in our caravan, and we did manage to trap, last minute decision after wash-outs on previous nights. We recorded 48 moths of 25 species as follows:-

Argyresthia bonnetella, Agriphila selasella, Agriphila geniculea, Agriphila tristella, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, Blastobasis adustella, Six-spot Burnet moth, Common Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Purple Bar, Brimstone, Early Thorn, Magpie, Canary-shouldered Thorn, White-line Dart, Heart & Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, LBBY Underwing, Buff-tip, Scarce Footman, Willow Beauty and Silver Y.

We also recorded the following 12 species of butterfly today between Burry Holms and Broughton. Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Wall, Common Blue, Small Blue, Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood.

Merthyr Mawr

To complete the trio of trapping events for Sand Dune Night, here's a brief report on our rather lengthy session at Merthyr Mawr.

Paul Parsons, Marc Botham, Mike Thornton and I ran 8 traps (4 MV, 4 Actinic) for most of the night (we weren't really intending to stay that long, but you know how it is...) in the dunes close to Candleston car park. Unlike Whiteford there was no breeze at all, but it was rather chilly. The moths didn't seem to mind though and some of the traps were stuffed with moths by the time we packed up.

Highlights included Angle-barred (Ash) Pug (3), Maple Pug, Haworth's Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Archer's Dart, Brussels Lace (quite a few of these), Fern, and some excellent micros: Eulamprotes wilkella (several), Celypha cespitana (several), Acompsia cinerella (2), Ebulea crocealis, Pyrausta cingulata, Pempeliella dilutella, Ypsolopha plumbella (several) and Epiblema incarnatana. I've probably forgotten some as I don't have Paul and Marc's lists. Marc had over 100 species at his traps; I'd guess the total species count was around 150.

Acompsia cinerella

Celypha cespitana

Maple Pug

15W actinic trap site

Like everyone else we failed on the Portland Moth quest though. Is it still in Glamorgan (and Wales)? Certainly some more trapping is needed at Merthyr Mawr, further into the dunes where there is more Creeping Willow.

Whiteford Burrows

Chris Manley, Veronica Shenston and myself recorded 944 individuals of 68 species from five traps left overnight. Sadly no Portland Moths were encountered, but species of interest included Bryotropha umbrosella 16, Aproaerema anthyllidella 9, Celypha cespitana 110, Epiblema incarnatana 1, Agriphila tristella 400, Rusty-dot Pearl 1, Pempeliella dilutella 1, Grass Eggar 10, Oak Eggar 2, Oblique Striped 30, Galium Carpet 1, Yellow Belle 10, Swallow Prominent 2, White-line Dart 35, Archer's Dart 5, Dark Sword-grass 2, Six-striped Rustic 3, Hedge Rustic 1, Shore Wainscot 1 & Ear Moth agg. 23 (including several Saltern types, but not dissected). Not a bad return, but the cool breeze coming in off the sea was thought to have reduced the catch).

Sand Dune Night (KNNR)

Kenfig NNR [Mark Evans, Mike Powell & David Gilmore]

We were unable to trap at our designated site in the fore-dunes, however we set up 3 traps in the NE Dunes (SS8082). In our trap (MCP/DRWG) we caught & ID 74 species & 2 agg. We didn't catch the primary target species: Portland Moth, however we did get one on the 'wanted list', Buff Button (Acleris permutana). This is the first KNNR record since 1924 and the first VC41 record since 15/08/2002 - 13 years to the day! Unfortunately it was released before a photo could be obtain - I'm guilty of that! Other highlights include: Chalk Rose Bell (E. incarnatana), Yarrow Plume (P. pallidactyla) [New for KNNR], Small Seraphim, White-spotted Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug & Brown-line Bright-eye. 

Old Image from 2014 and Query

I've still not got around to purchasing the Moth's of Glamorgan, so I'm not sure what the status of the Double Line moth currently is. I found this whilst going through old photos from last year. It seems to be the only interesting moth I'd taken a photo of.

Caught in Llandaff garden Trap 1st August 2014.

It looks as if it's a Footman, it's a yellow head, pale grey and wingspan around 25-28mm. I cant see any yellow on outer wing edges and doesnt look a very worn specimen. My apologies if its glaringly obvious.

Augst 13th, Llandaff

A very humid and dry evening till around 11 when it started to pour down. Trap was run all night till 5am when I checked. Plenty of Brimstones - (27), but highlights were, Chocolate-Tip - new for year, Scarce Silver-lines - also new for the year, not had for a good few years in the garden, Rosy Footman, Scarce Footman, Old Lady (2), Ypsolopha parenthesella, ton's of Water Veneer's and another Evergestis pallidata. The Chocolate-Tip flew of  as soon as I had managed to take a photo with my phone.

Llandaff North last night

Another new species for the garden last night in the form of a Wax Moth Galleria mellonella. This species appears to have declined in Cardiff, with only one other record since 2006, having formerly been quite frequent.

Wax moth

The catch comprised 52 species which is as good as it gets in my garden in mid August. Also of note were Cypress Pug and this brown lacewing which appears to be Hemerobius atrifrons, a local species associated with larch (of which there is none locally). I'll seek confirmation from Colin Plant.