Away from the trees

I trapped last night on a path through rough grassland and shrubs, not expecting a huge catch. Nevertheless, I was pleased to see these in the trap, by morning:

Small Wainscot, I believe

Oak Hook-tip

Pebble Hook-tip

Dark Marbled Carpet, or Common MC?

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Cloaked Carpet

LBBYU, aka A snappy dresser!

Cloaked Carpet

Not as warm as I would have liked last night, but the trap was out of the wind in woodland in the Rheidol valley last night and attracted c150 moths. The highlight was this cloaked carpet:

 

Also three Oak hook-tips, Purple thorn, and Buff-tip. Micros included Exotelia dodecella, Phycita roborella and, since the trap was under a larch tree, possibly Spilonota laricana:

Two successful hatchings this week from mines collected from elm and norway maple, respectively Phyllonorycter tristrigella and joannisi:

Damp Aberystwyth

A good garden trap on Wednesday night included two species that are less than annual here: Double lobed and Crescent:

 and one of the more easily identified Gelechids, Mirificarma mulinella:

And a possible Dichrorampha vancouverana from a nearby patch of Yarrow:

Last night's trap in the woodland at Nanteos was less exciting: over 140 moths of 41 species, all fairly usual there. Pick of the bunch two coxcomb prominents and a muslin footman.

Borth moths

A fairly successful night in Borth with over 250 moths, 36 macro species, 11 (and still counting) micros. Most numerous and not living up to it's name were Scarce Footman with nearly 25% of the total.

Tony & Ina

Marsh Oblique-barred

Round-winged Muslin

Pinion-streaked Snout

Small Seraphim

Scalloped  Hook-tip

Striped Wainscot

Antler Moth

True Lover's Knot

Welsh Wave

Not a great night but we finally achieved our target species for this year from our neighbour's woodland.

Carolyn & Evan

Brindled Beauty Caterpillar

Found on Karen's trouser leg at our coffee stop in Cwm Soden on Monday.  On first sight it looked a dull creature but is actually rather well marked with smart yellow accents.

Pammene aurana

After a trip to south Wales last summer and finding Phaulernis fulviguttella on Hogweed/Angelica, I have been assiduously checking Hogweed flowers. Today I found the confusion species, Pammene aurana. There were three, just 50 metres from my front door. Have they been there all the time?

Barred Rivulet

A Barred Rivulet on 18 July was a first for me and my 10 Km square with Tony informing me that there were only 67 records up to the end of last year.

Scallop Shell

It's usually the micros that are difficult to photograph, but this Scallop Shell was new for the garden and not at all well behaved.

Scallop Shell

Other highlights of the garden trap on Thursday night were Beautiful Carpet, Dingy Shears, Dusky Brocade (I think), the dark form of Ash-bud Moth, and Tinea semifulvella.

Dusky Brocade ?

Tinea semifulvella

I was also pleased to catch Schreckensteinia festaliella last week (in my net):

Setting a trap in Cwm Rheidol resulted in 49 species (22 micros), including Slender Brindle and Epagoge grotiana, which I've not seen in previous years but this year have found at several sites.

Epagoge grotiana

Dark Spectacle

My previous post included a correction and now here is the real deal which flew in Wed night.

Ceredigion Moths: Light Arches and Spectacle

Ceredigion Moths: Light Arches and Spectacle: I had 3 Light Arches in faded condition but this one in side view looks quite smart. I think the Spectacle is the dark one. TanyGroes ...  No it isn't, Tony says it is a Spectacle, nothing to do with being dark rather more that I was in the dark re the figure 8 in the oval!

A Little Addition from the Woodland

Some of the micros from this morning...well those that stayed long enough in front of the camera!
Ina

Bactra lancealana

Eudemis profundana

Gypsonoma dealbana - worn

Phycita roborella

V-pug - not a micro but I like it!

Ypsolopha dentella

Ypsolopha nemorella

Woodland moths

It was good to visit woodland again even though it was very damp and cool. We recorded 36 macro species and 11 micro species. Nothing unusual but some nice old favourites.

Tony & Ina

Dotted Clay

Common Footman

Dingy Footman

Buff Footman

Dun-bar

Double Line

Satin Lutestring

Tenuous link to moths

In the course of collecting some goosegrass (Galium aparine), I came across this growth which I think may be the gall of Dasineura aparines. Is the record of any interest?

Gall on Galium aparine

The link with moths? I recently had a Small Elephant Hawk-Moth in my trap, and whilst potted, it (she) obliged with three bright green eggs. I now have three empty egg-shells and two minute larvae (a case of cannibalism, perhaps?) in a container with some fresh goosegrass for food. Not sure whether to try and grow them to adulthood, or to release them when a little larger...

Small Elephant Hawk-moth hatchling