Ptycholoma lecheana and Nemophora degeerella

A couple of little uns...just because I couldn't resist!

and your bonus moth - Ancylis mitterbacheriana

Nemophora degeerella

Ptycholoma lecheana

Welsh Wave and Waved Carpet at Coed Y Bont

I was surprised to see these in the trap especially as there were about 6 or 7 which initially in the morning gloom I took to be the same species.  What is that common that I don't recognise them immediately?  Obviously once I looked properly I was quite excited to have 2 sp new to me and another two important records for CYB.  The carpet was the numerous one though a couple escaped without a proper look so could have been either.
Lots of Scorched Wings and Common Lutestrings all in excellent condition.

Anania crocealis

The garden trap is quieter now that the temperature has dropped, but FFYs last night were Cabbage Moth, Green Pug, Foxglove Pug, Bactra lancealana and this Anania crocealis:

Elephant HM

Not a brilliant pic but I've not managed to capture the striking black patches before; quite startling as they are mean't to be.
44 sp in last night's garden trap including 3 garden firsts: Least black arches, Clay triple lines and Common Lutestring.  All frequent round here so more a reflection of lack of trapping effort in my own garden!

Will be at Coed Y Bont tomorrow at 8 opening a couple of traps in the carpark.  Anyone welcome to join me.

Alder Kitten

A good night in New Quay with a number of firsts for the year. 62 species including the micros.

Clay Triple-lines

Waved Carpet

Lunar Thorn

Blomer's Rivulet

Common Swift

Shuttle-shaped Dart

   

Possibly an Alder Kitten - it would be the first recorded in Ceredigion since 1956.

Shears

A new moth for me in the garden trap last night when fortunately it didn't rain but was mild and humid.

I note from Tony's excellent Macro list update to Fowles that numbers of this moth have decreased dramatically so perhaps lucky to get this one.

I'm using a Mac so can report that the Macro moth file, downloaded and now on my desktop for quick access, is super quick to use.  I love that old Fowles booklet and have used it every moth session since I started but this is a 21st century improvement, clearly laid out and all you need to know in a succinct format: brilliant.
A lot of work so thanks again Tony.
Shame if it were to remain hidden under the documents tag...can't it be named on the bar so visitors to the site from elsewhere can see it exists?

Cross Inn 100

And my 100th macro moth species at Pontsaeson was........

A Pale Tussock which had obviously flown onto my jacket as I was looking in the trap. Christine found it on the back of my chair while I was out walking and presented it to me on my return. A lovely moth for my 100th species with its little furry boots.

Ynys-hir Moths

Seventy eight Macro species and sixteen Micros (plus a few that got away).
Two traps in Woodland/garden habitat and a small Heath trap in wet grassland.
As is to be expected the Hawkmoths proved most interesting to visitors, particularly the Eyed H/m when provoked into flashing his wings and amazement from some that moth could be pink.  Quote, "I thought they were all grey".
One of the micros Pammene germmana was only the second record for the county, the first was found by us in the same location last year.
Thanks to all for coming, visitor and local moth-ers alike.
Ina and Tony

Anania lancealis

Possible Argyresthia conjugella f.maculosa

Barred Hook-tip

Campion

Clouded Border

Dwarf Pug

Lobster

Snout

Tawny Shears

Cross Inn

A Lobster Moth was the 99th species I have recorded at Pontsaeson. 4 Poplar Hawk moths, a Buff Tip, Nut Tree Tussock and 4 White Ermines were a good night for me. What will be my 100th Species?

Lead Belle

A warm bumper moth night in a nearby mixed woodland produced 38 macro species.  The stars of the night were this Lead Belle and a Red-necked Footman. Other attractive moths included the Bordered White, Alder Moth and Broken-barred Carpet.

Carolyn & Evan

Lead Belle

Red-necked Footman

Bordered White

Alder Moth

Broken-barred Carpet

Aberystwyth in the rain

I did put my trap out last night ... and got up at 4.30 to move it out of the torrential rain .. but still worth it. Eyed and Poplar hawkmoths present, and first for year Sallow Kitten, Willow Beauty, Large Yellow Underwing, Spectacle, Grey Dagger agg., Small Angle Shades, Small Seraphim, White Ermine and Pebble Hook-tip. A Figure of Eighty put in a second appearance.

Among the micros attracted early on: Chrystoteuchia culmella, Epinotia tedella, and Spuleria flavicaput (what a name!), and then in the morning FFY Diamond-back, Syndemis nusculana, Metzneria metzneriella, Rhyacionia pinivorana and Epinotia rubiginosana.

Other finds around Aberystwyth this week among the micros were Elachista subalbidella, Plum Tortrix, Nemapogon wolffiella (or whatever it's called now), Agonopterix purpurea and Incurvaria oehlmanniella.

Figure of Eighty

Sallow Kitten

Small seraphim

Rhyacoionia pinivorana

Epinotia rubiginosana

Nemapogon wolffiella

Spuleria flavicaput

Small Magpie

I didn't put my trap out last night but this chap was on the kitchen ceiling. After much searching through my various moth books, in vain, I have now concluded that this is a micro moth - Small magpie....

Netted Pug

We ran 3 Heath traps by the coast at Wallog last night, and recorded 46 species of macro moth, 6 micros with a Nepticulidae and a Elachistidae awaiting further investigation. A first for both of us was a rather worn but unmistakeable Netted Pug. There were 8 county records between 1923 and 1986 and a further 6 from 2009 to 2016. All the recent records are from the Constitution Hill area of Aberystwyth, so it could be present at other sites along the coast. A Pinion-streaked Snout was the earliest ever county record and the first in May.
Tony & Ina


Netted Pug



Barred Red



Elephant Hawkmoth & Green Carpet



Fox Moth



Gold Spot



Pale Prominent



Pinion-streaked Snout



Shoulder-striped Wainscot

Welsh Wave

Last night we took a trap to a known site for Welsh Wave and found 2 in the trap this morning. This is only third county record for this moth in May and the 5th consecutive year that we have recorded it at this site. The total of 22 macro species also included Scorched Wing (we are seeing a lot of these this year), Brimstone, Lobster moth, Common and Satin Lutestring, Spruce, Grey Pine, Common Marbled, Green, Garden, and Flame Carpets, Tawny-barred Angle, Lunar Thorn, and Scalloped Hazel.
Tony & Ina

Welsh Wave

Satin Lutestring