Cors Fochno and garden moths

We trapped on Cors Fochno and our garden last night and were delighted to more than double our total moths for the garden this year with 14 moths, including 10 of the most common species for this time of year. On the bog we recorded 26 moths of 8 species: Yellow horned (13), Dotted border (3), Early grey (3), Chestnut (2), Double-striped pug, and micros Diurnea fagella, Agonopterix ocellana, and Caloptilia stigmatella.

Caloptilia stigmatella

Distribution map for Yellow horned

 Yellow horned is quite a common moth whose foodplant is both Silver and Downy birch, but there is a surprising absence of records for the south western side of the county.

Tony & Ina

Red Chestnut and Dotted Border

  It's nice to have it a bit dryer and less windy, though it's still pretty cold. This didn't deter a few moths from venturing into the trap over the last few nights. Hebrew character, Chestnut, March Moth, Twin Spot Quaker and these two. I had to seek help from Tony identifying the Red Chestnut, though he tells me that I recorded them in 1989,1990 and 1991. I expect that back then it was Ian Tillotson telling me what they were.
 

Oak nycteoline

I dream of catching Oak nycteoline every time we trap in oak woodland but I have never caught one. This one was recorded last night by Pete Skinner, along with Twin-spotted quaker, Early grey and Brindled pug.

There are only 20 county records for Oak nycteoline, 11 of them since 2000, and most recently at Aberporth in 2014. It over-winters as an adult reappearing in early Spring but only occasionally comes to light. The moth is very variable in appearance but this one is very similar to the one caught on 9th March 2014 (see photo on the blog for that date).

Tony

Common Plume

A photo of one of yesterday's Common Plumes that hung around all day on the compost bin.

Acleris cristana

The milder weather tempted me to put out the trap for the first time this year: singles of Herald, Early Grey, Common Quaker, and three Double-striped Pugs among the macros, and a Common Plume and this Acleris Cristana (??) among the micros.

Simon

Yellow Horned and friends

Traps on the bog and in the garden last night...making full use of the milder nights.
Yellow Horned and Clouded Drab were the first of the year for us.  A Common Plume sitting under the kitchen window this morning was lucky to avoid the local birdlife.
Agonopterix ocellana in willow carr with Yellow Horned, Chestnut, Satellite, Oak Beauty, Early Grey, Grey Shoulder-knot and Double-striped Pug.

Double-striped Pug

Our garden trap last night yielded a more modest catch of six singleton macro moths - Dotted Border, Oak Beauty, Chestnut, Early Moth, Hebrew Character and our first Double-striped Pug for this year.

Carolyn & Evan