Saturday 25 July 2015

Another Pocket of Welsh Waves

Like Tony we have our own known pocket of Welsh Waves in our valley.  We caught three in all  in local woodlands last night, including this fresh specimen, amongst 34 macro species from four traps.  This is a selection of some of them.

Carolyn & Evan

Welsh Wave

Scallop Shell

Barred Red

Large Emerald

Wormwood Pug

5 comments:

  1. Your Wormwood Pug seems to be a bit weakly marked and if I have measured it correctly is barely 11mm WL. Have you discounted Currant for some reason, food plant etc. Are you close to Heather, (for Ling version of Wormwood)
    Sorry lots of questions there.

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  2. As I understand it there are more Wormwood than Currant Pugs in the county. We do have blackcurrant bushes in the garden but have never caught the Currant Pug. It seemed to fit the criteria at the time [FW measured at lower limit of 11mm] of a Wormwood Pug towards the end of its flight period and in addition to the other salient features had a very obvious black band on the abdomen. Second generation Blackcurrant Pugs start in August so we thought it was possibly a bit early and this pug doesn't seem to have a black band. Heather grows about a mile up the road but I thought the distinction between Wormwood and Ling Pug was now contraversial?
    The nightmare of pugs!
    Carolyn.
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  3. Nightmare as you say!
    I always think it's easier when you have the moth 'in hand' rather than a photo. If you are happy with it i would go with it.
    My point about 'Ling' was in support of a small greyer looking Wormwood.
    I hope this makes sense... Lacking sleep!!!

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  4. Ling Pug is indeed now just a sub-species of Wormwood, but as Ina eludes to, it's a lot smaller. Don't get me started on Bleached pug. Currant Pug usually has a whiter tornal spot, it usually has a hindwing spot, the forewing is broader and discal spot bigger...I'm quoting from Riley. To my eyes yours looks like a Wormwood Pug and it's a bit late now for Currant.

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  5. Thank you Peter.
    Carolyn.

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