A success for the Privet sector

 Another new Hawkmoth for our Aberystwyth garden last night.

Privet Hawkmoth

Also Lobster, Orange Footman and Vine's Rustic. Not many moths, but good ones.

 Common Heath moth and Micropterix aureatella at Cross Inn forest today.

Whose Lime is it anyway?

A good night for the garden trap, with this Hawkmoth on the outside:

Lime Hawkmoth

A strong supporting cast included Devon Carpet:

Devon Carpet

Also FFY Figure of Eighty, Poplar Grey, Clouded Silver, Buff Ermine, Elephant Hawkmoth, Mottled Pug, Willow Beauty, Peppered Moth (3), and I was pleased to see a Scorched Wing, Peach Blossom, Puss Moth, Common Wave and 3 Buff-tips.

Figure of Eighty

 ObsIdentify says that these are 3rd instar larvae of Emperor Moths. Paul Taylor thinks so too. What do others think?

They are in the turning circle at the end of the forestry track into Cross Inn woods on the south side of the road to Bethania.

Bumper catch at Bontgoch

In 40 years of mothing I have never had a more spectacular catch in my garden as I did last night. Certainly not at the start of May!  43 species and 193 moths plus numerous May bugs filled my MV trap and carpeted the surrounding grass under goat willow and a mixed thorn hedge. 

The pick of the catch were Orange Footman and Barred Umber and it was great to see species like White Ermine and Scorched Wing in double figures. A spring Setaceous Hebrew Character was a first for me as was Grey Pine Carpet.

 

And then they came

Having bemoaned the lack of visitors to my garden trap, last night they came. Knot Grass and Light Knot Grass, Bactra lancealana (3), and Dioryctria abietella. Also first for year Golden-rod Pug, May Highflyer, Swallow Prominent, Heart and Dart, Mottled Rustic, and Azalea Leaf Miner.

May Highflyer

Swallow Prominent

Azalea Leaf Miner

Knot Grass

Dioryctria abietella

A mine that I collected from a tree last November, that I had labelled as Acer sp. but which I now believe to be Oriental Plane, hatched today: I think it is Phyllonorycter platani.

The ox-eye daisies in Aberystwyth cemetery are just starting, and I was pleased to find two Bucculatrix nigricomella and a Dichrorampha acuminatana yesterday evening.  Also c30 Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Monopis laevigella, and the now ubiquitous Tachystola acroxantha.

Bucculatrix nigricomella

And finally, an Ochreous Pug on my walk to work this morning. 

Rheidol Woodland

At last a trapping session in woodland in the Rheidol Valley last night. Forty different species, with most numerous being Brindled Pug (25), Great Prominent (23) and Scoparia ambigualis (12). Good to see moths that rarely venture into the garden, including Nut-tree Tussock, Peach Blossom, Water Carpet, Red-green Carpet (2), Scorched Wing (3), Pebble Hooktip, Marbled Brown (4), Oak Nycteoline, Chinese Character, White-pinion Spotted and Pale Pinion. This Square-Spot and White Ermine decided to spend the night together: