Vestal

We were surprised to find this Vestal in our garden trap this morning in addition to nine other species.  These included November Moth aggs in double figures and several fresh Spruce & Red-green Carpets.

Carolyn & Evan

Vestal

 

 

 

 

Red-green Carpet

Azalea Leaf-Miner

The forecast on Friday night was too tempting, and the garden trap didn't disappoint: Grey Shoulder-Knot,  Blair's Shoulder-Knot, Yellow-line Quaker (f. obsoleta), Red-line Quaker (2), Red-Green Carpet (2), Black Rustic, Feathered Ranunculus, Angle Shades (2), Garden Carpet, Square-spot Rustic, Phyllonorycter messaniella and Caloptilia azaleella.

Simon

Dark Chestnut

Just as I thought that the season was pretty much coming to an end, something new to Llawrcwrt turns up. A difficult moth to photograph as it both dark and shiny. Now I know what they look like, I'm going to have to trawl through last years Chestnuts to see if I missed one.

Common White Wave!

Last night we set two 6W Heath traps amongst the Birch trees on Cors Fochno. The biggest surprise was a Common White Wave, a month later than the previous latest county record. It is not obvious whether this is a second or third generation, but it was very fresh looking. We had our first Feathered Thorn and Mottled Umber of the year. Others were Common Marbled Carpet, Pink-barred Sallow, Red-line quaker, Green-brindled Crescent, Autumnal Moth and some November moth aggs., Spruce Carpet, Large Wainscot, Black Rustic. The micros were White-shouldered House Moth, Epinotia Ramella, and Ypsolopha Parenthesella.

Common White Wave

Mottled Umber

Feathered Thorn

Mottled Umber

The Mottled Umbers show the extent of variation of wing pattern in the males.

Tony & Ina

First Autumnal Catch

With a minimum temperature of only 0.9°C we had had a total of 23 moths of six macro species.  These included several November agg Moths and our first Feathered Thorn and Mottled Umber.  Also in the trap was this Acleris hastiana (fl 10 mm) and as a bonus we found this larva of the large Yellow Underwing.

Carolyn & Evan

Woodland Moths 21st October

Thirty five moths of twelve species plus one aggregate last night, with a slight frost around dawn that was not a bad catch.
Merv, Spruce Carpet, Red-green Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, Yellow-line Q, Chestnut, Large Wainscot, Common Marbled Carpet, Red-line Q, Green-brindled Crescent and seventeen Epirrita species fifteen of which were recorded as aggregates but looked more closely at two that were extreme in colouration, one was a November Moth (E.dilutata) and one Autumnal Moth (E.autumnata).

Large Wainscot

Green-brindled Crescent

November Moth

This Autumnal Moth has read Skinner - The shape of the post-median fascia with the dot well away from the line is as described.  Take care as this feature is not always reliable.

Microscopes (1970s) Free to a Good Home

An amateur naturalist who died earlier this year left two Russian microscopes (1970s), with box of slides and associated equipment. The equipment comprises:

BM-51-2. Binocular microscope with 0.7x objective and 12.5x eyepiece. In case, with booklet and certificate.
MBR-1E microscope with eyepieces 7x, 10x and 15x. In homemade case.
A. C. Lighting Unit (in box)
Box containing microscope lenses, mirror, etc.
Tin containing slides, coverslips, watch glasses, syringe, etc.
Stand (for electric light)
Box of "Microscopic Preparations" (histological, embryological, etc. slides)

The microscopes are free to a good home if anyone would find them useful, but are not to be sold.

 Anyone wanting the microscopes would have to collect them from Aberbanc.

Please get in touch by emailing me  inasmith64@gmail.com

Ina

Merveille du Jour plus a few others

Sarah has beaten us to it with Blair's Shoulder-knot and Carcina quercana in time and quality of photo too.
Fifteen macro and two micros still left for us to record - but what the Robin was flying off with as we approached will have to remain a mystery.  Obviously it had eaten all the rare ones ;-)
We were left with a Merv though which are always good to see. Six Black Rustics in excellent condition, another favourite, and three Green-brindled Crescent.

Ina and Tony

Spruce Carpet

Blair's Shoulder-knot

Red-green Carpet

Black Rustic

Green-brindled Crescent

Merveille du Jour

Yellow-line Quaker

Common Marbled Carpet

Carcina quercana

Square-spot Rustic

Cors Fochno

A very blustery evening turned in to a fairly quiet morning for checking the traps on Cors Fochno. We had 58 moths of 16 species, 29 of them were Pink-barred sallow, 11 Red-line quaker and 4 Silver Y were the most numerous. The others were Sallow, Canary-shouldered thorn, Black rustic, Angle shades, Lesser yellow underwing, Large yellow underwing, Chestnut, Small wainscot, Common marbled carpet, Chevron (very faded), Light brown apple moth, Rusty-dot pearl, and Epinotia sordidana/caprana.

Pink-barred sallow and Red-line quaker

Tony & Ina